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TinotopiaLog → EZ-Pass Compatibility ‘Useful’ After All (26 Aug 2003)
Tuesday 26 August 2003

EZ-Pass Compatibility ‘Useful’ After All

From The Washington Post:

Gov. Mark R. Warner announced today that the 430,000 Virginia motorists who use Smart Tag toll-road passes will be able to enjoy “seamless” travel through the E-ZPass toll system in nine mid-Atlantic and northeastern states by the fall of 2004.

“This is good news for the driving public, good news for people who travel the Northeast Corridor,” Warner said during his monthly call-in show on WTOP radio.

Funny, in November 2001, VDOT said that compatibility with EZ-Pass “…would not be very useful to Virginia’s motorists”. “Not very useful” in 2001, “good news for the driving public” less than two years later. I wonder who had to be paid off for VDOT to get out of the damned way?

Posted by tino at 19:03 26.08.03
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Comments

That’s good to hear… it’s about time.

Of course it would be nice if E-Z Pass would stop charging $1/month just for the privilege of having one (a charge, incidentally, I didn’t find out about until AFTER they implemented it). As far as I’m concerned they’re making money on the interest they earn by pre-charging my card $25. If they’re still not turning a profit, they need to rexamine why rather than slapping random fees on the service.

Posted by: Ryan at August 27, 2003 10:10 AM

These are not the droids you are looking for. Move along, please.

Posted by: RRP at August 27, 2003 10:18 AM

Ryan,

You must be in NJ. That is is the only EZ-Pass state to have such a surcharge. The way around this is to drop the NJ EZ Pass and get it from another state. It is perfectly legal.

Posted by: Paul M Johnson at August 27, 2003 09:39 PM

Actually, I’m here in Virginia, though I do travel to New Jersey… not sure if that might trigger the charge?

Posted by: Ryan at August 28, 2003 05:19 PM

Actually, PA charges $3 a year for its EZ-Pass. It’s not a high fee, but why pay it when you don’t have to? I got mine through Maryland and avoided the charge.

Posted by: Nick at January 21, 2004 01:14 PM

Free in MD.

Posted by: Steve at April 11, 2004 07:02 PM

Well, if the new monthly fee idea mentioned in the article lauding the launch of E-ZPass in VA comes to pass, I think you should draw a line across the ‘Cost-Savings’ part in this blogpost.

Posted by: Wes at October 29, 2004 02:35 AM

Now the TBTA (MTA Bridges and Tunnels is planning to have a $1 a month charge beginning on July 1, 2005. If the toll agencies are saving money by allowing their customers to use E-Z Pass, then why are they slapping on charges to customers E-Z Pass accounts. Instead there should be an extra charge if one pays with cash.

Posted by: at May 25, 2005 12:16 AM

i’m in NY where mta bridges & tunnels e-z pass is now charging the $1 monthly fee. i really would like to drop this but i do travel so it is cost effective — but i know in the future that this fee, once charged , will rise. how many of us would have signed on if there had been a monthly fee? if there are any organizers out there who wish to stage protests, beginning by returning our passes and cxlng our accounts, i will be happy to join. just think of the confusion, massive traffic jams, over burdened facilities, etc if a massive number of us sheep were to cancel our e-z pass accounts. maybe it would affect change. but alas - we are like sheep. where’s that old tea party spirit? doesn’t anyone fight for right anymore. i’m a young widow and the future scares me. where are my advocates. the democrats, the republicans? yeah right.

QUESTION: Where can i find what states will allow me to get an ez pass account that doesn’t require an annual fee?

Posted by: Cindy Stuart at June 4, 2005 04:10 PM

as far as i know, md, w.va, and de are states that dont charge $1/mo. I may be wrong though, but you can check it out.

Posted by: matt at August 14, 2005 11:45 PM