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Friday, July 23, 2021
Volume 17 • Issue No. 30
MTA Announces Plans for Toll Adjustment STATEWIDE Maine Turnpike Authority (MTA) is preparing for a toll adjustment in 2021 to offset losses to revenue caused by the pandemic, to complete important capacity projects, and to preserve the MTA bond rating. MTA will hold Public Meetings in early August to provide information on the changes and take public comment. MTA receives all its revenue through tolls paid by Turnpike users – it receives no federal funds or state gas tax revenue. Due to the decrease in traffic during the pandemic, MTA collected $60 million less in revenue than had been projected. During the 2020 pandemic year, MTA kept Maine contractors employed by investing $106 million in reserves to help sustain the Maine economy, to allow contractors to work safely in reduced traffic, and to complete projects of major significance to the public. MTA’s planned future work includes projects that are necessary to manage mobility throughout the region and add the capacity needed to accommodate future traffic growth. Adjusting tolls and discounts
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will help ensure that future projects can be completed as scheduled. Bond rating agencies have recently adopted more stringent levels of operating revenue needed to secure bonds. These criteria require MTA to maintain higher levels of revenue to keep its strong bond rating and access to low interest rates. Although MTA is reluctant to raise tolls while the economy is still recovering, MTA has not raised tolls in nearly nine years. It is one of the few agencies in the US that has not done so. Nationally, over 50% of all toll facilities have increased tolls during the pandemic to offset losses. The MTA Board resolved to take the steps necessary to implement changes in toll structure to take effect as of November 1, either by implementing the proposed Toll Adjustments or by adopting alternative measures to raise equivalent revenue. This will increase toll revenue by nearly 13%. Proposed Toll Adjustments: Increase the cash rate at York from $3 to $4 for a passenger car (Class 1) and corresponding rates for remaining toll classes; Increase the current Maine EZPass rate per mile from 7.7 cents to 8.0 cents; Adjust the Class 1 Personal Volume Discount thresholds from a 25% discount to a 20% discount for Maine E-ZPass users making 30 or more trips per month and from a 50% discount to a 40% discount for Maine E-ZPass users making 40 or more trips per month; Limit or eliminate image tolls (I-tolls) that count toward the Class 1 Personal Volume discount. I-tolls are created when an E-ZPass transponder is not present or not read to a valid Maine E-ZPass account. The approximate value of
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YORK The York Parks & Recreation Department is thrilled to present the 2021 York Days lineup. Special Events Coordinator Liz Cooper said the line-up includes more in-person events,
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local vendors and a return to an in-person 5K race (pictured). York Days will run from Friday, July 30 through Sunday, August 8. This 10-day celebration will offer the whole community opportunities to enjoy
York’s amazing sites and come together. York Days kicks off with a free Family Film Night at Bog Road Fields Complex on Friday, July 30 with the latest Tom & Jerry movie (rated PG). Registration is required and available via www.yorkparksandrec.org or by calling 207-363-1040. Admission is free with the movie beginning at 8 p.m., so bring blankets, a picnic and enjoy! Visitors and local residents can enjoy seeing what the Nubble Lighthouse looks like in its holiday best, from sunset See YORK page 2...
Fifth Farm Added to Open Farm Day BERWICK Berwick’s Farms are coming together to put the town’s farms on the map, celebrate its agricultural heritage, encourage agritourism, and host the first annual Berwick Agricultural Scavenger Hunt on Sunday, July 25. Visit the animals, walk the fields and enjoy the open spaces that keep agriculture a big part of the Berwick landscape, and honor Berwick’s past. Additionally, each farm will have a photo-op highlighting a unique aspect of their operation. Visitors simply post the pictures from each farm in a
carousel/series of slides to their social media page tagged with #EnvisionBerwick and #berwickfarms2021. To participate, accounts must be made “public” until 8 p.m. on Open Farm Day.
At the end of the day, every contestant who has entered all five photo-ops (in one post/carousel) will be entered into the drawing. See FARMS page 4...
Family Fun at Wells Harborfest WELLS Wells Harborfest will be providing funfilled hours of old-fashioned family enjoyment on Saturday, July 31 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Harbor Road in beautiful Wells Harbor. Activities include a Kids Crabbing activity, Lobster Trap Toss, Doughnut Eating Contest, Lumberman’s Challenge, Pirate Treasure Hunt on Wells Harbor Beach, Wells PD, FD, and EMS demos, live music food trucks, Rotary BBQ, Chamber Silent Auction and more with all proceeds going to the Wells Recreation Scholarship Fund.
See TOLL page 4...
Arts & Entertainment 6-12 Calendar of Events
York Days Return for 2021!
Health & Fitness
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