New Hampshire is taking the first steps to placing a tollbooth on Interstate 93 near the Massachusetts border.
Department of Transportation Commissioner George Campbell has asked federal highway officials for permission to erect a test booth near Exit 1 in Salem on the southbound side only.
Funds from the $2 toll would pay for the widening of I-93 between exits 1 and 3, and Exit 5, project manager Pete Stamnas said.
The toll would need approval from the governor and the Legislature, and Campbell said it would probably take up to four years for the booth to be installed fulltime.
Negative reaction to the proposal was swift from both sides of the border.
Methuen is the first Massachusetts community that drivers hit as they head south on I-93. Methuen Mayor William Manzi said he thinks the toll would be bad for business in New Hampshire, and he's concerned about increased traffic on local roads in the city caused by motorists trying to avoid the toll.
"We would have concerns relative to diverted traffic," he said.
Southern New Hampshire lawmakers and commuters said a new toll would penalize workers, stall traffic and hurt business.
Bill Garron of Derry drives I-93 daily, shuttling students to the Bay State, and he abhors the thought of waiting at the border. Otherwise, when traveling south in his own car, he'd jump on Route 28 to avoid the $2 toll. He figures many other travelers would do the same and their numbers would snarl local traffic.
"I think it's lousy," Garron said of the toll idea.
The widening work is scheduled for 2013, but needs $300 million, Stamnas said. Three options to raise the money include a gas tax, the tollbooth proposal or selling bonds, he said.
Greg Warner of Londonderry has been commuting to Boston for almost 20 years and harbors a strong dislike for traffic, even when riding a bus — so much so that he boards the 5:30 a.m. express daily. He figures a tollbooth in Salem would add five to 10 minutes to his ride.
His wife, Anne, agrees.
"We've already got traffic jams at the state line," she said.
Area legislators said their constituents would want them to stomp on the brakes regarding any toll proposal.
Sen. Bob Letourneau, R-Derry, represents residents of Derry, Hampstead and Windham, and he figures more than 50 percent of them travel I-93 to get to work.
"Putting a toll on I-93 is a very bad idea," Letourneau said yesterday.
He said federal highway money should pay for the road expansion.
One reason it's a bad idea, said Rep. Charles McMahon, R-Windham, is the toll would be a "disincentive" for out-of-staters to travel to New Hampshire and spend money.
Furthermore, the toll and subsequent increases, would "start a wall of taxation that area taxpayers would not be able to get over."
"That is punishing people for going to work," McMahon said.
Rep. Frank Emiro, R-Londonderry, opposes tollbooths in general and the Salem idea in particular.
Emiro, a former DOT employee, objects to the state's practice of funneling toll revenues into the general fund for purposes other than turnpike expenditures.
"I don't like the games the state plays," he said.
Rep. Bob Elliott, R-Salem, said he and his constituents would oppose the toll. Still, Elliott, who sits on the Finance Committee, said given the state's dire economic condition, he wouldn't be surprised to see the tollbooth proposal pass the Democrat-controlled House.
Salem Selectman Michael Lyons suggested the state look somewhere other than a tollbooth to raise the money.
He said when town officials learned of the proposed toll yesterday, it was unwelcome news.
"We're happy to work with the state on proposals like expanded gaming at Rockingham Park if they want to raise revenue. But a toll would impact Salem's residents the most because people commute to Massachusetts every day to work."
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