i-Zoom
i-Zoom is the electronic toll collection system currently used by the Indiana Toll Road (ITR), and is also usable on the ITR's adjacent sister road, the Chicago Skyway. On June 27, 2007, the system was implemented from mile 1 to mile 23 of the road. After a lengthy delay, the remaining toll plazas came online on April 1, 2008 in conjunction with increased cash toll rates. i-Zoom transponders were then made available for purchase at service plazas, along with CVS/pharmacy locations in northern Indiana.[1]
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[edit] Compatibility with intrastate toll systems
i-Zoom is compatible with both the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority's I-Pass system and the E-ZPass system used in the Northeastern United States, along with the neighboring Ohio Turnpike, which opened their E-ZPass system at the beginning of September 2009.[2] Currently, the Indiana Toll Road and the ISTHA have a reciprocal agreement where holders of either the i-Zoom or I-Pass receive a discount on tolls in either state, as well as E-ZPass users,[3] and it is likewise the case between the ITR and Ohio Turnpike Commission.[4] Toll discounts are currently not offered with electronic tolling on the Skyway. The discounts to I-Pass users is subsidized by the State of Indiana rather than by the ITR's operator.[5]
Controversy surrounds the reciprocal use of I-PASS by Illinois motorists and I-Zoom by Indiana motorists on the other state's toll road. Each state charges the other a transaction fee when the out-of-state transponder is used to pay a toll. About 70 percent of all electronic transactions on the ITR are done with I-PASS transponders, according to Illinois Tollway Authority figures. Until January 1, 2010, the fee was absorbed, with I-PASS users paying twice as many Indiana tolls as i-Zoom users paying Illinois tolls. To address this imbalance, the ITR began charging I-PASS users a 3¢ surcharge on each of their Indiana Toll Road tolls, effective January 1, 2010.[5] The ITR has signage which states the Illinois Tollway is charging the additional fee to I-PASS users, but this is incorrect since the Illinois Tollway is only able to charge tolls or fees on Illinois Tollways.[6] The 3¢ surcharge, rather, was a business decision by ITR Concession Company, the private company that operates the Indiana Toll Road, to recoup money lost as a result of the Illinois Tollway billing the ITRCC for a variety of customer service costs and the uneven amount of electronic transactions in the two states.[5][6]
[edit] Purchasing and care
Currently while the ITR encourages users to either purchase an i-Zoom transponder or to move their business from the I-Pass system, the cost of a transponder is $10, with that price (or $8 of that price if bought via retail) immediately credited as a starting balance for the tag. Due to the low price point and pre-paid deposit amount, the i-Zoom is the lowest priced transponder currently in the E-ZPass system.[7] Users of both the I-Pass and i-Zoom systems should be cautioned about keeping both transponders in their vehicle to prevent a double toll on both devices at a toll plaza; the original metallic storage bag which comes in the device's welcome kit also acts as a Faraday cage, sealing one of the transponders from registering with the toll plaza's transmitting antenna to prevent this situation.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "Use i-Zoom and pay pre-April 1, 2008 toll rates; Transponders available for purchase at Travel Plazas (press release)". Indiana Toll Road. 2008-04-11. https://www.getizoom.com/aboutITR/PressRel_PDF/041108i-zoomTP.pdf. Retrieved 2008-04-23.
- ^ http://www.ohioturnpike.org/travelers/faq/ezpass/#faq1
- ^ http://www.thetimesonline.com/articles/2007/06/26/news/top_news/doc4f6ea836b9c5c6d986257305007a65aa.txt
- ^ Indiana Toll Road - i-Zoom Newsletter October 2009
- ^ a b c Benman, Keith (December 5, 2009). "3-penny drama plays out on Indiana Toll Road". Times of Northern Indiana. http://nwitimes.com/news/local/article_9a7e49f6-c437-5b94-817f-4a3b018fc5d5.html. Retrieved 2010-01-02.
- ^ a b http://www.illinoistollway.com/pls/portal/docs/PAGE/TW_CONTENT_REPOSITORY/TW_CR_IPASS/09-12-04_ITR_CUSTOMER_QA.PDF
- ^ https://www.getizoom.com/pdf/new_ten_dollars.pdf
[edit] External links
- Indiana Toll Road Website
- "I-Zoom Active in Indiana". WNDU-TV. Undated. Archived from the original on 2008-04-05. http://web.archive.org/web/20080405195205/http://www.wndu.com/news/headlines/8158797.html. Retrieved 2008-04-23.
| Preceded by Illinois |
Interstate 90 Indiana |
Succeeded by Ohio |
