Transportation Corridor Agencies News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bye-bye Cash…Hello Convenience

The Toll Roads in Orange County are removing cash toll collection in May 2014; Four new, nonstop ways to pay available now

IRVINE, Calif. –Jan. 06, 2014 – Cash-paying customers on the 73, 133, 241 and 261 Toll Roads in Orange County now have more ways to pay tolls that don’t require stopping at a toll plaza or fumbling for exact change.

The Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA) today introduced three new ExpressAccount™ payment options, which give customers more choices on how to pay tolls. TCA, which operates The Toll Roads (SRs 73, 133, 241 and 261) will remove all cash toll collection from the 51-mile toll road network in May 2014.

“Removing cash toll collection is a reflection of our customers’ preferences and their lifestyles,” said Lisa Bartlett, Chairwoman of the Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency and Mayor of Dana Point. “Many people already choose to pay electronically for most of their daily transactions. We want to provide that same convenience to all of our customers, while improving their experience on The Toll Roads with a nonstop, stress-free drive.”

Already 81 percent of the daily trips on The Toll Roads are paid electronically with FasTrak®, the transponderbased electronic toll collection system used by tolling agencies throughout the state of California. Currently, 16 percent are cash transactions. When asked, cash customers say they would like a variety of ways to pay tolls and a nonstop, stress-free experience on The Toll Roads.

The New ExpressAccounts – New Ways to Pay Tolls Without Stopping

With the new, transponder-free ExpressAccounts, images of a vehicle’s license plate taken on The Toll Roads are linked to an account and the appropriate toll is collected. When customers sign up for an ExpressAccount, they may choose one of three payment options:

• Prepaid – Customers open an account with a prepaid balance and tolls are deducted from the amount whenever they use The Toll Roads

• Charge – At the end of each day, customers tolls are charged to the credit card on file for each trip on The Toll Roads.
• Invoice – Customers are sent an invoice at the close of the month for tolls incurred that month; no need to use a credit card or link a bank account to your account. This account type includes an invoice fee.

ExpressAccounts can only be used on The Toll Roads (SRs 73, 133, 241 and 261). And the toll is on average 20 percent higher than the toll paid by a FasTrak customer.

“After three years of research and listening to our cash customers, we feel ExpressAccounts are what they want – different ways to pay and a nonstop drive on The Toll Roads,” said Rush Hill, Chairman of the San Joaquin Hills Transportation Agency and Newport Beach City Councilman. “This is an exciting time not only for regular commuters in Southern California, but for anyone visiting Orange County who wants a fast, reliable option to our freeways.”

One-Time-Toll™: For Visitors and Infrequent Users A payment option has been designed for infrequent toll road drivers and visitors. “One-Time-Toll” allows out-oftown guests and tourists to use The Toll Roads without establishing an ExpressAccount or a FasTrak account. These customers may use The Toll Roads at their convenience and pay their tolls within 48 hours in two convenient ways: 1) visit www.thetollroads.com to pay online or 2) download The Toll Roads mobile app and pay easily from their mobile device. The mobile app for One-Time-Toll will be available at the end of January 2014.

FasTrak: Still Lowest Tolls Customers with FasTrak, which uses transponder technology affixed to a vehicle’s windshield, will continue to pay the lowest tolls and may be used on all toll roads, lanes and bridges throughout California. The 81 percent of customers who use FasTrak won’t have to make any changes to their accounts when cash collection ceases on The Toll Roads.

The Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA) are two joint powers authorities formed by the California legislature in 1986 to plan, finance, construct and operate Orange County’s 67-mile public toll road system. Fifty-one miles of the system are complete, including the 73, 133, 241 and 261 Toll Roads. A quarter of a million people from all over Southern California use TCA’s toll roads each day and annual revenue totals $270 million. Elected officials from surrounding cities and county supervisorial districts are appointed to serve on each agency’s board of directors. Public oversight ensures that the interests of local communities and drivers are served and that TCA continues to meet the region’s growing need for congestion-free transportation alternatives.

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