TMI Guy
 

Do you have the revenues before 2005? By doing some math based on the discount differences between the coins and ez-pass you can make reasonable estimate of the gain or loss in revenues.

If one can find the ratio between ez-pass and non ez-pass as well as coin and non-coin commuters, I can give you an accurate number.

I wonder what percentage of the Take.. the E-ZPass Company gets in return for running the show. :look: NB

2000 - $60,166,815
2001 - $61,536,675
2002 - $64,371,208
2003 - $64,367,301
2004 - $65,780,607

I was thinking of your post from last week when you said that "we have the same number of token takers, collecting less money as many people are taking the back roads..." Did you mean that the human toll collectors are collecting less money, or that the system as a whole is collecting less money?

Good question. BroadHopper mentioned that there was a WSJ article about this. Perhaps he can find it and provide a link. My Google-fu must have been weak on this one.

So, it turns out that there is no "E-ZPass Company." Each state or toll agency administers their own program with their own employees. Toll revenue paid in New Hampshire stays in New Hampshire and belongs to the state. There is an "E-ZPass Group" that exists to coordinate issues between states and deals with matters such as interoperability. The E-ZPass Group has a whopping four staff people, and according to their website one of those positions is currently vacant.

It would be nice if BroadHopper could provide a link to the WSJ article that he mentioned in an earlier post that "investigates the enormous salaries of the company's directers [sic] and managers." Perhaps what the article was referring to was the Port Authority of NY and NJ or some other quasi-governmental body that has nothing to do with New Hampshire.

SOMEONE ..co-ordinates ALL the E-ZPass in the United States. The equipment is Standard. Somebody pays for it. It's NOT provided FREE. There is NO Free Lunch. :rolleye1: NB

Of course the equipment is not free; I never said that it was. The states or toll agencies have to buy it (the transponders and the tolling equipment), and those costs get passed on to the user, just as the savings of a more efficient tolling system do. As I said, the E-ZPass Group coordinates interoperability.

The important point, following up on earlier posts, is that each system is managed by a local government or quasi-government agency; this function is not contracted out to a for-profit company that takes a percentage of the toll revenue.

E-ZPass early days
 

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/18/ny...n-e-zpass.html

I found this article that confirms that an independent contractor use to run the E-ZPASS system. Now that each state have their own agencies, I guess the article I read is history. I did read that NY and NJ had problem with their E-ZPASS commissions. All states even NH has problems with commissioners. NH state liquor commission was under fire from time to time.

I read it that NJ ez-pass was contracted out and that was over 10 years ago.

Ez Pass Opens May 22
 

Big changes coming!!


http://www.unionleader.com/article/2...WS09/130519563

Boy wouldn't that be nice! Some revenue for the state, from a local business. Our snowmobile club (Bow Pioneers) used to have a trail that went to the SB liquor store. If this becomes a reality, we will have to pursue reopening that trail.

The open road tolling is good news as well, I think it will really help with the traffic at the tolls. I would also like to see 3 lanes going through Concord, but that won't be anytime soon.

You're right; I'm afraid that open road tolling at Hooksett on busy north bound weekends will just mean that you get to the backup that much quicker that always develops where the highway reduces to two lanes at the I-89 junction.

Yup, that lane drop is horrendous. The widening is actually on the NH DOT 10-year plan.
BOW - CONCORD 13742 I-93 2011 Bridge Priority #43, #44, & #65. WIDEN FROM I-89 TO I-393 (Between Exits 15 & 16) TO MATCH INTO EXISTING CONCORD PROJECT 11449 @ EXIT 16, TO INCLUDE {Red List} BRIDGES 152/108, 150/107, 142/116 (PE Only) Red List Bridges
http://www.nh.gov/dot/org/projectdev...on_1-13-12.pdf

Beat me to it.Those Saturday summer morning backups should get longer south of Concord.Rt 3a is looking better.

Just thought I would let anyone that is interested know, I have been VINDICATED!! I finally got an email back today regarding my so called failure to pay a toll (even though I know I was not even there). It says: "Misidentified - Wrong plate type - appeal accepted - no further action required." They did not however, send the requested picture of the car that they have. I would like to have seen that.

Yup - same plate number, different plate type. According to the DMV web site there are eleven different plate types just for passenger vehicles. You can search for the availability of initial (vanity) plates at http://www4.egov.nh.gov/platecheck/platecheck.aspx

Elly, I just checked that out and someone does have my plate in the conservation type. That must be who went through the toll (if it was even a NH plate). It sure wasn't me!!!!

A little warning on the new Hooksett high speed lanes
 

Be very carefull if using the new lanes.Apparently yesterday a car stopped and sat there with its flashers on.Even crazier was a car stopped in that high speed lane while the driver gets out of the car and tried to climb over the Jersey barrier to pay the toll.Wow!Brain dead people out there.If you end up in that lane by mistake just drive through and you will be billed later with an extra $1 added on.
I see some pretty scary accidents waiting to happen there if this behavior continues.

I heard that this morning on Channel 9. At least NH only charges you the toll plus 1 dollar. Mass DOT wanted to charge me 53.50 (3.50 toll and 50.00 fine)! Glad it wasn't me!

Are we SURE it's just the $1 toll plus $1 fee for driving through the EZ-Pass lanes when you're not an EZ-Pass user? Anybody find that in writing on the state website? Two bucks is hardly enough to pay for the paper, envelope and postage!! :eek:

The reason I ask is my son accidentally went through the southbound Hooksett EZ-Pass lanes a couple years ago. Once through, he pulled over into the breakdown lane and tried to go back and hand $1 to a toll taker. He was informed they couldn't take it but he'd get a "bill" in the mail. What he eventually received was a $26 bill, $1 for the toll and $25 for a fine! So much for trying to do the right thing! :mad: :mad:

I ALWAYS take 3-A to Manchester, it's SO much easier!

That is funny, and you made my Diet Pepsi come out my nose when I read it! :)

Ez pass
 

My 2¢; I did not read all the posts.
Friends lived in NY, and had no application/start up fee, so I got my account and tag there by mail or on-line. I think ezpass.com

My brother lives in MA and got ezpass account in MD! Who knows why, but there was no set-up or deposit, provided the account is linked to a valid credit card.

When NH DOT finally decided to install ezpass, the app fee was $5, and I applied. I sent them photos of some high speed lanes; it's taken NH DOT this long to finally come to their senses and install high speed lanes on the very left. I have not been thru Hookset yet, but in DE the lanes are well marked and separated from slower; I fear for this not happening at Hookset!
NH accounts get charged 30% discount on NH tolls. I have read many news reports in error. All non-NH accounts are charged the full fee.

Wherever one applies for ezpass is irrelevant; electronic toll collection is no-brainer. As Nike says, just do it. It'll be worth it, saving gasoline, frustration in line to pay toll, etc., etc, etc......

It's now a big time saver on MA Pike, Hudson River's Tappan Zee Bridge, NJ Turnpike, DE memorial bridge, and Annapolis Bay Bridge as I drive to relatives in MD!

Hi speed at Hooksett
 

High speed at Hooksett is the same setup as over on I95...it is well marked.

The lack of attention while driving, not necessarily talking or texting on a cell phone, has been on the increase for years. It leads to someone in the left lane deciding a quarter of a mile from an exit that they want to get off there, and have to cross 3 lanes of traffic to get there in a quarter mile. Or before the open road tolling or even ez-pass, the idiots that would get into a correct change lane and stop, no change and wonder what to do.

The problem now is that if the idiot stops, it will be in the middle of 65 MPH traffic :eek::eek::eek:.

You are so right. It's very scary to see a driver swinging across lanes to get to a cash lane. I have seen it at ezpass only lanes here in NH and on MA Pike and ones with high speed in other areas. Never been high speed over on coast, yet.
Another very dangerous situation to watch for when approaching tolls! Finally, NH put them on left and not middle lanes.

NH discount
 

It does matter in which state you have an account. To get the 30% discount on NH tolls you need a NH EZ Pass account.

This happened the very first night the kid got out of his car and jumped the wall to try to pay his toll. Thank God it was at night and not many people were on the road.

Thanks for confirming what I wrote!
However, that discount for NH account might be the only benefit to apply & use a NH account, in NH. My application was never linked to residency. The entire system is reciprocal and managhed in one office in NJ. I do reside in NH, and still have my NY account, which had no start fee. I used to read news stories that former Governor once wanted to add a maintenance monthly fee; if such happened I'd immediately cancel my NH account.

Several tolls I experienced before NH installed EZ Pass used to discount for all electronic collections; DE was one.