E-ZPass

"Why is it politicians can never find the money to remove the tolls, but they can find $488 million for high tech new ones"?

Toll booths cause congestion, pollution, accidents, and aggravation. Government solution: throw hundreds of millions of our dollars into E-ZPass and see if it gets better. Hello! Earth to Trenton - removing the tolls would accomplish this much better than E-ZPass could ever hope for and save us $488 million dollars, PLUS millions per year in toll collection costs! Cheaper AND better, am I missing something here?

Do you know how much $488 million is? $50 for every man, woman, and child in New Jersey! Money that will not be used for road construction, maintenance, repair, or anything of value, but only for "improved" ways of collecting our money. Not only that, this money will be leaving New Jersey. The E-ZPass contract was awarded to MFS Technologies of Omaha. So much for the time honored argument that tolls bring in money from out of state drivers. Now tolls take our money out of state!

E-ZPass will add hundreds of millions of dollars to the costs of toll collection, yet many of it's users are offered a discount. This means less of their toll goes to pay for the actual road! Isn't the reason for tolls to pay for roads, and not the toll itself? The government likes to tout the ever increasing percentage of E-ZPass users. But I wonder how many people would sign up if they passed on the cost of the system to those who benefit from it (i.e. E-ZPass users should pay more)?

NJ would like you to believe that they will catch enough cheaters with a high tech cheat buster system to pay for E-ZPass. But first they'll have to catch enough just to pay for that expensive system. And even if E-ZCatch nails every cheater, every licensed driver in NJ would have to get caught cheating three times. How stupid do they think we are? And guess who's going to pay when they find out that cheaters won't cover a fraction of the $488 million? (Hint - it won't be the contractor or politicians who told us the "cheaters will pay" fairy tale.) Wouldn't it be nice if politicians were held responsible for what they tell us? But even if the cheaters pay, guess what? $488 million will still come out of NJ residents pockets and all we'll get is E-ZPass. And isn't it convenient that the bill for E-ZPass doesn't come due for 8 years, well after Christie is gone from office?

E-ZPass technology can be used to clock its users between tollbooths to determine if they are speeding. However, NJ said it would not do this. Why not? If a car speeds by the police at 80 MPH, why wouldn't they go after them? They go after cheaters to pay for E-ZPass, why not go after the speeders too? And E-ZPass literally gives them a list of speeders on a silver platter. The only reason I can think of that they aren't doing it is because of the bad publicity E-ZPass would get.

OK, OK, so E-ZPass will cost a small fortune. But it's worth it, right? Traffic zooming along, pollution levels plummeting, safer roads, and happier drivers, right?

5 MPH?! I wouldn't exactly call this "zooming". That isn't much different from exact change / token booths. At the risk of beating a (brain) dead horse, wouldn't removing the tolls speed things up much faster, lower pollution much more, and cost a lot less? Oh well, at least accidents will probably go up too.

What? Accidents going up after E-ZPass? That can't be right, can it? Well, New York got some bad press with their E-ZPass. I heard one crossing (Tappan Zee?) saw accidents increase 50% after installing E-ZPass. Wouldn't removing the tolls be the safest bet?

• "The state is scheduled within weeks to award the largest contract for high tech tolls in US history...the bill could range from $30 million to several times or more that amount". (Star Ledger, 10-27-96)
• "...a lucrative electronic toll contract that could be worth $350 million or more...". (Star Ledger, 11-26-96)
• "...$488 million contract awarded to MFS Network Technologies of Omaha...". "The highway agencies expect to gain $647 million in revenue from automated toll accounts, violators, and by leasing space on the fiber-optic corridor". (Daily Record, 11-27-96)

Um, is it my imagination, or did the price jump from $30 million to $488 million in one month? And it happened so fast that we the people didn't have time to react. It's not just my imagination. Even Assemblyman Michael Carroll noticed: "When this issue first came to the floor last year, I was actually misguided enough to co-sponsor the E-ZPass legislation. I have now seen the error of my ways and will be working on a proposal to eliminate the Parkway tolls, Turnpike tolls, and Atlantic City Expressway tolls.... To my way of thinking, these services can easily be provided ...with the possibility of a minimal increase in the gas tax all towards the end of ensuring greater economic viability and environmental friendliness". (December 12, 1997)

Headliners
...all I know is what I read in the papers -Will Rogers.
("My 2¢" comments by Jim Padykula)

- 1997 -

CHEATERS TO PAY FOR NEW TOLL PLAN (Star Ledger, 3-10-97) - New Jersey announced that the $430 (actually $488) million E-ZPass system will be paid for by a $25 surcharge on toll cheats. Advanced cameras will snap pictures of the license plate of every vehicle going through the tolls. If a vehicle proceeds without proper payment, computers match the license... and a bill for the toll and a violation fee is mailed.

My 2¢ - Just like magic! It's not going to cost us a penny - cheaters will pay! Come on Trenton, however you disguise it, whatever you spend comes out of our pockets - WE will pay for E-ZPass. I would like you to spend my money on real services, not shiny new toll booths (...and computerized cameras)!

HIGH TECH TOLL DEAL GOES THROUGH (Star Ledger, 3-26-97) - Turnpike Authority officials said the system will cut toll collection costs, speed traffic, and reduce pollution.
WHITMAN CLEARS WAY FOR ELECTRONIC TOLLS (Star Ledger, 4-3-97) - The governor called E-ZPass the solution to traffic nightmares on toll roads. All toll booths will be equip with collectors and E-ZPass. It will also not cause any layoffs.

My 2¢ - If it doesn't "solve the nightmare", can we get our money back? And what's this about no layoffs? I thought they said E-ZPass will cut toll collection costs. But if no one gets laid off, toll collection costs will simply rise by $488 million! It just gets better and better!

EITHER YOU'RE STUPID OR CHRISTIE'S E-Z PASS PLAN IS (Star Ledger, 4-3-97) - The standard way to raise that kind of money is to float bonds. But Christie doesn't do toll hikes, so she found a way to pay for it at no cost - charge toll cheats. Under the old method, only 1 in 1,000 got caught. Now, high tech cameras will catch you every time. Does Whitman really expect cheaters to keep cheating? Apparently she does, because every licensed driver in NJ will have to get caught 3 times to pay for it.

My 2¢ - New Jersey insists that they can catch enough cheaters to pay for E-ZPass, but what happens if they don't? Can you say "raise tolls"? Why should we have to pay for their mistakes? Maybe politicians would be a little more careful if they were held responsible for their actions. I think the politicians who gave us E-ZPass should personally make up any difference which is not collected from cheaters (...well, it would surely make them more honest). Make no mistake, however it is camouflaged, MFS of Omaha will get $488 million of our money.

E-ZPASS TOLL DISCOUNT USED TO LURE MOTORISTS TO 'NEW ERA OF DRIVING' (Star Ledger, 6-6-97) - The Port Authority will offer 10 percent discounts. The $16.9 million contract includes antennas to read tags, apparatus to verify whether the vehicle is a car, truck or bus, and cameras to register the license plates of vehicles....

My 2¢ - Isn't it a shame that E-ZPass adds millions to toll costs, but its users pay less? Who ends up paying for the actual road? Everyone but the E-ZPass users (...who are paying for things like antennas, vehicle identifying apparatus, cameras, etc.)

- 1998 -

E-ZPASS ANTENNAS TO KEEP TABS ON SPEED (Star Ledger, 2-4-98) - Highways will be fitted with special antennas so officials can monitor traffic speed by tracking E-ZPass tags. But drivers are assured that the project won't result in tickets.

My 2¢ - They promised not to use E-ZPass information to find speeders. Aren't these the same people who promised to remove the tolls when the roads were paid for?

E-ZPASS PROFITS ARE UNCERTAIN (Star Ledger, 2-15-98) - E-ZPass may instead suck money out of the toll road coffers. Officials suspect there's a good chance that not only won't they generate a surplus, but might not even pay for itself. The NY Thruway took in about $500,000 in fines from toll beaters - 1% of the annual income projected in NJ from tagging violators. Toll agencies and MFS are confident their original projections are sound.

My 2¢ - But then, does it really matter? Bottom line is the people of New Jersey will pay for E-ZPass. Period. And again, don't you wish whoever came up with this pie-in-the-sky plan to pay for E-ZPass be personally held responsible for the difference if they are wrong?

FIRM'S E-ZPASS SNAGS HAVEN'T FAZED OFFICIALS (Star Ledger, 3-7-98) - MFS is almost two years behind schedule on a $30 million project to bring electronic tolls to nine California bridges.

My 2¢ - Just what would faze NJ officials? Maybe when people demand better for their tax dollars. Speaking of tax dollars, why is California's system cost $30 million, and ours costs $488 million? And considering the 1999 headlines about E-ZPass use words & phases like "glitch", "embattled", "mishandled", "trouble", "awful", and "toll hike", maybe NJ officials should have been fazed.

E-ZPASS CHEATS COULD TAKE A TOLL ON TOWN COURTS (Star Ledger, 3-22-98) - E-ZPass could shift traffic jams to municipal courtrooms.

My 2¢ - Isn't it nice that our tax dollars support so many jobs?

STATE WASTING $488M ON ELECTRONIC TOLL SYSTEM (Daily Record, 3-22-98) - Money that will not build bridges or tunnels, or buy new trains of busses. Why does our E-ZPass cost so much more than anybody else's? The NY Thruway, which bills itself as the longest electronic toll road in the world, paid $28.6 million in 1993.

My 2¢ - NJ must have tried pretty hard to spend $488 million on E-ZPass since the Daily Record couldn't find another E-ZPass system that cost over $61 million. And if the $200 million fiber optic cable will bring in revenue, why not forget E-ZPass and just put in the cable and use the revenue pay for removing the tolls?

COUNTING ON E-Z MONEY, THE STATE'S AT AN AWFUL PASS (Star Ledger, 1-28-99) - Every registered motor vehicle in NJ would have to cheat the toll, get caught, and pay up three times. It isn't going to happen. It never was going to happen. Pretending it could happen was asking for trouble, and trouble is what E-ZPass is in.

My 2¢ - Common sense for people like you and me. Too bad politicians aren't like you and me.

- 1999 -

E-ZPASS USERS WRONGLY CHARGED IN S. JERSEY (Daily Record, 1-31-99) - E-ZPass customers who use the Atlantic City Expressway should double check their account statements.

My 2¢ - Don't worry E-ZPassers - it's almost as E-Z as balancing your checkbook. Just keep an accurate log of each time you go through a toll booth, then check it against your monthly statement. What could be easier? And if you find any discrepancy, I'm sure NJ will gladly help fix the problem!

THERE'S NO EZ WAY AROUND TOLL SPEED (Star Ledger, 2-23-99) - For years drivers have envisioned an E-ZPass system that converts toll plazas from congested car traps to free-flowing zones. But that view always runs into a speed bump - a 5 MPH one. But in Oklahoma, it's perfectly legal to zip through the toll on the Oklahoma Turnpike at 75.

My 2¢ - $488 million, 5 MPH. How much would 10 MPH cost, a billion? But I can tell you how much 55 MPH would cost - $488 million LESS.

BREAK THE LAW OR E-ZPASS WILL GO BROKE (Star Ledger, 5-16-99) - Could it be that there is a plot afoot to get higher tolls in place so that when it becomes clear that NJ can't raise the money via toll cheats?

My 2¢ - Of course! How else are they going to pay for E-ZPass? Frankly, I don't know which is worse - politicians getting away with this stuff, or the people letting them. Demand better, people.

TRANSIT TRUST FUND RUNNING ON EMPTY. $500 MILLION BOND REQUEST FIRST IN JERSEY IN 10 YEARS (Star Ledger, 10-24-99) - Voters will be asked to approve a $500 million bond issue to support transportation projects across the state.

My 2¢ - $500 million - just about what E-ZPass costs. It's amazing that NJ can come up with that kind of money for new tolls, but can't for new roads. Shows you where their priorities lie. Why not scrap E-ZPass and use our $500 million for roads instead? Shame on them.

TURNPIKE HIKES ARE IN THE WORKS (Star Ledger, 11-19-99) - Planned two-phase toll increase amounts to 40% over four years. The toll hikes are unrelated to E-ZPass.

My 2¢ - Yeah, right. They take in more money than any road in NJ but continually manage to maintain a huge debt, can never seem to ever pay off any of the principal, always need a toll hike to build anything new, but they can find money for E-ZPass. Government accountability at its finest.

E-ZPASS TOLL-CHEAT REVENUE FALLS SHORT (Star Ledger, 11-30-99) - From its opening on July 24 through Nov. 19, the center in Secaucus managed to issue tickets in slightly more than 13% of the 426,171 cases. Fewer than 7,500 of the 57,598 tickets issued were paid within the allowed 30 days. The results are far below projections in NJ's E-ZPass contract.

My 2¢ - On 4/3/97, John McLaughlin wrote "Either you're stupid, or Christie's E-ZPass plan is". I guess we're both stupid - the politicians for pushing the plan, and us for letting them.

STATE BEGINS TO GET A CLUE ON PAYING FOR E-ZPASS (Star Ledger, 12-5-99) - It seems a little far fetched that millions of lemminglike drivers will repeatedly risk the agony of a $25 fine for the thrill of beating the system out of a couple of bucks. Must seem that way to somebody in the Toll Consortium too. Why else would they designate a "Supplemental Capital Fund" as "a security blanket"?

My 2¢ - OK, they have a question. Who is going to pay for the $914 million expansion and maintenance bond issue ($200 million will be siphoned off into the "Supplemental Capital Fund") the Turnpike Authority is pushing? In other words, who is going to pay for E-ZPass?

- 2000 -

Uneasy state of E-ZPass: Firm sinking (Star Ledger, 2/16/00) - If debts strangle holding company, Jersey will have to bail out project.

My 2¢ - If MFS can't uphold their end of the contract, may I suggest NOT throwing more bad money after bad and simply do what you should have done in the first place - REMOVE THE TOLLS. Remember, NO TOLLS = REALLY E-ZPASS.

E-ZPass installer: Price may boil over. (Star Ledger, 4/11/00) - State scoffs at estimate that cost could almost triple from$42.6 million to $117 million.

E-ZPass system: Easy for Some States, Difficult for New Jersey. (New York Times, 4/17/00) - After years of delays, state officials announced that the system would not be completed at all Parkway toll plazas by June, as promised.

State won't add E-ZPass to all Pike, Parkway toll booths. (Star Ledger, 6/2/00) - Savings will balance cost overruns, but officials deny any connection.

My 2¢ - Oh, let's make the tollbooth approach fire drill even more confusing to navigate. But don't worry, I'm sure someone will let you in if you get into the wrong lane. Right.

A pricier but faster E-ZPass. (Star Ledger, 7/10/00) - $100 million update is studied.

My 2¢ - Here we go again. They spend $488 million more on better tolls, then they want to spend $100 million more on even better ones, ...hey, more-ons, THE MONEY IS SUPPOSED TO BE FOR ROADS. The gas tax IS the perfect E-ZPass - highway speeds, no additional collection costs, and it only taxes the people who drive (...unlike the toll system, which uses the gas tax of Parkway drivers to subsidize other roads).

Assembly joins drive in probe of E-ZPass (Bergen Record, 2/27/02) - The assembly Transportation Committee will begin a probe of the financially troubled E-ZPass system seeking answers to why it may cost $300 million more than originally expected.

Fixing E-ZPass tops new pikes chief's agenda (Bergen Record, 2/27/02) -

Understanding E-ZPass no easy task for motorists (Bergen Record, 2/22/02) - Frequently, motorists just surrender and pay tolls they have paid already - anything to stop the never-ending parade of dunning notices. Deanna Cross of Woodcliffe Lake received 10 notices for the same alleged $3.50 violation. So E-ZPass spent $3.40 on postage to collect $3.50, which was not owed, a fact Cross tried to explain to the system. But she gave up when the bills kept coming. E-ZPass eventually acknowledge that Cross was right after all, a rare admission. Then it made this acknowledgement nine more times, spending another $3.40 in postage.

The E-ZPass story: A governmental fiasco (Bergen Record, 2/20/02) - If Whitman and her bureaucrats had examined the E-ZPass deal carefully, they would have never have gotten into it.

E-ZPass is digging huge hole for N.J. (Bergen Record, 2/18/02) - It's hard to have a $500 million toll-collection system and not make drivers pay for it.

Free ride turns costly (Bergen Record, 2/17/02) - NJ has collected just $13.2 million from toll cheats, a fraction of the $190.7 million they originally expected.

McGreevey alters tax promise (Star Ledger, 1/18/02) - Budget gap complicates plan to end Parkway tolls. May consider high speed E-ZPass.

Maybe we should pass on E-ZPass?

Maybe we can't afford to get rid of the tolls immediately. But shouldn't it be our ultimate goal? And isn't E-ZPass a blatant step away from this goal? Please, write your politicians before $488 million is wasted on something as useless as tollbooths. And maybe, just maybe, set their sites on removing the tolls someday. Or at least ask them when the Parkway will be paid for.