Jun 24, 2009 1:55 pm US/Eastern
Curious Why There Are Gates At Tobin Fast Lanes
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
Every day thousands of commuters pay tolls to come into Boston across the Tobin Bridge, but some of you say there's an unnecessary hold-up.
Georgia from Hampton, NH went to our
curiosity website and asked:
"Why are there toll gates on the Fast Lane on the Tobin? It seems to me to defeat the whole purpose of the Fast Lane. It slows you down!"
You might have experienced it. You're trying to get to work, to a Red Sox game or just into Boston to shop. You have a Fast Lane transponder, but the Tobin Fast Lane gates mean you can't cruise right on through.
More Info: Fast Lane Program
One regular commuter told us, "I think they should probably just get rid of them. It's kind of annoying." Another added, "I think it's ridiculous. It slows down the traffic too much."
So what gives with the gates? "They don't defeat the purpose," said Joe Staub the deputy director of the Tobin which is operated by Massport. "You don't really have to come to a complete stop," he adds. He says the gates aren't a big deal because they react in a little less than a second so you can "roll" through.
More Info: Tobin Bridge
You don't see toll gates on the Mass Pike, but the people who run the Tobin say the configuration on the bridge means it wouldn't be safe to allow a straight shot through the fast lanes. That's because after 7 toll lanes, all the traffic squishes down to just 3 lanes heading into Boston.
"Vehicles are exiting the toll plaza at varying rates of speed. What we need to do is control that to prevent any accidents after the toll plaza when they funnel down to the 3 lanes once again," Staub said.
The gates also mean you can't sneak through, and if your transponder account is out of money you'll have to stop and pay out of pocket. "The byproduct is that we have 100% collection," says Staub. So Massport doesn't need to send out fines or spend as much on administration. That saves them money, but costs you a little time.
The Tobin toll plaza is a busy place. Massport estimates that 26 million vehicle trips are taken over the bridge each year.
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