Massachusetts Fast Lane becoming E-ZPass

[Jim]

On a round trip to Boston today, I noticed that Massachusetts is rebranding their "Citizens Bank Fast Lane" program to join the rest of the northeast in simply calling their system "E-ZPass"  The signage conversion appears to be complete at the Stockbridge tolls and at Exit 2 in Lee.  There were temporary-looking signs at some toll booths and VMS's announcing the upcoming change further east, but I didn't notice changes to permanent signs between Lee and where I got off and back on at Exit 18 in Boston.

The conversion is mentioned on MassDOT's FastLane page:

http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/highway/traffictravelresources/fastlaneprogram.aspx

I assume this change has no meaningful effect, as FastLane has been a part of the E-ZPass Consortium (I think) since its introduction.

Figures that the day I don't bother bringing the camera on a very familiar route, there's actually something to photograph.  Oh well.

[roadman]

To afford an effective transition for customers, MassDOT's contractor is changing out signs to EZ-Pass only one interchange at a time, working west to east.  The signing should be completely replaced on the Turnpike, the Turnpike extension, the harbor tunnels, and the Tobin Bridge, by early October of this year.

And the project will have a very meaningful effect, as it is replacing the current multi-colored "totem pole" signs with simplified 2009 MUTCD-compliant toll signing.

[1995hoo]

Just curious–are they doing away with the corporate sponsorship as well? Doesn't really matter to me, I'm just wondering.

....

Figures that the day I don't bother bringing the camera on a very familiar route, there's actually something to photograph.  Oh well.

Your comment reminds me of the time a couple of years ago when I was playing a golf course near my house and didn't bring the camera because I'd played it hundreds of times and I figured I'd never see anything new. Naturally that was the time a Stealth Bomber flew over the course three different times during the round.

[roadman]

Just curious—are they doing away with the corporate sponsorship as well? Doesn't really matter to me, I'm just wondering.

The conversion to EZ-Pass was mandated by FHWA as a condition of the MassHighway/MassPike "merger" created by the Legislature in 2009.  The Citizen's Bank corporate sponsorship of the Pike ETC system has ended, and "EZ-Pass" will not have any corporate sponsorship.

[PurdueBill]

Just curious—are they doing away with the corporate sponsorship as well? Doesn't really matter to me, I'm just wondering.

The conversion to EZ-Pass was mandated by FHWA as a condition of the MassHighway/MassPike "merger" created by the Legislature in 2009.  The Citizen's Bank corporate sponsorship of the Pike ETC system has ended, and "EZ-Pass" will not have any corporate sponsorship.

Did FHWA require E-ZPass branding per se, or just no corporate sponsorship?  It's probably better if it's the same name in as many places as possible, but theoretically could they have been within the rules to keep the Fast Lane name without sponsorship?

[roadman]

Did FHWA require E-ZPass branding per se, or just no corporate sponsorship?  It's probably better if it's the same name in as many places as possible, but theoretically could they have been within the rules to keep the Fast Lane name without sponsorship?

A clarification is in order. FHWA required that the Citizen's Bank corporate sponsorship be removed, and strongly recommended (but did not mandate) that the branding be changed to EZ-Pass.  MassDOT had planned on changing the branding anyway, because the "Fast Lane - EZ-Pass Accepted" dual branding made the signs confusing to read at Pike speeds.

It's also worth noting that the existing "Citizens Bank" signs are almost 15 years old and were due for replacement anyway.

[PHLBOS]

So does that mean that the signs in northern NJ stating that Mass Pike Fast Lane accepted in EZ Pass lanes will ultimately be taken down?

[PurdueBill]

My first tag was old enough to have a Bank of Boston logo on it!  It's surprising that Indiana's I-Zoom wasn't branded as E-ZPass but at the time with the gap in Ohio I guess it wasn't important to have continuity in the brand across state lines.  It will be easier to have one name when coming in to Massachusetts from NH/ME or NY.

[deathtopumpkins]

I drove the MassPike west this weekend, and the signage has been replaced at Exits 1,2,3,5,6, and the NY line.

Approach signage: https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-w9cdPx0sN1U/T9ZiLgZRCoI/AAAAAAAAAN4/DRRwDmIxGvA/s720/DSC01375.JPG
The lanes themselves: https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-2jzT7vf-d9k/T9ZiMXIGAqI/AAAAAAAAAOA/Pr0wxvPXOFM/s720/DSC01376.JPG

Looks very standard.

[PurdueBill]

Interesting--in my latest FastLane statement email was an image that turns out to be exactly the same as an apparent sign posted before a toll plaza.  Here is the picture from the MassPike web site:

Interesting how the Citizens Bank name continues to appear right up to the very end in the logo being replaced.

[PHLBOS]

Interesting--in my latest FastLane statement email was an image that turns out to be exactly the same as an apparent sign posted before a toll plaza.  Here is the picture from the MassPike web site:

Interesting how the Citizens Bank name continues to appear right up to the very end in the logo being replaced.

That's because the Citizens Bank name and sponsorship is being terminated as well.

[Takumi]

And they're probably trying to milk that sponsorship as long as possible.

Citizens Bank.

[Beeper1]

It has been replaced at exit 11 (MA-122) as well.

[SidS1045]

It has been replaced at exit 11 (MA-122) as well.

...and at exit 12 (MA-9) too.

[Jim]

First trip to Boston in a few months today, and it's E-ZPass signage out to Exit 18 at least.  And they've added the purple line stripes on the E-ZPass only lanes at the Newton barrier like the NY Thruway has (at least) at the Woodbury barrier.

[Jim]

Afternoon update: when getting back on the Mass Pike from Storrow Drive, I could see the signs up on the Mass Pike westbound approaching the Allston tolls and at least some of the signs still have "FastLane" instead of "E-ZPass".

[agentsteel53]

heh, I've been referring to FastLane as E-ZPass since about the early 2000s.

[roadman]

Afternoon update: when getting back on the Mass Pike from Storrow Drive, I could see the signs up on the Mass Pike westbound approaching the Allston tolls and at least some of the signs still have "FastLane" instead of "E-ZPass".

Went through the Allston Brighton tolls last Saturday.  While there are a couple of ground-mount signs that still say Fast Lane, all the overhead ETC signs have been changed to EZ-Pass.  And my spies tell me that the remaining ground-mounts at this location should be changed out within the week.

[KEVIN_224]

I went up to the Alewife "T" station and then over to Kenmore Square/Fenway Park on Saturday. The Massachusetts Turnpike toll plaza in Sturbridge had the EZ-Pass signs changed over the lanes, but still had "Fast Lane" painted on the road in front of them. It was pretty much the same thing for Exit 14 for I-95/MA Route 128, to and from the Massachusetts Turnpike. We weren't on the Turnpike east of Exit 14 (did I-90 East, to I-95/MA 128 North to MA 2 East).

[roadman]

I went up to the Alewife "T" station and then over to Kenmore Square/Fenway Park on Saturday. The Massachusetts Turnpike toll plaza in Sturbridge had the EZ-Pass signs changed over the lanes, but still had "Fast Lane" painted on the road in front of them. It was pretty much the same thing for Exit 14 for I-95/MA Route 128, to and from the Massachusetts Turnpike. We weren't on the Turnpike east of Exit 14 (did I-90 East, to I-95/MA 128 North to MA 2 East).

It is my understanding that the "Fast Lane Only" pavement markings are scheduled to be changed over to "EZ-Pass Only" at all interchanges along the Pike within the next month or so.

[deathtopumpkins]

Drove the Tobin Bridge last Friday and the advance signs for the toll have been changed over to E-ZPass (except for one fast lane sign), but the bridge itself still has a mix. There's still signs that say "E-ZPass accepted in FastLane lanes", and the lane assignment approaching the toll plaza is a mix, but the plaza itself is 100% E-ZPass.

[roadman]

Drove the Tobin Bridge last Friday and the advance signs for the toll have been changed over to E-ZPass (except for one fast lane sign), but the bridge itself still has a mix. There's still signs that say "E-ZPass accepted in FastLane lanes", and the lane assignment approaching the toll plaza is a mix, but the plaza itself is 100% E-ZPass.

Once all the signs (including the drum-matrix signs) are changed from Fast Lane to EZ-Pass, and the unnecessary EZ-Pass accepted signs are removed, word is that the current "transponder accepted in all lanes" EZ-Pass accepted in cash lanes practice on the Tobin Bridge will be ending.  When lanes are signed as cash, they will be cash only, and when lanes are signed as EZ-Pass, EZ-Pass signed lanes will be for transponders only.  Not sure if they're going to get rid of the gates though.

[vdeane]

What does the transponder acceptance practice have to do with which signs are up?  Seems to me they're 100% unrelated.

[roadman]

What does the transponder acceptance practice have to do with which signs are up?  Seems to me they're 100% unrelated.

At present, all lanes on the Tobin Bridge can accept either cash or EZ-Pass, regardless of which lane mode is actually displayed on the changeable signs (it's apparently one of those "secrets" that MassPort and, more recently, MassDOT never formally told the public about).  Although the ability to switch specific lanes from cash to EZ-Pass operation (and vice-versa) depending on demand and traffic flow will remain, the current "dual mode in any lane" system will go away.

My spies tell me that this proposed change is based on the theory that having "dual mode" lanes instead of dedicated lanes actually slows down traffic crossing the bridge.  I'm not sure if this argument actually has any merit, as my specialty is signs - not traffic flow theory.  But, and for what it's worth, I think they could do much more good for flow by keeping the "dual mode" lanes and just get rid of the silly gates in them.  Never could quite figure out the logic of having a gate in an EZ-Pass lane.

But I agree with you - IMO the two issues are totally unrelated.

[vdeane]

I wonder if someone in management just didn't know that the public was never told about that option in the first place.