All-electronic tolling on Powhite Parkway, the Downtown Expressway and the Boulevard Bridge is set to begin.
Why it matters: Once it does, drivers without an E-ZPass will be automatically charged double the current cash rate.
State of play: The Richmond Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced last summer that it is transitioning three major toll roads to all-electronic tolling.
- The switch to cashless tolls should happen on Powhite (and all its on-ramps) and the Boulevard Bridge (aka the Nickel Bridge) in late February or early March, RMTA spokesperson Tia Freeman tells Axios.
- The Downtown Expressway (and its ramps) will also transition to no-cash, but only at night. Cash and coin will still be accepted there from 6:30am–9pm until 2027.
Zoom in: Cashless tolls makes for a better highway driving experience, can be better for the environment since there’s less stopping and starting, and can help road operators save money on toll collectors, according to VDOT…