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Congestion pricing isn’t so E-Z.
The state’s E-ZPass website crashed Monday morning during the Manhattan toll program’s first workweek rush hour.
The technological traffic jam hit after MTA officials recommended motorists make sure their E-ZPass accounts were up to date — and that their current license plate was linked to their account — or else potentially face mail-in tolls much higher than the $9 peak-hour base rate.
“The E-ZPass NY website is currently experiencing higher than normal activity,” the message stated, informing would-be users they were put in a “waiting room.”
The first-in-the-nation – and widely reviled – scheme kicked off Sunday, imposing tolls on motorists entering Manhattan south of 60th Street.
Many drivers and opponents have railed against the congestion fees, which can be coupled with existing bridge and tunnel tolls, depending on where they enter Manhattan.
Those driving passenger cars with an E-ZPass will receive a $3 credit if they enter the zone through the Lincoln, Queens-Midtown, Hugh L. Carey or Holland tunnels during peak hours.
Without an E-ZPass, drivers traveling into Manhattan from New Jersey through the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels will have to fork over $31.81 in congestion and bridge-and-tunnel tolls during peak hours.
Aaron Donovan, deputy communications director for the MTA, said the E-ZPass site’s hiccup is related to heavy traffic of the online variety.
“When site usage levels increase quickly, there is a waiting room opened for users to queue briefly before being provided access to the site,” he said. “Technicians are managing the site so wait times generally remain under one minute. This method prevents the site from crashing.”
The kerfuffle didn’t impede the traffic of online snark.
“E-ZPass website is currently experiencing unexpected congestion,” one X user wrote.
