Toll Transponder Interoperability - 2024 edition

[Scott5114]

Austin agencies

Austin agencies plural?? What the hell are they doing down there? It seems like it's so easy to start a toll agency in Texas that I might need to call and check to make sure I didn't accidentally start one the last time I was there!

[rlb2024]

I was in the Dallas area a couple of months ago and again last week, and while there drove some of the NTTA toll roads (DNT, PGBT, and SRT).  I expected to get an invoice for the tolls in the mail in a few months since I do not have an NTTA toll tag.  This weekend I got an email that my Florida SunPass account had been billed for replenishment, which I thought was strange since I had not been in Florida since October and my SunPass Portable transponder (purchased around 2014) was in my house in Louisiana.  I logged on to my SunPass account to check the activity and saw that the toll charges leading to the replenishment were from the NTTA toll roads that I had traveled -- without my SunPass transponder.  They picked up my Louisiana license plate and credited the tolls to my SunPass account -- at the discounted NTTA tag rate.

Nice.  Wasn't expecting that.

[SSOWorld]

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.

Your best bet's Florida, but they do not have compatibility with Houston or most of Austin

Austin agencies

Austin agencies plural?? What the hell are they doing down there? It seems like it's so easy to start a toll agency in Texas that I might need to call and check to make sure I didn't accidentally start one the last time I was there!

Did I studder?  Try a SunPass, you'll notice

[SSOWorld]

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

Look again...

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.

It is.

Side note, Updated for GA as fully interoperable with E-ZPass, Updated M-, Added AL (same as M-)

[ZLoth]

Austin agencies

Austin agencies plural?? What the hell are they doing down there? It seems like it's so easy to start a toll agency in Texas that I might need to call and check to make sure I didn't accidentally start one the last time I was there!

There are three Toll Tag agencies:

• NTTA (DFW)
• EZ Tag (Harris County/Houston)
• TXTag (Everywhere else)

NTTA, TXTag, and regular EZ Tag work on the roads in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. EZ Tag Express is limited to the Houston Roads, and is limited to the non-tag toll rate.

[SSOWorld]

Austin agencies

Austin agencies plural?? What the hell are they doing down there? It seems like it's so easy to start a toll agency in Texas that I might need to call and check to make sure I didn't accidentally start one the last time I was there!

There are three Toll Tag agencies:

• NTTA (DFW)
• EZ Tag (Harris County/Houston)
• TXTag (Everywhere else)

NTTA, TXTag, and regular EZ Tag work on the roads in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. EZ Tag Express is limited to the Houston Roads, and is limited to the non-tag toll rate.

Wrong

There are several agencies sharing TxTag (a tag) and EZ Tag (a tag) in Austin and Houston.  https://senate.texas.gov/cmtes/81/c640/1013-JohnBarton-c2-2.pdf <-- this PDF lists them.

[SSOWorld]

also this AARoads forum thread bitching about them.

[ElishaGOtis]

Austin agencies

Austin agencies plural?? What the hell are they doing down there? It seems like it's so easy to start a toll agency in Texas that I might need to call and check to make sure I didn't accidentally start one the last time I was there!

There are three Toll Tag agencies:

• NTTA (DFW)
• EZ Tag (Harris County/Houston)
• TXTag (Everywhere else)

NTTA, TXTag, and regular EZ Tag work on the roads in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. EZ Tag Express is limited to the Houston Roads, and is limited to the non-tag toll rate.

Interesting, I got EZ Tag express to work on SH 130 toll (in addition to IH 10 Katy & SH 99 toll) during a trip to Kileen last December. It was expensive as heck given the non-tag rates, but it was worth going 89mph with minimal consequences

From www.hctra.org/EZTAGExpress:

-No EZ TAG is needed with this account!

- Account access at your fingertips 24/7 via the app

- Works on all toll roads in Texas

- You pay the cash/non-tag toll rate

- No monthly statements - transactions and balance can be viewed in the app

- Open an account using a credit card

Used SunPass in Dallas/Ft. Worth area, set my vehicle to "expire" before driving there. Haven't looked at that toll statement.

[ZLoth]

There are several agencies sharing TxTag (a tag) and EZ Tag (a tag) in Austin and Houston.  https://senate.texas.gov/cmtes/81/c640/1013-JohnBarton-c2-2.pdf <-- this PDF lists them.

I stand corrected. I should have stated that there are three main tolling tags in Texas which, in most cases, is TxTAG, NTTA, or EZ Tag.

[SSOWorld]

There are several agencies sharing TxTag (a tag) and EZ Tag (a tag) in Austin and Houston.  https://senate.texas.gov/cmtes/81/c640/1013-JohnBarton-c2-2.pdf <-- this PDF lists them.

I stand corrected. I should have stated that there are three main tolling tags in Texas which, in most cases, is TxTAG, NTTA, or EZ Tag.

more accurate, no worries.

[SSOWorld]

Used SunPass in Dallas/Ft. Worth area, set my vehicle to "expire" before driving there. Haven't looked at that toll statement.

Just don't try that in Houston.

[Duke87]

Side note, Updated for GA as fully interoperable with E-ZPass, Updated M-, Added AL (same as M-)

Did something change recently?

Last I checked what GA did was they set up is a system that will query plates from video tolls against the database of vehicles registered to E-Zpass accounts before sending a bill in the mail. But they can not actually read E-Zpass tags.

I do not think this counts as interoperability and it's flagrant false advertising to claim it is. If you're in a rental car, or any car other than your own, it will not work.

[SSOWorld]

Side note, Updated for GA as fully interoperable with E-ZPass, Updated M-, Added AL (same as M-)

Did something change recently?

Last I checked what GA did was they set up is a system that will query plates from video tolls against the database of vehicles registered to E-Zpass accounts before sending a bill in the mail. But they can not actually read E-Zpass tags.

I do not think this counts as interoperability and it's flagrant false advertising to claim it is. If you're in a rental car, or any car other than your own, it will not work.

source?

[ran4sh]

Side note, Updated for GA as fully interoperable with E-ZPass, Updated M-, Added AL (same as M-)

Did something change recently?

Last I checked what GA did was they set up is a system that will query plates from video tolls against the database of vehicles registered to E-Zpass accounts before sending a bill in the mail. But they can not actually read E-Zpass tags.

I do not think this counts as interoperability and it's flagrant false advertising to claim it is. If you're in a rental car, or any car other than your own, it will not work.

You probably "checked" a few years ago back when GA only had interoperability with FL & NC.

[lordsutch]

Did something change recently?

Last I checked what GA did was they set up is a system that will query plates from video tolls against the database of vehicles registered to E-Zpass accounts before sending a bill in the mail. But they can not actually read E-Zpass tags.

I do not think this counts as interoperability and it's flagrant false advertising to claim it is. If you're in a rental car, or any car other than your own, it will not work.

It's certainly signed as being interoperable.

[SSOWorld]

It was fully activated this year practically

[Joe The Dragon]

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

What is the legal signage requirements for Partial cases and can that be used as an way to fight an FINE in court?
Say in an mixed case? on the same road?

what about say case where Kansas may start takeing EZ-pass but say only show the EZ-pass logo one one side but you then get to Oklahoma see the Kansas pass  logo. Should Oklahoma be foreced to have an sign saying NO EZ-pass if they don't take it?

I don't think that it's going to fit you need to list 5-6+ differnt logos on one sign.

Also before in FL you had part of the same road that took EZ-pass but not others. And with FL you had the auto train that was an kind of an tunnel from the EZ-pass zone. What is the signage like in the auto train exits?

[1995hoo]

....

Also before in FL you had part of the same road that took EZ-pass but not others. And with FL you had the auto train that was an kind of an tunnel from the EZ-pass zone. What is the signage like in the auto train exits?

What signage at the Auto Train exits? No offense, but what are you talking about? There's no toll at the Auto Train (though of course you pay a fare to Amtrak to ride), so there are no signs there about E-ZPass, SunPass, or any of the rest.

[kphoger]

what about say case where Kansas may start takeing EZ-pass but say only show the EZ-pass logo one one side but you then get to Oklahoma see the Kansas pass  logo. Should Oklahoma be foreced to have an sign saying NO EZ-pass if they don't take it?

Oklahoma shouldn't be required to do anything based solely on what Kansas chooses to do.

[Joe The Dragon]

....

Also before in FL you had part of the same road that took EZ-pass but not others. And with FL you had the auto train that was an kind of an tunnel from the EZ-pass zone. What is the signage like in the auto train exits?

What signage at the Auto Train exits? No offense, but what are you talking about? There's no toll at the Auto Train (though of course you pay a fare to Amtrak to ride), so there are no signs there about E-ZPass, SunPass, or any of the rest.

talking about signage on the toll roads near the auto train exit points.

[NJRoadfan]

E-ZPass roads seemingly now work with sticker transponders. IL is now outright issuing I-Pass stickers and claiming they work on all E-ZPass roadways.

https://wgntv.com/news/chicago-news/want-to-get-a-new-i-pass-sticker-5-common-questions-and-answers-to-purchasing-and-using-them/

Best I can figure is that all the various E-ZPass agencies finally upgraded their equipment to multiprotocol readers.

[NJRoadfan]

Also before in FL you had part of the same road that took EZ-pass but not others. And with FL you had the auto train that was an kind of an tunnel from the EZ-pass zone. What is the signage like in the auto train exits?

There are signs next to the toll plazas stating what tags they accept.

[NJRoadfan]

NC Quick Pass confirming that all E-ZPass states now accept sticker transponders: https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2024/2024-02-15-ncquickpass-accepted-ezpass.aspx

[ran4sh]

That must be news to y'all legacy E-ZPass users... Georgia/Peach Pass users have known that for about a month now (well, it wasn't stated that way, but it's the logical conclusion from the fact that Peach Pass only issues stickers and Peach Pass is accepted in all E-ZPass states)

Of course, for now that puts NC in a position where they offer a free (sticker) and a $7 (case) device that now both do the same thing. https://www.ncquickpass.com/transponder-options/

[jeffandnicole]

what about say case where Kansas may start takeing EZ-pass but say only show the EZ-pass logo one one side but you then get to Oklahoma see the Kansas pass  logo. Should Oklahoma be foreced to have an sign saying NO EZ-pass if they don't take it?

No. Do they also need a sign for every other transponder they don't take?  How about Sunpass or Epass? 

This is no different than state laws. There is only signage required based on the individual state's laws.  States can't run around updated their signage because other states have different laws, which can change on occasion. 

NC Quick Pass confirming that all E-ZPass states now accept sticker transponders: https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2024/2024-02-15-ncquickpass-accepted-ezpass.aspx

This is unusual because usually only the overseeing agency, such as the EZ Pass Consortium, will announce such acceptance.  The press release says "Because of this technology change...", but they don't say what the technology change is (the stickers, I guess?). 

Maybe it's true that the stickers confirm to EZ Pass's minimum standards for the readable technology required for EZ Pass, but it seems a bit presumptuous for NC to inform everyone that every agency's EZ Pass readers will read the stickers.