A proposal under consideration by the Virginia Department of Transportation would assess a monthly fee for E-ZPass users of about $1 per transponder. E-ZPass is the system that allows drivers to pass through toll plazas more quickly by carrying transponders that automatically charge tolls to a registered account.
VDOT has proposed the fee to help defray administrative and operations costs within the state for the service. Most of the E-ZPass toll facilities are not operated by VDOT. The program has grown significantly over the years and will be part of new toll services opening during the next few years.
The proposed monthly fee would cover costs for:
- Purchasing nearly 500,000 transponders
- Implementing a program that offers transponders at various stores in Northern Virginia and eventually Hampton Roads
- Providing service at select DMV locations
- Upgrading information technology to accommodate the expanded program
- Account management and processing of toll transactions
- Customer service and the operation of three customer service centers
The fee — which would be reevaluated on a regular basis — would also help control costs and manage the selection and demand for E-ZPass transponders, according to VDOT.
The Transportation Department will accept comments about the fee through 5 p.m. June 12.
Visit VDOT’s E-ZPass Web page www.virginiadot.org/e-zpass for more information or to provide comments online. Comments may also be submitted via email to vdotinfo@vdot.virginia.gov or standard mail to:
Office Communications – Third Floor/Annex Building
Virginia Department of Transportation
1401 E. Broad St.
Richmond, VA 23219
VDOT expects to make a final decision in June.
Wien
3:17 pm on Thursday, May 31, 2012
That's fine, since E-ZPass is now a widely-accepted standard up and down the eastern seaboard, I'll just return Virginia's transponder and get one from a different state, several of which are still free.
Chris Stelter
12:51 pm on Friday, June 1, 2012
Can you tell me which states are free, I'd like to do the same
Bethany
5:28 pm on Thursday, May 31, 2012
Mine is from one of those other states - don't see why they should charge us when using EZ Pass means they don't have to staff as many lanes and traffic flows better!
Lisa K. Brown
8:34 pm on Thursday, May 31, 2012
Dusty, do you know if this fee will be based on usage or just for simply having a transponder? I only use mine occasionally when I travel to NYC or the Outer Banks so I don't think it makes sense for me to pay a fee during months that I don't use it.
Wayne
10:19 am on Friday, June 1, 2012
Wein:
Thanks for the idea of going out of state! A fee to pay a fee is just going over the top. I think VDOT saves money with eazy pass by paying fewer toll takers and getting our money in advance of it being used.
Wien
1:01 pm on Friday, June 1, 2012
Last I checked (albeit a couple years ago), the Massachusetts, Delaware, and NH transponders were free, although one or more may have had an activation fee of $25 (which makes the break-even 25 months over VA). I recently heard Maine (and possibly FL?) as well, but don't recall many tolls when I was up in that part of the country. I haven't researched in a while, so I'm not sure how the system is configured and if there's any issue with using out-of-state transponders, as I know the application does ask for your home state.
April S
6:48 am on Saturday, June 2, 2012
They nickel and dime us already, why put a monthly fee on a damn piece of plastic? This is just ludacris.
J Anderson
7:55 am on Saturday, June 2, 2012
So I have three transponders - and that means $36 a year ? That just seems wrong. They have the data on usage and could certainly figure out how to charge those users who USE it. Or at the very least give a break to users w/ more than 2.