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E-ZPass IAG chief on new style transponders from Mark IV - CLARIFICATION
Posted on Tue, 2007-05-22 11:55
South Carolina uses electronic toll equipment that is technically compatible with E-ZPass but they aren't part of E-ZPass and the Inter Agency Group (IAG) that sets equipment standards, negotiates purchase prices for the whole, and most importantly does clearing house operations with toll transponders of one another's members. We wrote in the tenth paragraph of our earlier report that "they (South Carolina) aren't part of the Inter Agency Group."
Not being members of the E-ZPass IAG they cannot process IAG transactions and their Palmetto Pass transponders won't work outside the state.
James A Crawford, executive director for the Inter Agency Group of E-ZPass thinks those points didn't come through in the report we ran on Mark IV's new more compact transponder being shipped to South Carolina. See several articles below
Looking back at our report, the IAG boss has a point. We called it an "E-ZPass transponder" in the headline and again in the first sentence. That was a mistake.
We should have called it an "E-ZPass-technology transponder" or an "E-ZPass-standard transponder" in the sense that it is manufactured by Mark IV to the same E-ZPass standard to which they manufacture transponders for sale to IAG members, though it may not be certified by the IAG as standard.
Tough to compress these subtleties into into a headline.
It may seem like splitting hairs to some, but for others these are important distinctions.
IAG chief's email
Crawford's email is of interest on other issues too, so here it is in full so readers can draw their own conclusions:
"In your current article entitled: "Mark IV shipping newly styled E-ZPass transponder to SC - plus a meandering interview" in Toll Roads News, you give the impression that South Carolina's toll facilities are part of the E-ZPass system. They are not. The product sold by Mark IV to South Carolina is not processed by any member of the E-ZPass system. Further, the E-ZPass member agencies have not accepted the new tag from Mark IV for service at this time.
"I request that you clarify in any future articles that Mark IV may sell equipment to agencies outside the E-ZPass Interagency Group, but this does not make that equipment compatible with E-ZPass. Further, there is an obligation on the part of Mark IV not to sell transponders that are fully compatible with the E-ZPass network without our permission. The product sold to South Carolina only has to be compatible with their older equipment, not that on the E-ZPass network.
"I should also point out that you missed one of the key elements in the new tag. It is designed to reduce production costs through a more compact design. I assume that South Carolina has had a major price reduction in accepting this tag over previous versions of the interior windshield tag.
"Finally, while some may dislike the looks of the current transponder, that is not the experience of the E-ZPass Interagency Group. Indeed we find that over 90% of all patrons are very happy with their E-ZPass.
"Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to note these issues.
James A. Crawford
Executive Director
E-ZPass Interagency Group
25 S. New York Ave.
Atlantic City, NJ 08401"
COMMENT
Either design look would suit us fine, since it's the utility and functionality we love. But over 90% acceptance of the look of the present transponder still leaves a substantial market - say a million out of 16m? - for something different.
We guess like any manufacturing company Mark IV is always looking to reduce costs but smaller doesn't necessarily mean lower cost. We got the impression the SC transponder is mainly a physical rearrangement of components, not a technical redesign. But Jim Crawford is doing his job for the member toll agencies in using every opportunity to hustle Mark IV for a lower transponder price.
BACKGROUND
It has been commonplace through the 14 year history of E-ZPass and the IAG for states and toll agencies to have Mark IV supplied E-ZPass-standard electronic toll equipment - transponders and roadside readers - while not being part of the IAG. Maryland had an M-Tag only usable on Maryland toll facilities, which was why many residents of Maryland - like me - got Pennsylvania or New Jersey
Turnpike transponders 6 or 7 years ago. The NJ and Penn Pike transponders and M-TAG were identical physically but business arrangements allowed the ones from the Penn or NJ pikes to be used across many states' toll facilities as part of the IAG while the M-TAG could only be used on the Baltimore harbor tunnels and Maryland's toll bridges.
I-Pass in Illinois and Virginia's Smart Tag developed as huge independent electronic toll systems that until quite recently were not integrated with the E-ZPass IAG group although they also had E-ZPass-standard equipment. South Carolina is therefore following a familiar pattern in buying E-ZPass standard equipment while staying outside E-ZPass IAG.
South Carolina has only two toll facilities - Hilton Head Island on the Atlantic coast and the Greenville Southern Connector way up the northwest of the state near Atlanta. Their electronic toll system including maintenance, customer service, establishment of customer accounts and the purchase and issue of transponders is done by ACS who inherited the contract to SCDOT from Lockheed Martin. That contract is being closed out and there's an RFP in the works for a new system and a new operations contract.
North Carolina is gearing up to build a bunch of toll facilities. No decision has been made there on what system they'll adopt. Given the heavy movements between NC and Virginia - part of E-ZPass IAG despite their different branding Smart Tag - there are lots of E-ZPass equipped vehicles in NC, and the lure of the IAG will be hard for them to resist, making it likely SC will go full E-ZPass IAG also.
Georgia is happily an independent system so long as only GA400 - almost totally local commuters - is tolled. But with truck tolling on the I-75 and belt I-285 in the works there will be an influx into Georgia of interstate vehicles carrying E-ZPass IAG and ASTMv6, and Fusion E-ZPass/ASTMv6 combined transponders on new toll lanes which could make E-ZPass readers compelling there.
The E-ZPass IAG octopus is reaching its tentacles further from its origins in the northeast each year. Despite that imagery, that is great. It means more efficient use of equipment and greater convenience for motorists.
Management of the IAG cooperative however becomes ever more complicated.
CORRECTION: We referred to the new Mark IV design as moving indicator lights to the edge. That's the new look Mark IV ASTMv6 or TDMA transponder used by PrePass trucks bypassing weigh stations, 407ETR and most recently adopted in Alaska for tolling.
SC Palmetto Pass transponders don't have indicator lights.
TOLLROADSnews 2007-05-22
South Carolina uses electronic toll equipment that is technically compatible with E-ZPass but they aren't part of E-ZPass and the Inter Agency Group (IAG) that sets equipment standards, negotiates purchase prices for the whole, and most importantly does clearing house operations with toll transponders of one another's members. We wrote in the tenth paragraph of our earlier report that "they (South Carolina) aren't part of the Inter Agency Group." Not being members of the E-ZPass IAG they cannot process IAG transactions and their Palmetto Pass transponders won't work outside the state.
James A Crawford, executive director for the Inter Agency Group of E-ZPass thinks those points didn't come through in the report we ran on Mark IV's new more compact transponder being shipped to South Carolina. See several articles below
Looking back at our report, the IAG boss has a point. We called it an "E-ZPass transponder" in the headline and again in the first sentence. That was a mistake.
We should have called it an "E-ZPass-technology transponder" or an "E-ZPass-standard transponder" in the sense that it is manufactured by Mark IV to the same E-ZPass standard to which they manufacture transponders for sale to IAG members, though it may not be certified by the IAG as standard.
Tough to compress these subtleties into into a headline.
It may seem like splitting hairs to some, but for others these are important distinctions.
IAG chief's emailCrawford's email is of interest on other issues too, so here it is in full so readers can draw their own conclusions:
"In your current article entitled: "Mark IV shipping newly styled E-ZPass transponder to SC - plus a meandering interview" in Toll Roads News, you give the impression that South Carolina's toll facilities are part of the E-ZPass system. They are not. The product sold by Mark IV to South Carolina is not processed by any member of the E-ZPass system. Further, the E-ZPass member agencies have not accepted the new tag from Mark IV for service at this time.
"I request that you clarify in any future articles that Mark IV may sell equipment to agencies outside the E-ZPass Interagency Group, but this does not make that equipment compatible with E-ZPass. Further, there is an obligation on the part of Mark IV not to sell transponders that are fully compatible with the E-ZPass network without our permission. The product sold to South Carolina only has to be compatible with their older equipment, not that on the E-ZPass network.
"I should also point out that you missed one of the key elements in the new tag. It is designed to reduce production costs through a more compact design. I assume that South Carolina has had a major price reduction in accepting this tag over previous versions of the interior windshield tag.
"Finally, while some may dislike the looks of the current transponder, that is not the experience of the E-ZPass Interagency Group. Indeed we find that over 90% of all patrons are very happy with their E-ZPass.
"Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to note these issues.
James A. Crawford
Executive Director
E-ZPass Interagency Group
25 S. New York Ave.
Atlantic City, NJ 08401"
COMMENT
Either design look would suit us fine, since it's the utility and functionality we love. But over 90% acceptance of the look of the present transponder still leaves a substantial market - say a million out of 16m? - for something different.
We guess like any manufacturing company Mark IV is always looking to reduce costs but smaller doesn't necessarily mean lower cost. We got the impression the SC transponder is mainly a physical rearrangement of components, not a technical redesign. But Jim Crawford is doing his job for the member toll agencies in using every opportunity to hustle Mark IV for a lower transponder price.
BACKGROUND
It has been commonplace through the 14 year history of E-ZPass and the IAG for states and toll agencies to have Mark IV supplied E-ZPass-standard electronic toll equipment - transponders and roadside readers - while not being part of the IAG. Maryland had an M-Tag only usable on Maryland toll facilities, which was why many residents of Maryland - like me - got Pennsylvania or New Jersey
Turnpike transponders 6 or 7 years ago. The NJ and Penn Pike transponders and M-TAG were identical physically but business arrangements allowed the ones from the Penn or NJ pikes to be used across many states' toll facilities as part of the IAG while the M-TAG could only be used on the Baltimore harbor tunnels and Maryland's toll bridges.I-Pass in Illinois and Virginia's Smart Tag developed as huge independent electronic toll systems that until quite recently were not integrated with the E-ZPass IAG group although they also had E-ZPass-standard equipment. South Carolina is therefore following a familiar pattern in buying E-ZPass standard equipment while staying outside E-ZPass IAG.
South Carolina has only two toll facilities - Hilton Head Island on the Atlantic coast and the Greenville Southern Connector way up the northwest of the state near Atlanta. Their electronic toll system including maintenance, customer service, establishment of customer accounts and the purchase and issue of transponders is done by ACS who inherited the contract to SCDOT from Lockheed Martin. That contract is being closed out and there's an RFP in the works for a new system and a new operations contract.
North Carolina is gearing up to build a bunch of toll facilities. No decision has been made there on what system they'll adopt. Given the heavy movements between NC and Virginia - part of E-ZPass IAG despite their different branding Smart Tag - there are lots of E-ZPass equipped vehicles in NC, and the lure of the IAG will be hard for them to resist, making it likely SC will go full E-ZPass IAG also.
Georgia is happily an independent system so long as only GA400 - almost totally local commuters - is tolled. But with truck tolling on the I-75 and belt I-285 in the works there will be an influx into Georgia of interstate vehicles carrying E-ZPass IAG and ASTMv6, and Fusion E-ZPass/ASTMv6 combined transponders on new toll lanes which could make E-ZPass readers compelling there.
The E-ZPass IAG octopus is reaching its tentacles further from its origins in the northeast each year. Despite that imagery, that is great. It means more efficient use of equipment and greater convenience for motorists.
Management of the IAG cooperative however becomes ever more complicated.
CORRECTION: We referred to the new Mark IV design as moving indicator lights to the edge. That's the new look Mark IV ASTMv6 or TDMA transponder used by PrePass trucks bypassing weigh stations, 407ETR and most recently adopted in Alaska for tolling.
SC Palmetto Pass transponders don't have indicator lights.
TOLLROADSnews 2007-05-22
