EZ Pass Van Coming to 4-H Youth Fair

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — State Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier and Angelica Paredes of the Berkshire County 4-H Fair Association have collaborated to bring the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s EZ Pass Van to the annual 4-H Youth Fair, set for Saturday, Aug. 20, from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. 

The fair is at the Berkshire County 4-H Fairgrounds on Utility Drive (Off Holmes Road), and the fair itself will run 9-5 and is free. The free transponders will be distributed for the Massachusetts Turnpike.

After an overwhelming response to the EZ Pass van at the downtown Farmers Market on Aug. 6, Farley-Bouvier was contacted by Angelica Paredes about bringing the EZ pass van to the 4-H Fair. John Naughton from Mass DOT, who was with the van on Aug. 6, said that 430 transponders were given out and agreed to return with the van so additional people can sign up. Paredes noted that having the EZ pass van at the fair is another opportunity to not only draw people to the fair but to offer a community service.

MassDOT is currently in the process of transitioning to All Electronic Tolling (AET) for I-90, both directions. MassDOT intends to test AET software during the summer of 2016 and to activate AET by the end of the year. A previously scheduled “go live” date in the month of October will occur if software testing goes as planned before September.

AET gantries, placed over the road and equipped with sensors, will electronically register tolls from vehicles that pass under any gantry. Drivers will no longer have to stop at a toll plaza and will be able to maintain a safe highway speed.

If a vehicle has an EZ Pass transponder, the toll is automatically charged to the customer’s E-ZPass account that the transponder is registered to. If a vehicle does not have an EZ Pass transponder, cameras mounted on the gantry will capture a photograph of the vehicle’s license plate and the registered owner of the vehicle will be sent an invoice. Pay-by-Plate users will pay a surcharge. EZ-Pass users pay the normal toll. 

Drivers who currently have no EZ Pass transponder are encouraged to obtain one.  Applicants must bring vehicle registration, $20 credit card or check only (no cash please) to open an EZ  Pass account, and photo identification to obtain a transponder. The transponders are issued free and the $20 account will be used to pay charges for Massachusetts Turnpike travel.

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