E-ZPass: Difference between revisions

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[[Image:EZPass logo.svg|thumb|E-ZPass logo]]
[[Image:EZPass logo.svg|thumb|E-ZPass logo]]


'''E-ZPass''' is an [[electronic toll collection|electronic toll-collection]] system used on most tolled [[road]]s, [[bridge]]s, and [[tunnel]]s in the [[Northeastern United States|northeastern US]], south to Virginia and West Virginia, and west to Illinois. Currently, there are 25 agencies spread across 14 states that make up the [http://www.e-zpassiag.com/ E-ZPass Interagency Group (IAG)]. All member agencies use the same technology, allowing travelers to use the same E-ZPass [[transponder]] throughout the IAG network. Various independent systems that use the same technology have been integrated into the E-ZPass system. These include [[Fast Lane]] in [[Massachusetts]], [[I-Pass]] in [[Illinois]], [[i-Zoom]] in [[Indiana]], and the defunct [[M-Tag]] in [[Maryland]] and [[Smart Tag]] in [[Virginia]].
'''E-ZPass''' is an [[electronic toll collection|job killing system]] system used on most tolled [[road]]s, [[bridge]]s, and [[tunnel]]s in the [[Northeastern United States|northeastern US]], south to Virginia and West Virginia, and west to Illinois. Currently, there are 25 agencies spread across 14 states that make up the [http://www.e-zpassiag.com/ E-ZPass Interagency Group (IAG)]. All member agencies use the same technology, allowing travelers to use the same E-ZPass [[transponder]] throughout the IAG network. Various independent systems that use the same technology have been integrated into the E-ZPass system. These include [[Fast Lane]] in [[Massachusetts]], [[I-Pass]] in [[Illinois]], [[i-Zoom]] in [[Indiana]], and the defunct [[M-Tag]] in [[Maryland]] and [[Smart Tag]] in [[Virginia]].


==Functionality==
==Functionality==
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==History==
==History==
The notion of electronic tolling had been considered as early as the 1980s, particularly in the [[New York metropolitan area]]. The tolling agencies of [[New York]], [[New Jersey]], and [[Pennsylvania]]—which constitute two-thirds of the United States' $3 billion-a-year toll industry—sought to create a compatible electronic-tolling technology that could be used on the toll roads and bridges of the three states, in an effort to reduce congestion on some of the busiest roadways and toll plazas in the United States. In 1991, the E-ZPass IAG was created to develop an interoperable system, and involved the participation and cooperation of seven independent toll agencies—The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, The New Jersey Turnpike Authority, The New Jersey Highway Authority (operator of the Garden State Parkway at the time), the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the New York State Thruway Authority, The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, and the South Jersey Transportation Authority (operator of the Atlantic City Expressway). The E-ZPass trademark, however, belongs to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tarr.uspto.gov/servlet/tarr?regser=serial&entry=74304048 |title=Latest Status Info |publisher=Tarr.uspto.gov |date= |accessdate=2011-02-28}}</ref> The Port Authority has been aggressive at protecting its trademark, including forcing the [[Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority]] to rename the "EZ Pass" regional transit pass to "EZ transit pass" to protect its rights.<ref>http://boardarchives.metro.net/BoardBox/Daily%20Briefs/2008/DB%2020080215_0.doc</ref>
The notion of electronic tolling had been considered as early as the 1980s, particularly in the [[New York metropolitan area]]. The tolling agencies of [[New York]], [[New Jersey]], and [[Pennsylvania]]—which constitute two-thirds of the United States' $3 billion-a-year toll industry—sought to create a compatible electronic-tolling technology that could be used on the toll roads and bridges of the three states, in an effort to reduce congestion on some of the busiest roadways and toll plazas in the United States. In 1991, the E-ZPass IAG was created to develop an interoperable system, and involved the participation and cooperation of seven independent toll agencies—The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, The New Jersey Turnpike Authority, The New Jersey Highway Authority (operator of the Garden State Parkway at the time), the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the New York State Thruway Authority, The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, and the South Jersey Transportation Authority (operator of the Atlantic City Expressway). The E-ZPass trademark, however, belongs to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. This is a social issue.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tarr.uspto.gov/servlet/tarr?regser=serial&entry=74304048 |title=Latest Status Info |publisher=Tarr.uspto.gov |date= |accessdate=2011-02-28}}</ref> The Port Authority has been aggressive at protecting its trademark, including forcing the [[Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority]] to rename the "EZ Pass" regional transit pass to "EZ transit pass" to protect its rights.<ref>http://boardarchives.metro.net/BoardBox/Daily%20Briefs/2008/DB%2020080215_0.doc</ref>


On July 15, 1991, Colorado's [[E-470]] became the first highway in the United States to implement electronic tolling, via its "EXpressToll" system. [[E-470]] was engineered for open-road tolling from the beginning.<ref>{{cite web|title=E-470 Historical Fact File|url=https://www.expresstoll.com/AboutUs/Documents/Historical%20Fact%20File%202011%209-30-2011.pdf|work=E-470 Website|publisher=E-470 Public Highway Authority|accessdate=14 February 2012}}</ref>
On July 15, 1991, Colorado's [[E-470]] became the first highway in the United States to implement electronic tolling, via its "EXpressToll" system. [[E-470]] was engineered for open-road tolling from the beginning.<ref>{{cite web|title=E-470 Historical Fact File|url=https://www.expresstoll.com/AboutUs/Documents/Historical%20Fact%20File%202011%209-30-2011.pdf|work=E-470 Website|publisher=E-470 Public Highway Authority|accessdate=14 February 2012}}</ref>
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The E-ZPass system continues to expand. The Indiana Toll Road Concessions Corporation has upgraded its toll plazas to include E-ZPass functionality on the [[Indiana East–West Toll Road]], while the Ohio Turnpike Commission has upgraded its toll plazas in October 2009 for the [[Ohio Turnpike]] (I-76, I-80, I-90). The Indiana Toll Road Concession Company brands its E-ZPass program as [[I-Zoom]]; Ohio will use the E-ZPass brand name.<ref>{{cite web | last = Samuel | first = Peter | title = Indiana to have I-Zoom transponder brand | publisher = TollRoadsNews.com | date= March 21, 2007 | url = http://tollroadsnews.com/node/30 | accessdate = 2007-05-10 | postscript = <!--None-->}}</ref> On December 16, 2008, [[Rhode Island]] joined the network by activating E-ZPass lanes in the state's only toll booth, at the [[Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge]].<ref>{{cite news| title= EZ-Pass Lanes open| publisher= WBZ News Radio| date= 2008-12-16|url= http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/R/RI_NEWPORT_E_Z_PASS_RIOL-?SITE=WBZAM&SECTION=SPORTS&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT |accessdate=2008-12-16 |work= Associated Press }} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>
The E-ZPass system continues to expand. The Indiana Toll Road Concessions Corporation has upgraded its toll plazas to include E-ZPass functionality on the [[Indiana East–West Toll Road]], while the Ohio Turnpike Commission has upgraded its toll plazas in October 2009 for the [[Ohio Turnpike]] (I-76, I-80, I-90). The Indiana Toll Road Concession Company brands its E-ZPass program as [[I-Zoom]]; Ohio will use the E-ZPass brand name.<ref>{{cite web | last = Samuel | first = Peter | title = Indiana to have I-Zoom transponder brand | publisher = TollRoadsNews.com | date= March 21, 2007 | url = http://tollroadsnews.com/node/30 | accessdate = 2007-05-10 | postscript = <!--None-->}}</ref> On December 16, 2008, [[Rhode Island]] joined the network by activating E-ZPass lanes in the state's only toll booth, at the [[Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge]].<ref>{{cite news| title= EZ-Pass Lanes open| publisher= WBZ News Radio| date= 2008-12-16|url= http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/R/RI_NEWPORT_E_Z_PASS_RIOL-?SITE=WBZAM&SECTION=SPORTS&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT |accessdate=2008-12-16 |work= Associated Press }} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>


E-ZPass ETC transponders do not work on all toll roads in the U.S. Currently, the E-ZPass electronic toll-collection system (as well as the other ETC systems that are part of the E-ZPass network) are not compatible with Florida systems (including [[SunPass]] and EPass), California's [[FasTrak]], Kansas's [[Kansas Turnpike#Tolls|K-Tag]], Oklahoma's [[Pikepass]], Texas's [[TxTag]], Georgia's Peach Pass and Cruise Card, or other ETC systems outside of the E-ZPass operating regions.
E-ZPass ETC transponders do not work on all toll roads in the U.S. Currently, the E-ZPass electronic toll-collection system (as well as the other ETC systems that are part of the E-ZPass network) are not compatible with Florida systems (including [[SunPass]] and EPass), California's [[FasTrak]], Kansas's [[Kansas Turnpike#Tolls|K-Tag]], Oklahoma's [[Pikepass]], Texas's [[TxTag]], Georgia's Peach Pass and Cruise Card, or other ETC systems outside of the E-ZPass operating regions. There are E-Z Paases in Alberta.


In 2009, an organization called the Alliance for Toll Interoperability stated that it was exploring the option of using hi-speed cameras to take photographs of the cars passing through non-E-ZPass lanes in other states.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/feb/06/toll-payment-other-states-may-get-easier/news-breaking/ |title=Toll Payment In Other States May Get Easier |publisher=.tbo.com |date=2009-02-06 |accessdate=2011-02-28}}</ref>
In 2009, an organization called the Alliance for Toll Interoperability stated that it was exploring the option of using hi-speed cameras to take photographs of the cars passing through non-E-ZPass lanes in other states.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/feb/06/toll-payment-other-states-may-get-easier/news-breaking/ |title=Toll Payment In Other States May Get Easier |publisher=.tbo.com |date=2009-02-06 |accessdate=2011-02-28}}</ref>

Revision as of 00:25, 26 April 2012

File:EZPass logo.svg
E-ZPass logo

E-ZPass is an job killing system system used on most tolled roads, bridges, and tunnels in the northeastern US, south to Virginia and West Virginia, and west to Illinois. Currently, there are 25 agencies spread across 14 states that make up the E-ZPass Interagency Group (IAG). All member agencies use the same technology, allowing travelers to use the same E-ZPass transponder throughout the IAG network. Various independent systems that use the same technology have been integrated into the E-ZPass system. These include Fast Lane in Massachusetts, I-Pass in Illinois, i-Zoom in Indiana, and the defunct M-Tag in Maryland and Smart Tag in Virginia.

Functionality

A typical Fast Lane ("EZPass Accepted") toll booth in Massachusetts. The transmission antenna is highlighted in the yellow box.
An E-ZPass system transponder unit (also known as a 'tag' or a 'pack'); this unit is distributed by the Indiana Toll Road for use with the I-Zoom system and other roads which utilize E-ZPass.

E-ZPass tags are battery powered[1] RFID transponders, made exclusively by Kapsch TrafficCom (formerly Mark IV Industries Corp - IVHS Division.) They communicate with reader equipment built into lane-based or open road toll collection lanes. The most common type of tag can be mounted on the inside of the vehicle's windshield behind the rear-view mirror, though some vehicles have windshields that block RFID signals. For those vehicles (or customers who have aesthetic concerns or historical vehicles), an externally-mountable tag is offered, typically designed to attach to the vehicle's front or rear license plate mounting points.

Although a tag can be used with a motorcycle, there are usually no official instructions given for mounting due to the numerous variations between bike designs and the small area of a motorcycle windshield which could prove a hindrance if the transponder is attached following automobile instructions. Transponders may be held in the hand, if necessary.

Most E-ZPass lanes are converted manual toll lanes and must have fairly low speed limits for safety reasons (5 and 15 mph are typical), so that E-ZPass vehicles can merge safely with vehicles that stopped to pay a cash toll and, in some cases, to allow toll workers to safely cross the E-ZPass lanes to reach booths accepting cash payments. In some areas, however (typically recently built or retrofitted facilities), there is no need to slow down, because E-ZPass users can utilize dedicated traffic lanes ("Express E-ZPass") that are physically separate from the toll-booth lanes. Examples include Delaware Route 1, Virginia's Pocahontas Parkway, the Hampton toll plaza on I-95 in New Hampshire,the Interstate 78 Toll Bridge, the Atlantic City Expressway, the Newark Toll Plaza on the Delaware Turnpike [2] the express lanes of the Atlantic City Expressway, in two locations on the New Jersey Turnpike, one at the southern end near the Delaware Memorial Bridge and one near the northern end of the western spur (just north of exit 16W), the Garden State Parkway, the Pennsylvania Turnpike's Gateway, Warrendale and Mid-County (I-476) toll plazas, new sections of the Mon-Fayette Expressway, and the New York State Thruway at the Woodbury toll barrier. In October 2006, Illinois completed[3] its open road tolling for IPass/E-ZPass users.

Each E-ZPass tag is specifically programmed for a particular class of vehicle; while any valid working tag will be read and accepted in any E-ZPass toll lane, the wrong toll amount will be charged if the tag's programmed vehicle class does not match the vehicle. This will result in a violation and possible large fine assessed to the tag holder, especially if a lower-class (e.g., passenger car) tag is being used in a higher-class vehicle such as a bus or truck. In an attempt to avoid this, E-ZPass tags for commercial vehicles are blue in color, contrasting with the white tags assigned to standard passenger vehicles. The blue E-ZPass is also used in government employee vehicles. In New York, an orange E-ZPass tag is issued to emergency vehicles as well as to employees of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and New York State Thruway Authority.

For purposes of interoperability, all agencies are connected to each other by a secure network (the "reciprocity network"). This network provides the means to process toll transactions and violations across the various agencies. Registration of a transponder causes data of the transponder's user to be stored on the network. This data will be available in approximately one hour on the primary network the unit is issued by (e.g. i-Zoom, i-Pass, E-ZPass), but may be delayed by 24 hours on other networks.

Retail availability

Some issuing agencies offer a packaged E-ZPass transponder preloaded with toll funds sold over-the-counter at a retail setting (such as a supermarket or pharmacy service desk) that are valid immediately.[4][5] A portion of the balance is available instantly; customers can access the remaining balance when they register their transponders with the issuing E-ZPass agency within several days of first using their tags.

History

The notion of electronic tolling had been considered as early as the 1980s, particularly in the New York metropolitan area. The tolling agencies of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania—which constitute two-thirds of the United States' $3 billion-a-year toll industry—sought to create a compatible electronic-tolling technology that could be used on the toll roads and bridges of the three states, in an effort to reduce congestion on some of the busiest roadways and toll plazas in the United States. In 1991, the E-ZPass IAG was created to develop an interoperable system, and involved the participation and cooperation of seven independent toll agencies—The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, The New Jersey Turnpike Authority, The New Jersey Highway Authority (operator of the Garden State Parkway at the time), the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the New York State Thruway Authority, The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, and the South Jersey Transportation Authority (operator of the Atlantic City Expressway). The E-ZPass trademark, however, belongs to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. This is a social issue.[6] The Port Authority has been aggressive at protecting its trademark, including forcing the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority to rename the "EZ Pass" regional transit pass to "EZ transit pass" to protect its rights.[7]

On July 15, 1991, Colorado's E-470 became the first highway in the United States to implement electronic tolling, via its "EXpressToll" system. E-470 was engineered for open-road tolling from the beginning.[8]

Under the direction of Peter Tufo, chairman of the New York State Thruway from 1989–1996, E-ZPass was first deployed on the Thruway at the Spring Valley toll plaza on August 3, 1993. Over the following three and a half years, the New York State Thruway Authority (NYSTA) installed electronic toll-collection equipment, in stages, along the Thruway. By February 6, 1997, E-ZPass had been installed along the entire length of the corridor.

On October 6, 1998, a U.S. Patent for an "automated toll collection system" was issued to Fred Slavin and Randy J. Schafer.[9]

Meanwhile, various other agencies began work on similar electronic toll collecting facilities. This resulted in the emergence of other networks:

  • The MassPass system used in Massachusetts, now changed to the compatible Fast Lane.
  • The I-Pass system used in Illinois.
  • The Smart Tag system used in Virginia, integrated in 2005 and rebranded E-ZPass in 2007.
  • The TransPass system used in Maine, since replaced by the E-ZPass system.
  • The M-Tag system used in Maryland, integrated into and rebranded E-ZPass in 2001.

Originally, these systems were not interchangeable with E-ZPass. However, since most of them use the same technology (or have since converted over to a compatible technology), all of them have been incorporated into the E-ZPass network. Though several still retain their own brand name for their own facilities, users of those systems can use E-ZPass and vice versa. This allows, for example, travelers to drive on various toll roads in several states from Chicago, Illinois to Atlantic City, New Jersey with only an E-ZPass tag.

Until 2005, drivers crossing the Peace Bridge between Fort Erie, Ontario, and Buffalo, New York, paid a toll before crossing to Canada. Following upgrades to the border crossings in 2005, drivers instead pay a toll on the Canadian side of the Peace Bridge after clearing Canadian customs. This is the only E-ZPass toll booth outside of the United States. The toll goes to the Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority, a bi-national agency that is charged to maintain the international bridge.

The E-ZPass system continues to expand. The Indiana Toll Road Concessions Corporation has upgraded its toll plazas to include E-ZPass functionality on the Indiana East–West Toll Road, while the Ohio Turnpike Commission has upgraded its toll plazas in October 2009 for the Ohio Turnpike (I-76, I-80, I-90). The Indiana Toll Road Concession Company brands its E-ZPass program as I-Zoom; Ohio will use the E-ZPass brand name.[10] On December 16, 2008, Rhode Island joined the network by activating E-ZPass lanes in the state's only toll booth, at the Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge.[11]

E-ZPass ETC transponders do not work on all toll roads in the U.S. Currently, the E-ZPass electronic toll-collection system (as well as the other ETC systems that are part of the E-ZPass network) are not compatible with Florida systems (including SunPass and EPass), California's FasTrak, Kansas's K-Tag, Oklahoma's Pikepass, Texas's TxTag, Georgia's Peach Pass and Cruise Card, or other ETC systems outside of the E-ZPass operating regions. There are E-Z Paases in Alberta.

In 2009, an organization called the Alliance for Toll Interoperability stated that it was exploring the option of using hi-speed cameras to take photographs of the cars passing through non-E-ZPass lanes in other states.[12]

E-ZPass Plus

For E-ZPass subscribers who replenish their accounts with a major credit card the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey offers an E-ZPass option to pay for parking at three Port Authority airportsJohn F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport—through a program known as E-ZPass Plus.[13] This program is also available at Albany International Airport in Albany, New York, Syracuse Hancock International Airport in Syracuse, New York and the Atlantic City International Airport near Atlantic City, New Jersey. It is also available for use at the New York Avenue Parking Garage in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the Atlantic City Surface Lot in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and the parking lots at the New York State Fair when the fair is in progress.

The parking payment is debited from the prepaid E-ZPass account if the parking fee is less than $20. If it is more than $20, the amount is charged directly to the credit card used to replenish the E-ZPass account.[13]

The Port Authority reports that drivers save an average of 15 seconds by opting to pay for airport parking using E-ZPass.[citation needed]

Subscribers who replenish their E-ZPass accounts with cash or a check cannot participate in this program. Additionally, this service is only available to customers with one of the following E-ZPass accounts: New York (PANYNJ, MTA or NYS Thruway), New Jersey, DelDOT, Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission, Delaware River and Bay Authority, Maryland, or the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (as of 11/1/09).[14]

Other non-toll uses

Although not part of the E-ZPass-Plus program, E-ZPass users may also pay for parking at Pittsburgh International Airport. The E-ZPass transponder is used for identification only.

E-ZPass was tested by some McDonald's restaurants on Long Island, New York, at which drive-through customers were given the option to pay using their E-ZPass accounts. This program has ended.[15]

The New York State Fair offered E-ZPass Plus as a payment option at two of its parking lots for the first time in 2007,[16] and offered the service again for subsequent seasons.[17] The service was administered by the New York State Thruway Authority (NYSTA), and motorists' E-ZPass accounts were charged the same $5 parking fee that cash customers were charged. Unlike other E-ZPass Plus implementations, the State Fair systems charged motorists at the parking lot entrances; drivers opting to pay by E-ZPass Plus used dedicated "E-ZPass Plus Only" lanes. Since the lots only charge for parking during the twelve days of the State Fair, mobile, self-contained E-ZPass units were used to process vehicles. The units were mounted on trailers with a collapsible gantry for the E-ZPass antennas, used a cellular wireless connection to send transactions to the NYSTA backoffice system, and were powered by batteries that were kept replenished by photovoltaic solar panels, with a generator for backup.[18]

E-ZPass can also be used to pay for parking at the Route-128 Westwood Amtrak station in Westwood, Massachusetts.

E-ZPass transponders are also used to monitor traffic. A transponder reader is placed above the roadway at various intervals, and the time a particular tag takes between scans at each interval provides information about the speed of traffic between those points. This transit time information often relayed back to motorists via electronic signs on the roadway.[19] The individual tag data is not collected or used for ticketing purposes, as some sources have suggested.[20]

Technology details

The E-ZPass transponder works by listening for a signal broadcast by the reader stationed at the toll booth. This 915 MHz signal is sent at 500 kbit/s using the IAG protocol in 256-bit packets. Transponders use active Type II read/write technology. This system is proprietary to Mark IV Industries.[21]

Health

A study by Columbia University published in the American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, “Traffic congestion and infant health: Evidence from E-ZPass,” compared fetal health outcomes for mothers living near congested and uncongested toll plazas on three major highways in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The researchers focused on areas where toll plazas had instituted E-ZPass, which, because cars travel through more efficiently, diminishes congestion and pollution. The study drew its conclusions by looking at the health outcomes of nearly 30,000 births among mothers who lived within two kilometers of an E-ZPass toll plaza. The researchers state that their findings “suggest that the adoption of E-ZPass was associated with significant improvements of infant health.” The study's specific findings were: 1) In areas where E-ZPass was adopted, rates of infant prematurity decreased by between 6.7% and 9.1%; this means that, out of the sample studied, 255 preterm births were avoided; 2) Introduction of E-ZPass was correlated with a reduction in the incidence of low birth weight by between 8.5% and 11.3%; that means 275 cases of low birth weight were avoided.[22]

Privacy concerns

Civil liberties and privacy rights advocates have expressed concern about how the position data gathered through E-ZPass is used. As of August 2007, several states that employ E-ZPass have provided electronic toll information in response to court orders in civil cases, including divorces and other non-criminal matters.[23]

Position data is collected by antennas at locations in addition to fee collection locations. The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), for example, collect transponder information to provide real-time estimates of travel times between common destinations. By subtracting the time when vehicles pass under the first sign from the current time, the sign can display the expected travel time between the sign and the destination point ahead. This information is also used to determine the best times to schedule lane maintenance-related lane closures and for other traffic management purposes. According to NYSDOT, the individual tag information is encrypted, is deleted as soon as the vehicle passes the last reader, and is never made available to the Department.[24]

Accounts and agencies

Within the IAG, each member agency has its own billing and customer service center, and each establishes its own fee and discount structures. The agencies also set their own customer account policies. Areas of variation include the refundable deposit or nonrefundable charge for a tag, periodic maintenance fees, paper statement fees, the low account threshold, and replenishment amounts. E-ZPass is usually offered as a debit account: tolls are deducted from prepayments made by the users. Users may opt to have prepayments automatically deposited when their account is low, or they may submit prepayments manually. For commercial accounts, some agencies allow postpaid plans with a security deposit (which effectively renders them prepaid accounts, with a different replenishment policy).

Some agencies have imposed periodic account maintenance fees on their subscribers. After New Jersey began losing money with the E-ZPass system, a monthly account fee of $1.00 was implemented on July 15, 2002[25] and is still in effect for both individual and business accounts.[26] The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey also charges a monthly individual account fee of $1.00.[27] On July 1, 2009, the Maryland Transportation Authority began charging a $1.50-per-month fee to accountholders.[28]

The Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (TBTA) in New York City once imposed a monthly account fee starting on July 1, 2005, claiming to defray the administrative costs.[29] However, New York State Assembly Bill A06859A in 2005 and 2006 and Senate Bill S6331 in 2006 both considered such a fee threatening the efficiency to move traffic faster with lower tolls and sought to ban it.[30] When the New York State Law started to ban the monthly account fee,[31] the TBTA repealed it on June 1, 2006, and those, especially New Jerseyans, seeking New York accounts and avoiding the monthly fee still imposed by New Jersey and Port Authority, would have to apply for the TBTA or the New York State Thruway accounts at an E-ZPass New York Service Center.[32]

Several agencies offer discounted tolls to E-ZPass customers. The details vary widely, and can include general discounts for all E-ZPass users, variable pricing discounts for off-peak hours, commuter plans with minimum usage levels, flat rate plans offering unlimited use for a period of time, carpool plans for high-occupancy vehicles, and resident plans for those living near particular toll facilities. Many of these plans are available only to customers whose tags are issued by the agency that owns the toll facility in question (reciprocity applies to tag acceptance, not to discounts). Seven authorities in the Northeast (Maine,[33] the Massachusetts Turnpike,[34] the New Hampshire Turnpike,[35] Rhode Island,[36] NYC TBTA,[37] New Jersey Turnpike,[38] and DelDOT[39]) restrict their general discounts to their own respective tagholders.

Some agencies charge a one-time fee between $20.00 and $30.00 for each new transponder, including the Delaware Department of Transportation, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, and the Maine Turnpike Authority.[40] At least two agencies, the Delaware River and Bay Authority and the Maryland Transportation Authority, are now charging multiple fees. In a press release dated July 17, 2007, the DRBA stated: "Beginning January 1, 2008, all DRBA E-ZPass account holders will be charged an account management fee of $1.50 per month. The transponder cost will also be passed on to E-ZPass customers for each new transponder." In addition to charging a periodic account fee, the Maryland Transportation Authority is now charging a $21.00 fee for every transponder it provides.[41] E-ZPass New York charges a monthly fee of $0.50 for each tag in connection with a business account.[42]

E-ZPass users are not required to maintain their account with an agency in their home state. Subscribers can open an E-ZPass account with any member of the IAG regardless of residency. This means that users have the option of choosing an agency based on the fees that it charges, effectively allowing them to circumvent transponder and account maintenance fees.[43]

Fees by state

State Fee Deposit Minimum Balance
Delaware None $25 (non-refundable) $10
Illinois (I-Pass) [44] $0/month $10 (refundable) $40
Indiana (i-Zoom) $1/month None
Maine [45] $0/month $10 (non-refundable) for internal transponder, $17 (non-refundable) for external transponder
Maryland [46][47] $1.50/month - waived if 3 MARYLAND EZ Pass tolls are incurred within a given month (effective 11/1/2011) - 10% toll discount on MD tolls $21 per transponder
Massachusetts [48] $0/month $0 per transponder $20
New Hampshire [49] $0/month $20.95 $30
New Jersey $1/month membership fee + $1 bi-monthly for print/email statements $10 or $0 if autoreplenish by credit card
New York [50] $1/month PANYNJ account service fee (no fee for MTA, Thruway, or Bridge Authority accounts) + $6/yr for monthly paper statements (bi-monthly statements are free) $10 or $0 if autoreplenish
Ohio [51] $0.75/month $3
Pennsylvania [52] $6/year (per transponder if using manual payment option, see citation) Varies by payment method. $35 if using manual payment option, $0 for all other methods $10 per transponder on account. Threshold can increase if certain conditions are met for some payment methods.
Rhode Island [53] $0/month if monthly statements by e-mail $20.95 transponder purchase required $25 initial, may increase based on average usage
Virginia [54] $0/month if quarterly statements by e-mail ($1/month proposed starting July 2012) $25 or $0 if ACH direct debit $35 initial, $10 with auto-replenishment
West Virginia [55] $5/year with tolls billed separately, $95/year with unlimited WV tolls included No deposit, but $25 replacement cost $25 initial, $10 with auto-replenishment, no balance needed with annual WV unlimited plan

List of agencies

E-ZPass toll plaza on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

The following agencies accept E-ZPass at their toll facilities:

List of roadways, bridges, tunnels, and airports

Map of US toll roads that accept E-ZPass. Areas in light gray have at least one facility that accepts E-ZPass; those in dark gray do not. (Washington, D.C., does not have any toll roads.)

The following tolled roads, bridges, tunnels, and airports accept E-ZPass. Crossings between jurisdictions are listed in the state or province where the toll collection point is located.

Canada

United States

Toll facilities in E-ZPass states that do not accept E-ZPass

There are a small number of toll facilities, mostly bridges run by independent authorities, that are not part of the E-ZPass network even though they are in a state that is in the E-ZPass region. These facilities are:

See also

References

  1. ^ NJTA-E-ZPass[dead link]
  2. ^ "I-95 high speed E-ZPass lanes open in Hampton". Fosters.com. Retrieved 2010-07-13.
  3. ^ First state to complete ORT http://www.illinoistollway.com/portal/page?_pageid=54,1373776&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL
  4. ^ "www.getezpass.com". www.getezpass.com. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
  5. ^ http://www.paturnpike.com/ezpass/retail.htm
  6. ^ "Latest Status Info". Tarr.uspto.gov. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
  7. ^ http://boardarchives.metro.net/BoardBox/Daily%20Briefs/2008/DB%2020080215_0.doc
  8. ^ "E-470 Historical Fact File" (PDF). E-470 Website. E-470 Public Highway Authority. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
  9. ^ "Toll collection system - US Patent 5819234 Abstract". Patentstorm.us. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
  10. ^ Samuel, Peter (March 21, 2007). "Indiana to have I-Zoom transponder brand". TollRoadsNews.com. Retrieved 2007-05-10.
  11. ^ "EZ-Pass Lanes open". Associated Press. WBZ News Radio. 2008-12-16. Retrieved 2008-12-16. [dead link]
  12. ^ "Toll Payment In Other States May Get Easier". .tbo.com. 2009-02-06. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
  13. ^ a b [1][dead link]
  14. ^ http://www.paturnpike.com/pdf/EZPassUpdate10_2009.pdf
  15. ^ "McDonald's testing e-payment system". USA Today. May 29, 2001. Retrieved May 1, 2010.
  16. ^ "E-ZPass Tested at State Fair as Way To Clear Traffic - August 30, 2007 - The New York Sun". Nysun.com. 2007-08-30. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
  17. ^ [2][dead link]
  18. ^ "Mobile E-ZPass reader deployed by NYSTA for Fair parking - Rent a Reader opportunity". TOLLROADSnews. 2007-08-29. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
  19. ^ "E-Z Pass Monitors Being Set Up to Observe City Traffic". Gothamist. 2011-04-11. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  20. ^ "EZPass Speeding Tickets False". Snopes. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  21. ^ [3][dead link]
  22. ^ "Traffic Congestion, Infant Health, and E-ZPass". Journalist's Resource.org.
  23. ^ Newmarker, Chris (2007-10-08). "E-ZPass records out cheaters in divorce court - Gadgets - MSNBC.com". MSNBC. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
  24. ^ "NYSDOT Announces Travel Time Signs In Staten Island". New York State Department of Transportation. 2007-07-10. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
  25. ^ Tri-State Transportation Campaign: Mobilizing the Region 386, E-ZPass Gains New Customers
  26. ^ New Jersey E-ZPass - Individual and Business Terms and Conditions
  27. ^ http://www.ezpassny.com/en/about/terms_ind.shtml
  28. ^ "Cost-Recovery Efforts Approved For Maryland's Toll Facilities". 2009-01-29. Retrieved 2009-06-04.
  29. ^ "Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority statement to E-ZPass account holders". Web.archive.org. Archived from the original on 2005-06-09. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
  30. ^ "New York State Legislature Bill Status". Public.leginfo.state.ny.us. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
  31. ^ "Public Authorities Law Section 2855". Public.leginfo.state.ny.us. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
  32. ^ AAA New York: Car and Travel: March 2007
  33. ^ Maine Turnpike: Toll Charts
  34. ^ Massachusetts Turnpike Toll / Mileage Calculator shows that E-ZPass discount tolls are limited to FAST LANE users.
  35. ^ "New Hampshire Turnpike System Toll Rate Schedule" (PDF). Retrieved 2011-02-28.
  36. ^ "Newport/Pell Bridge Toll Rates". Ritba.org. 2010-02-15. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
  37. ^ MTA Bridges and Tunnels Crossing Charges limit E-ZPass discounts for tags issued by New York E-ZPass Customer Service Center only.
  38. ^ "New Jersey Turnpike Authority: Toll Rates". State.nj.us. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
  39. ^ The Frequent User Plan is limited to Delaware tags. Otherwise, the cash and E-ZPass tolls are the same.
  40. ^ "How much does a Maine Turnpike E-ZPass tag cost?". EZPassMaineTurnpike.com. Retrieved 2010-07-13.
  41. ^ "Retrieved on 2008-12-28". Ezpassmd.com. 2009-07-01. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
  42. ^ http://www.ezpassny.com/en/about/terms_bus.shtml
  43. ^ Laura Northrup (2011-03-02). "Retrieved on 2008-12-28". The Consumerist. Retrieved 2012-04-20.
  44. ^ [4]
  45. ^ [5]
  46. ^ [6]
  47. ^ [7]
  48. ^ [8]
  49. ^ [9]
  50. ^ [10]
  51. ^ [11]
  52. ^ http://www.paturnpike.com/ezpass/personalfaq.htm#paymentmethods
  53. ^ https://www.ezpassritba.com/static/terms/ind_tc.pdf
  54. ^ [12]
  55. ^ http://www.transportation.wv.gov/turnpike/Pages/EZPassFAQ.aspx

External links