E-ZPass and the Ohio Turnpike: Adoption and Integration of Electronic Toll Collection

摘要

"Stop Stopping, Get Going" . The Commonwealth of Virginia's (2005) slogan tells much of the E-ZPass story. Electronic toll collection reduces delays, eliminates fumbling for change, and trims air pollution from idling vehicles. In 2006, 9 million accounts recorded over 2 billion road, bridge, and tunnel transactions, and customer satisfaction is high. The Ohio Turnpike, a non-E-ZPass toll road, serves over 50 million vehicles annually. Its management has been reluctant to implement E-ZPass because of high costs and questions about its value to Ohio drivers. After many years of rumination the Ohio Turnpike Commission announced its intention to implement E-ZPass technology by 2009 (Ohio Turnpike Commission, 2007). This case study reviews the Turnpike's operations, the use of electronic tolling in other states, and the information technology and political environment needed to support its implementation.