MN changing to EZ-Pass

[CavemanCharlie]

It was announced on WCCO Radio this morning that MN is changing to EZ-Pass. Up until now they have had something called MN-Pass. They have now decided to go to EZ-Pass because 19 other states are using that system. It will cost Minnesotans nothing to change to the new system.

I have no idea what any of this means. I have lived my whole life in the rural part of MN. However, I have seen some other members here talk about it so I thought I would let you know.

[Wm_Elliot]

The Mass Pike has no toll collectors either. I used the EZ Pass in Texas and never saw it posted to my account. I called both EZ Pass and Texas Tolls trying to pay and neither had any record of me using those toll roads. I don't want to find out on a traffic stop that there's an arrest warrant issued, but I did all I could do.

[DrewE]

Michelle.S wrote:
New York State Thruway is now electronic and if you don't have an EZ Pass they bill you by mail. Don't know what the surcharge is for that, but I'm sure there is one.

Having personal experience with that, I can report that there is a $2.00 per bill toll administration surcharge, and of course the toll rates themselves are the higher "cash" rate vs. the lower EZ-Pass rate.

$2.00 probably is about right for covering the costs of printing and mailing bills and processing the payments that are received; I doubt they are making any real profit on the toll-by-mail surcharge. On the other hand, when there were actual people collecting the tolls in toll booths, there never was a separate surcharge to cover their wages and other expenses related to the process of toll collection, so having an administrative surcharge at all here seems a bit excessive.

[Michelle_S]

New York State Thruway is now electronic and if you don't have an EZ Pass they bill you by mail. Don't know what the surcharge is for that, but I'm sure there is one.

[p220sigman]

If you travel the toll roads in FL, you will definitely want a Sun Pass or acceptable alternative (EZ Pass is one) as many of the toll roads are doing away with traditional toll booths where you can pay with cash and doing toll by plate. Not a huge deal, but there is a $2.50 fee added to each invoice for toll by plate.

[Ivylog]

Fla-Sun Pass is good in GA and NC. They recently announced a new Sun Pass transponder that is good in the EZ Pass network too… mainly the NE.

[Scottiemom]

We moved to Florida last year and bought the Sun Pass. We had a 40' motorhtome and towed. Was assured that the system could count the axles. No need to have multiples. We did buy a second one just so we didn't have to remember to take it out of one vehicle to put in another. Works like a charm.

Dale

[mdcamping]

Michelle.S wrote:
We actually have two EZ Pass transponders, one for towing and one if running solo. Just have to make sure you have the correct one on the windshield with the other in it's shielded bag.

X2

Mike

[CavemanCharlie]

Gooma wrote:
I did not know MN had any toll roads.

What DrewE said :

Apparently they don't have any toll roads, per se, but some HOV/Express lanes that carry tolls at certain time periods for non-HOV use, and a couple toll bridges

[DrewE]

Apparently they don't have any toll roads, per se, but some HOV/Express lanes that carry tolls at certain time periods for non-HOV use, and a couple toll bridges.

[Gooma]

I did not know MN had any toll roads.

[pitch]

Personally I was quite angry when they pulled the toll collectors of the NY Thruway.
I was "forced" to get an EZ-Pass just to accommodate the three or four times a year I use I-90

If you do not have one you get to pay a higher toll,and also have the privilege's of an administrative fee.

[Michelle_S]

We have the two because in our area they didn't have the axle counter strips in the pavement and we didn't want to pay for 4 axles when running solo.
Now maybe with the new Electronic Toll system it won't be needed, but until I hear different I'll continue to change.

[QCMan]

We have used EZ Pass in NY and elsewhere since it was introduced. No matter where we go, with or without the trailer, we use the same transponder. Never had issues of wrong charges and were told by the powers that be that sensors determine how many axles and not the transponder. We do have separate transponders for each car but not for towing and not towing. Even going through the new toll road in NC one day with the trailer and two days later without it got it right.
I would suspect they like making tiny amounts of money on the money that is held by the system for each pass.

[PawPaw_n_Gram]

OP - FYI

Supposedly a decade ago, all states were required to consolidate to one automated tolling system. Then exceptions and exemptions. Not there yet.

EZ-Pass has the system everyone else will be forced to use, but many states can keep their existing system and meet the technical requirements.

Most EZ-Pass states do their own billing and such. My EZ-Pass is from New Jersey. Got it in late 2014, and keep it active. Last time I had a charge on it was in IL in 2018, and FL in 2019.