‘Glitch’ Prompts Minnesota DOT to Sideline Popular Toll Scanner Program
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It’s not the first time a state has had to scramble to deal with a transponder shortage.
A tech "glitch" may stand between Minnesotan drivers and a faster commute.
The good news: Minnesota’s Department of Transportation MnPASS program, which allows solo drivers to pay a toll to use carpool and bus lanes along two Minneapolis-area expressways, is gaining in popularity, with more than 500 new users signing up each month.
The bad news: MnDOT doesn’t have enough toll transponders to keep up with demand.
The Star Tribune reports that MnDOT has suspended new signups for the program, which currently has distributed about 32,000 transponders to 25,000 customers. (Some customers use more than one unit.)
MnDOT told the Star Tribune that a “glitch” in product orders from the single vendor caused a delay in new shipments. MnDOT does have some reserve transponders but says it needs to hold onto those for existing customers who may need to replace broken units.
Other states use similar transponder programs for their own carpool express lanes. For example, Alabama has its “Freedom Pass,” which allows users to prepay and use a transponder to pass through toll lanes. Colorado’s ExpressToll program uses an electronically read sticker for the same purposes. In California, the state allows American Automobile Association outlets and other vendors to sell transponders in order to avoid shortages.
AAA Southern California even offers its members initial discounts on the tolls.
Maine faced a similar transponder shortage in 1999 that also resulted from shipping issue combined with increased demand.
And in November 2000, the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority in Florida delayed its own transponder requirement for divers after a similar shipping shortage. Interestingly, as the Orlando Sentinel reported, the delay was blamed on the then relatively new cell phone market, which was just beginning to take off in the Sunshine State.
The toll lane transponders have become increasingly popular over the years both for the convenience of electronic payments but also because of the positive effect they can have on the physical flow of traffic.
For example, Massachusetts saw a spike in demand for EZ Pass transponders in 2009 after an illness making its way around the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority resulted in several toll workers calling in sick and creating traffic jams for angry commuters.
Minneapolis is currently ranked 19th on the INRIX ranking of most traffic-congested cities. However, a 2013 Reason Foundation study ranked Minnesota 42nd among states for congestion issues, blaming the state’s drop from previous studies on deteriorating state highway conditions.
Drivers in Minnesota who want to sign up for the program are being directed to the MnPass website, where they can register to be notified once the program is accepting new applicants, most likely sometime in late March. The state is also considering moving to a new vendor, which the Star Tribune notes could further delay new signups if drivers are required to purchase or trade in for new transponders.