MTA to bill City agencies for E-ZPass use

Following a contentious debate, the MTA Board voted today to charge City agencies for their E-ZPass uses. For years, Police and Fire Department vehicles were equipped with free E-ZPass tags, but this allowance cost the MTA around $10 million a year. With money tight and E-ZPass use under recent scrutiny, the transit agency, in a close vote with Mayor Bloomberg’s board reps dissenting, has opted to charge the agencies for their toll use. As The Times’ William Neuman reports, city officials argued that “it was legitimate for public vehicles conducting official business to use the E-ZPass tags free of charge,” but the MTA Board no longer buys into this line of reasoning.