How FAST LANE Works

Transponder installed on windowThe FAST LANE system uses a small electronic tag, called a transponder, that attaches to the inside of your front windshield (as shown in the picture to the right).

As a FAST LANE (or E-ZPass) equipped vehicle travels through a FAST LANE at a toll plaza (see drawing), the transponder identifies the vehicle as a participant in the program and gives the vehicle a green light indicating the transponder has automatically recorded your toll to your FAST LANE account.

If you have a valid FAST LANE transponder and your account is in good standing, you should see a green light indicating that your transponder has been read and processed. If you see a yellow light that shows "Low Bal" (i.e. low balance), your account needs to be replenished. If you receive the top yellow "Call FAST LANE" light it indicates the following: You were recorded as a violation and you are required to contact the FAST LANE Service Center toll free at 1-877-MASSPIKE (877-627-7745) (option 2) to determine why your FAST LANE transaction was not recorded. You should not use any FAST LANE until you have contacted the FAST LANE Service Center and verified that your account is in good standing and that your transponder is working properly. If you disregard the message and continue to use FAST LANE, you will be issued violations. A violation results in a $50.00 fine per occurrence.

Technology Background

Introduction
Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) systems are a key component of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) that are being utilized by transportation authorities around the world to make traveling safer and more efficient. This ITS initiative utilizes a variety of technologies to improve the movement of people and goods via highways and public transportation. For example, high-speed electronic tolling systems, such as FAST LANE, mitigate congestion, decrease waiting times, and reduce pollution.

Technology and System Design The FAST LANE system consists of three inter-related subsystems that are linked via a fiber optic communications network to the FAST LANE Service Center. The three subsystems are:

Automatic vehicle identification
Automatic vehicle classification
Violation enforcement

Automatic vehicle identification As your car, with a FAST LANE transponder, or tag, on the windshield, approaches a FAST LANE at a toll plaza, the tag begins communicating with an antenna in the lane. The ID number that is programmed into the tag is verified by a computer in the lane, the account to which the tag is assigned is looked up to determine whether it is in good standing, and, if all is in order, the toll transaction is posted in the lane and recorded in the memory of the tag, and you get a green light. All of this occurs in milliseconds while your car is in a read zone approximately 10 feet in length. The transponder is a 2 way radio and microprocessor, operating in the 900 mHz band.

Automatic vehicle classification The amount of the toll you pay is based on the number of axles and wheels on your vehicle, as well as where you are traveling. Classification of vehicles in a FAST LANE is accomplished through the use of automatic sensors that count axles, detect dual wheels, and count vehicles with a high degree of precision.

Violation enforcement In each FAST LANE there is a front and rear digital camera that captures images of the license plate of every vehicle that passes through the FAST LANE. If this vehicle is determined to be a violator, images are transferred to a violation center for processing.

System Specifications

FAST LANE Throughput:
2,000 vehicles/hr/lane
Transponder Density:
One FAST LANE transponder per vehicle.
Accuracy:
99.9 percent
Security:
Tag-to-tag reader communications use error checking.
Operating Frequency Band:
912.750 to 918.750 MegaHertz.
Transponder Operating Temperature:
-40 degrees F to 158 degrees F
Interior Transponder Attachment Method:
Fastener strips