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EZ Pass

9.5K views 32 replies 16 participants last post by  Whooshka  
#1 ·
For you New Englanders and east coast folks, do you use EZ pass on your bike? I plan on being in those areas in September and figured the EZ Pass would be less expensive than plate play. I have a toll responder that works in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas and you can just leave in your saddlebag or trunk and it will signal when you go through a paypoint.

EZ Pass work that way?

Any sage wisdom appreciated.
 
#2 ·
All I know is NY EZ Pass is half the toll rate for motorcycles.... I don't know where the best spot on a bike is, I don't generally ride any toll roads on the bike.... at least I haven't yet. Tank bag might be better than saddlebags or top box..
 
#3 ·
EZ Pass is the company you open an account with and they'll send you a transponder tied into that account. But with plate readers becoming more and more prevalent the need for a transponder is decreasing. Signing up for the account is free; you'll enter a payment method and your tag/license plate of the vehicle your registering with them. As you go through any toll with plate reader technology you'll get charged the EZ Pass rate for that vehicle, in your case the motorcycle rate, same as if you had the transponder attached. Belt and suspenders if you will. If you should come up to an older toll without the plate readers then you'll either take the lane to read your transponder or you'll see the nice attendant and pay a little more.

That's a very long-winded way of saying I wouldn't worry about the transponder. Sign up for the free account and worse case, you MIGHT have to pay a little more IF you find a non-plate reading plaza and IF your transponder is buried somewhere in your luggage where it can't be read or you can't hand it to the attendant. I bet chances of that happening are slim though.
 
#4 ·
In western NY they only have overhead readers, cameras for those with no transponders, and toll booths have all been removed..... I got the impression you needed a separate transponder for motorcycle specific, but will inquire if simply adding the m/c plate to the car transponder account will work.......
 
#6 ·
Ray, when I sign into my account it shows all of my transponders on one page and on another all the vehicles under the account. (Leads me to believe it doesn't matter which transponder is used on which vehicle but I haven't confirmed that.) On the vehicle page I can add and delete and sometimes edit each vehicle. That'll also show the Vehicle Type which for the bikes shows M:Motorcycle which should correspond to the plan/rate.

Insert Final Jeopardy theme here.

Just went and looked again. Couldn't find anything definitive that discounts Motorcycles except on a NYS Thruway Plan. Then the site went down for maintenance. Be curious if you find anything further.

Thruway Motorcycle Discount Plan***: Proof of motorcycle registration is required to receive special motorcycle tag. Motorcycles will be charged 50% of the New York E-ZPass rate. Cannot be combined with commuter plans. Plan Code: (MTRC)
 
#5 ·
I've got my EZPass on the inside of the windshield. It's near impossible to remove, read get stolen, without raising the shield. I only mount it when I know there is toll road potential on my trips.
 
#7 ·
I researched all of this and overthunk it tremendously. I'm in North Carolina, a non-ezpass state. So I need something that works for me as NC finds ways to make things compatible, plus the other southern states that are non-ezpass.
 
#10 ·
We do haz the NC Quick Pass for the I-77 section and it shows can be used in other states.


That said, motorcycles ride for free in the I-77 express lanes, so no sticker or transponder is needed.
 
#9 ·
Never leave home without it. I have one in my tank bag and just move it from bike to bike. Plates are registered for the readers just in case I forget it or if the battery goes bad. I like carrying the transponder in the rare event I come across a toll with a drop down gate. I don't believe NJ has a discount MC transponder.
 
#11 ·
Well I may have to eat a little crow here with regards to not needing the transponder with plate readers if having a current EZ Pass account. Woke up this morning and found my monthly Account Snapshot in my Inbox. (Coincidence or Big Brother?? :sneaky: ) Here's the boilerplate before my details. Note the second to last line.

Welcome to your E-ZPass® Account Snapshot. Need more detail? Click "View your Statement" below.
Upcoming Changes:
New toll rates will be in effect at MTA Bridges and Tunnels beginning August 6, 2023. For more information, please visit Bridges and Tunnels Tolls.
Important Reminders:
You can easily manage your account on the Tolls NY Mobile App. Download it for free from the App Store or Google Play.
E-ZPass Tags must be properly mounted to receive the E-ZPass toll discount. Toll transactions posted by license plate may result in being charged a higher toll rate.
Request additional mounting strips or Tags on the Tolls NY Mobile App or at e-zpassny.com

I can confirm though that isn't the case where I am now here in NC. Tested it out on 540 between 1 and RDU where I'll pass under several overhead readers. With or without the transponder I've been charged the same EZ Pass rate which was posted by the toll stanchions. I say "was" as they recently removed the rates and now advise to check a website for current rates.

But the OP asked about NE specifically. For awhile now I've kept my motorcycle specific transponder in the lid pocket of my tankbag and never had a problem while in NY and the New England states. That said I don't know how much that helps. I can't say whether or not any of the tolls up there read my transponder or just captured my plate but all the charges showed up on my monthly EZ Pass bill. Nor can I say if what I was charged was the EZ Pass rate or not as I usually didn't pay attention to what the toll was. (Except for the Verrazano. That I noticed.) I sort of adopted the mindset that I couldn't do anything about what I was being charged so I paid whatever and moved on. I probably would look at that differently if I had a daily commute though.

One last little rant. There used to be big discounts given when they were trying to get everyone to adopt EZ Pass. Then they made it almost necessary as they took away more and more non-EZ Pass lanes at the toll plazas. Finally the plate reading technology took away the need for toll plazas all together. As this was going on the discount rate for EZ Pass account holders was shrinking to where there wasn't much difference although that's not easy to notice any longer. For a couple of years prior to Covid and then as it hit I was making regular trips from downstate NY to upstate where my son was in college. I started trying to calculate routes based on tolls and noticed very few toll points had the rates marked anymore. See the third line of my notice above. We're pretty much at their mercy with all this.
 
#12 ·
I got NC quick pass back when they opened the Monroe By-Pass and the 77 toll lanes on my ZRX, They originally sent me a tiny transponder that had instructions to adhere to the headlight. I'll have to check if it's still there.

Didn't know the 77 toll lanes were free for an MC !! Good info!

I drive part of it when visiting one of my offices in Huntersville. For cars they jacked the life out of the price of driving on that. The toll is progressive as in lower during low traffic hours and more during expected traffic. I've seen a 1 exit stint on the toll lane be close to $4. For a 2.5 mile stretch!!
 
#13 ·
I got NC quick pass back when they opened the Monroe By-Pass and the 77 toll lanes on my ZRX, They originally sent me a tiny transponder that had instructions to adhere to the headlight. I'll have to check if it's still there.

Didn't know the 77 toll lanes were free for an MC !! Good info!

I drive part of it when visiting one of my offices in Huntersville. For cars they jacked the life out of the price of driving on that. The toll is progressive as in lower during low traffic hours and more during expected traffic. I've seen a 1 exit stint on the toll lane be close to $4. For a 2.5 mile stretch!!
Yup, ...from their website.... "All motorcycles, with or without a transponder, can travel toll-free in the I-77 Express Lanes."

When on the motorbikes for the commute, I hop on the Express southbound before Langtree and run it to right before the 485 merger then 485 to 85 on over to work near Belmont.
I've watched the digital toll rate board switch from like $1.80 to $4 or more as the traffic jammed up past Cornelius and down to Huntersville exit.
For reference, picked up my wife from CLT airport the other night ( 9.40pm ish ) and the northbound toll lanes were all but empty and at 60 cents all the way up until it ends in Mooresville. UGH !!!
 
#18 ·
Everybody's mileage varies, but my experience with I-Pass here in Illinois (same system as EZPass) was that with the transponder mounted to the underside of the tiny storage compartment lid, it mostly didn't register. Mounted in the top flap of my tank bag, it mostly registered but sometimes didn't. Mounted on the inside of the windshield at the bottom, it always registers.

When it doesn't register, it gets charged as a video toll by license plate. In Illinois after something like 5 video tolls you lose the 50% transponder discount for the rest of that month, which I had happen. It's not as bad as getting a violation ticket but it's still $$$$.

Also in Illinois and Indiana and Ohio there are some toll booths that still have gates so if your transponder doesn't register, it's helpful to be able to reach the transponder and wave it around in the air and show it to the attendant if he ever shows up as everyone behind you honks.
 
#19 ·
Concurring with Mr. Smith above.
Our Illinois I-Passes are in our tank bags. We've not experienced issues with extra fees for not being "seen", as far as I can tell.
We were pleased to discover that they worked fine in Florida, now that we're spending a larger amount of winter time there in the Panhandle. Given the toll bridges and the Missus' affection for riding over large bridges (I think the Three Mile Bridge over Pensacola Bay has a groove worn in the pavement from her Ninja), it's been a big help.
Also will agree with the waving-around advice. The Indiana Toll Road readers can be spotty, and with gates, it's a thing.
 
#20 ·
#21 ·
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#25 ·
Hi. First post? I don't recognize the flag under your avatar. Where are you from?
 
#27 · (Edited)
That's what I thought. Wondering if it's his nationality or support or why he would be interested in EZ Pass if in Ukraine?
 
#29 ·
Saw that. Reported him earlier.