GasBuddy Blog

Message Forum - Read Message

Category: Daily News Article Discussions > Topics	Add to favorite topics

Author	Topic: Bill to eliminate monthly E-ZPass fee advances	Post a Reply Back to Topics

nraacct Champion Author North Carolina Posts:6,872 Points:1,468,200 Joined:Jul 2004	Message Posted: Jan 24, 2013 10:14:22 AM Ignore nraacct Report Abuse Delegate G. Manoli Loupassi’s attempt to eliminate the monthly fee on E-ZPass transponders advanced through a House subcommittee Tuesday morning despite the concerns of road operators and the Virginia Department of Transportation. VDOT began charging a monthly fee of 50 cents on regular transponders and $1 for the Flex transponder for new customers as of July 9, 2012. The agency says the fee will help to cover the cost of administering the program, which allows drivers to use open-air tolling gantries as opposed to stopping at a booth to toss change. Visit Richmond Times-Dispatch for full article

nraacct

Champion Author
North Carolina

Posts:6,872
Points:1,468,200
Joined:Jul 2004

Message Posted: Jan 24, 2013 10:14:22 AM

Ignore nraacct Report Abuse

Delegate G. Manoli Loupassi’s attempt to eliminate the monthly fee on E-ZPass transponders advanced through a House subcommittee Tuesday morning despite the concerns of road operators and the Virginia Department of Transportation.

VDOT began charging a monthly fee of 50 cents on regular transponders and $1 for the Flex transponder for new customers as of July 9, 2012. The agency says the fee will help to cover the cost of administering the program, which allows drivers to use open-air tolling gantries as opposed to stopping at a booth to toss change.

Visit Richmond Times-Dispatch for full article

REPLIES (newest first)Ignore Short Messages

mpg611 Champion Author Cleveland Posts:2,328 Points:568,120 Joined:Apr 2011	Message Posted: Jan 25, 2013 4:12:57 PM Ignore mpg611 Report Abuse Here's an idea- anytime someone somewhere out there decides to raise our gas prices lets charge them a FEE for doing so.
mmcentire Sophomore Author Arkansas Posts:129 Points:333,850 Joined:Oct 2011	Message Posted: Jan 25, 2013 9:18:23 AM Ignore mmcentire Report Abuse No state income tax. Oh wait, let's open toll roads. #stuffTexaslawmakersoncesaid
blupupher Champion Author Houston Posts:3,545 Points:747,070 Joined:Feb 2011	Message Posted: Jan 25, 2013 8:45:15 AM Ignore blupupher Report Abuse One of several reasons I don't have a toll tag here in texas. They charge you to get the tag, then a monthly fee for it. Toll roads on a whole are a scam and ripoff for the user.
alex395 Champion Author Louisville Posts:2,045 Points:276,435 Joined:Jan 2007	Message Posted: Jan 25, 2013 8:37:57 AM Ignore alex395 Report Abuse "Allows the people" How about the advance payment of fees to the government? Sounds like Virginia should be paying the EZPass users for them to use the transponders since Virginia makes money on the money they stockpile that isn't used yet.
gs7101 Champion Author San Antonio Posts:5,518 Points:387,695 Joined:Jun 2009	Message Posted: Jan 25, 2013 7:40:50 AM Ignore gs7101 Report Abuse Stop ripping off people!
greatartiste All-Star Author New Jersey Posts:540 Points:105,810 Joined:Apr 2011	Message Posted: Jan 25, 2013 2:17:02 AM Ignore greatartiste Report Abuse not relevant!!!!
BennoBlue Champion Author Virginia Posts:37,029 Points:1,463,770 Joined:May 2008	Message Posted: Jan 25, 2013 12:52:52 AM Ignore BennoBlue Report Abuse I agree completely with Del. Loupassi's position. I live near one of the Virginia toll roads that uses E-ZPass, and I rarely use it because it's not usually worth the cost for me. I used to have an E-ZPass for those times though, both for convenience, and because some of the exits don't take cash, only credit cards or E-ZPass. However, it's not worth it to me to pay a monthly fee for something I might only use a few times a year, no matter how low the fee. How many others feel the same way? How much would traffic and congestion be reduced by having more people like me who keep their E-ZPass zip through the lanes that don't require stopping, rather than contributing to the long lines at the toll booths to get on and off? And, as Loupassi says, since the more people use E-ZPass, the lower the overhead for the toll system, why ask for more money from those that help the system than from those who use cash and raise overhead costs?
jl1rp Champion Author New Hampshire Posts:1,806 Points:356,230 Joined:May 2012	Message Posted: Jan 24, 2013 11:01:51 PM Ignore jl1rp Report Abuse OK but the price is supra low now.
MidNJ Champion Author New Jersey Posts:7,546 Points:1,171,835 Joined:Sep 2009	Message Posted: Jan 24, 2013 8:20:33 PM Ignore MidNJ Report Abuse Would like that to happen in NJ too.
jjjleblanc Champion Author Rochester Posts:5,869 Points:1,517,945 Joined:Jun 2008	Message Posted: Jan 24, 2013 7:12:49 PM Ignore jjjleblanc Report Abuse Sounds fair.
SUNOIL Champion Author Toledo Posts:5,240 Points:1,925,030 Joined:Jul 2007	Message Posted: Jan 24, 2013 4:53:10 PM Ignore SUNOIL Report Abuse I just don't like paying for administration
drobbbb Champion Author Maryland Posts:3,472 Points:811,400 Joined:Dec 2010	Message Posted: Jan 24, 2013 2:30:28 PM Ignore drobbbb Report Abuse .50 is cheap compare to other jurisdictions
crep1291 Champion Author Ottawa Posts:2,578 Points:480,900 Joined:Dec 2010	Message Posted: Jan 24, 2013 1:30:15 PM Ignore crep1291 Report Abuse Those automated systems should be much cheaper to operate than manually collecting cash.
MadFueler All-Star Author Winston-Salem Posts:917 Points:171,535 Joined:Sep 2012	Message Posted: Jan 24, 2013 1:16:50 PM Ignore MadFueler Report Abuse If there's still less money overall paid by each driver for each trip, or the time savings is substantial, it should still work, though no one likes 'gotcha' fees like this.
schatzila Champion Author Los Angeles Posts:4,944 Points:1,015,645 Joined:Jun 2010	Message Posted: Jan 24, 2013 12:16:04 PM Ignore schatzila Report Abuse Setting up a new program like this costs money and it makes sense that the ones who use it should pay.
amgine27 Champion Author New York Posts:1,268 Points:305,715 Joined:Aug 2008	Message Posted: Jan 24, 2013 11:42:40 AM Ignore amgine27 Report Abuse nickel and diming us
07skydriver Champion Author Ohio Posts:3,255 Points:982,130 Joined:Feb 2009	Message Posted: Jan 24, 2013 11:40:45 AM Ignore 07skydriver Report Abuse Love E-ZPass, hate the turnpike.
dodsworth All-Star Author Salem Posts:767 Points:294,730 Joined:Jul 2012	Message Posted: Jan 24, 2013 10:57:42 AM Ignore dodsworth Report Abuse If all costs are taken into consideration for both methods of paying tolls, I suspect the E-ZPass method is less expensive overall, even with the cost of the transponders. The fee is more likely taken because people will pay more for convenience. If that's the case, it's just another way to pull in revenue. Perhaps it's fair to pay more for convenience, but my first reaction is I'm doubtful.
humblepie Champion Author Toledo Posts:34,182 Points:2,370,395 Joined:Mar 2006	Message Posted: Jan 24, 2013 10:36:38 AM Ignore humblepie Report Abuse just like fast food we have become addicted
coughlin Champion Author San Jose Posts:5,180 Points:1,116,890 Joined:Sep 2009	Message Posted: Jan 24, 2013 10:33:08 AM Ignore coughlin Report Abuse 50 cents is cheap.
beale055 Champion Author Philadelphia Posts:1,292 Points:425,475 Joined:Jan 2012	Message Posted: Jan 24, 2013 10:32:52 AM Ignore beale055 Report Abuse But who wants to wait in those lines??
jrschl Champion Author Louisville Posts:2,962 Points:679,790 Joined:Jun 2011	Message Posted: Jan 24, 2013 10:27:01 AM Ignore jrschl Report Abuse I like seeing some government officials doing so work, though.
jrschl Champion Author Louisville Posts:2,962 Points:679,790 Joined:Jun 2011	Message Posted: Jan 24, 2013 10:25:58 AM Ignore jrschl Report Abuse I don't like the sounds of that. I suppose they can always say it is a rental fee.