Toll-burdened Merrimack may get relief
New Hampshire Executive Councilor Debora Pignatelli is exploring the feasibility of a new relief plan for Merrimack, N.H., commuters who feel they pay a disproportionate share of state highway tolls.
"I've been looking for a way to get toll relief for Merrimack residents in the three years I've been on the council," Pignatelli said last week.
According to a study conducted by the New Hampshire Department of Transportation last year, commuters in Merrimack paid 42 cents a mile for short hops on the Daniel Webster Highway. Other motorists on the 44.6-mile highway average 3 cents a mile.
"The town is paying a disproportionate share for tolls," Pignatelli said.
Her plan calls for Merrimack residents to get a discount through the use of E-ZPass transponders. New Hampshire residents who use the transponders get a 30 percent discount on the tolls, and she hopes Merrimack residents may get more.
"Some want to remove the toll booth, but I don't see that happening," said Pignatelli, "not given the current state of highway and transportation funds."
She cautions that it's not a done deal. She said she planned to meet with town officials late last week to hear other plans.
E-ZPass offenders warned by letter
And speaking of the E-ZPass, on May 1, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation sent out letters to 23,500 New Hampshire motorists suspected of driving through the E-ZPass lanes in Merrimack and other locations throughout the state without paying.
The letter informed the motorists that they would be charged for the back tolls and a $25 "administrative fee" for each violation.
It warned that if the issue is not resolved, their names would be forwarded to the state Division of Motor Vehicles, which may suspend their licenses or their car registrations, which is allowed under state law.
Thousands of motorists responded. The Transportation Department received 4,000 pieces of mail in one weekend.
And scores of motorists queued up at E-ZPass walk-in centers in Seabrook, Hooksett, and Nashua to deal with the problem in person.
Originally the motorists were given until May 15 to respond. The deadline was extended to May 25, and this month it was extended again, to June 15.
"It's a customer service issue. The volume of problems was too much to handle," department spokesman Bill Boynton said.
Ad in disguise is taken down
Tom Luongo of Winchester wrote to share his complaint about a " support our troops" sign overlooking Interstate 93 on the Reading -Wilmington line.
Luongo was "especially offended" that a karate school's website was also on the banner, and in larger type than the message of support. "Highway overpasses should remain free of advertising. If there isn't a law there ought to be," he wrote.
There is. Erik Abell, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation and Public Works, said the advertisement was erected without authorization and, more importantly, could pose a safety hazard to drivers. He had it removed.
Fading markers due for makeover
Joseph Wiesenfeld has been doing more than listening to the radio as he motors down the highway.
"A number of years ago the state put mile markers on every state highway . . . Over the years, due to lack of maintenance, these numbers have mostly disappeared. Every once in a while you can find a vestige of this project where a mile marker still exists. Since they were not maintained, they probably have little use."
But Wiesenfeld recently saw a new set of markers on Route 9 in Wellesley, Newton, and Brookline. He wondered what's up.
"Mile markers, or 'reference location signs,' actually have several uses," reports Abell, the transportation spokesman. "They assist road users in estimating their progress, they aid in highway maintenance and, most importantly, they provide a means for identifying a location in the event of an emergency incident or traffic crash."
In the coming years, MassHighway will be installing new signs along state highways and interstates, he said.
Starts & Stops appears every other Sunday in Globe NorthWest. Transportation comments and questions may be sent to starts@globe.com. 
