Turnpike chief to replace toll takers at 4 booths with machines

By Noah Bierman, Globe Staff

The new chief of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority said today he will replace toll-takers at four booths with electronic machines and look at adding more automation throughout the system.

“We have 204 lanes. One hundred of them are manual …We’re looking at what’s the right balance,” said Alan LeBovidge, executive director of the Turnpike Authority.

LeBovidge said getting rid of just four manual booths will save $500,000 a year after an initial expense of installing Fast Lane equipment. It will require eliminating jobs, and LeBovidge acknowledged that the state’s strong unions would probably resist the plan. The location of the four booths that will be automated was not immediately available.

The toll booths were one small but symbolic effort as he completes his first two months on the job. He was brought in to fix the financially and managerially troubled agency. He presented his 60-day assessment at this morning’s board meeting.

LeBovidge said he believes it will take 12 to 18 months to get the organization running efficiently. Even then, financial problems would persist, he said. Some issues require help from the state Legislature.

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