Will a new law to improve E-ZPass in NJ actually make the tolling system better?

Colleen Wilson, NorthJersey.com
·3 min read

Thousands of New Jersey's E-ZPass-toting motorists have received the ominous, red-striped "notice of violation" envelope in the mail. Some have received them — and hefty fees — in error, forcing residents to call and wait on hold to get the problem fixed by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority's contractor that oversees billing.

However, Gov. Phil Murphy signed a law earlier this month that now requires the state's two Turnpike Authorities to "check E-ZPass database before issuing E-ZPass violation," according to the bill's synopsis.

The five-page change in law seems simple and logical — which begs the questions: Why wasn't that happening before? And why did a law have to be passed for this to happen?

State Sen. Declan O'Scanlon, who co-sponsored the bill, called it "laughable" and "ridiculous" that the law be written. But he said it was essential because despite claims by the Turnpike Authority that it was checking the database of E-ZPass holders before sending them $50 administration fees, he said the agency wasn't.

Cash tolls will return on the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway on Tuesday May 19th at 6:30 AM. Cash tolls were suspended on March 24th as a precaution against the spread of Covid-19 and all tolls were collected either by E-ZPass or by the temporary toll-by-mail process. Toll collectors will be wearing gloves, face masks, and plastic face shields and drivers who intend to pay with cash are encouraged to wear face masks as they travel through the toll lanes.

And the Republican senator from Monmouth County knows this because it has happened to him several times.

"They tried to say, 'Oh, we do that.' Well, why do I have 10 violations in the past couple of years?" O'Scanlon said. "This isn’t just a glitch with my account because I’ve heard from so many people who have had the same thing happen, over and over again."

Tom Feeney, spokesman for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, said checking the E-ZPass database is already part of the process. He did not answer questions about whether the law will prompt the agency and its tolling contractor to do anything differently or say how many times people received violations in error.

Transportation:NJ Transit 'reformer' quits day before agency approves potential large business deal

Conduent, the Florham Park-based company that handles tolling and disputes for the Turnpike Authority's E-ZPass system, has faced charges of poor customer service and system errors, and has faced legal challenges in multiple states over its operations, including in New York and California.

Sen. Declan O'Scanlon says he has been issued E-Z Pass violations improperly over the years.
Sen. Declan O'Scanlon says he has been issued E-Z Pass violations improperly over the years.

O'Scanlon said issues with E-ZPass are so frequent that he hears about it from "tons" of constituents, but also "friends, people just spontaneously talk about this stuff. ... They’re frustrated."

Hopefully, he said, the change in law will "cut out 90% of those types of violation notices, saving residents the frustration and the time and money."

Meanwhile, E-ZPass transactions could significantly increase if the Turnpike Authority transitions to cashless tolling, which nearby states and agencies are doing.

Cashless tolling, which was listed as a $900 million project in the Turnpike Authority's 10-year capital program in 2020, would eliminate toll booths on the Turnpike and Garden State Parkway. Instead, every car will pass under overhead gantries equipped with cameras that scan vehicles' E-ZPass transponders or take a picture of license plates of those without E-ZPass. The latter will receive toll bills in the mail at the address associated with the vehicle's registration.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Will new E-ZPass law make NJ tolling system better?