JAMESTOWN – The R.I. Turnpike and Bridge Authority today received $500,000 in federal funding to help bring the E-ZPass electronic toll-collection system to Claiborne Pell Bridge.
The check was presented by U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy, in a ceremony this morning at RITBA’s administrative offices in Jamestown.
“The E-ZPass program is on target to begin in mid-December – and Congressman Kennedy is a big reason why,” said David A. Darlington, chairman of the agency’s board and a partner in public and government relations firm Gildea, O’Connell & Darlington LLC of Warwick and Boston. “Understanding the benefits of electronic tolls on the Pell Bridge, he worked on our behalf to obtain funding for the E-ZPass program, and we thank him for his support.”
The system allows drivers to establish an account from which they can pre-pay bridge or highway tolls. Drivers also must purchase an E-ZPass transponder: a small windshield-mounted device that allows the system to detect a user’s car or truck and automatically deduct the toll from the pre-paid account. The purple-and-white E-ZPass logo will designate lanes where the electronic payment system is accepted, RITBA said last month.
(READ MORE)
“I’m happy I was able to play a small part in bringing E-ZPass to Rhode Island,” Kennedy said in a statement. “The E-ZPass program is a proven winner. It is user friendly and will move traffic quickly over the Pell Bridge.
“I want to congratulate the authority for working with local residents and considering their feedback when deciding on the final details of the program,” Kennedy added.
Based on that feedback and the agency’s own research, the RITBA board last month set the fee for E-ZPass vehicle transponders at $10 for the first device on a single account; $15 for the second; and $20.95 for any additional transponders, to a maximum of four per account.
The board also set the Pell Bridge toll for two-axle passenger vehicles at 83 cents per crossing for state residents paying via a Rhode Island E-ZPass transponder; 91 cents for out-of-state residents who opt in to Rhode Island’s frequent-user program and make at least 31 crossings per month; and $1.75 per crossing for other out-of-state residents.
Starting Nov. 3, RITBA will begin taking E-ZPass applications at its Pell Bridge Administrative Office, adjacent to the toll plaza in Jamestown, which will be open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon. Applications also will be available during limited hours at two locations in Newport: at the Naval Underwater Warfare Center, Building 80, from 8:30 to 11 a.m. on Nov. 4, 6, 13 and 18; and the Community College of Rhode Island’s Newport Campus from 2 to 7 p.m. on Nov. 6 and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Nov. 12 and 20, the agency said.
Online applications will be available starting Dec. 8.
The R.I. Turnpike and Bridge Authority – established by the R.I. General Assembly in 1954 – is the agency that manages the Claiborne Pell Bridge between Jamestown and Newport, and the Mount Hope Bridge between Portsmouth and Bristol. It receives no tax money but derives all revenue from tolls and investments. Additional information, including a page of “E-ZPass Questions and Answers,” is available at www.ritba.org.
Beyond Cash Donations: How New Forms of Giving Are Transforming Not-for-Profit Accounting
Evolving Funding Landscape for Not-for-Profits Not-for-profit organizations are being asked to do more with less,…
Learn More
Am I to understand that existing EZ Pass accounts will pay more than double what new (RI) accounts pay? Why? All the transponders are identical, why force people who alredy own one to buy another? Isn’t that wasteful, or am I missing something?
The programming in E-ZPass transponders varies from state to state. Drivers who have a transponder purchased out of state prior to September 24, 2008 can purchase a Rhode Island transponder and receive a $10 credit on their new Rhode Island E-ZPass account. In order to receive the $10 credit, verification of the out of state transponder must be provided either in person or by mail at the RITBA customer service center. To find out more, please visit http://www.ritba.org.