***CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PLAN UPDATE***
7 MONTHS REMAINING TO PAY AND SAVE
Increase in Call Center Staff Significantly Reduces Call and Web Chat Wait Times;
7 Months Remaining: Civil Penalty Waiver Grace Period Continues Through November 30, 2022
BALTIMORE, MD (April 27, 2022) – Two months after the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) Board approved a new Customer Assistance Plan, the agency is continuing to offer a civil penalty waiver grace period for customers who pay their unpaid Video Tolls by 11:59 p.m. November 30, 2022. With the success of the program, call volumes have significantly dropped, and the agency has quadrupled its call center staff, reducing wait times to help more people with billing questions and other needs.
During the nine-month Customer Assistance plan, for every Video Toll transaction paid in full, the corresponding civil penalty is waived. In addition, toll bill referrals to the Central Collection Unit (CCU) and MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA) have ceased until December 1, 2022. It’s important to remember that the Customer Assistance Plan is not toll forgiveness nor an elimination of tolls owed. Tolling remains in effect statewide, and drivers are responsible for paying the outstanding toll amount owed.
Seven Months Remaining to Pay and Save
Customers have seven months remaining to take advantage of this limited time opportunity. As of April 16, 2022, $11.4 million in civil penalties have been waived for approximately 71,000 drivers and businesses that have paid their outstanding Video Tolls. For customers who choose not to pay their Video Tolls before the due date on the notice, mailings of citations/civil penalties will continue during the grace period and will remain in effect if tolls are not paid by 11:59 p.m. November 30, 2022, at which time the grace period ends. On December 1, 2022, all unpaid tolls and civil penalties will be due based on the printed due dates, and toll debt referrals to CCU and MDOT MVA will resume.
Customers with unpaid Video Tolls can pay by the following methods:
- Visit https://csc.driveezmd.com/pay-tolls-now.
- Mail the bottom portion of the notice(s) along with your check/money order (do not send cash) payable to:
Maryland Transportation Authority
P.O. Box 12853
Philadelphia, PA 19176-0853
- Use the automated call system 24/7 at 1-866-320-9995 (select Option 1 for Notice of Toll Due, then enter the mailing number on the notice when prompted).
- Visit an in-person Customer Service Center.
While Maryland tolls remained in effect during the pandemic, the MDTA paused processing of certain transactions and deferred billing for these items in response to customers and businesses who had significant financial strains from nationwide shutdowns and layoffs. The MDTA will continue posting COVID-19 deferred tolls into summer 2022. If you believe you received or paid a toll charge and/or civil penalty in error, please call 1-888-321-6824, and the MDTA will review on a case-by-case basis to determine eligibility for reimbursement.
Significantly Reduced Wait Times
MDTA’s tolling vendor has increased the number of customer service agents to help achieve MDTA’s standard of exceptional customer service. The DriveEzMD call center staffing fell to 60 agents in 2021 during the pandemic, but has more than quadrupled with implementation of the Customer Assistance Plan. Typical call and web chat wait times are now less than a few minutes, and often there is no wait to speak with an agent. The Customer Service Call Center (1-888-321-6824) is open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
Services at our in-person Customer Service Centers (CSC) have also expanded for customers’ convenience. This week, the MDTA opened a new DriveEzMD E-ZPass Maryland CSC in the MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration Essex Branch on Eastern Boulevard in Baltimore. The Bay Bridge (US 50/301), Fort McHenry Tunnel (I-95) and JFK Memorial Highway (I-95) CSC locations have added customer service stations within their existing space.
Three Ways to Keep You Moving & Saving
E-ZPass remains the most cost-effective way to travel toll roads in Maryland, saving drivers up to 77% versus the higher rates and additional paperwork that come with Video Tolls. Standard transponders (windshield-mounted) are free and there’s no monthly fee for Maryland addresses. Accounts without a Maryland address are charged a $1.50 monthly account maintenance fee unless Maryland toll facilities are traveled at least three times in the previous statement period. Please note the following to ensure the lowest toll rate for your E-ZPass account:
- Keep vehicle and billing information up to date (e.g., check for expired credit cards etc.).
- Maintain a positive balance.
- Make sure your vehicle and vehicle tag is listed on your account.
- Properly mount your E-ZPass transponder prior to traveling a toll facility.
- Verify you’re traveling frequently enough for your discount plan.
NOTE: Unfunded E-ZPass accounts with a negative balance are set to inactive status, resulting in trips on Maryland toll roads being charged at Video Toll rates – and not counted toward commuter discount plans. Customers may enroll in automatic replenishment via a linked credit card or bank account. As we continue posting deferred toll trips, accounts may see more automatic replenishment charges. Pay-By-Plate is an alternative method for paying tolls at Maryland toll facilities. Tolls are automatically billed to the driver’s registered credit card as they use Maryland toll facilities, with no need for a transponder or pre-paid toll deposit. Learn more and enroll in E-ZPass or sign up for Pay-By-Plate today at DriveEzMD.com.
With DriveEzMD, motorists who travel Maryland toll roads without E-ZPass or Pay-By-Plate – our Video Tolling customers – have an opportunity to save 15% (maximum of $5 per transaction) by paying their Video Tolls before the notice is mailed. Since May 2021, customers have saved roughly $2.3 million by taking advantage of this 15% Early Video Toll Payment Discount.
The Maryland Transportation Authority finances, owns, operates, secures and improves the state’s eight toll facilities. The MDTA is financed by toll revenue without relying on state tax dollars. MDTA Board Members, appointed by the governor with consent of the State Senate, serve as the agency’s policy-setting and governing body. Maryland's Secretary of Transportation serves as MDTA Chair.
