As of last night (Friday, Oct 28, 2016) the Massachusetts Turnpike is a cashless toll operation. You'll pay by E-Z Pass transponder, or pay-by-plate where they will mail you a bill. They have to reroute traffic, put new markings on the roads, remove the toll booths and install the overhead gantries for electronic tolling. In all, that's 23 construction zones on 135+ miles of roadway. Meaning, snarled "snowstorm" traffic pretty much every day for at least the 3 weeks necessary for the construction.
As a comparison, for a 3-axle vehicle entering the Turnpike at Interchange 01 - West Stockbridge, and exiting at Interchange 26 - Logan Airport/Ted Williams Tunnel, the toll is...
E-Z Pass - $18.90
Pay-by-Plate - $23.10
For a 2-axle passenger vehicle...
E-Z Pass (Mass) - $7.45
E-Z Pass (out-of-state) - $9.35
Pay-by-Plate - $13.55
For a 2-axle commercial vehicle...
E-Z Pass - $10.25
Pay-by-Plate - $14.45
So it certainly pays to have an E-Z Pass (or an I-Pass from Illinois) rather than have to deal with the extra hassle and costs of pay-by-plate.
In broader tolling news, here's the latest on the status of toll interoperability (I-Pass, E-Z Pass, Sunpass, TxTag, etc,) in light of the (totally expected by, like, everybody) missed Oct, 1, 2016 Congressional mandated deadline.
And here's some more information, including a spiffy interoperability map.
As a comparison, for a 3-axle vehicle entering the Turnpike at Interchange 01 - West Stockbridge, and exiting at Interchange 26 - Logan Airport/Ted Williams Tunnel, the toll is...
E-Z Pass - $18.90
Pay-by-Plate - $23.10
For a 2-axle passenger vehicle...
E-Z Pass (Mass) - $7.45
E-Z Pass (out-of-state) - $9.35
Pay-by-Plate - $13.55
For a 2-axle commercial vehicle...
E-Z Pass - $10.25
Pay-by-Plate - $14.45
So it certainly pays to have an E-Z Pass (or an I-Pass from Illinois) rather than have to deal with the extra hassle and costs of pay-by-plate.
In broader tolling news, here's the latest on the status of toll interoperability (I-Pass, E-Z Pass, Sunpass, TxTag, etc,) in light of the (totally expected by, like, everybody) missed Oct, 1, 2016 Congressional mandated deadline.
And here's some more information, including a spiffy interoperability map.
