Motorists Say EZPass Routinely Racks Up Unfair Fees for Unpaid Tolls

[J N Winkler]

Not sure how Kansas handles this, but at least from my experience if you have the transponder you also register the License Plate. Assuming it does not read then they run the plate against the database. I have always thought that they would extend the tag rate in that case to your account. I think I recall reading about this with Colorado, and they mention that if you have many such events they may contact you to fix the issue with the tag not reading (and they show up on the toll as license plate based rather than tag).  So at least in these areas the tag actually reading is not relevant anymore.

In Kansas, KTA has had ETC as an option since the early 1990's, but we were not actually required to register our plates until several years ago.  I don't remember precisely when I did mine, so I can't compare conditions before and after to draw inferences about how KTA handles entry/exit movements in the absence of usable reads.  I have long suspected they use the tolling equipment as a backdoor speed control mechanism since I've seen evidence of failure (not shown as logged out of the system, gate does not raise if lane is equipped with a gate, etc.) if I pass the reader at speeds even slightly in excess of the 20 MPH speed limit.

I've had instances of misattributed entry and exit in both my favor and KTA's.  One time I entered at South Wichita going south, but they billed me for entry at Haysville-Derby (in my favor).  Another time I entered at South Wichita going south, but they billed me for entry at El Dorado (in their favor, more than offsetting my gain from "entering" at Haysville-Derby).  I don't know where they are getting these movements when my car is not physically present to be filmed.  (In the Haysville-Derby case, I did go through the interchange but on the mainline only, and in the El Dorado case, I was not within even 20 miles of the exit.)

[HighwayStar]

Not sure how Kansas handles this, but at least from my experience if you have the transponder you also register the License Plate. Assuming it does not read then they run the plate against the database. I have always thought that they would extend the tag rate in that case to your account. I think I recall reading about this with Colorado, and they mention that if you have many such events they may contact you to fix the issue with the tag not reading (and they show up on the toll as license plate based rather than tag).  So at least in these areas the tag actually reading is not relevant anymore.

In Kansas, KTA has had ETC as an option since the early 1990's, but we were not actually required to register our plates until several years ago.  I don't remember precisely when I did mine, so I can't compare conditions before and after to draw inferences about how KTA handles entry/exit movements in the absence of usable reads.  I have long suspected they use the tolling equipment as a backdoor speed control mechanism since I've seen evidence of failure (not shown as logged out of the system, gate does not raise if lane is equipped with a gate, etc.) if I pass the reader at speeds even slightly in excess of the 20 MPH speed limit.

I've had instances of misattributed entry and exit in both my favor and KTA's.  One time I entered at South Wichita going south, but they billed me for entry at Haysville-Derby (in my favor).  Another time I entered at South Wichita going south, but they billed me for entry at El Dorado (in their favor, more than offsetting my gain from "entering" at Haysville-Derby).  I don't know where they are getting these movements when my car is not physically present to be filmed.  (In the Haysville-Derby case, I did go through the interchange but on the mainline only, and in the El Dorado case, I was not within even 20 miles of the exit.)

It seems odd that they read it without the car even present to be filmed. Getting the plate wrong seems far too remote of a possibility to coincide with your travel, I would think that would show up as totally random travel. Not within 20 miles of the exit seems to have no rational explanation.

[Scott5114]

I suspect this is a software error (i.e. entry plaza information getting erroneously overwritten or a table lookup with an incorrect index) rather than anything having to do with the reads, though without knowing anything about the underlying database schema and implementation language, it's hard to speculate on exactly what went wrong.

Another possibility is equipment being moved between plazas without being reconfigured to write the new plaza number to records it generates. Given how busy the South Wichita plaza is, I could see an emergency equipment failure protocol being in place where a reader is brought in from a lower-volume plaza like Haysville or El Dorado to minimize the length of a lane closure at South Wichita.

[J N Winkler]

I suspect this is a software error (i.e. entry plaza information getting erroneously overwritten or a table lookup with an incorrect index) rather than anything having to do with the reads, though without knowing anything about the underlying database schema and implementation language, it's hard to speculate on exactly what went wrong.

Another possibility is equipment being moved between plazas without being reconfigured to write the new plaza number to records it generates. Given how busy the South Wichita plaza is, I could see an emergency equipment failure protocol being in place where a reader is brought in from a lower-volume plaza like Haysville or El Dorado to minimize the length of a lane closure at South Wichita.

Those sound plausible, though to judge, we would need to know how systematic these errors are--for example, do they affect other vehicles entering around the same time?

I've long suspected that the reads get dumped (could be programmed behavior, could be low-spec RFID equipment not able to handle gliding through a 20 MPH lane at 30 MPH) and, when this happens, a human looks for video of another vehicle of the same description.  (This part of the process is susceptible to automation using pattern-recognition AI.)  My K-Tag is in a wine-red 2005 Camry, so Haysville-Derby and El Dorado on the respective dates may have been when a wine-red seventh-generation Camry belonging to someone else entered the Turnpike.

I also haven't ruled out the possibility of KTA using roadside readers, though this would not account for El Dorado.

[kalvado]

Just goes to show what a scam EZPass truly is. If I can help it, I'll shunpike where no cash is accepted.

Yeah, stick it to the man!

I don't believe I have ever had a problem with my E-ZPass, having used it with multiple agencies...if not most of them by now.

I had at least 3 billing issues with my ezpass including one with a very bad aftertaste, and my gut feeling 4th is progress.

[kalvado]

I suspect this is a software error (i.e. entry plaza information getting erroneously overwritten or a table lookup with an incorrect index) rather than anything having to do with the reads, though without knowing anything about the underlying database schema and implementation language, it's hard to speculate on exactly what went wrong.

Another possibility is equipment being moved between plazas without being reconfigured to write the new plaza number to records it generates. Given how busy the South Wichita plaza is, I could see an emergency equipment failure protocol being in place where a reader is brought in from a lower-volume plaza like Haysville or El Dorado to minimize the length of a lane closure at South Wichita.

Those sound plausible, though to judge, we would need to know how systematic these errors are--for example, do they affect other vehicles entering around the same time?

I've long suspected that the reads get dumped (could be programmed behavior, could be low-spec RFID equipment not able to handle gliding through a 20 MPH lane at 30 MPH) and, when this happens, a human looks for video of another vehicle of the same description.  (This part of the process is susceptible to automation using pattern-recognition AI.)  My K-Tag is in a wine-red 2005 Camry, so Haysville-Derby and El Dorado on the respective dates may have been when a wine-red seventh-generation Camry belonging to someone else entered the Turnpike.

I also haven't ruled out the possibility of KTA using roadside readers, though this would not account for El Dorado.

E-ZPass is specified to reliably read at 100 mph, and I suspect that should be normal spec for any system.

[Rothman]

Just goes to show what a scam EZPass truly is. If I can help it, I'll shunpike where no cash is accepted.

Yeah, stick it to the man!

I don't believe I have ever had a problem with my E-ZPass, having used it with multiple agencies...if not most of them by now.

I had at least 3 billing issues with my ezpass including one with a very bad aftertaste, and my gut feeling 4th is progress.

Billing issues or tag misreads?  NYSTA has altered my replenishing amount.  Sometimes I let it go since I'm doing a lot of traveling; other times I've gone into my account and lowered it back down again.  I don't consider that a major issue since it's laid out in their terms.

[kalvado]

Just goes to show what a scam EZPass truly is. If I can help it, I'll shunpike where no cash is accepted.

Yeah, stick it to the man!

I don't believe I have ever had a problem with my E-ZPass, having used it with multiple agencies...if not most of them by now.

I had at least 3 billing issues with my ezpass including one with a very bad aftertaste, and my gut feeling 4th is progress.

Billing issues or tag misreads?  NYSTA has altered my replenishing amount.  Sometimes I let it go since I'm doing a lot of traveling; other times I've gone into my account and lowered it back down again.  I don't consider that a major issue since it's laid out in their terms.

Billing issues, 2 out of 3 started as tag misreads. third one seemed a database glitch.
Tags misreads leading to only moderate issues are in a different category.
Escalating tag misreads into headaches used to be a favorite trick for E-ZPass a while back.

[ZLoth]

Not sure how Kansas handles this, but at least from my experience if you have the transponder you also register the License Plate.

I know I had to register my plates with NTTA and updated them when I went from CA plates to TX plates, then late last year as the plates for my mothers car changed as I took ownership and they could not transfer the existing plates. Of course, my toll tag has the NTTA logo on it. I wonder how many EZ Pass users don't mount their transponders, but simply put them on top of the windshield as they pass through the bridge toll booths.

[1995hoo]

E-ZPass is specified to reliably read at 100 mph, and I suspect that should be normal spec for any system.

Press releases when the Pocahontas Parkway (VA-895) first opened said the Virginia State Police had tested out the highway-speed E-ZPass lanes at speeds up to 100 mph and their transponders were read accurately.

Not sure how Kansas handles this, but at least from my experience if you have the transponder you also register the License Plate. Assuming it does not read then they run the plate against the database. I have always thought that they would extend the tag rate in that case to your account. I think I recall reading about this with Colorado, and they mention that if you have many such events they may contact you to fix the issue with the tag not reading (and they show up on the toll as license plate based rather than tag).  So at least in these areas the tag actually reading is not relevant anymore.
Interoperability zones are another matter, but my solution has been to just keep multiple tags and swap them as needed.

Not every jurisdiction requires you to tie your transponder to the license plate. Part of the reason for that is a practical one relating to how transponders are issued–many jurisdictions offer them at at least some retail locations (SunPass, for example, is sold at Publix grocery stores), so presumably at those locations they just issue you the transponder and away you go. (This both keeps the line moving faster and recognizes the odd phenomenon–one I really don't understand–that a lot of people apparently don't know their own license plate numbers and thus wouldn't be able to provide it upon request.) Ideally people obtaining a transponder via such means would later go online to link the device to the license plate, but obviously a lot of people never get around to doing so.

I can confirm from personal experience that at least in Virginia, the I-95 HO/T lanes will bill your E-ZPass if your plate is registered and you don't have your transponder with you. On the other hand, in December 2019 when I tried registering a rental car to my now-cancelled SunPass account in Florida, it didn't work very well–over half the tolls didn't post and I got socked with a fee from the rental agency. (I didn't try that with our rental Tesla on our most recent Florida trip; instead, I just avoided toll facilities, which was easy to do.)

[vdeane]

Interesting.  For NY's E-ZPass-on-the-Go program to buy a tag in retail stores, only $15 of the $25 paid is available to use immediately.  To use more than $15, one must go online to set up their account, which would include adding vehicles with license plates.  The remaining $10 is released to the account balance upon setting up automatic replenishment.

[webny99]

As others have been mentioning, conditions vary from one tag system to another, but at least for EZPass, it does seem mind-blowing that anyone that uses the Thruway more than once or twice a year would not get one. Not only is there a slight savings, but you can avoid dealing with bill-by-mail every time you use it.

[SidS1045]

...an I-vs-1 mixup...

Blame that one on the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  There are lots of MA license plates still in use with a straight vertical line, no serifs, to denote both "eye" and "one."  The switch to serifs only occurred relatively recently.

[SidS1045]

...an I-vs-1 mixup...

Blame that one on the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  There are lots of MA license plates still in use with a straight vertical line, no serifs, to denote both "eye" and "one."  The switch to serifs only occurred relatively recently.

And before I forget, they used an "O" character with curved tops and bottoms, until relatively recently, to denote both "oh" and zero.  Now the letter O has squared-off tops and bottoms.

[kphoger]

I believe the Kansas zero and letter O look identical.  However, I believe they stopped using the letter O altogether recently.

[doorknob60]

I've had no issues with my E-Pass from Central Florida Expressway, in Florida or any other EZ-Pass road in the Northeast. Eg. I've used it in PA, NJ, and NY. The only weird thing is I've been through the tunnels between Norfolk and Portsmouth, VA twice, in 2021 and 2022, and neither time they ever charged me (it's supposed to be $2 and change per crossing). I never got billed by the rental car company either (which would happen if I didn't have my transponder), so I'm guessing my transponder did scan properly, but they just never decided to actually charge me for whatever reason. Every other road I've used charged me correctly within 1-2 days.

I don't fully trust toll by mail either, and prefer to use a transponder when it's an option. But when I drove to the SF Bay Area (my own car, not a rental), I registered my license plate with Fastrak, and gave my credit card. When I drive through any Bay Area bridges, they scan my plates, and just directly bill my credit card for the toll. I don't need a transponder, and they don't need to mail me anything, and I don't have to manually go pay each toll. Works well enough that I don't need to bother getting a real transponder. Might get one sometime though so I can use it in rental cars (last time I just paid the $4.95 fee, no big deal).

I do hope we start standardizing this stuff soon though, especially if Oregon moves forward with their proposals to toll I-5 and I-205. At the very least I'd like to see a unified west coast transponder for WA, OR, and CA.

[Troubleshooter]

First of all, I believe tolls should ber outlawed.
Second, if tolls are allowed, then people who don't have the gizmo should be able to pay cash or credit card.
Third I know of some extreme cases:

A friend received a bill from EZpass from a state he has never been in. They has a photo of his plate. But I asked him "Where's your trailer hitch in the photo?" We found out that two plates from the state can have the same number at the same time. A driver with an early-alphabet last name gets his plate before the previous driver with a late-alphabet last name has to get his plate. The date was not visible in the photo.

One time a crash blocking traffic forced me to get off the highway at a Upass-only ramp. But I never got a bill.

Related: A friend of mine got a ticket for running a red light with a camera. He had to so the fire engine behind him could get through.

[kphoger]

Related: A friend of mine got a ticket for running a red light with a camera. He had to so the fire engine behind him could get through.

This sort of thing is exactly why I don't believe traffic laws should be photo-enforced.  A live police officer would easily be able to make the determination that the driver did the right thing.

[jeffandnicole]

A friend received a bill from EZpass from a state he has never been in. They has a photo of his plate. But I asked him "Where's your trailer hitch in the photo?" We found out that two plates from the state can have the same number at the same time. A driver with an early-alphabet last name gets his plate before the previous driver with a late-alphabet last name has to get his plate. The date was not visible in the photo.

This seems kinda impossible.  Tags are unique identifiers.  If a vehicle was used in a crime and someone got a tag number, they would then tie the crime to two vehicles and two users.

Related: A friend of mine got a ticket for running a red light with a camera. He had to so the fire engine behind him could get through.

The videos I've seen of red light cameras generally show a fairly large-sized area, with the vehicle going thru the red light, along with the light being red. This would also then show the glare of the flashing lights from the fire trucks and other emergency equipment which necessitated going thru the red light.  Was this visible in the video link provided in the ticket?

[kalvado]

Related: A friend of mine got a ticket for running a red light with a camera. He had to so the fire engine behind him could get through.

The videos I've seen of red light cameras generally show a fairly large-sized area, with the vehicle going thru the red light, along with the light being red. This would also then show the glare of the flashing lights from the fire trucks and other emergency equipment which necessitated going thru the red light.  Was this visible in the video link provided in the ticket?

Over here, a police officer reviews flagged events before issuing a ticket. A documented review rates can be as slow as 1.5 second per ticket.
Probably ticket will be dropped on appeal. Paying full before appeal is a nice approach some places use to streamline the process. Requiring physical mail and loosing it is another option.

[ZLoth]

First of all, I believe tolls should be outlawed.

No tolls? Prepare to pay more in fuel taxes and/or have significant delays in badly needed roads being constructed or expanded. I hope you love urban congestion.

Second, if tolls are allowed, then people who don't have the gizmo should be able to pay cash or credit card.

The option is already there. For NTTA, it is called "Toll-By-Plate", and carries with it a minimum 50% premium on tolls over utilizing automatic billing. You'll receive a bill in the mail which you pay pay online, mail back, or visit one of the NTTA centers in Plano, Mesquite, South Dallas (near Duncanville), Grand Prairie, South Fort Worth (near Benbrook), or Irving.

[vdeane]

The option is already there. For NTTA, it is called "Toll-By-Plate", and carries with it a minimum 50% premium on tolls over utilizing automatic billing. You'll receive a bill in the mail which you pay pay online, mail back, or visit one of the NTTA centers in Plano, Mesquite, South Dallas (near Duncanville), Grand Prairie, South Fort Worth (near Benbrook), or Irving.

The thing is, toll by plate is prone to being unreliable as discussed, and as you mentioned, costs more.  Typically there's a higher base toll rate plus a surcharge on top of that.  It's quite a contrast to the old days with booths where the toll was settled right then and there and everyone paid the same rate.

Quite frankly, I don't do toll by plate for those reasons.  It's bad enough that we have transponder discrimination these days.  If I'm outside E-ZPass territory and a toll facility doesn't have booths, I don't use it.  Fortunately Thruway tags don't carry any fees with them; most do.  It seems like the whole toll experience is resulting in people getting nickel and dimed every way conceivable.  Quite the contrast from the old days when the toll was the toll was the toll (barring commuter plans that only make sense if you use the facility every single day).

I would never use a toll facility without booths in a rental car for the same reason.  I'm not paying the premium the rental company will charge.  It's not even a question of affordability, it's the principle of the matter.

[bulldog1979]

When I was in California in July 2021, I rented a car through Turo to drive from Oakland to Los Banos to see family for an overnight visit. On the way back the next day, I met up with a friend in San Francisco. He was going to give me a little tour around the city before I had to return the car. I knew we'd drive over the Golden Gate, so I set up a temporary FasTrak account with the car's plate. My card got charged, and I got to drive over an iconic bridge. It can work, but I know it can fail and cause issues.

[HighwayStar]

No tolls? Prepare to pay more in fuel taxes and/or have significant delays in badly needed roads being constructed or expanded. I hope you love urban congestion.

That really is a false dichotomy. Toll roads fund only a small portion of the country's infrastructure as it is, and they do it inefficiently with high overhead to collect tolls.
No, the simple solution is to eliminate toll roads, and the collection costs associated with them, and instead fund roads with a mixture of advertising and plaza rents, fuel taxes and electric vehicle per mile registration fees, and general funds which come from other types of taxes.

[J N Winkler]

This seems kinda impossible.  Tags are unique identifiers.  If a vehicle was used in a crime and someone got a tag number, they would then tie the crime to two vehicles and two users.

It not only is possible:  it happens all the time.  Kansas, for example, uses five-character identifiers on specialty bases and each base has its own series, so multiple plates with the same number can be and often are in circulation.  In theory the "right plate, wrong series" problems that result from this brain-dead scheme are catered for by requiring drivers to identify base as well as number when registering their plates with K-Tag, but this facility is not necessarily available out of state.