Newport Pell Bridge
The Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge in Newport, Rhode Island, United States, a suspension bridge that connects Newport and Jamestown, crossing the Narragansett Bay. It was built in 1969 and is featured on the reverse of the Rhode Island quarter. CC-BY-SA-3.0/Matt H. Wade at Wikipedia Matt H. Wade - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:UpstateNYer Creative Commons: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ Credit: CC-BY-SA-3.0/Matt H. Wade at Wikipedia / Matt H. Wade

The Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority (RITBA) today announced that by the end of  October 2021, tolls at the Pell Bridge will be all-electronic, eliminating the cash and credit card transactions.  

“We are continuing to modernize and streamline our operations and all-electronic tolling is the  next step,” said Lori Caron Silveira, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge  Authority in a statement. “In 2020, approximately 11% of vehicles were paying with cash or credit and it makes sense to better utilize our staff and our resources where they are needed most. We are  grateful to our toll collectors for their many years of hard work and especially appreciate their  dedication during the pandemic and this transition.” 

RITBA says that tolls collected through RITBA-issued E-ZPass transponders on eligible vehicles will continue to be charged at the published discounted rates. If a vehicle is not equipped with a transponder, the owner will receive an invoice in the mail for the toll amount due. 

“If you do not already have an E-ZPass, we strongly suggest you sign up soon,” added Lori  Caron Silveira. “We expect transponder demand to be high as October nears and want to make  sure that everyone is equipped to take advantage of the discounted toll rates.” RITBA strongly  urges existing E-ZPass customers to ensure that their account and vehicle listings are up to date  as the transition to electronic-only tolling approaches to avoid receiving invoices in the mail. 

To register for an E-ZPass visit www.ritba.org 

Ryan Belmore is the owner and publisher of What's Up Newp. He took over the publication in 2012 and has grown it into a three-time Rhode Island Monthly Best Local News Blog (2018, 2019, 2020). He was named LION Publishers Member of the Year in 2020 and received the Dominique Award from the Arts & Cultural Society of Newport County the same year. He has been awarded grants for investigative and community journalism, and continues to coach and mentor new local news publications nationwide. Ryan...