New York E-ZPass Question

[MASTERNC]

My apologies for posting this in two places for those who still use MTR but given the apparent shift away from MTR I decided to post here as well

I was looking at picking up a NY E-ZPass when visiting relatives in Buffalo next week.  I remember that out-of-state residents (I am from PA) are assigned to the Port Authority tag when signing up online, which subjects them to the $1 monthly fee.  However, I am not sure what
happens when you pick up a tag in the Thruway region (where the law currently prohibits a monthly fee).

My question is I remember reading somewhere that On-the-Go tags are also registered to an agency based on the address provided at registration.  Is this a correct statement?  If it is, I plan on asking my relatives if I can temporarily register to their address and then change it back to
my out-of-state address.

I had someone ask why I am not obtaining a PA E-ZPass.  My rationale is the NY E-ZPass is currently prohibited by law from charging a fee, while PA charges an annual fee that has already increased once.

[Brandon]

Get the Illinois one.  No fees, and only a $10 deposit if you chose the automatic replenishment option ($40/replenishment).

[vdeane]

That's identical to NY's except NY only has $25 replenishment.  Since on-the-go can be used immediately without registration I would assume that the tags are already tied to the Thruway.

[Duke87]

I remember that out-of-state residents (I am from PA) are assigned to the Port Authority tag when signing up online, which subjects them to the $1 monthly fee. 

This is what I've heard. My parents have MTA tags despite being from out of state but they've had the account since at least 2004 and the rules have probably changed since then.

If one signs up directly through the MTA rather than going to the main NY site, does one get an MTA tag?

Is it at all possible for someone from out of state get a NYSTA or MTA tag rather than a PANYNJ tag, and if so, how?

[Michael in Philly]

I remember that out-of-state residents (I am from PA) are assigned to the Port Authority tag when signing up online, which subjects them to the $1 monthly fee.

This is what I've heard. My parents have MTA tags despite being from out of state but they've had the account since at least 2004 and the rules have probably changed since then.

If one signs up directly through the MTA rather than going to the main NY site, does one get an MTA tag?

Is it at all possible for someone from out of state get a NYSTA or MTA tag rather than a PANYNJ tag, and if so, how?

The Pennsylvania Turnpike issues transponders at certain service areas.  That's how I got mine.  Presumably someone from, say, Saint Louis or Indianapolis driving into the Northeast who hits their first toll on the Turnpike east of Pittsburgh can get a transponder.  When I got mine - and I just changed a "sells," a "buy" and a "bought" to other verbs because I can't remember if the transponder as such cost anything - the trip I was currently on was covered.  There was a machine where you entered information to start your account, you paid $25.00 or thereabouts, and it issued a transponder in a sealed package, which you then mounted right away on your windshield.  I don't remember if part of that initial payment was a fee or if it all went to your new account balance to pay tolls.

Sorry, rambling.  But I'd guess someone actually on the Thruway can buy one from them in the same way.  Unless the deal among the agencies is that anyone from Pennsylvania, say, has their account shunted over to the Pennsylvania Turnpike, they shouldn't care where you're from (and if you're from a state with no E-ZPass-participating agency....)

EDIT:  It doesn't say here anything about being from out-of-state:  http://www.thruway.ny.gov/ezpass/otg/otgfaqs.html

[hbelkins]

Don't think you can get one from them immediately, but the Peace Bridge used to offer a fee-free transponder. But they're now being serviced by someone else.

[Duke87]

Massachusetts also has them without a fee. But then I'd be forgoing discounts on MTA crossings.

Hmm... I wonder if I could get away with using my office address. That would solve the out of state problem.

[Roadgeek Adam]

Port Authority is $45 / replenishment. We got that rather recently.

[vdeane]

If you get ez-pass on-the-go in NY from a grocery store you don't even register.  You just give $25 to the person at the checkout.  All but $10 of that goes to the toll balance and the $10 is posted to the toll balance if you register with the auto-replenish option.

No idea how it works in the service areas.

[Janko Dialnice]

New Hampshire charges a one-time $25 transponder fee, and no monthly surcharge. And, I get a discount on the Everett Turnpike, which I need to use to commute to work.
For me, that is an all-win situation!

[froggie]

I was looking at picking up a NY E-ZPass when visiting relatives in Buffalo next week.  I remember that out-of-state residents (I am from PA) are assigned to the Port Authority tag when signing up online, which subjects them to the $1 monthly fee.  However, I am not sure what
happens when you pick up a tag in the Thruway region (where the law currently prohibits a monthly fee).

Doesn't matter, or at least it didn't matter in the past.  When I got my NY EZPass in 2004 from the Syracuse Thruway service center, they still gave me a PANYNJ tag because I used a Virginia address (stupidly, instead of my other half's Liverpool, NY address).

[pbrisebois]

Don't think you can get one from them immediately, but the Peace Bridge used to offer a fee-free transponder. But they're now being serviced by someone else.

They've transfered all Peace Bride Ez-Passes to the NY Thruway authority if I remember correctly.