Fast Lane (electronic toll collection): Difference between revisions

Product type	Electronic toll collection systems; transponders;
Produced by	E-ZPass
Introduced	1998
Discontinued	2012
Markets	Massachusetts Massachusetts Turnpike; Sumner Tunnel; Ted Williams Tunnel; Tobin Bridge; ;

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Fast Lane was the original branding for the electronic toll collection system used on toll roads in Massachusetts, including the Massachusetts Turnpike, Sumner Tunnel, Ted Williams Tunnel, and Tobin Bridge. It was introduced in 1998, and later folded into the E-ZPass branding in 2012. Fast Lane transponders were fully interoperable with member agencies of the E-ZPass Interagency Group, however Fast Lane transponders (or the "E-ZPass MA" replacement transponders exclusive to Massachusetts) afford users discounted tolls in some junctions that out-of-state users are not offered.

In 2012 the Department of Transportation began the process of converting all existing Fast Lanes to E-ZPass lanes and also began to phase out the Fast Lane name. The Fast Lane website is now branded as E-ZPass MA. With the change, the toll collection system has ceased to have corporate sponsorship. Towards the end of 2016 and into 2017, the entire toll road system in the Commonwealth was converted to open-road tolling, thus the system no longer has any booths.

History

The original electronic toll collection system in Massachusetts was called MassPass and was installed at the Ted Williams Tunnel. This system was scrapped and replaced by the current E-ZPass-compatible system in 1998 for the Ted Williams Tunnel and the Massachusetts Turnpike Boston extension and extended to the rest of the turnpike in 1999.

When the system was first introduced, AAA gave out to its Western Massachusetts members an orange Fast Lane pass. This pass could be used from exits 1 to 6 without toll because these exits did not previously charge tolls. The orange passes were eliminated when tolls were reinstated on that section of the Turnpike on October 15, 2013.^[1]

In 2011, MassDOT announced that the Fast Lane branding would be dropped beginning in mid-2012 and rebranded to the typical E-ZPass and switch to the purple and white signage. This has occurred along all tolls, officially phasing out Fast Lane in itself.

Cost

The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority originally charged a one-time fee to buy the transponder. They had planned to replace that charge with a $0.50 monthly fee, but both fees were eliminated due to criticism of Massachusetts Turnpike Easter Sunday congestion in 2009.^[3]

Discounts

"Fast Lane"/"E-Z Pass MA" subscribers from any state receive (over cash or E-Z Pass customers subscribed via other states) a 25¢ discount at Allston-Brighton tolls, 50¢ discount at Sumner and Ted Williams tunnels and Tobin Memorial Bridge.^[4]^[5]

Several discounts are available with a special transponder obtained by application:^[6]

Residents of Charlestown and Chelsea pay $0.30 on Tobin Bridge.
Residents of East Boston, South Boston, and North End pay $0.40 at Sumner and Ted Williams tunnels.
Carpools with 3 or more passengers receive various discounts.

Legality of discounts

The legality and constitutionality of offering discounts to holders of transponders issued by Massachusetts as opposed to transponders issued by other states has been upheld twice at the federal appellate level, in 2003 by the First Circuit in a case arising out of Massachusetts^[7] and in 2010 by the Third Circuit in a case arising out of New Jersey.^[8] Significantly, both courts based their rulings on the fact that Massachusetts transponders are available on equal terms to in-state and out-of-state residents and that anyone is allowed to have a transponder from more than one state at a time, choosing which transponder to use in each toll transaction to obtain the cheaper rate. The court in the New Jersey case noted parenthetically that "...out-of-state residents who commute regularly to Boston each day might very well decide to carry only a [Massachusetts] Fast Lane transponder."

Notes

^ Johnson, Patrick (September 19, 2013). "MassDOT van to distribute E-ZPass transponders at Pittsfield Farmers Market". The Republican. Retrieved October 16, 2013.
^ Banknorth Becomes Tobin Bridge Fastlane Sponsor; Massport Signs New England Bank, Generating Non-toll Revenue Archived May 24, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
^ "Fast Lane Transponders Are Now Fee Free". wbztv.com. Archived from the original on April 28, 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
^ E-ZPass MA Program - Highway Division - MassDOT Archived February 6, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
^ Doran v. Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, vol. 348, September 12, 2003, p. 315, retrieved November 10, 2017
^ "E-ZPass MA Forms & Applications - Highway Division - MassDOT". Archived from the original on April 3, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
^ "Doran et al. v. Massachusetts Turnpike Authority (03-1312), 348 F.3d 315 (CA1 2003)". United States Court of Appeals, First Circuit. November 6, 2003. Retrieved January 14, 2012.
^ "Yerger et al. v. Massachusetts Turnpike Authority (09-4083), ___ F.3d ___ (CA3 2010)". United States Court of Appeals, Third Circuit. September 30, 2010. Retrieved January 14, 2012.

External links

[1] Johnson, Patrick (September 19, 2013). "MassDOT van to distribute E-ZPass transponders at Pittsfield Farmers Market". The Republican. Retrieved October 16, 2013.

[2] Banknorth Becomes Tobin Bridge Fastlane Sponsor; Massport Signs New England Bank, Generating Non-toll Revenue Archived May 24, 2006, at the Wayback Machine

[3] "Fast Lane Transponders Are Now Fee Free". wbztv.com. Archived from the original on April 28, 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-06.

[4] E-ZPass MA Program - Highway Division - MassDOT Archived February 6, 2016, at the Wayback Machine

[5] Doran v. Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, vol. 348, September 12, 2003, p. 315, retrieved November 10, 2017

[6] "E-ZPass MA Forms & Applications - Highway Division - MassDOT". Archived from the original on April 3, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2015.

[doran-7] "Doran et al. v. Massachusetts Turnpike Authority (03-1312), 348 F.3d 315 (CA1 2003)". United States Court of Appeals, First Circuit. November 6, 2003. Retrieved January 14, 2012.

[yerger-8] "Yerger et al. v. Massachusetts Turnpike Authority (09-4083), ___ F.3d ___ (CA3 2010)". United States Court of Appeals, Third Circuit. September 30, 2010. Retrieved January 14, 2012.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Refimprove|date=August 2008}}
+{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2013}}
-{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2010}}
+{{More citations needed|date=August 2008}}
+{{Infobox brand
+| name = Fast Lane
+| logo = Image:Fastlane.png
+| producttype = {{flat list|
+* [[Electronic toll collection]] systems
+* [[transponder]]s
+}}
+| producedby = [[E-ZPass]]
+| introduced = 1998
+| discontinued = 2012
+| markets = {{flat list|
+* [[Massachusetts]]
+** [[Massachusetts Turnpike]]
+** [[Sumner Tunnel]]
+** [[Ted Williams Tunnel]]
+** [[Tobin Bridge]]
+}}
+}}
+'''Fast Lane''' was the original branding for the [[electronic toll collection]] system used on [[toll road]]s in [[Massachusetts]], including the [[Massachusetts Turnpike]], [[Sumner Tunnel]], [[Ted Williams Tunnel]], and [[Tobin Bridge]]. It was introduced in 1998, and later folded into the [[E-ZPass]] branding in 2012. Fast Lane transponders were fully interoperable with member agencies of the E-ZPass Interagency Group, however Fast Lane transponders (or the "E-ZPass MA" replacement transponders exclusive to Massachusetts) afford users discounted tolls in some junctions that out-of-state users are not offered.
-[[Image:Fastlane.png|right]]
+In 2012 the Department of Transportation began the process of converting all existing Fast Lanes to E-ZPass lanes and also began to phase out the Fast Lane name.  The Fast Lane website is now branded as E-ZPass MA. With the change, the toll collection system has ceased to have corporate sponsorship. Towards the end of 2016 and into 2017, the entire toll road system in the Commonwealth was converted to [[open-road tolling]], thus the system no longer has any booths.
-'''Fast Lane''' was the branding for [[E-ZPass]] used in [[Massachusetts]] between 1998 and 2012, with Fast Lane-branded transponders still in use.  Fast Lane was used (and still is under the E-ZPass branding) on the [[Massachusetts Turnpike]], [[Sumner Tunnel]], [[Ted Williams Tunnel]], and [[Tobin Bridge]].  It is also accepted at [[Route 128 (MBTA station)|one parking structure]] operated by the [[Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority]].  Fast Lane is fully interoperable with the many [[E-ZPass]] facilities in other states, however, since mid-2002, Fast Lane users receive a discount on some tolls that E-ZPass users do not enjoy. They and new customers after the rebranding to E-ZPass still enjoy these discounts as of 2013.
+[[File:E-ZPass MA Transponder (Fast Lane) (cropped).JPG|right|thumb|A typical Fast Lane branded transponder]]
-In 2012 the Department of Transportation began the process of converting all existing Fast Lanes to E-ZPass lanes and will phase out the Fast Lane name.  The Fast Lane website is now branded as E-ZPass MA. With the change, the toll collection system has ceased to have corporate sponsorship.
-[[File:E-ZPass MA Transponder (Fast Lane).JPG|right|thumb|320px|A typical Fast Lane branded transponder]]
 ==History==
-[[Image:fast lane sign.jpg|right|thumb|180px|Toll booth at the junction of I-84 and the Mass Pike (exit 9).]]
+[[Image:fast lane sign.jpg|right|thumb|Toll booth at the junction of I-84 and the Mass Pike (exit 9).]]
 The original electronic toll collection system in Massachusetts was called ''MassPass'' and was installed at the [[Ted Williams Tunnel]].  This system was scrapped and replaced by the current E-ZPass-compatible system in 1998 for the Ted Williams Tunnel and the Massachusetts Turnpike Boston extension and extended to the rest of the turnpike in 1999.
-When the system was first introduced, [[American Automobile Association|AAA]] gave out to its [[Western Massachusetts]] members an orange Fast Lane pass. This pass could be used from exits 1 to 6 without toll because these exits do not currently charge tolls. The orange passes are still used today, however, they are being phased out as they approach the end of their service life.  Replacement with a standard transponder is required.
+When the system was first introduced, [[American Automobile Association|AAA]] gave out to its [[Western Massachusetts]] members an orange Fast Lane pass. This pass could be used from exits 1 to 6 without toll because these exits did not previously charge tolls. The orange passes were eliminated when tolls were reinstated on that section of the Turnpike on October 15, 2013.<ref>{{cite news|last=Johnson|first=Patrick|title=MassDOT van to distribute E-ZPass transponders at Pittsfield Farmers Market|url=http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2013/09/massdot_van_to_distribute_ezpa.html|accessdate=16 October 2013|newspaper=The Republican|date=19 September 2013}}</ref>
 In 2011, MassDOT announced that the Fast Lane branding would be dropped beginning in mid-2012 and rebranded to the typical [[E-ZPass]] and switch to the purple and white signage. This has occurred along all tolls, officially phasing out Fast Lane in itself.
 ==Sponsors==
-The system was sponsored by [[Citizens Financial Group|Citizens Bank]] for the Massachusetts Turnpike and tunnels, and by [[TD Bank, N.A.]] for the Tobin Bridge (formerly administered by the separate Massachusetts Port Authority).<ref>[http://www.massport.com/about/press03/press_news_bankn.html Banknorth Becomes Tobin Bridge Fastlane Sponsor; Massport Signs New England Bank, Generating Non-toll Revenue]</ref> Along the Turnpike it was [[brand]]ed the '''Citizens Bank Fast Lane''', whereas at the Tobin Bridge it was branded '''TD Bank Fast Lane'''.  Until 2005, [[FleetBoston Financial|Fleet Bank]] sponsored the Fast Lane system. It inherited the sponsorship upon merging with [[BankBoston]], the founding financial institution of the local system along with the Massachusetts Turnpike.
+The system was sponsored by [[Citizens Financial Group|Citizens Bank]] for the Massachusetts Turnpike and tunnels, and by [[TD Bank, N.A.]] for the Tobin Bridge (formerly administered by the separate Massachusetts Port Authority).<ref>[http://www.massport.com/about/press03/press_news_bankn.html Banknorth Becomes Tobin Bridge Fastlane Sponsor; Massport Signs New England Bank, Generating Non-toll Revenue] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060524093959/http://www.massport.com/about/press03/press_news_bankn.html |date=May 24, 2006 }}</ref> Along the Turnpike it was [[brand]]ed the '''Citizens Bank Fast Lane''', whereas at the Tobin Bridge it was branded '''TD Bank Fast Lane'''.  Until 2005, [[FleetBoston Financial|Fleet Bank]] sponsored the Fast Lane system. It inherited the sponsorship upon merging with [[BankBoston]], the founding financial institution of the local system along with the Massachusetts Turnpike.
 ==Cost==
-Consumers are not required to pay the cost of the transponder. The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority used to charge a one-time fee to buy the transponder. They had planned to replace that charge with a $0.50 monthly fee, but both fees were eliminated due to criticism on Massachusetts Turnpike [[Easter Sunday]] congestion in 2009.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://wbztv.com/local/free.fast.lane.2.991261.html|title=Fast Lane Transponders Are Now Fee Free|publisher=wbztv.com|accessdate=2009-08-06}}</ref>
+The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority originally charged a one-time fee to buy the transponder. They had planned to replace that charge with a $0.50 monthly fee, but both fees were eliminated due to criticism of Massachusetts Turnpike [[Easter Sunday]] congestion in 2009.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://wbztv.com/local/free.fast.lane.2.991261.html |title=Fast Lane Transponders Are Now Fee Free |publisher=wbztv.com |access-date=2009-08-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090428113254/http://wbztv.com/local/free.fast.lane.2.991261.html |archive-date=April 28, 2009 |df=mdy }}</ref>
+===Discounts===
+"Fast Lane"/"E-Z Pass MA" subscribers from any state receive (over cash or E-Z Pass customers subscribed via other states) a 25¢ discount at Allston-Brighton tolls, 50¢ discount at Sumner and Ted Williams tunnels and Tobin Memorial Bridge.<ref>[http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/highway/TrafficTravelResources/EZPassMAProgram.aspx E-ZPass MA Program - Highway Division - MassDOT] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160206083937/http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/highway/TrafficTravelResources/EZPassMAProgram.aspx |date=February 6, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{Citation|title=Doran v. Massachusetts Turnpike Authority|date=September 12, 2003|url=https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=1219859601790298718&hl=en&as_sdt=2&as_vis=1&oi=scholarr|volume=348|pages=315|accessdate=2017-11-10}}</ref>
+Several discounts are available with a special transponder obtained by application:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/highway/TrafficTravelResources/EZPassMAProgram/FormsApplications.aspx |title=E-ZPass MA Forms & Applications - Highway Division - MassDOT |access-date=2015-04-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403124504/http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/highway/TrafficTravelResources/EZPassMAProgram/FormsApplications.aspx |archive-date=April 3, 2015 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
+* Residents of Charlestown and Chelsea pay $0.30 on Tobin Bridge.
+* Residents of East Boston, South Boston, and North End pay $0.40 at Sumner and Ted Williams tunnels.
+* Carpools with 3 or more passengers receive various discounts.
+===Legality of discounts===
 The legality and constitutionality of offering discounts to holders of transponders issued by Massachusetts as opposed to transponders issued by other states has been upheld twice at the federal appellate level, in 2003 by the [[First Circuit]] in a case arising out of Massachusetts<ref name="doran">{{cite web
-| url = http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=1219859601790298718&hl=en&as_sdt=2&as_vis=1&oi=scholarr
+| url = https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=1219859601790298718&hl=en&as_sdt=2&as_vis=1&oi=scholarr
 | title = ''Doran et al. v. Massachusetts Turnpike Authority'' (03-1312), 348 F.3d 315 (CA1 2003)
 | publisher = United States Court of Appeals, First Circuit
-| date = 2003-11-06
+| date = November 6, 2003
 | accessdate = 2012-01-14
 }}</ref> and in 2010 by the [[Third Circuit]] in a case arising out of [[New Jersey]].<ref name="yerger">{{cite web
-| url = http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=2452807074419774234&hl=en&as_sdt=2&as_vis=1&oi=scholarr
+| url = https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=2452807074419774234&hl=en&as_sdt=2&as_vis=1&oi=scholarr
 | title = ''Yerger et al. v. Massachusetts Turnpike Authority'' (09-4083), ___ F.3d ___ (CA3 2010)
 | publisher = United States Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
-| date = 2010-09-30
+| date = September 30, 2010
 | accessdate = 2012-01-14
 }}</ref> Significantly, both courts based their rulings on the fact that Massachusetts transponders are available on equal terms to in-state and out-of-state residents and that anyone is allowed to have a transponder from more than one state at a time, choosing which transponder to use in each toll transaction to obtain the cheaper rate. The court in the New Jersey case noted parenthetically that "...out-of-state residents who commute regularly to Boston each day might very well decide to carry only a [Massachusetts] Fast Lane transponder."
 ==Notes==
-{{reflist|2}}
+{{Reflist|2}}
 ==External links==
-* {{official|http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/Highway/fastlane/main.aspx}}
+* {{official website|http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/Highway/fastlane/main.aspx}}
-* [http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/Highway/ MassDOT Highway Division]
+* [http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/Highway/ MassDOT Highway Division] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100406081038/http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/Highway/ |date=April 6, 2010 }}
-* [http://www.ca1.uscourts.gov/pdf.opinions/03-1312-01A.pdf 1st Circuit opinion in ''Doran v. Massachusetts Turnpike Authority'' upholding Fast Lane only discounts]
+* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110613164424/http://www.ca1.uscourts.gov/pdf.opinions/03-1312-01A.pdf 1st Circuit opinion in ''Doran v. Massachusetts Turnpike Authority'' upholding Fast Lane only discounts]
 [[Category:Electronic toll collection]]