Office of the Governor
Governor Annoucnes Debut of E-ZPass on Parkway
System to be on Line at All Parkway Toll Plazas by End of June
Gov. Whitman today made life easier for all of New Jersey's travelers when she announced the debut of the regional electronic toll collection system known as E-ZPass on the Garden State Parkway.
The Parkway's Hillsdale toll plaza and nearby Paramus ramp toll lanes were the first toll installations to be equipped with E-ZPass. The Parkway will continue to open E-ZPass lanes at each of its toll plazas and ramps, starting in the Northern end of the roadway and reaching the southern end by June, 2000.
"Between commuting to and from work, picking up children from school, traveling and running errands, the average American will spend 434 hours - 18 full days - in their car this year. Every day, more than 76,000 drivers come through the Hillsdale toll plaza -- and sometimes they may feel like they're waiting 434 hours to get through," the Governor said.
"Anything we can do to make those journeys easier helps make our state a better place to live, work, and raise a family," she said.
"With one account, E-ZPass customers can use toll lanes wherever they see the E-ZPass sign without having to stop, roll down the window and pay cash. Instead, an overhead scanner will read account information from an electronic tag on the windshield, automatically deducting the toll from the driver's prepaid account," Gov. Whitman said.
"Not only will this eliminate the need for cash, tickets, or tokens, but it also promises to move traffic faster, cut down on the toll backups, and reduce exhaust emissions, and it can provide built-in discounts," the Governor said.
"With the implementation of E-ZPass on the Parkway and Atlantic City Expressway, New Jersey's toll roads join other toll facilities from New York State through Delaware in offering a seamless and easy electronic system that works on every toll road, bridge, and tunnel in the region," she said.
Six of the Hillsdale toll plaza's 14 lanes are especially marked and equipped for E-ZPass. Four lanes at the Paramus ramp, two north and two south, are also equipped with E-ZPass. The lanes are clearly marked with the distinctive purple E-ZPass logo and only those vehicles with an E- ZPass tag may use them. Hillsdale will continue to offer manual toll collection and exact change lanes to non E-ZPass customers.
The Parkway's system will be compatible with all existing and future E-ZPass installations in the Northeast region, including the Regional Consortium's E-ZPass systems on the Atlantic City Expressway and Delaware toll roads. The E-ZPass system will also be compatible with roads, bridges and tunnels in New York and Massachusetts. The system is expected to be fully compatible with future E-ZPass installations in West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.
The E-ZPass electronic toll collection technology has been used by toll authorities throughout the Northeastern United States for several years. As motorists move through E-ZPass toll lanes, an overhead antenna reads account information from the 3" by 4" electronic tags affixed to their windshields. The toll is automatically deducted from the motorist's prepaid account.
Motorists can sign up for E-ZPass online at www.EZPass.com or call 1-888-Auto-Toll (1-888-288-6865) to request an application.
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