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East Coasters: Teach me about EZ-Pass (1 Viewer)

Adam Lenhardt

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In New York, specific lanes are set aside for EZ-Pass, but all lanes — including the cash lanes — have EZ-Pass available. That's why you'll notice this sign while approaching the tolls on the Thruway:



That said, if I recall correctly from my experience on the Turnpike, Massachusetts (which uses the EZ-Pass compatible "Fast Lane" system) has three types of lanes: Fast Lane only, Cash/Fast Lane Cash Only.
 

Jay H

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I just found out that the Delaware Joint Bridge Toll Committee (Or something like that) is now starting to charge $1/month for the use of EZ Pass. Up til now, the DRJBTC was one of the few EZ Pass obtainers that had no initial fee and no monthly fee. But is now after Jun'09 charging $1/ month.

I've read of a few other agencies not charging a fee, including the Peace Bridge (USA and Canada) Authority and also Virginia. PBA states on it's web site that if you don't ever go through their bridge, they reserve the right to cancel your account. Virginia doesn't seem to state anything...
For those in VA, have you heard of any talk about a monthly fee??

PA has a $3/yearly fee so that is not too bad....

Jay
 

Jimi C

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I have Ezpass Ny and It is run by the NYSDOT NYS Thruway Authority which is probably the most corrupt government entity in the entire world. I get random $25 fines in the mail for "speeding" through tollbooths and "avoiding paying tolls" and am told that I have no way of fighting them and that if I don't pay they will send collectors after me. I hate Ezpass with a passion but because of the deals you get on commuter packages I dont have much of an option. I drive over a bridge to get to work which is normally $1 EACH WAY. With ezpass I only pay 23 cents. So, even with my random fines it still worthwhile.
Edited by Jimi C - 8/15/2009 at 04:07 am GMT
 

Adam Lenhardt

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NYSDOT does not maintain any tolls, and therefore does not issue E-ZPass transponders. Only the New York State Bridge Authority and New York State Thruway Authority accept E-ZPass for tolls and AFAIK only the Thruway Authority issues transponders. Under the murky rules that govern public authorities in NYS, the Thruway Authority is actually completely seperate from NYSDOT. I have a Thruway transponder, and have never had problems with random fees. Do you always make sure you get the greenlight before proceeding? Some of the lanes require speeds as low as five miles per hour.

Right now, the NY Thruway transponders are actually a good deal; other than the $25 mandatory account balance and the $10 deposit for the transponder, there's no fees above and beyond the tolls.

Charging monthly fees never made much sense to me, because people that use E-ZPass help relieve traffic congestion and mean the agency administering the tolls has to pay less people to sit in the booths collecting tolls. You think they'd want to incentivize EZ-Pass usage, not punish it.
 

Jimi C

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You're right. And I knew that. Substitute Thuway authority for NYSDOT in my post. The Thruway authority has no reason to exist. Adam if my tag isnt being read than I dont see how they would even know I went through the tollbooth. At one point they had without reason stopped auto rebilling my credit card without my knowledge and despite this my tag never stopped giving me green lights. I received 7 violation notices in the mail on the same day dating back 2 weeks. I called and asked them why I was not informed by email of my low account balance or violations or the fact that my auto account replenish was stopped. Seeing as I frequently get other emails from them I didn't see why this would be a dfficult task. I was simply told "umm, yea we dont do that" in the thickest brooklyn accent ever.
 

Jay H

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If you already have an E-ZPass, are you allowed to switch?


Sure, they don't make it as easy as just changing the ID or anything, you do have to return the old transponders and get new ones (which means shipping fees, unless you are close by). That's kind of why I'm debating or not to return them and sign up with VA's DOT Ez-pass system. NJ has had $1 fees for awhile but now the DRJBTC has just implemented them. I think it sucks too and I don't need ezpass to commute, it's just a convenience thing for me.
 

Adam Lenhardt

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They have cameras at all of the toll plazas to read the license plates of those who dodge the tolls and, I guess, those whose tags don't read. I agree the customer service leaves something to be desired; the only reason I can think of for them to cease auto-billing is that maybe they had a previous expiration date for your credit card and decided not to make any effort to get a new one when that date passed. Once I took a wrong turn and was through the tolls before I'd even known what hit me. I explained the situation to an irritated toll operator at the next exit, filled out a form and got a sternly worded letter in the mail warning me about serious fines if it were to happen again. Both I-90 and I-87 are mostly free around Albany due to complicated network of interchanges and connections between the Thruway to the west and south, the Mass Pike to the east, and the (free) Northway to the North, so like Jay the E-ZPass is mostly a convenience for me too. If I don't have to go more than a hour or so south, I'll usually like Route 9W instead of I-87 to avoid the tolls. I'd imagine that if E-ZPass was part of my daily commute like it is yours, I'd experience some of these random SNAFUs from the system too.
 

Jay H

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Adam: of course, usually when I'm on the thruway, its to get to the catskills or the ADKs and on a sunday evening, never do I really go to the thruway from I-87 (the northway), I'm usually taking back roads to Selkirk and get on to exit 22 and then I'm usually getting off at Kingston (exit 19) or Saugerties (exit 20) to avoid traffic there...

Jay
 

Jay H

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I have a strange feeling that most states will be inching towards some kind of user fee, which would make it kind of silly for me to change, unless I can go to a place to turn it in myself without paying for shipping.

I will email the folks that run mine to see if they have an office nearby..

Jay
 

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