E-ZPass and national interoperability

[hbelkins]

An interesting observation about how my West Virginia E-Z Pass is billed.

My recent trip to the Delaware meet took me through three toll facilities -- the Bay Bridge, the entrance ramp to the southbound WV Turnpike at Beckley, and the toll booth at Ghent. My reads for the two WV facilities showed only the transponder number. My read for the Bay Bridge showed both transponder number and license number. (A WV E-Z Pass can be used in more than one vehicle as long as the license plate number is registered. MdTA must be doing some cross-referencing between transponders and camera recordings.

Or your tag wasn't read, and they looked up your account via the tag number. 

Due to the literally hundreds of thousands of tag reads a day, there would be no reason to check a valid read.  What would they do if a tag was in a car which didn't have a registered license plate...take away the payment, mail a bill and hope that person sends in a payment?  That would be more costly and time consuming, and then there's no guarantee they'll be paid anyway.

In this case, I'm thinking there was a problem with the lane equipment which simply didn't read your tag.

The signal I got indicated a valid read.

[Revive 755]

Dusting off this thread (although I'm open to this post being moved if another thread would be more appropriate) . . .

Starting on Page 129 of the July 2020 Kane County (IL) Transportation Committee agenda is an interesting read (once it loads) into what may be involved in getting interoperability with E-ZPass.

https://www.countyofkane.org/Lists/Events/Attachments/5458/AG%20PKT%20-%2020-07%20KDOT.pdf

[MASTERNC]

I know I'm dusting off this thread as well, but I found a nugget in an RFP for cashless tolling in Kansas.  In Attachment 13 of the below file, there is a list of major tolling agencies and their transponder technology.  What is interesting is this "EZG Agency" column, which seems to match the first three digits of E-ZPass transponders (to identify the issuing agency).  To me, it seems E-ZPass IAG is taking the reins of any interoperability (consistent with their decision to be "open source" for other tolling agencies).  Even the 407 ETR is listed in Canada with an EZG Agency ID (011).

https://www.ksturnpike.com/assets/uploads/content-files/KTA_RTCS_Request_for_Proposals_Attachments_Part_2_Addendum_3.pdf

[ilpt4u]

I know I'm dusting off this thread as well, but I found a nugget in an RFP for cashless tolling in Kansas.  In Attachment 13 of the below file, there is a list of major tolling agencies and their transponder technology.  What is interesting is this "EZG Agency" column, which seems to match the first three digits of E-ZPass transponders (to identify the issuing agency).  To me, it seems E-ZPass IAG is taking the reins of any interoperability (consistent with their decision to be "open source" for other tolling agencies).  Even the 407 ETR is listed in Canada with an EZG Agency ID (011).

https://www.ksturnpike.com/assets/uploads/content-files/KTA_RTCS_Request_for_Proposals_Attachments_Part_2_Addendum_3.pdf

I'm pretty sure 407ETR uses the same transponders/technology as the E-ZPass IAG - MarkIV/Kapsch. I thought 407ETR might join the IAG someday, but I guess either the different currency and/or the international border have so far prevented it from happening. Also may be that neither 407ETR nor the IAG members are really interested in making 407ETR "In Network"  so to speak

ISTHA had the EZG Agency ID (015) long before it joined the IAG - pretty sure MarkIV used it just to differentiate transponders for different agencies, but it is also beneficial for interoperability

If memory serves, ISTHA said, back in the day, that their readers would read E-ZPass transponders, just would not charge them before joing the IAG and full interoperability

[cpzilliacus]

If memory serves, ISTHA said, back in the day, that their readers would read E-ZPass transponders, just would not charge them before joing the IAG and full interoperability

Same with Virginia.  They had their own SmarTag transponders that were not integrated with E-ZPass IAG (but still compatible with it) until then-Gov. Mark Warner ordered VDOT to join the IAG, which was accomplished in 2004.

[vdeane]

I know I'm dusting off this thread as well, but I found a nugget in an RFP for cashless tolling in Kansas.  In Attachment 13 of the below file, there is a list of major tolling agencies and their transponder technology.  What is interesting is this "EZG Agency" column, which seems to match the first three digits of E-ZPass transponders (to identify the issuing agency).  To me, it seems E-ZPass IAG is taking the reins of any interoperability (consistent with their decision to be "open source" for other tolling agencies).  Even the 407 ETR is listed in Canada with an EZG Agency ID (011).

https://www.ksturnpike.com/assets/uploads/content-files/KTA_RTCS_Request_for_Proposals_Attachments_Part_2_Addendum_3.pdf

I'm pretty sure 407ETR uses the same transponders/technology as the E-ZPass IAG - MarkIV/Kapsch. I thought 407ETR might join the IAG someday, but I guess either the different currency and/or the international border have so far prevented it from happening. Also may be that neither 407ETR nor the IAG members are really interested in making 407ETR "In Network"  so to speak

ISTHA had the EZG Agency ID (015) long before it joined the IAG - pretty sure MarkIV used it just to differentiate transponders for different agencies, but it is also beneficial for interoperability

If memory serves, ISTHA said, back in the day, that their readers would read E-ZPass transponders, just would not charge them before joing the IAG and full interoperability

I think 407 is perfectly happy charging people their large bill by mail fee and would rather not lose that.

[Duke87]

I think 407 is perfectly happy charging people their large bill by mail fee and would rather not lose that.

Not to mention, there is only a national interoperability mandate, not an international one. No agency in Canada has any legal obligation to figure out how to accept US transponders... and none have any real reason to. How many American vehicles drive on 407ETR anyway?

[cpzilliacus]

I think 407 is perfectly happy charging people their large bill by mail fee and would rather not lose that.

Not to mention, there is only a national interoperability mandate, not an international one. No agency in Canada has any legal obligation to figure out how to accept US transponders... and none have any real reason to. How many American vehicles drive on 407ETR anyway?

Agreed regarding lack of an international mandate.

Though in the case of commercial vehicle licensing and commercial vehicle fuel use, the U.S. and Canada are seamlessly integrated when it comes to the IRP (International Registration Program - apportioned tags for heavy-duty and medium-duty trucks and commercial buses that cross state or provincial boundaries or the U.S./Canada border) and IFTA (International Fuel Tax Agreement - reporting of miles or kilometers logged in every IFTA-member state or province unless they only operate in one state or province, in which case IFTA is not relevant).

A friend that drove on Highway 407ETR with Maryland registration plates got a bill several months later in the mail, so the management of the road apparently does want its money from drivers of U.S.-plated cars and trucks.   He was able to pay the bill by calling an 800 number and giving them a credit card number.

Not sure that they can do much if a U.S. driver refuses to pay, however.   That might be a motivation for toll road operators in eastern Canada (I define as Ontario and places to the east of Ontario) to join the E-ZPass IAG. 

[vdeane]

I think 407 is perfectly happy charging people their large bill by mail fee and would rather not lose that.

Not to mention, there is only a national interoperability mandate, not an international one. No agency in Canada has any legal obligation to figure out how to accept US transponders... and none have any real reason to. How many American vehicles drive on 407ETR anyway?

Enough that they have the ability to bill several states, at least.

Plus not only does Canada not have an obligation to become interoperable with the US, its toll agencies aren't even interoperable with themselves.  There's no equivalent of E-ZPass or the SunPass/PeachPass/QuickPass zone over there.  There's even the absurd situation where the Montréal area has two toll bridges that each have separate transponders that aren't even interoperable with each other.

Not sure that they can do much if a U.S. driver refuses to pay, however.   That might be a motivation for toll road operators in eastern Canada to join the E-ZPass IAG. 

I was going to say, perhaps the biggest argument for interoperability beyond the convivence of tourists would be so the Thruway has an easier time collecting tolls from all the Canadian drivers that used to use it in the before times (and hopefully will one day again).