A proposed New Jersey bill would slash costs of NJ E-Z Pass—the state’s electronic toll collection system—by up to 50 percent for commuters. That’s right. If you commute to work via the Garden State Parkway, New Jersey Turnpike (I-95,) or any other toll roads within the state, a massive discount might be coming your way soon.
A new bill, called Legislation A5205, has been proposed to allocate $250 million to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and the South Jersey Transportation Authority. The purpose of this funding is to establish a toll relief program specifically for regular E-ZPass users who have 35 or more qualifying transactions each month.
Under this program, regular E-ZPass users will receive a credit to their account equivalent to 50 percent of the total amount paid for qualifying transactions per transponder during a given month. This initiative aims to reduce the financial burden on commuters in New Jersey who frequently use E-ZPass for toll payments.
The proposed legislation allocates $250 million to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) and $250 million to the South Jersey Transportation Authority (SJTA) from the state’s General Fund. This funding will be utilized to facilitate the issuance of account credits as part of the toll relief programs.
The full language of the bill can be read here.
Assemblywoman Marilyn Piperno, a Republican from Monmouth County, is one of the bill’s sponsors. Part of her efforts is to make the state more affordable for everyday residents. This is something state officials have been attempting to crack down on for several months.
In February, Governor Murphy signed a law requiring NJ’s two Turnpike Authorities to check the E-Z Pass database before issuing toll violation fines. It came after years of errored fines occasionally being issued to motorists, requiring them to pay up or go through the tedious process of dealing with the New Jersey Turnpike’s contractor to resolve the issue.
The NJ-based company, Conduent, oversees the management of tolling and dispute resolution for the NJ E-Z Pass system of the Turnpike Authority. However, Conduent has encountered issues related to customer service quality and system errors. Legal disputes regarding its operations have arisen in various states, including New York and California.
In both cases, it has become abundantly clear that the tolling system needs an overhaul in more than one area. With any hope, New Jersey commuters will have something to look forward to in the near future.
About the Author/s
Peter Candia is the Food + Drink Editor at New Jersey Digest. A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, Peter found a passion for writing midway through school and never looked back. He is a former line cook, server and bartender at top-rated restaurants in the tri-state area. In addition to food, Peter enjoys politics, music, sports and anything New Jersey.
