Getting There
Incorrect E-zpass charges may be caused by aging in-car tags.
Q: The New York Thruway has installed a $355 million cashless toll system on the entire length of the Thruway. Now, tolls are determined by electronic sensors on gantries at entries and exits and over the highway in certain locations, as well as by photographs of your license plate.
At this point, I have made several trips, the most recent to Rochester from Albany, and have found errors in my billing. Heading west from Albany, the system for some reason didn’t see me as I passed a gantry but did see me correctly at the next gantry. Since it didn’t recognize my entry point, their system software assigned an arbitrary amount to my bill — in this instance $2.57 when the cost should have been 30 cents. I wouldn’t be so concerned if this was a first time event, but I was overcharged $5.53 in January for a toll that should have been 79 cents.
I’ve traveled the Mass Pike many times since they implemented a similar system several years ago and have never had an issue with their system. Why does the New York Thruway bill for each gantry rather than how it was with toll booths (point A to point B)? The Massachusetts system bills from entry to exit as you would expect! Why is this happening?
I’ve had all of the excess charges returned to my account (after a long hold on the phone getting someone to talk to), but I am concerned that I may not be alone in this issue and there may be more out there like me being overcharged.
Bottom line: be sure to look at your statement carefully each month if you regularly use the Thruway! — John Sober, Schodack
A: A Thruway representative addressed Sober’s concerns directly: A representative looked at his account and said the only issue with the account is the E-zpass tag connected to it is nearing the end of its life span. The tags last about 10 years on average under normal usage conditions, and this may have led to the tag not reading properly.
The representative ordered Sober a new tag, which will be mailed out. Tag replacements are free of charge for all customers. Anyone who believes their tag is not operating correctly or has any questions about a toll bill or E-zpass account can call the Thruway Authority from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 518-471-5300, fill out an online form at the Thruway’s website or email public.info@thruway.ny.gov.
The Thruway Authority echoed your recommendation that all drivers periodically check their E-zpass accounts as they would any other service.
Regarding the question about
the Thruway billing for each gantry, the toll rate structure did not change with the conversion to cashless tolling, but the Authority did change the way transactions are displayed on E-zpass statements and Tolls by Mail invoices.
The Thruway has been divided into 14 segments: six “start/end” segments and eight “fixed toll” segments. Gantries located between exits mark each segment. Every time a driver travels under a fixed toll gantry, the toll is displayed as a “fixed toll” transaction — 18 cents for driving from entry plaza 35 to exit plaza 36, for example. The invoice would show a different transaction for each fixed toll segment through which a driver travels. In a “start/end” segment, the toll is displayed based on where a driver enters and exits. If a driver travels through multiple segments, multiple transactions will appear on the statement or invoice.
Rensselaer DMV: The Rensselaer County Department of Motor Vehicles is now only processing transactions for county residents. Nonresidents should make appointments with the state DMV or their county DMV. County Clerk Frank Merola changed the policy because the increase in nonresident Troy DMV usage was causing long lines and service delays.