YORK, Maine — Members of the local organization Think Again are meeting at 7 p.m. May 14 at Norma’s Restaurant on Route 1 in York to discuss recent developments regarding the York toll plaza and to develop a plan of action, according to a released statement from the grassroots organization.
Last week, Maine Turnpike Authority Executive Director Peter Mills said a study has determined that replacing the 45-year-old tollbooth with an all-electronic tolling system is not feasible.
Think Again and town officials have favored all-electronic tolling as an alternative to building a new toll plaza that could affect private property.
Mills stressed Thursday the Maine Turnpike Authority would not build a plaza such as the one envisioned for York in 2008 that galvanized resident protest. He also pledged no land would be taken.
The likely next step is to consider an open-road toll plaza, similar to the one on Interstate 95 in Hampton, N.H., according to Mills. Open-road tolling has booths and allows moving vehicles with E-ZPass transponders to be charged as they drive through at higher speeds than traditional toll booths.