A December Star Ledger article comparing the effects of the electronic toll collection system found that while E-ZPass on the New Jersey Turnpike has substantially reduced delays at toll plazas, it has done little on the Garden State Parkway to improve traffic flow. New Jersey Highway Authority Executive Director Lewis Thurston told the Ledger that the lack of dramatic improvement is due to the lower percentage of drivers paying with E-ZPass on Parkway.

In fact, the difference in E-ZPass usage on the Turnpike and Parkway is not great. Currently, the average daily percentage of drivers paying electronically on the Parkway is roughly 37%, while the Turnpike's average was reported in December as slightly higher than 40%. The Turnpike's advantage increases at rush hour when usage reaches 55% compared to the Parkway's 41%, but still does not explain the glaring difference in impact. Rather, it seems more likely that toll plaza design and placement are to blame.

While tolls are collected at exit ramps on the Turnpike, the Parkway's toll plazas stretch across the highway itself, requiring all traffic on the highway to frequently slow down or stop. Ironically, the Turnpike rather than the Parkway has embraced non-stop tolling technology that allows drivers to pass through toll booths at normal highway speeds (MTR #289).

Another bill, A35 and its Senate companion, S1702, would force the Parkway to replace their antiquated toll plazas with non-stop facilities. Both bills have been stalled since October over funding questions (MTR #292). Legislators truly interested in removing congestion from the Parkway should turn their attention to resolving this issue.