This site is owned and operated by the Maine Turnpike Authority. Your privacy on the Internet is of the utmost importance to us. At the Maine Turnpike Authority, we want to make your experience online satisfying and safe.
Because we gather certain types of information about our users, we feel you should fully understand the terms and conditions surrounding the capture and use of that information. This privacy statement discloses what information we gather and how we use it.
Because we are a public agency, certain information collected by the Maine Turnpike Authority may be subject to public disclosure through judicial process or pursuant to the public disclosure provisions of 1 MRSA Chapter 13, the Maine Freedom of Access Act. Please see below for details.
The Maine Turnpike Authority gathers two types of information about users:
1. Information that users provide through optional, voluntary submissions.
This kind of information comes from voluntary submissions to receive our electronic newsletters or bulletins, email communications or other electronic communications to the Maine Turnpike Authority, submission of online forms, and from participation in polls and surveys. This information may contain Personally Identifiable Information, and the Maine Turnpike Authority's use of such information is described below.
2. Information the Maine Turnpike Authority gathers through aggregated tracking information derived mainly by tallying page views throughout our sites.
This information allows us to better tailor our content to users' needs. This information is generally not associated with individual users, and will therefore not usually contain Personally Identifiable Information. The Maine Turnpike Authority's use of such information is described below.
The Maine Turnpike Authority Gathers User Information In The Following Processes:
A. Optional Voluntary Information
Optional voluntary information may include Personally Identifiable Information, which means information that identifies a specific individual including but not limited to an individual's name, street address, email address or phone number. Some of this information is confidential by statute, under 23 MRSA 1982, but some of it may be considered a public record under Maine's Freedom of Access Act (1 MRSA chapter 13) and therefore is subject to disclosure through the process provided in that statute or through administrative or judicial subpoena. The Maine Turnpike Authority will protect the personal information submitted through its website to the greatest extent allowed by applicable law. Under no circumstances shall the Maine Turnpike Authority sell any information gathered through its website for marketing purposes or other purposes. This information may be used by the Maine Turnpike Authority and its consultants for public outreach and informational purposes, unless an individual specifically requests that we do not.
The Maine Turnpike Authority offers the following free services, which require some type of voluntary submission of personal information by users:
1. Electronic newsletters
The Maine Turnpike Authority will offer a free electronic newsletter to users. The Maine Turnpike Authority gathers the email addresses of users who voluntarily subscribe. Users may remove themselves from this mailing list by following the link provided in every newsletter that points users to the subscription management page. Users can also subscribe to the newsletters at the time of registration.
2. Email
Users may email the Maine Turnpike Authority through our website with questions about their E-ZPass accounts, construction activity, and any other questions they may have about the Maine Turnpike Authority's operations. These email messages will be treated like any other written communication, which means they may be subject to public inspection or legal disclosure under Maine law, including but not limited to Maine's Freedom of Access Act, 1 MRSA Chapter 13. These email messages will be saved for a period of time before they are destroyed. Email requests may be shared with appropriate personnel within the Maine Turnpike Authority and other entities in order to respond to the request and may be maintained in order to keep track of user feedback.
3. Forms and Account Information
The Maine Turnpike Authority intends to offer interactive forms by which a user of its website may view information about his or her E-Z Pass Account and may update that information online. This information is confidential to the extent provided by 23 MRSA 1982, which deals with personal information such as name, address and travel patterns of Turnpike Patrons, and by applicable state and federal laws which protect financial and credit card information, including but not limited to 9-A MRSA 8-304, but portions of this information may be subject to disclosure under Maine's Freedom of Access Act, in the same manner as information gathered through email communications.
Children
Consistent with the Federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA), we will never knowingly request personally identifiable information from anyone under the age of 13 without requesting parental consent.
B. Aggregated Usage Information
1. Usage tracking
The Maine Turnpike Authority tracks user traffic patterns throughout all of our sites. However, we do not correlate this information with data about individual users. We may collect some or all of the following information about users who view or download information from our website:
| Information | Definition |
|---|---|
| Date | Date the visit occurred. |
| Time | Time the visit occurred. |
| Client IP | Unique Internet Protocol (IP) address of the website visitor. The IP address recorded is normally that of the visitor's Internet service provider, e.g., aol.com if the visitor connects from an America Online account. |
| Server IP | Unique Internet Protocol (IP) address of the Maine Turnpike Authority web server accessed. |
| HTTP Status | Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) error code. E.g., "404 Requested Page Not Found." |
| HTTP Request URL | Identifies the web page or file requested by the website visitor. |
| Bytes Sent | Amount of data sent from the web server to website visitor during that connection. |
| Bytes Received | Amount of data sent from website visitor to the web server. |
| User Agent | Type of web browser or other client software that made request to the web server. |
| Referrer | Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that referred to the requested file. |
| Protocol Version | Version of HTTP used by the visitor's web browser software. |
2. Cookies
The Maine Turnpike Authority's web site may place a text file called a "cookie" in the browser files of your computer. The cookie itself does not contain Personally Identifiable Information although it will enable us to relate your use of this site to information that you have specifically and knowingly provided. But the only Personally Identifiable Information a cookie can contain is information you supply yourself. A cookie can't read data off your hard disk or read cookie files created by other sites. The Maine Turnpike Authority uses cookies to track user traffic patterns (as described above).
You can refuse cookies by turning them off in your browser. If you've set your browser to warn you before accepting cookies, you will receive the warning message with each cookie. You do not need to have cookies turned on to use this site.
The Maine Turnpike Authority uses tracking information to determine which areas of our site users like and don't like based on traffic to those areas. We do not track what individual users read, but rather how well each page performs overall. This helps us continue to build a better service for you.
The Maine Turnpike Authority creates aggregate reports on user demographics and traffic patterns for internal use only. This allows us to evaluate the use of our website and ways in which we might improve its value to our patrons. We will not disclose any information about any individual user except to comply with applicable law or valid legal process or to protect the personal safety of our users or the public.
The Maine Turnpike Authority operates secure data networks protected by industry standard firewall and password protection systems. Our security and privacy policies are periodically reviewed and enhanced as necessary and only authorized individuals have access to the information provided by our users.
The Maine Turnpike Authority gives users options wherever necessary and practical. Such choices include opting not to register to receive our electronic newsletters and opting not to participate in certain interactive areas, which completely alleviates the need to gather any Personally Identifiable Information from our users.
By using this site, you consent to the collection and use of this information by the Maine Turnpike Authority. If we decide to change our privacy policy, we will post those changes on this page so that you are always aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances we disclose it.
The Maine Turnpike Authority makes every effort to ensure that published information is accurate and current. However, neither the Maine Turnpike Authority nor any of its officers or employees warrant the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of any information published on its website, and shall not be held liable for any losses caused by reliance on the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of such information. Portions of the information on this website may be incorrect or no longer current. Any person or entity that relies on any information obtained from this system does so at their own risk.
To contact us with comments or questions about our privacy policy please contact webmaster-ezpass@maineturnpike.com.
