11 Investigates: Down to the wire for E-ZPass transparency legislation

HARRISBURG, Pa. — It’s been more than a year since 11 Investigates first exposed that Pennsylvania Turnpike E-ZPass customers were getting blindsided by $10 penalty charges called v-tolls.

Tonight, legislation introduced in response to our investigation made its final move through the General Assembly.

It passed the PA Senate unanimously late this afternoon, with a vote of 50-0 and passed unanimously in the House as well, with a vote of 198-0.

“Your story is what made this legislation possible,” said State Rep. Ryan Warner, who introduced the legislation after seeing our E-ZPass investigation.

The bill calls for increased toll transparency for customers, because, as our investigation discovered, customers were not notified about the $10 penalties, even though the turnpike first claimed they were.

Pushing for answers

It wasn’t until 11 Investigates Angie Moreschi pushed to find out how many people were notified that the turnpike finally acknowledged, actually, no customers had been notified about the charges for years.

“I use the turnpike all the time, and I didn’t know that v-tolls existed,” Warner told Channel 11. “I didn’t think that it was fair that people were getting charged $10 a clip for going through a toll and not knowing about it.”

11 Investigates learned more than 300,000 turnpike customers were hit with the charges in 2021 alone when their E-ZPass failed to register going through toll plazas.

The turnpike says one of the main reasons that happens is when a transponder isn’t mounted properly, but our investigation also discovered old transponders were part of the problem.

“When we looked at why those v-tolls were being generated the majority of the customers had a transponder between eight and 10 years old. That was showing the age of the transponder could be impacting the number of v-tolls,” Turnpike Toll Collections Director Stacia Ritter acknowledged during an interview with Channel 11 last September.

How it started

Turnpike customer Tony Carlisano contacted 11 Investigates last summer, after discovering he’d been hit with the $10 charges for months. The penalty increased the cost of a common, one exit toll from $1.60 to $10— more than six times as much.

“$10 a clip to go from here to Irwin! That’s one exit,” an exasperated Carlisano told Channel 11.

He didn’t know he was getting the charges until he realized his bank was being depleted so quickly by automatic turnpike withdrawals.

He was furious.

“I think it’s theft!” Carlisano said.

After our reports started to air in September of 2021, dozens of other customers also contacted Channel 11, saying they also had no idea they were getting hit with the charges until seeing our investigation.

“I saw your story and I was like I better check it,” said Pat Fetter, of Greensburg, who drives the turnpike every day to work at the VA Hospital in Oakland. He discovered $70 worth of v-tolls on his account.

“It’s wrong,” Fetter said. “They should notify you. It’s the honest thing to do.”

Increasing transparency

In direct response to our investigation, Warner introduced HB 2139, last December. It has had bipartisan support from the start.

“Every dollar counts and getting charged a $10 fee when you’re going to work and not knowing about it can really hurt somebody,” Warner said, thanking all the customers who came forward to share their stories.

The bill would require the turnpike to notify customers when they get their first $10 v-toll in a calendar year; explain the reasons why they got it— like a transponder being mounted incorrectly or needing to be replaced because it’s too old; and explain that failing to take action could lead to more fees.

Because Wednesday was the last day the General Assembly was scheduled to be in session, the rush was on to get the bill passed. At the last minute, late Tuesday, Warner’s bill was amended into another transportation bill HB 1486-- along with a handful of other bills, to expedite the process.

Warner says he would have like to see even more transparency and is considering introducing more legislation next year.

“It’s good to get this across the finish line. It is a good piece of legislation. I’m not gonna let great be the enemy of good. We’re gonna get this across the finish line. It’s gonna help people; but hey, we can keep pushing.”

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

Surveillance video, 911 call released in case of 9-year-old boy police say was murdered by father

©2022 Cox Media Group