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News, updates and useful tips about insurance products and the insurance industry. We also provide insights on community events, local news and information that affect your everyday life. Enjoy!

Are you ready for no more toll booths and no cash?

If you don’t drive on the Massachusetts Turnpike (Route 90) with any regularity, you may have missed the news that effective October 28, 2016, cash will no longer be accepted for tolls. No more toll booths at exits. If you haven’t heard many details, here’s a summary to help you stay informed.

How electronic tolls work

Instead of stopping at toll booths, you’ll drive under overhead toll gantries that straddle the roadway traveling at highway speed.  

  • If you HAVE an E-ZPass transponder, the gantries will recognize your transponder and deduct money from your account.
  • If you DON'T HAVE an E-ZPass transponder, the gantries will take pictures of your license plate and the registered owner of the vehicle will get a bill in the mail through the Pay by Plate Program.

Drivers will now be charged for every individual gantry that they pass under, rather than paying for the total distance that they've driven at their final exit. 16 gantries will replace the current 26 toll plazas.  Under the new electronic tolls, the toll schedule has been adjusted and in many cases drivers will realize savings. However, some drivers will pay more.

Non-transponder drivers will pay significantly more

If you don’t have an E-ZPass transponder, be aware that it’s going to cost you significantly more to travel on the Mass Pike because of additional surcharges and billing fees.  Non-transponder drivers will pay an extra toll surcharge at each gantry they drive under in addition to the toll.  They will also have to pay a $.60 cent billing fee.  Additional fees will apply for overdue toll payments. 

How much will it cost to travel on the Mass Pike after October 28?

Use the online Mass Pike Toll Calculator to see how much it will cost to travel between points on the Pike. For passenger vehicles, you can change the “Vehicle Class/Type” between “Class 1 – 2 Axle Passenger Vehicle w/E-ZPass MA”  and “Class 1 – 2 Axle Passenger Vehicle w/ 2-4 single tires to see the difference in tolls depending on if you have or don't have a transponder. The difference can be substantial! 

Getting an E-ZPass transponder is easy.

Why pay more to travel the Pike, when you can get a Massachusetts E-ZPass transponder?  It’s  FREE! You can sign up for a transponder online. Once you have your transponder, the tolls can be automatically deducted from your bank account or charged to a credit card depending on the payment method you select. If you prefer to print out and mail or fax in your application, you can use the private passenger auto E-ZPass application. It may take a little longer to process by mail or fax.

Existing toll booths will be demolished. The work is expected to be completed by the end of 2017. The plan is to initially divert traffic to the outer left and right lanes so that the center toll booths can be demolished and the roadway reconstructed. Here's looking toward hopefully smoother driving along the Pike with the implementation of all electronic tolling. 

Showing 7 Comments

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7 years ago

Haven't been able to find the details online of exactly how much the tolls will be for drivers using an out of state transponder. However, on the Mass DOT website, it indicates that residents of other states can obtain a EZPassMA transponder if they wish. We recommend getting onto the MassDOT website and applying. This is the page that mentioned out of state residents. <a href="https://www.massdot.state.ma.us/highway/TollInformation/AllElectronicTolling.aspx">https://www.massdot.state.ma.us/highway/TollInformation/AllElectronicTolling.aspx</a>


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Katherine 7 years ago

I have heard that people with NH transponders will now pay more than people with MA transponders for tolls in MA. Is this true and if it is, can you please tell me how much more i will pay using my NH issued transponder in MA? I am a MA resident but years ago when NH offered free transponders and it cost perhaps $30 to buy one in MA, i took advantage of the free NH transponder. But, now i hear that there will no longer be a discount at MA plazas and gantrys. What do you know about this , please.


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7 years ago

Sorry that you didn't feel the info was early enough. Appreciate your feedback for the future. We thought the timing would be good because when sent out too far in advance, people sometimes put it aside and don't take action. We send this type of info out as a courtesy to try and help communicate changes in laws, etc. even though these issues are beyond the scope of insurance coverage. We try to help be informative when we can. We've gotten a lot of positive feedback. Even though the signs have been on the Mass Pike for a while, we felt that those who don't travel it often might not be aware, and we're finding that's the case. The news media hasn't covered it much yet, but with the change happening later this week, it should get more coverage.


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Luzette Alvarado-Ortiz 7 years ago

I think this Toll change is ridiculous and an inconvenience for people who do not travel frequently. Why not find other ways to benefit the Transportation Department financially and eliminate these tolls altogether. I do not trust having money taking from my bank account nor giving out my credit card number.


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Pamela 7 years ago

Why wasn't this sent earlier? I found out about this the last time I was on the Pike Via flashing signs that I questioned at toll booth. I ....like many other people , don't use it too often, were surprised ! Why not tell us earlier ????


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Al Hopfmann 7 years ago

Expect the money hungry monster known as our state government to someday begin placing these "gantries" over other highways such as Routes 495, 290, 91, etc. They said that the tolls on the Turnpike would stop when the bonds were paid off. That didn't happen. For all these years of the Turnpike, all expenses could have been paid for by advertising along the highway. It has all been a scam, and it will continue with increased "taxation by gantry".


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Paul Faria 7 years ago

Great. Good news



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