Page 13 - AAA Every Day – AAA Hudson Valley – October/November 2020

Cashless Tolling
is coming
to the NYS Thruway
CAR CARE HANDBOOK
As autumn approaches across the Northeast, options. A variety of commuter and vehicle-specific
motorists will see construction along the NYS Thruway. You might have asked yourself, “What are these massive steel structures?” They are state-of-the- art gantry systems equipped with sensors and cameras that read E-ZPass tags and take license plate images, all part of the NYS Thruway’s Cashless Tolling project. The gantries are not currently active but will activate simultaneously by the end of 2020, as New York State steps into the future of all-electronic tolling.
What is Cashless Tolling? – Cashless Tolling allows motorists to take advantage of state-of-the-art technology to pay tolls. Drivers no longer need to stop and pay cash at the toll booth. When cashless tolling is operational across the state, motorists simply drive under the gantry. Vehicles with E-ZPass tags are automatically charged, and vehicles without E-ZPass will have their license plate image captured and a Toll Bill mailed to the registered owner of each vehicle. Customers who pay using Tolls By Mail will pay the same amount as previously paid by cash customers. E-ZPass customers with New York accounts will continue to receive a discount.
Cashless tolling reduces congestion, improves traffic flow, is better for the environment and allows for non-stop travel on New York’s toll roads, bridges and tunnels.
When is Cashless Tolling coming to the NYS Thruway? – The Thruway is scheduled to convert to an entirely cashless tolling system by the end of 2020.
Take back your time with E-ZPass.
E-ZPass remains the most convenient way to pay tolls when the NYS Thruway goes cashless. As an E-ZPass customer, your tolls are automatically charged to your account, so there is no waiting for a Toll Bill to arrive in the mail.
In addition to offering a discount along the entire Thruway system, E-ZPass offers flexible payment
discount options are available to fit the needs of every motorist. E-ZPass offers commuter discounts, which can save drivers hundreds of dollars every year. To learn how much you can save, visit thruway.ny.gov. Customers also can sign up for the E-ZPass “Pay-Per- Trip” plan. This option allows customers to link their bank account (not a credit card) and pays tolls incurred once per day. A prepaid E-ZPass account balance is not required with this plan.
Customers also can choose to automatically replenish their account by credit card, bank account, check,
or money order. E-ZPass offers convenient, safe and contactless travel.
Where can you get an E-ZPass tag? – New York E-ZPass On-the-Go tags are available at more than 900 locations statewide, including AAA Travel Stores, Thruway service areas, select Thruway cash lanes, local grocery and convenience stores, NYS DMV offices, auto dealerships, libraries and many other retail and municipal locations. E-ZPass tags are available as a prepackaged tag for $25. After a customer registers the tag online or over the phone, the $25 is credited to their account and the tag becomes active within 24 hours. Anyone, regardless of where they live, can sign up for a New York E-ZPass account. Get E-ZPass today and start saving time and money.
Where can I use E-ZPass? – You can use your E-ZPass on all toll roads with specially marked “E-ZPass” lanes. E-ZPass is currently accepted these 16 states: New York, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia and West Virginia.
To sign up for a Thruway E-ZPass account, visit thruway.ny.gov/getezpass
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