Article published October 10, 2009
Bumps slow turnpike's roll out of E-ZPass
Little-used exits to get automated collectors
By DAVID PATCH
BLADE STAFF WRITER
With some early system glitches apparently resolved, Ohio Turnpike officials say the E-ZPass electronic toll-collection system was working well after its first week in service.
L. George Distel, the turnpike's executive director, acknowledged traffic delays at some toll plazas late last week for a combination of reasons.
Some toll transponders weren't read properly by the toll system and motorists who mistakenly got into E-ZPass lanes.
"That's why we had all of the lanes staffed," even the E-ZPass- only lanes, Mr. Distel said.
The turnpike yesterday was reviewing appeals from 10 motorists who filed overcharge claims because their E-ZPass tags didn't work properly and they were charged higher cash fares for their trips.
In a few cases, Mr. Distel said, they reached their exit with no record of where they entered the turnpike, so they were charged the fare from the most distant entry point."In every instance, we will give the motorist the benefit of the doubt," he said.
E-ZPass customers now exit turnpike toll plazas without paying collectors. But motorists who pay the higher fares charged to cash customers soon may pay machines instead of people.
By early November, the turnpike commission plans to activate 20 automated toll-payment machines at 10 low-volume toll
plazas.
Similar in design to payment machines at parking lots, the toll machines will accept cash or credit cards, Mr. Distel said.
Receipts will be available on request, and the machines will make change.
Toll-machine locations include Exits 13 (Bryan), 25 (Archbold), 34 (Wauseon), 39 (Delta), and 81 (Elmore), plus five others farther east.
Automation will not replace all toll collectors at the interchanges - at least, not right away.
"We are not planning to have any unstaffed interchanges, but that could change," Mr. Distel said.
How the machines' introduction might affect the turnpike's toll-collector work force right away remains uncertain, because low-volume interchanges often have only one collector on duty per shift.
But the advent of E-ZPass and the prospect of automated collection of nonelectronic tolls are placing downward pressure on the turnpike's manpower.
Mr. Distel and Gary Tiboni, president of Teamsters Union Local 436, which represents toll collectors, said the turnpike and the union are negotiating terms to reduce the work force.
When the turnpike commission voted in early 2008 to install E-ZPass, officials said jobs in the E-ZPass Customer Service center would be available to displaced toll collectors.
Contact David Patch at:
dpatch@theblade.com
or 419-724-6094.
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