WESTFIELD – With the impending reinstatement of tolls in the six western-most exits of the Massachusetts Turnpike on October 15, residents of western Mass. are scrambling to act accordingly, either finding new routes to work or acquiring new E-ZPass transponders.
On Friday, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, or MassDOT, announced that they will be holding eight sessions throughout Hampden County to assist residents in signing up for their E-ZPass devices at select Big Y Supermarkets.
On Wednesday October 9, MassDOT is slated to make an appearance at the Big Y on East Main Street in Westfield starting at 10 a.m. and ending at 3 p.m.
Earlier this month, the DOT’s street team showed up in Chicopee to hold a similar signup session.
“This is the beginning of a public information campaign,” said Department of Transportation Administrator Frank DePaola in Chicopee at that event. “We’re getting a large public response and I’m encouraged. People got the message (today).”
“We got to go through with it, whether we like it or not,” said Fred Horak of Westfield, who was signing up on September 5 with his wife, Lois. “But I liked the old way better – free.”
Indeed, after seventeen years without having to pay a cent from West Stockbridge to Springfield, Interstate 90 patrons in Westfield will have to fork over 45 cents to trek from Exit 3 to Exit 6 Springfield/Interstate 291.
“It sucks,” said Westfield resident Lynn Carboneau of the new-ish tolls. “This is ridiculous. The Pike’s been paid for a million times.”
Free to join, the E-ZPass program will be giving transponders to customers onsite upon registration next month in Westfield.
Automobile operators residing in western Mass. who already use the program may come by on October 9 to trade in their orange transponders for a new white device, as their current transponders will not work as of October 15.
According to the DOT, more than 45,000 E-ZPass accounts have been opened since June, and more than 60,000 transponders have been issued during that time span.
Other dates and locations for transponder registration and exchanges in Hampden County will beWednesday, October 2 at the Holyoke Mall, Saturday, October 5 at the Willimansett Street Big Y in South Hadley, Saturday, October 12 at the Cooley Street Big Y in Springfield, Wednesday, October 16 at the St. James Avenue Big Y in Springfield, Saturday, October 19 at the Center Street Big Y in Ludlow, and Wednesday, October 23 at the Boston Road Big Y in Wilbraham.
