Inter Agency Group

The E-ZPass Inter Agency Group (IAG) is close to a final decision on a new tag-reader system to replace the 1990s technology of the present battery powered transponders. The procurement process for a new system started in 2005 making it one of the most protracted or exhaustive equipment selections in the history of US tolling.

One official apparently in the know told us the decision is "imminent."

Jim Crawford, the blunt spoken executive-director of the E-ZPass Inter Agency Group (IAG) will step down from his position at the country's leading electronic toll collection cooperative when his employment contract expires in late May 2010. The search has begun for his successor.

TransCore have their eye on the huge E-ZPass Inter Agency Group (IAG) recompete - or its collapse - with bold announcements today that they have added a straight existing-IAG standard transponder to their current product line, plus added 5.9GHz add-on capability to the Encompass 6, their main reader offering.

Mark IV, manufacturers of E-ZPass transponders and readers for the E-ZPass Inter Agency Group (IAG) members claim that rivals TransCore are violating several of their patents on the Greenville Southern Connector.

Highway Toll Administration LLC (HTA) an electronic toll services company and Avis Budget car rental group announced an agreement with toll system supplier TransCore today to promote its 'eZGo Anywhere' transponder. A headline on the press release suggests the multiprotocol transponder is being rolled out now (see full text below). However a roll-out requires a transponder to be tested and accepted by toll authorities, and this has not occurred.

Mark IV is well positioned to win the E-ZPass recompete. Close analysis of the Request For Proposals (RFP) from the E-ZPass Inter Agency Group (IAG) indicates it will be difficult for competitors to put up competitive bids. Indeed implementing any new technology from the existing Mark IV transponders will be tough.

Michael Ascher says the IAG did not capitulate to the special interests of the Garden State Parkway or any others in choosing Mark IV back in March 1994. He says cost was a major factor in Mark IV being given the sole source contract rather than the favorite going in, Amtech. Ascher was chairman of the executive committee meeting that decided the contract March 18 1994 in the Robert Moses Building of the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority on a snowy Friday evening.

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."

Illinois Tollway are strongly protesting commuter discounts planned on the Indiana Toll Road when transponder tolling begins later this year. Under present plans the ITR concession company will only offer discounts to holders of Indiana I-Zoom accounts, not to motorists with Illinois' I-PASS or eastern states E-ZPass accounts and transponders.