On Oct. 28, high speed tolling on the Mass. Pike will be activated as the state continues to move away from traditional toll booths.
The change was announced in August after overhead tolls were installed along the length of the highway, and now MassDOT is gathering feedback from residents.
The tolls will photograph license plates in addition to gathering other data as vehicles pass through at highway speeds.
Officials said the photographs will be used to bill drivers who do not have an EZPass and will only be accessed by police in situations like Amber Alerts.
“As soon as they make it whole. We have no intention if hanging onto that data any longer than we need to,” MassDOT Highway Administrator Thomas Tinlin said.
Another concern is a proposed change in the way drivers are charged. The 26 toll plazas currently along the pike are being replaced by 16 overhead electronic gantries.
Drivers without an EZPass will also pay a premium of 30 cents per gantry they pass under, which would add up for someone driving from the New York border to Boston.
“I think 30 cents per gantry is a rather steep fee,” Holden resident Otto Lies said.
To help commuters figure out how much they will pay, MassDOT has created an online toll calculator.
Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
