E-Z PASS EXPANDS NEW YORK BEACHHEAD TO JERSEY, BEYOND

Drivers on the George Washington Bridge, which spans the Hudson River between New Jersey and New York City, can now drive past toll booths with windows closed as E-Z Pass tags on their windshields tote up their tolls electronically and deduct them from a prepaid account. The same system is already in use on the New York State Thruway and bridges and tunnels of New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority. In two years, the E-Z Pass system will be in operation on toll roads and bridges throughout New Jersey, with extensions planned for Delaware and Maryland. Ultimately, customers will be able to maintain one account for use on all participating bridges, tunnels, and toll roads from Delaware to the Canadian border. A similar system, known as FasTrak, is expanding in California.