Maine’s highways could soon be monitored by automated speed-tracking cameras that could be used to issue tickets without a driver ever interacting with police if Republican Sen. Brad Farrin’s (R-Somerset) recent resolution is successful.

The proposed resolution, LD 1457, introduced on Thursday, drew support from three Democratic and two Republican co-sponsors. It was set to be referred to a committee that day and was expected to be sent to the Committee on Transportation, though it has not yet been officially referred because Thursday’s Senate session was canceled.

The resolution authorizes a limited pilot program to implement a “work zone speed control system” in a highway work zone. The program would operate in three locations in road construction areas across the state at any given time. Each zone would have cameras intended to monitor and record the speed and license plates of vehicles traveling through that zone.

The cameras will then capture the license plate of any car caught traveling 11 miles-per-hour or more over the limit in the work zone. While the images may not be used for surveillance purposes, they will be used to issue penalties to speeding drivers. The first offense will result in a mailed warning, and the second will result in a fine.

At first, the system will not be fully autonomous but will be maintained and calibrated by an operator who will ensure that it is working correctly. Recorded violations will be manually reviewed before any warning or fine is issued.

The personal information collected by the system cannot be sold by the Maine Turnpike Authority and will not be eligible for release under Maine’s Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) laws.

Each of the work zones involved in the pilot program will be clearly marked with signs informing drivers that their speed is being monitored by a camera.

Following the pilot program, the MTA director would be mandated to submit a report by November 2028 to the legislature, including any recommendations for legislation surrounding traffic enforcement cameras. Though the current resolution only implements a pilot program, the 2028 report opens the door for a significant expansion of the program, potentially to all work zones or even beyond and into general highway speed enforcement.

Currently, Maine already uses license plate tracking cameras to assist in criminal investigations, among other “safety” purposes. Although they are currently not permitted to be used to enforce speed limits, this resolution appears to be a step towards a dramatic expansion of digital enforcement.