"They've" done it again! "You want me to what

[Richard B the EMT]

In an attempt to speed up traffic at the toll plazas, New York City and New York State have joined, from at least 1996, a program called "EZ-Pass". This is a nationwide program (or soon will be one), which might be called a "Sun Pass" in Florida.

Vehicle owners attach a device called an RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) to either their windshields, front bumper, or front grill, a radio beam at the toll booth "reads" the device's ID number, and subtracts the toll amount from the account to which that "tag" is assigned. Vehicles slow down to about 5 miles per hour, but keep moving, as opposed to stopping and handing money to the toll-takers in the booths, which saves a bit of time. For example, if I use the Verrizano (spelling?) Bridge from Brooklyn to Staten Island, I get $10.00 removed from my account (Staten Island residents are in a "resident's discount" program, and pay a lot less). My account is replenished via one of my credit cards automatically when it goes below a certain dollar amount (I pre-selected the specific card, used for anything to do with my Chevrolet Venture Mini-Van.)

The windshield "tag" is about the size of a pack of cigarettes, and is colored white. Commercial vehicles use a blue one, and "official" vehicles, like "Cop Cars", Fire companies, and, of course, municipal ambulances, are issued red ones. The red ones are glued to the windows, so nobody can take one home for personal usage.

Here in New York City, EZ Pass is administered by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, usually by way of their "Bridge and Tunnel Authority".

The State level of the MTA is trying to explain why so may folks who don't qualify for an "Official Vehicle" "free ride" red pass, have one, and are cutting back, or cutting out, past board members. However, the newest plan to be announced is, they are going to remove the free ride status from NYPD patrol cars, FDNY engine companies, ladder companies, chief's cars, and ambulances!

Picture it: a task force of cops, fire fighters, and EMSers in a convoy, now will not only be slowed down in their response to an emergency in another borough by having to join the non "tagged" cars in the "cash only" lanes, they will have to reach into their own pockets to pay for the transit of their city or state owned vehicles over a state owned toll bridge!

Also, as they would be responding "quickly", they probably won't be waiting for a receipt to get the money back from their agency. If, due to being nearest, units based in Bay Ridge or Bensonhurst responding to Staten Island, or FDNY Rescue 5 responding into Brooklyn or the other 3 boroughs from Staten Island, and make several responses over the bridge, that can take a lot out of the driver's own pocket.

Hey, the way it is now, the city takes money out of one pocket (the "Official" vehicles), and puts it into another pocket (the MTA). Now, they're going to tax city employees for doing their city jobs in city owned vehicles on a city owned bridge or tunnel?

I'd move, but I cannot afford the toll on the bridge to "get out of Dodge"!

Newspaper article links will be posted when they become available to me.

[Dustdevil]

Seems to me that even putting these on marked official vehicles is a waste of money. I mean, when the reviewers see the picture of the back of a fire truck on the violation screen, it should be pretty evident that it was an emergency vehicle, and not to worry about it. And all those bureaucrats and volly whackers using them should be paying anyhow.

[Richard B the EMT]

Prior to the EZ Passes being implemented, per the MTA's own rules, a vehicle, other than a delivery truck, carrying medical Oxygen ready for usage, was given free transit. That probably included Vollie ambulances.

Somewhere on the forum, I posted a story of a Vollie FD company, painted their engine the then-new "fire engine lime green chrome" color. When driving over one of these BTA facilities, after refueling on the far side of it, the toll taker refused to allow them free passage, because he couldn't understand that a fire engine could be anything but painted RED!

When he found the toll plaza "surrounded" by that department's other 2 engines, 2 ambulances, and a large part of the Vollie FD's compliment in their private cars with the blue lights all lit, his sargent read him the "Riot Act", mandating the allowing of ANY fire service vehicles the free passage, despite color!

I mention this, as, for an experiment when the "fire engine lime green chrome" color first came out, at least 2 engines and truck companies of the FDNY, per each of the 5 boroughs, got that paint job. Imagine telling THEM that the vehicle wasn't a fire company! (Admittedly, the fire fighters bemoaned the color: "How could they do this to MY company?")

Actually, due to a lack of recognition by the public used to seeing red, the project fell apart, and the companies, after a year, were repainted the traditional red.

[Dustdevil]

Actually, due to a lack of recognition by the public used to seeing red, the project fell apart, and the companies, after a year, were repainted the traditional red.

Same thing allegedly happened in Dallas in the early 80s. They went back to red, and repainted many of the newer lime trucks. I refuse to believe it had anything to do with public outcry though. I think it was just another example of firemonkeys having their heads fatally stuck up the arse of "tradition", and whining about any deviation from it, evidence be damned.

[jwraider]

Just drive through.

It's something I ran into here and there doing long distance transports. I'd get to the toll plaza and just go through because it's not like I was about to shell out my own $$. The software/picture system looks up the license plate and either sends a "ticket" or they apply the charge to the appropriate account.

[emtannie]

Same thing allegedly happened in Dallas in the early 80s. They went back to red, and repainted many of the newer lime trucks. I refuse to believe it had anything to do with public outcry though. I think it was just another example of firemonkeys having their heads fatally stuck up the arse of "tradition", and whining about any deviation from it, evidence be damned.

I am aware of the Solomon study in Dallas, but are there any other studies on this? I did a quick google search and only came up with the Solomon study... (sorry Richard, I will quit hijacking your thread now)

[Dustdevil]

I am aware of the Solomon study in Dallas, but are there any other studies on this? I did a quick google search and only came up with the Solomon study... (sorry Richard, I will quit hijacking your thread now)

I don't know anything about any studies done in Dallas. The trucks were lime when I got there, except for some very old trucks that were still red. And around 81 or 82, they started repainting them all red again, giving the same excuses that Richard noted. I know there were studies done on the matter at various times, but I don't recall exactly when or where. Even the federal government is going back to red at airports now, so it must be a dead issue. Or else they just got tired of the firemonkeys whining.

[JPINFV]

I don't know anything about any studies done in Dallas. The trucks were lime when I got there, except for some very old trucks that were still red. And around 81 or 82, they started repainting them all red again, giving the same excuses that Richard noted. I know there were studies done on the matter at various times, but I don't recall exactly when or where. Even the federal government is going back to red at airports now, so it must be a dead issue. Or else they just got tired of the firemonkeys whining.

Wouldn't color be the least important at airports anyways? There isn't nearly the traffic (albeit airplane vs firetruck=no winners) like what is found in urban and suburban areas and the fire trucks would still be at the mercy of the ground controllers anyways (even if the ground controllers would do everything possible to expedite any necessary transit). I can't believe that a fire fighter who causes an incursion onto an active runway would last very long regardless of what the unit is responding to.

[Dustdevil]

I remember that there were anecdotal reports (that the government and NFPA apparently put a lot of faith in) of pilots reporting that they could see the yellow fire trucks when they couldn't see the red ones. From what I recall, these were at night. Okay... does ANYONE drive around the AOA without flashing lights on? No! But this was in the 1970s, when many crash trucks only had one little beacon on them, instead of the thousands of dollars in strobes and LEDs they have today. Not to mention all the retro-reflective striping and markings that we use today. So really, you are right... it has become a moot point on the airfield. But on the streets, the issue still deserves discussion and attention. Not that I care how many firemonkeys are killed in crashes. But, unfortunately, it is usually innocent citizens who are on the losing end of those collisions.

[reaper]

Metro/Dade used to all be yellow. I don't know if they still are, but they have been like that for years.