EZ-Pass, NC-Quick Pass, GA-Peach Pass, FL-SunPass and TX-TXTag

[nudist]

This is really a continuation of an old thread, changes to interoperability make the continuance of the thread important. Double billing can occur under some circumstances.

I have had the NY MTA Bridges & Tunnels: "E‑ZPass"(since 1987), FL: "SunPass"(since 2003), TX: TXTag(since 2009) and NC: "NC Quick Pass E-ZPass"(since 2018).
I have lived and owned motorhomes in Florida, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

I have had a 44' Big Rig Flat towing a Jeep Grand Cherokee. (5 axles)
I have had a Diesel Excursion towing an 8,000 lb (tandem axle) Airstream (4 axles)
I currently have a Jeep Grand Cherokee towing a tiny Tear Drop Trailer-T@B 400 (3 axles).
I currently live in Florida.
I currently Have The FL: "SunPass" and NC: "NC Quick Pass E-ZPass".

If you have a "NC Quick Pass" account and you have an "NC Quick Pass E-ZPass" transponder you can automatically pay tolls through that account in 18 states: Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, West Virginia. (Texas should be online soon as well!)


I have retained my FL SunPass only to use for Florida Airport Parking.

Besides the hardware issues there is one main difference between the way E-ZPass does things and the way NC/GA/FL does things. This has to do with identifying vehicle classification. This is at the heart of the difficulty making interoperability work.
Within the E-ZPass system the transponder itself defines the vehicle type. For my 3 axle big rig while towing my 2 axle Jeep weighing 25 tons combined, I had a special Blue Transponder That was labeled for 5 axles and 50,000 lbs.
In Florida, the Transponder itself is not encoded with the class of the vehicle, rather, they counted axles as I was driving through. In Florida all I really had to do was leave my SunPass Transponder in my car and Leave the E-ZPass in the MotorHome. The E-ZPass was not picked up by the SunPass Toll only the car one was and it would still count all 5 axles. (When Florida goes online with E-ZPass someday this situation would cause double billing when going through an E-ZPass toll.) As interoperability comes online those with two passes in their cars have gotten double billed.

North Carolina's "NC Quick Pass" system had originally, and still does count axles. When North Carolina joined with E-ZPass creating the "NC Quick Pass E-ZPass" transponder, vehicle Classification was added to the transponder. This made NC a hybrid system. That is why NC integration between FL/GA and E-ZPass is possible. NC had to deal with this integration internally when they decided to join with E-ZPass. Technically, you can tow a trailer behind your car in NC with an "NC Quick Pass E-ZPass" 2 axle transponder, but if traveling north that would technically be a violation. I don't know if NC will provide two Transponders for the same car the way E-ZPass will.

Will Florida and Georgia force E-ZPass to add Axle counting to their toll system? Or will E-ZPass force Florida to add specific vehicle classification to each transponder?

On to the next issue:

If you are traveling through Florida with an "NC Quick Pass E-ZPass". The Pass is never identified. Your vehicle is only identified by its license plate. Your toll will be applied to your "NC Quick Pass" Account. I only put my "SunPass" on my window when I am going into a parking lot that accepts "SunPass Plus". Even so, since my Plate is registered with "SunPass" when going through a toll in Florida, my SunPass account is charged and not the "NC Quick Pass E-ZPass" account because the "NC Quick Pass E-ZPass" transponder on my window is never picked up. I assume it defaults to my SunPass account. "SunPass" personnel have said that double billing may occur. I have not seen this in my case yet. If this becomes a problem I will simply cancel my Florida Account.

Good rules to Follow, avoid having more than one transponder on your car, (keep others in read prevention bags). Always keep your License Plates updated on your authorities' website.
If you travel from Florida to the northeast and you don't need E-ZPass Plus or SunPass Plus to pay for parking, just get the "NC Quick Pass E-ZPass".

[momdoc]

Thanks for the post!

[mjeffrey]

We have used a SunPass and NCQuickPass for several years. We use the NC transponder in Florida aleast once a year to keep it active without a monthly fee. It reads fine in Florida.

[nudist]

Originally Posted by mjeffrey

We have used a SunPass and NCQuickPass for several years. We use the NC transponder in Florida aleast once a year to keep it active without a monthly fee. It reads fine in Florida.

Is yours an "NC Quick Pass E-ZPass" or just a "NC Quick Pass". It would say E-ZPass on the device. If not your SunPass works in NC anyway.

[mjeffrey]

Both units work in both states. We also use the NC Quickpass/EZPass in the NE states as well. I'll have to dig it out to see what it says on it but that is why we got it.

The SunPass has worked with either vehicle or towing. The NC QuickPass is defined for only the motorhome towing the car combination, but if you don't use it within 12 months they start charging $1 a month.

[JFXG]

1. We lived in Raleigh some years ago when the great toll road hoorah was taking place. One of the few sensible political moves I’ve seen anywhere took place there when the NC planning folks planned right from the start to implement interoperability with both EZPass and the GA/FL system.
2. Because we happened to be traveling through Illinois when we needed to enroll, we operate now solely on an Illinois I-Pass (EZPass). We have two xpdr, blue for the coach and white for the car. When towing the car, we must remove the white xpdr and store it away in a shielded bag. The coach xpdr then accounts for both vehicles as appropriate. In some states we’re charged the same flat rate as a lone car, in others we’re charged as a four-axle vehicle.
3. You made early reference to Texas coming into the EZPass group. Have you heard any timetable on this?

[Hgrace56]

Most highways in the West are toll free.

[JFXG]

Originally Posted by Hgrace56

Most highways in the West are toll free.

I realize that, H, but my question pertains to those few in Texas that are, in fact, toll roads. Is that ok?

[Hgrace56]

Originally Posted by JFXG

I realize that, H, but my question pertains to those few in Texas that are, in fact, toll roads. Is that ok?

That's fine I guess if you have to drive through Texas. I'd just go around it though

[nudist]

Originally Posted by JFXG

1. We lived in Raleigh some years ago when the great toll road hoorah was taking place. One of the few sensible political moves I’ve seen anywhere took place there when the NC planning folks planned right from the start to implement interoperability with both EZPass and the GA/FL system.
2. Because we happened to be traveling through Illinois when we needed to enroll, we operate now solely on an Illinois I-Pass (EZPass). We have two xpdr, blue for the coach and white for the car. When towing the car, we must remove the white xpdr and store it away in a shielded bag. The coach xpdr then accounts for both vehicles as appropriate. In some states we’re charged the same flat rate as a lone car, in others we’re charged as a four-axle vehicle.
3. You made early reference to Texas coming into the EZPass group. Have you heard any timetable on this?

Actually they are joining the SunPass, Peach Pass, NC Quick Pass Group. E-ZPass will take longer. E-ZPass has yet to allow interoperability with anyone that has not put the E-ZPass Logo on the transponder. I assume the NC Quick Pass and NC Quick Pass E-ZPass will also work. TXTags will not work Anywhere besides NC in E-ZPass held territory.

In early to mid-2018, Sun Pass will become interoperable with all toll-roads in Texas (EZ TAG, TxTag and Toll Tag).

The Orlando area E-Pass is said to be joining with E-ZPass.

The over a half-million E-PASS toll transponders in circulation in Metro Orlando and throughout Florida will not function at existing E-ZPass facilities; however, CFX E-PASS customers will have the opportunity, if they choose, to request a special tag that does work at all E-ZPass toll plazas in the 16 state region. Details will be forthcoming.

[JFXG]

Originally Posted by nudist

Actually they are joining the SunPass, Peach Pass, NC Quick Pass Group. E-ZPass will take longer. E-ZPass has yet to allow interoperability with anyone that has not put the E-ZPass Logo on the transponder. I assume the NC Quick Pass and NC Quick Pass E-ZPass will also work. TXTags will not work Anywhere besides NC in E-ZPass held territory.........

Interesting. My I-Pass is fully EZPass compatible, including the NC Quick Pass, iirc. It’s been a couple of years since we’ve been in NC. So if TX aligns with the NC system, it may work. Not that I use the toll road here that much, but we winter in TX now, and I’d just like to sidestep this silly set up Texas has where they have three autonomous ETC systems, one or two of which only apply to one particular road a few miles long.

[nudist]

Originally Posted by JFXG

Interesting. My I-Pass is fully EZPass compatible, including the NC Quick Pass, iirc. It’s been a couple of years since we’ve been in NC. So if TX aligns with the NC system, it may work. Not that I use the toll road here that much, but we winter in TX now, and I’d just like to sidestep this silly set up Texas has where they have three autonomous ETC systems, one or two of which only apply to one particular road a few miles long.

The I-Pass network is part of the "E-ZPass Interagency Group"; they are not a hybrid system like the NC Quick Pass system. Not every "NC Quick Pass" can be used in the E-ZPass network, just the ones that say E-ZPass also. A good analogy is members of the "E-ZPass Interagency Group" use Windows PCs and Texas, Georgia, Florida use Apple Macs. In NC they use Macs and PCs and they have forced them to talk with each other. Also the cost to be part of a group in the south is probably less than the north.

I spoke with Toll Collectors at one bridge in S. Carolina. Their toll transponders only work for that one bridge. E-ZPass wanted millions of dollars to join, they knew it would never happen. The bridge, by the way, is the only way to get to Hilton Head.

All of the I-Passes are made by the same manufacturer as all E-ZPasses, since the Readers and Transponders were the same, it was a lot easier to make the integration to E-ZPass.

When Massachusetts added the "Fast Lane" toll system it was not connected to E-ZPass. But the transponders were the same from the beginning. So, one could go into a Massachusetts "Fast Lane" office and create a new Massachusetts account with the serial number off the E-ZPass transponder. Then, with one transponder you could use both systems and get two bills. When the systems became interoperable (without rebranding at the time) my Massachusetts account was automatically canceled and my remaining balance refunded. At some point, Massachusetts adopted the E-ZPass branding and became a full member of the "E-ZPass Interagency Group". I believe Massachusetts was the first after NJ and NY, to become interoperable. Maine also used the same technology as the E-ZPass system and combined eventually the way Massachusetts did. When NH adopted an electronic toll system it was branded E-ZPass from the beginning. NH learned from everyone's mistakes and their initial implementation was better than any other state's.

In Connecticut, as soon as the Turnpike (I-95) was paid for, they took out all the toll booths.

[Wayne M]

Thanks for this thread and the information. I do have a question. I just recently acquired a NC QuckPass EZ-Pass transponder. Bulky little thing and I was told I could transfer it between vehicles, etc.

My question however is, where on the 2015 motorhome windshield do I place it?

Is it at the top of the windshield, below the tinted area, or on the bottom of the windshield near the dash. My EZ-Tag (Texas) is at the bottom of the windshield.

Originally Posted by JFXG;4177821[COLOR=Blue

[...][/COLOR]we winter in TX now, and I’d just like to sidestep this silly set up Texas has where they have three autonomous ETC systems, one or two of which only apply to one particular road a few miles long.

John, EZ-Tag and TX-Tag are now honored. See here


The kicker used to, and still may be, is that the vehicle license plate has to be registered. There was some, and still may be, some confusion when TX-Tag users came to the Houston area and the plates were not registered with EZ-Tag. So you may want to check with each system to see if that is still needed.



Seems that some Gov't agencies cannot communicate with each other. Sound familiar?

[nudist]

Originally Posted by Wayne M

Thanks for this thread and the information. I do have a question. I just recently acquired a NC QuckPass EZ-Pass transponder. Bulky little thing and I was told I could transfer it between vehicles, etc.

My question however is, where on the 2015 motorhome windshield do I place it?

Is it at the top of the windshield, below the tinted area, or on the bottom of the windshield near the dash. My EZ-Tag (Texas) is at the bottom of the windshield.








John, EZ-Tag and TX-Tag are now honored. See here


The kicker used to, and still may be, is that the vehicle license plate has to be registered. There was some, and still may be, some confusion when TX-Tag users came to the Houston area and the plates were not registered with EZ-Tag. So you may want to check with each system to see if that is still needed.



Seems that some Gov't agencies cannot communicate with each other. Sound familiar?

Generally the higher on the window is better. I always put mine behind my mirror in my car so I cannot see it. On my big rig I had it very high in the middle. Make sure each car's license plate is on the account. NC may issue a different tag for a different class of vehicle. When traveling in Florida, anyway, the E-ZPass device isn't read at all only your plate is read and your account is billed appropriately. I know this because my Florida account gets billed and I keep that transponder at home and only use my NC pass. In EZ-Pass territory, the transponder will be read; so, using it in a different car up north shouldn't be a problem(like a rental car in Pittsburgh). In NC they tell you you cannot only because of their cross compatibility with the southern states and maybe not all of their readers can pick it up. With a Florida EZ pass (which works only in FL, GA, NC [and Texas soon]) you can designate a start and end date for a specific plate for when you have a rental car. In NC they say you can do that as long as you add the plate and remove it as soon as the rental period ends. NC's website is exactly like the NY E-ZPass website. Not a great interface, but nonetheless effective.