Toll Transponder Interoperability - 2024 edition

[SSOWorld]

I whipped up a quick PDF from a spreadsheet to summarize the toll tags in the USA and their interagency compatibility. 

Summary:
2024 saw the following happen:
* Georgia's PeachPass and E-ZPass join forces (both tag works on the other tag's networks)  With this, the original E-ZPass network and Florida (SunPass and Uni)/Georgia/North Carolina are essentially one in the same.
* Central Florida Uni tag works with E-ZPass. 
* Illinois's I-PASS now issues stickers instead of cases (Focus of that at https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=17650.msg2904001#msg2904001).

Texas's tags and Florida's SunPass still don't work in 100% of each state's agencies. Houston's agencies and some Austin agencies chose not to participate. Only TxTag and TollTag (NTTA) work with roads that accept SunPass as the primary tag. Also for Florida, Kansas and Oklahoma don't work roads outside SunPass primary.

I did not detail anything fee-wise here due to room on the sheet.
All states are listed here, those without toll facilities were greyed out.
CA, CO, LA, UT, WA are islands (no interoperability)
MI doesn't have tags, Cash "fare" only.

https://ssoworld.org/pics/TollTagIntrop.pdf

[6a]

As a side note, some states (including mine) charge monthly fees for an E-Zpass. Massachusetts neither charges a fee nor requires you to be a resident.

[kalvado]

Two big aspects of interoperability: hardware and legal.
Hardware-wise, looks like garden variety of tags is reducing, with 6C being the leading technology. Mark IV, aka EZ Pass, is the second most common. On the other hand, modern readers seem to be multistandard to deal with variety. So it's possible to get hardware compatibility across the board, not sure how far down the road things are by now.

Contracts between different tolling authorities, and things like non-local high rates, may be an issue.
If I am on a once-a-year long-haul journey, a few extra bucks in tolls may not be a big deal (pennies - compared, for example, with hotel rates). Commercial drivers may have different take.

[epzik8]

As a side note, some states (including mine) charge monthly fees for an E-Zpass. Massachusetts neither charges a fee nor requires you to be a resident.

Glad Maryland hasn't done so yet, though I have a feeling they'll get that idea somehow.

[vdeane]

Michigan actually has tags.  Three, in fact, none of which are interoperable with each other, let alone anything else (I'm pretty sure the Ambassador Bridge Premier Card is a card and not a sticker tag, but I can't actually verify this, so it might even be four!).

https://www.mackinacbridge.org/macpass/macpass/
https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/-/media/Project/Websites/MDOT/Programs/Bridges-and-Structures/Blue-Water-Bridge/RFID-Tag-Placement-Installation.pdf
https://nexpress.dwtunnel.com
https://www.ambassadorbridge.com/ambassador-premier-card/

[oscar]

As a side note, some states (including mine) charge monthly fees for an E-Zpass. Massachusetts neither charges a fee nor requires you to be a resident.

Glad Maryland hasn't done so yet, though I have a feeling they'll get that idea somehow.

Maryland briefly introduced a monthly fee, long ago. That lasted long enough to push me into Virginia's program, once it joined the E-ZPass consortium.

[Great Lakes Roads]

Michigan actually has tags.  Three, in fact, none of which are interoperable with each other, let alone anything else (I'm pretty sure the Ambassador Bridge Premier Card is a card and not a sticker tag, but I can't actually verify this, so it might even be four!).

https://www.mackinacbridge.org/macpass/macpass/
https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/-/media/Project/Websites/MDOT/Programs/Bridges-and-Structures/Blue-Water-Bridge/RFID-Tag-Placement-Installation.pdf
https://nexpress.dwtunnel.com
https://www.ambassadorbridge.com/ambassador-premier-card/

One more from Michigan, in Bay City: https://baycitybridgepartners.com/

[vdeane]

Michigan actually has tags.  Three, in fact, none of which are interoperable with each other, let alone anything else (I'm pretty sure the Ambassador Bridge Premier Card is a card and not a sticker tag, but I can't actually verify this, so it might even be four!).

https://www.mackinacbridge.org/macpass/macpass/
https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/-/media/Project/Websites/MDOT/Programs/Bridges-and-Structures/Blue-Water-Bridge/RFID-Tag-Placement-Installation.pdf
https://nexpress.dwtunnel.com
https://www.ambassadorbridge.com/ambassador-premier-card/

One more from Michigan, in Bay City: https://baycitybridgepartners.com/

Didn't know that had opened yet.

On the subject of things not yet opened, I wonder if the Gordie Howe Bridge will introduce yet another transponder.

Michigan really should join E-ZPass and get everything interoperable with the rest of the system, but don't suggest that on the Midwest/Great Lakes board lest you get a large chunk of the forum users from the state to try to bully you off the site.

[ElishaGOtis]

I am curious about future tolling programs that states are considering, more specifically Alabama (I-10 Bridge & Birmingham ETL) and Tennessee (Choice Lns). Is it possible they could become E-ZPass members given their proximity to other E-ZPass states?

On that note, I found this document relating to Alabama's toll equipment specifications
https://www.dot.state.al.us/business/pdf/TollingTPs.pdf

Michigan actually has tags.  Three, in fact, none of which are interoperable with each other, let alone anything else (I'm pretty sure the Ambassador Bridge Premier Card is a card and not a sticker tag, but I can't actually verify this, so it might even be four!).

https://www.mackinacbridge.org/macpass/macpass/
https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/-/media/Project/Websites/MDOT/Programs/Bridges-and-Structures/Blue-Water-Bridge/RFID-Tag-Placement-Installation.pdf
https://nexpress.dwtunnel.com
https://www.ambassadorbridge.com/ambassador-premier-card/

One more from Michigan, in Bay City: https://baycitybridgepartners.com/

Didn't know that had opened yet.

On the subject of things not yet opened, I wonder if the Gordie Howe Bridge will introduce yet another transponder.

Michigan really should join E-ZPass and get everything interoperable with the rest of the system, but don't suggest that on the Midwest/Great Lakes board lest you get a large chunk of the forum users from the state to try to bully you off the site.

Understandable

[1995hoo]

As a side note, some states (including mine) charge monthly fees for an E-Zpass. Massachusetts neither charges a fee nor requires you to be a resident.

Glad Maryland hasn't done so yet, though I have a feeling they'll get that idea somehow.

Maryland briefly introduced a monthly fee, long ago. That lasted long enough to push me into Virginia's program, once it joined the E-ZPass consortium.

Virginia briefly had one as well but repealed it. The only fee Virginia has now is that if you have an E-ZPass Flex and you don't use it in HOV mode on a eligible facility at least once every six months, you supposedly get hit with a one-time $10 fee for that transponder (this because the Flex devices cost them more). I say "supposedly" because my gut tells me I've probably gone more than six months at some point, but I don't think I've ever been hit with the fee.

("Eligible facility" meaning that at most toll facilities, it makes no difference whether the device is in HOV mode, so those don't count for this purpose.)

[ran4sh]

I think it should be clarified that Georgia became interoperable with select E-ZPass states earlier in 2023 (probably the ones that were able to accept sticker tags), the recent interoperability added any remaining E-ZPass state and now they all should be accepting the sticker tags.

[ran4sh]

As a side note, some states (including mine) charge monthly fees for an E-Zpass. Massachusetts neither charges a fee nor requires you to be a resident.

Most if not all states don't require being a resident. Because in places where ETC is used to ease congestion at toll plazas, having a transponder available to out of state is beneficial.

[ran4sh]

I am curious about future tolling programs that states are considering, more specifically Alabama (I-10 Bridge & Birmingham ETL) and Tennessee (Choice Lns). Is it possible they could become E-ZPass members given their proximity to other E-ZPass states?

They will probably do what Georgia/NC did, start off with their own transponder that's technically compatible with E-ZPass, and then implement E-ZPass interoperability when customers demand it

[mgk920]

As a side note, some states (including mine) charge monthly fees for an E-Zpass. Massachusetts neither charges a fee nor requires you to be a resident.

Most if not all states don't require being a resident. Because in places where ETC is used to ease congestion at toll plazas, having a transponder available to out of state is beneficial.

A lot of southern/southeastern Wisconsinites (no toll facilities in the state) have EZ Pass transponders from the ISTHA "(Illinois).

Mike

[kalvado]

Lookin at the spreadsheet... Is NJ actually in such a good relations with TX, unlike other EZpass states?

[lordsutch]

They will probably do what Georgia/NC did, start off with their own transponder that's technically compatible with E-ZPass, and then implement E-ZPass interoperability when customers demand it

Note that Alabama's private toll bridge operator (Tuscaloosa West bypass, Foley Beach Express, and Alabama River Parkway crossing near Montgomery) already has its own "Freedom Pass" toll sticker, which I think would probably be integrated into the state's ALGO Pass at some point.

Also, the PDF table seems to omit E-ZPass being compatible with Georgia facilities.

[vdeane]

Last night I discovered that Canada isn't quite the interoperability no-go zone that I thought.  I turns out that the four maritime toll facilities (MacKay Bridge, Macdonald Bridge, Confederation Bridge, and Cobequid Pass) are quasi-interoperable with each other.  I say quasi because it isn't seamless like such things are in the US; while the same transponder can be used on all four, users must maintain separate accounts with each and keep them all up to date, as they don't communicate with each other at all; all they do is associate the account with whichever transponder you actually have.

Also, South Carolina should be added as an island, as PalmettoPass is still a thing.

[hbelkins]

Regarding Illinois' use of stickers, I was perusing eBay to look for a windshield holder for my new West Virginia E-ZPass unit, since my old square one's battery had expired and it had to be replaced with one of the newer units. It appears that there are now some portable units that are capable of accepting the stickers, making them portable and transferable between vehicles.

I guess I need to look at that interoperability chart Scott whipped up to see if Oklahoma is now compatible with the E-ZPass network. If I go to Utah with my brother and there's bad weather in Kansas and Colorado, might be forced to take I-44 and I-40 westward.

[cbeach40]

Michigan actually has tags.  Three, in fact, none of which are interoperable with each other, let alone anything else (I'm pretty sure the Ambassador Bridge Premier Card is a card and not a sticker tag, but I can't actually verify this, so it might even be four!).

https://www.mackinacbridge.org/macpass/macpass/
https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/-/media/Project/Websites/MDOT/Programs/Bridges-and-Structures/Blue-Water-Bridge/RFID-Tag-Placement-Installation.pdf
https://nexpress.dwtunnel.com
https://www.ambassadorbridge.com/ambassador-premier-card/

The Soo and BWB systems interoperate, and both interoperate with the Canadian FBCL ConneXion system.

[J N Winkler]

I guess I need to look at that interoperability chart Scott whipped up to see if Oklahoma is now compatible with the E-ZPass network. If I go to Utah with my brother and there's bad weather in Kansas and Colorado, might be forced to take I-44 and I-40 westward.

As of now, the answer is No.  Protocol compatibility aside, there is no back-office integration.

[kalvado]

Regarding Illinois' use of stickers, I was perusing eBay to look for a windshield holder for my new West Virginia E-ZPass unit, since my old square one's battery had expired and it had to be replaced with one of the newer units. It appears that there are now some portable units that are capable of accepting the stickers, making them portable and transferable between vehicles.

I guess I need to look at that interoperability chart Scott whipped up to see if Oklahoma is now compatible with the E-ZPass network. If I go to Utah with my brother and there's bad weather in Kansas and Colorado, might be forced to take I-44 and I-40 westward.

As far as I understand, sticker needs to be attached to glass to work. But probably a cut of window glass would work just fine...

[jeffandnicole]

Regarding Illinois' use of stickers, I was perusing eBay to look for a windshield holder for my new West Virginia E-ZPass unit, since my old square one's battery had expired and it had to be replaced with one of the newer units. It appears that there are now some portable units that are capable of accepting the stickers, making them portable and transferable between vehicles.

I guess I need to look at that interoperability chart Scott whipped up to see if Oklahoma is now compatible with the E-ZPass network. If I go to Utah with my brother and there's bad weather in Kansas and Colorado, might be forced to take I-44 and I-40 westward.

As far as I understand, sticker needs to be attached to glass to work. But probably a cut of window glass would work just fine...

I had a little square of the backing cut out for my FL toll sticker so I could attach the sticker to my windshield, but still be able to pull it off. Never had a problem.

[ZLoth]

Only TxTag and TollTag (NTTA) work with roads that accept SunPass as the primary tag. Also for Florida, Kansas and Oklahoma don't work roads outside SunPass primary.

Per https://www.ntta.org/plan-your-trip, the problem area with NTTA tags is the Orlando area which is "coming soon". Also, Georgia and North Carolina can be thrown into the "coming soon" category. No timeline provided.

[J N Winkler]

With the Kansas Turnpike, I have found that read problems that occur only intermittently with the tag stuck to the windshield happen almost every time it is left on the backing, even when it is held against the windshield glass.  Moreover, the tag is designed so that part of the circuitry is broken, rendering the transponder inoperable, when it is unpeeled from the windshield.

When I got my K-Tag, I ordered three stickers so that each vehicle in the family fleet would have one on hand.  I ended up installing just one, since the other two never go onto the Turnpike.  About a year or two later, KTA started requiring each K-Tag to be associated with a license plate to enable toll violation processing.  I never did this for the two K-Tags that still sit in a folder in my filing cabinet, and about once a month I get an email nastygram from KTA telling me to register their license plates or send them back.  I eventually had to make an email filter just for them.

These experiences lead me to believe that jury-rigging a sticker transponder to allow it to be moved from vehicle to vehicle (as opposed to paying extra for a transponder designed for use with multiple vehicles) is a recipe for trouble, at least with some toll operators.

[sprjus4]

As a side note, some states (including mine) charge monthly fees for an E-Zpass. Massachusetts neither charges a fee nor requires you to be a resident.

Glad Maryland hasn't done so yet, though I have a feeling they'll get that idea somehow.

Maryland briefly introduced a monthly fee, long ago. That lasted long enough to push me into Virginia's program, once it joined the E-ZPass consortium.

Virginia briefly had one as well but repealed it. The only fee Virginia has now is that if you have an E-ZPass Flex and you don't use it in HOV mode on a eligible facility at least once every six months, you supposedly get hit with a one-time $10 fee for that transponder (this because the Flex devices cost them more). I say "supposedly" because my gut tells me I've probably gone more than six months at some point, but I don't think I've ever been hit with the fee.

("Eligible facility" meaning that at most toll facilities, it makes no difference whether the device is in HOV mode, so those don't count for this purpose.)

They increased the period to 12 months if I'm remembering correctly.