NJ Turnpike News

[Alex]

Del. [out of state drivers] drivers could lose E-ZPass discounts on NJ Turnpike

A proposal to eliminate E-ZPass off-peak discounts on the New Jersey Turnpike for customers who have tags from out-of-state agencies — even if they are New Jersey residents — is creating confusion and uncertainty among customers, and in some cases anger.

New Jersey Turnpike Authority commissioners could vote on the change at the May 24 board meeting and, if approved, the change would take effect by July, said spokesman Tom Feeney.

The concept will affect only New Jersey Turnpike travelers, not drivers on the Garden State Parkway, who do not receive an off-peak E-ZPass discount, Feeney said. Currently about 76 percent of Turnpike customers use E-ZPass, but of those, only 50 percent have a New Jersey E-Z Pass.

The change to eliminate off-peak E-ZPass discounts would bring the authority an additional $16 million if it were in effect this year, and it is being done to raise revenue to fund construction projects, Feeney said.

The discounts vary based on how far drivers travel. Normally, a driver would pay $9.05 in cash to travel the entire 113-mile length of the Turnpike. A driver would pay a discounted toll of $6.80 for the same trip using an E-ZPass and traveling at off-peak hours.

"This is about enhancing revenues. It will go for capital improvements and reduce the amount of money we have to borrow,"  Feeney said. "It will minimize our borrowing, without having to raise revenue from most of our loyal customers."

That revenue will be plowed into funding the authority's 10-year, $7 billion capital improvement program, which includes the ongoing widenings of the Parkway between Toms River and Atlantic County.

Agencies that offer E-ZPass that would be considered in-state for New Jersey residents are the Turnpike Authority, South Jersey Transportation Authority, Delaware River Port Authority, Burlington County Bridge Commission, and Delaware River and Bay Authority.

Because the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is affiliated with New York E-ZPass, it is considered an out-of-state agency, Feeney said. The determining factor for whether a customer loses or keeps their E-ZPass discount on the Turnpike is the home state of the agency that issued their tags and handles their account, he said.

Officials will continue to offer off-peak discounts to truck drivers to encourage them to travel outside of the prime commuting times of 7 to 9 a.m. and 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. weekdays. Weekends also are considered peak hours for purposes of E-ZPass discounts.

Some drivers who contacted the Asbury Park Press said they are upset that they may lose their discount, particularly those who travel to New York to see family and friends and rely on the discounts offered by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on New York bridges and tunnels. Others questioned why the authority needs the revenue, with a toll increase scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2012.

Tri-State Transportation Campaign officials said they support keeping the off-peak discounts in place.

"We support time-of-day tolls because they reduce congestion by encouraging drivers to shift their trips to less busy times of day,"  said Janna Chernetz, Tri-State New Jersey Advocate.

She also questioned the necessity of the two widening projects that eliminating the discounts would fund, and reiterated Tri-State's position that they're overly expensive, and in the case of the Parkway, won't solve the traffic congestion problem.

[mightyace]

Now, that's just dumb!

At least if your idea is to move people to electronic tolling.

A better way would be this:
Cash: $6.00
E-Z Pass (non-NJ): $5.00
E-Z Pass (NJ): $4.00

[tollboothrob]

If the Authority is going to do this, they really should include the PANYNJ (Port Authority of NY & NJ) in the plan as well. There's a ton of people in north and central Jersey that cross the PANYNJ facilities as well as using the Authority's roads daily. At least they admitted the reason for the plan was "increased revenue." I don't think infrequent users will care that much, but the commuters to/from NYC area should have some consideration in the matter as well.

[mightyace]

Well, if I ever live in the Northeast again (or E-Z Pass makes it down south), I would want something for the effort of getting and maintaining an account.

Like I said before, it wouldn't have to be the same discount as in-state.

[Alps]

Sadly, I think agencies are starting to warm to the trend of more money instead of more customer service, relying on the speed of E-ZPass transactions to justify the cost instead of the discounts. I think a better way to accomplish their goal would simply be to apply a monthly discount back to E-ZPass users with registered primary addresses in NJ. This helps those state residents who choose an out of state agency because of no or lower fees, and similarly stops helping out of state residents who happen to be served by one of the bi-state agencies.

[Alex]

N.J. ends E-ZPass discount

Out-of-state accounts will be charged full price at all hours

Starting July 1, E-ZPass users who have accounts in Delaware and other states will no longer receive discounts during off-peak hours on the New Jersey Turnpike.

Motorists with Delaware E-ZPass accounts will no longer get off-peak discounts when they pass through New Jersey.

The New Jersey Turnpike Authority voted unanimously to end the discounts on Tuesday, spokesman Tom Feeney said. The change will go into effect July 1 and will affect Class 1, or passenger, vehicles traveling on the New Jersey Turnpike.

"When you're commuting ... to work it does add up but you kind of just suck it up because you have to," said Jennifer O'Sullivan, a 36-year-old Wilmington resident whose sales and marketing job is in Paulsboro, N.J.

The authority estimated that E-ZPass users who set up their accounts in other states will now pay about 34 percent more during off-peak travel through New Jersey. New Jersey E-ZPass customers won't be affected by the change. Off-peak hours are defined as anytime Monday through Friday except for 7 to 9 a.m. and 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

The new rates would raise an estimated $16 million a year, Feeney said. Projections for July 1 through the end of the year were not available.

Other states, including Delaware and New York, already use similar pricing models for in-state and out-of-state accounts, Feeney said.

O'Sullivan said E-ZPass' convenience is worth not having the discount.

"If my choice was to wait in line and pay four bucks every day or fly through the E-ZPass, I would fly through the E-ZPass lane every time," she said. But "if it starts affecting my work commute an extra 35 percent, then I would certainly get the New Jersey account."

Anyone can set up an E-ZPass account in New Jersey, even nonresidents, and E-ZPass customers can have accounts in more than one state.

[citrus]

My dad lives in RI and has 2 EZ-Passes - a RI one and a NY Thruway one. Swaps them out depending on where he's going.

[mightyace]

As revenues decrease, state greed increases.

The comment about getting multiple E-ZPasses defeats the purpose of the E-ZPass, one transponder for the whole northeast and midwest.

[Alps]

As revenues decrease, state greed increases.

The comment about getting multiple E-ZPasses defeats the purpose of the E-ZPass, one transponder for the whole northeast and midwest.

As revenues decrease, the need for states to be able to fund their operations increases. You're also missing the boat that most toll agencies don't share revenue with the rest of the state.

The purpose of E-ZPass is ideally one transponder for the entire nation. But the primary purpose for most people is to avoid lines at toll plazas, plain and simple. Even without discounts and even with a monthly fee, that's still worth it for people whose daily commutes go through tolls.

[mightyace]

As revenues decrease, state greed increases.

The comment about getting multiple E-ZPasses defeats the purpose of the E-ZPass, one transponder for the whole northeast and midwest.

As revenues decrease, the need for states to be able to fund their operations increases. You're also missing the boat that most toll agencies don't share revenue with the rest of the state.

I wasn't implying the toll sharing, I know better than that.  But, revenue sharing or not, many toll authorities are state owned and/or run and the greed of the state in general for new revenue sources would wear off onto the toll authority.

[Pilgrimway]

Expect more traffic on I-295 parallel to the southern leg of the turnpike.  But we're screwed north of Trenton if you're heading into New England unless you use I-287 and the Tappan Zee Bridge.

[Michael in Philly]

Just drove from Philadelphia to New England today, which involved using 95 up to the George Washington Bridge; hadn't been up there in several years.  I'm surprised that the mile markers on the free section north of 46 treat it as part of the Turnpike; did the Turnpike Authority take that bit over?

[Alps]

Just drove from Philadelphia to New England today, which involved using 95 up to the George Washington Bridge; hadn't been up there in several years.  I'm surprised that the mile markers on the free section north of 46 treat it as part of the Turnpike; did the Turnpike Authority take that bit over?

Actually way back in 2001 or so (possibly earlier). The signs were converted from old NJDOT standards to modern Turnpike standards at that time.

[akotchi]

Just drove from Philadelphia to New England today, which involved using 95 up to the George Washington Bridge; hadn't been up there in several years.  I'm surprised that the mile markers on the free section north of 46 treat it as part of the Turnpike; did the Turnpike Authority take that bit over?

Actually way back in 2001 or so (possibly earlier). The signs were converted from old NJDOT standards to modern Turnpike standards at that time.

Sometime around 1992, actually.  The State sold the free section to the Turnpike.  As far as I know, the only piece the State kept was the southbound outer roadway between I-80 and U.S. 46.  I'm not sure why . . .

[Don'tKnowYet]

Gov Florio forced the Turnpike Authority to buy the free section so he could balance the state budget that year since taxing toilet paper heavily blew up in his face. for some reason, the incompetent Turnpike Authority kept the exit numbering from I-80 (even though I-80 ends there) but kept the Turnpike's mileposts based from Carney's Point. so as you drive by Exit 71, the milepost says 119 or something. NJ logic.

[akotchi]

Gov Florio forced the Turnpike Authority to buy the free section so he could balance the state budget that year since taxing toilet paper heavily blew up in his face. for some reason, the incompetent Turnpike Authority kept the exit numbering from I-80 (even though I-80 ends there) but kept the Turnpike's mileposts based from Carney's Point. so as you drive by Exit 71, the milepost says 119 or something. NJ logic.

The exit numbers north of U.S. 46 are actually I-95 mileposts based on the original alignment of I-95 through central New Jersey.  They happen to be very close to where I-80's mileposting ends.

I-95 SB exit to I-80 is Exit 69
I-80 EB exit to I-95 is Exits 68A-B
I-95 NB exit to I-80 is not marked, though is assumed to be 69, since 68 and 70 are marked around it.

[Pete from Boston]

Quick question, since my casual searching isn't answering it: when was the extension to Interstate 80 opened?  I've seen 1970 mentioned, but a 1970 photo on historicaerials.com shows only land cleared between 46 and 80.

[akotchi]

According to the I-95 NJ Wikipedia page, it was sometime in 1971, citing an NJDOT source.

[Pete from Boston]

According to the I-95 NJ Wikipedia page, it was sometime in 1971, citing an NJDOT source.

Ok, must've missed that.  Thanks!

[roadman65]

Gov Florio forced the Turnpike Authority to buy the free section so he could balance the state budget that year since taxing toilet paper heavily blew up in his face. for some reason, the incompetent Turnpike Authority kept the exit numbering from I-80 (even though I-80 ends there) but kept the Turnpike's mileposts based from Carney's Point. so as you drive by Exit 71, the milepost says 119 or something. NJ logic.

The exit numbers north of U.S. 46 are actually I-95 mileposts based on the original alignment of I-95 through central New Jersey.  They happen to be very close to where I-80's mileposting ends.

I-95 SB exit to I-80 is Exit 69
I-80 EB exit to I-95 is Exits 68A-B
I-95 NB exit to I-80 is not marked, though is assumed to be 69, since 68 and 70 are marked around it.

The NB ramp diverges near the Vince Lombardi Service area before the actual Turnpike Toll Road ends.  Though the question is why the flip panel signs for it as if you close the ramp to I-80, you cannot use the mainline I-95 to bypass it.