Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington embraced a shift toward new tolling technology for New Hampshire’s highways. They’re safer, cheaper to operate and more environmentally friendly, she said – not to mention, faster.

“Traffic moves more evenly through. We don’t have the backups at the tolls,” Warmington said, supporting a transition to an electronic-only toll plaza on the Everett Turnpike in Bedford. “That’s good for tourism in our state.”

Other council members, like Joe Kenney, are wary of inconveniencing tourists by completely removing the cash option. For those who don’t have an E-ZPass transponder – the electronic toll pass that lets drivers pass through tolls without stopping – including people from out of state, Kenney worried having to pay online at a later date could create hassle for visitors.

E-ZPass is common on the East Coast. Seventeen other states use it, including New England neighbors Massachusetts, Maine and Rhode Island.

“I just think that the more and more we get electronics, the more and more we lose the ‘Let’s keep the New Hampshire approach,’ which is friendly, courteous and that we want to keep you in contact with our state,” Kenney said, advocating to keep at least one cash lane. “I get that some of it is good with regards to getting people through quicker, but you can still get probably 80% of people through quicker. but at least you have a cash option.”

Councilors voted 3-2 Nov. 13 to make the Bedford toll plaza near mile marker 17 all-electronic, with Kenney and Dave Wheeler against. The nearly $16 million contract will go to R.S. Audley, Inc., a Bow-based construction company. New Hampshire already has a few all-electronic toll plazas in Dover and Rochester.

Warmington said the electronic option, which lets people maintain their speed through the toll, cuts down on vehicle emissions. When drivers have to slow down or stop in the cash lane, speeding up again pushes out more fumes. 

Safety was another top concern for councilors and the state Department of Transportation, which will aim to remove the physical barriers and infrastructure of cash tolls in favor of the overhead system, called a gantry. Transportation officials referenced several “very horrific” accidents at the Bedford location in recent years, where people are either distracted or don’t see that they’re driving into the plaza.

Gov. Chris Sununu said after the meeting that he understands the safety concerns, but favors keeping a cash option.

“It would all be easy if everyone just got a transponder, but I get it, some people don’t want a transponder. They want to pay cash,” Sununu said. “That’s their choice, so having a system that is flexible to that to a certain extent is important.”

Beyond this Bedford location, he doesn’t see all-electronic tolls expanding on a widespread scale but on a case-by-case basis, “if it’s expanded at all.” He’s more looking to the Transportation Department to work on customer service, make it easier to pay fines and improve the website.

Charlotte Matherly is the State House reporter for the Concord Monitor and Monadnock Ledger-Transcript in partnership with Report for America. Follow her on X at @charmatherly, or send her an email at cmatherly@cmonitor.com.