New fee structure announced for E-ZPass customers

VDOT has announced a new pricing structure, which includes a monthly fee, that will begin later this fall.

July 9, 2012; 5:13 PM • by RVANews staff

New E-ZPass customers who create their account as of July 9th, 2012 will be charged a $0.50 monthly fee for a standard transponder unit ($1 for a Flex transponder). However, new customers will not be charged the current $25 deposit for the equipment (customers who previously paid the deposit will have it converted to prepaid tolls on their account when they replace a transponder, or the amount will be refunded if they close their account and return their equipment). The monthly fees for new customers will begin September 1st.

E-ZPass customers with accounts created before July 9th, 2012 will not be charged a monthly fee until those customers replace their transponder or add an additional one to their account. The typical transponder can last upwards of eight years.

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) implemented the new fees to fund increasing costs associated with the state’s E-ZPass program. The program collects tolls electronically, allowing motorists to avoid stopping at highway tolls.

“The fee structure was established after careful consideration of public input balanced with the need to cover VDOT’s rising costs to provide Virginia’s E-ZPass program,” said VDOT Commissioner Greg Whirley in a statement. “I directed VDOT to consider several options and chose the one that was the most reasonable, splitting the costs between the customers and the toll facilities.”

You can read the full announcement here.