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Tolls

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Are Tolls a Good Way to Finance Roads?

At one time, tolls were assumed to be a thing of the past along the MassPike, now it appears they’re going to stay.

  Drivers who live in the towns and cities along the Massachusetts Turnpike west of Route 128 are used to paying tolls. However, in 2009 the state wrote into a law a deadline for the tolls along Interstate 90 to be taken down once the state’s highway debt is paid off, according to the Boston Business Journal Wednesday. The site reports that date is Jan. 1, 2017 as of now. The state does plan to get rid of the tollbooths as currently constituted in one form by installing a high-speed all-electronic tolling system that bills drivers as they zip through. This change will take effect as early as next year on the Tobin Bridge. BBJ reports that top state Department of Transportation official Richard Davey wants to roll the MassPike tolls west of…

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Free Coffee! Free Tolls! And More Thanksgiving Travel Tips

Here are some tips from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to make your Thanksgiving travel a little easier.

Will you be driving Thanksgiving night? If so, you can snag a free cup of joe courtesy of the state. And if you're hitting the Turnpike Wednesday afternoon, you can also get on I-90 (for one hour) without having to pay the toll. Free coffee will be served at all 18 Massachusetts Department of Tranportation (MassDOT) service plazas between 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving night until 5 a.m. on Friday, Nov 23, courtesy of McDonalds, Burger King and Gulf. Meanwhile, Plymouth Rock Assurance will sponsor free tolls at the Allston-Brighton interchange on I-90 from 3-4 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 21.  Thanksgiving holiday traffic is expected to be at its peak Wednesday, Nov. 21 and Sunday, Nov. 25, according to MassDOT. To avoid delays on busy days, drivers …

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