PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) – House Speaker Don Scott is urging Hampton Roads residents to apply for toll relief.
Scott said too many people don’t know that some toll relief has been in place in the area since 2017.
“I’m asking people to go out and get it,” Scott said. “Right now we have an issue with people not signing up for the toll relief and it’s not being fully utilized.”
by Virginia Department of TransportationPeople who use the Downtown or Midtown tunnels and make $65,000 or less a year can go to an E-ZPass customer service center in Portsmouth or Norfolk and provide proof of residency and income to apply for relief.
“Oh, that’s it?” asked Norfolk resident Robin Scott. “We didn’t know that.”
Portsmouth resident Lisa McDonald told 10 On Your Side she’s familiar with toll abatement.
“I call it free money,” McDonald said. “Get free money. It’s free money.”
Scott urged people who can to sign petitions to ask for toll relief.
“We need to show the Department of Transportation that there’s a demand for toll relief, so we need to get everyone who is eligible for toll relief to sign up,” Scott said. “It’s really, really simple.”
More than 18,500 people are currently signed up for ERC-funded toll relief, according to Elizabeth River Crossing Communications (ERC) manager Carly Briere, and last year the ERC thought it could better serve more customers with toll relief.
“So we raised the income threshold from $50,000 to $65,000 and increased the number of discounted rides up to 14,” Briere said, “so two rides a day, seven days a week. And we’ve continued that effort, increasing our endowment to that point to $3.4 million, a 3.5 percent increase each year. So we’re really proud that we have 18,551 people signed up.”
The toll relief program, which began in 2017, initially only allowed Portsmouth and Norfolk residents earning less than $30,000 a year to receive a 75-cent discount on each toll after paying the full toll eight times a month.
In 2022, the program was expanded to all 17 cities and counties in the Hampton Roads region with annual incomes of $50,000 or less. The expansion allows for 10 trips per week at a 50% discount.
The person who registered ERC Toll Reduction You will automatically receive a 50% discount on up to 14 passenger vehicle trips per week that qualify for travel through the Downtown or Midtown Tunnels. Previous participants must re-enroll annually. See discount requirements below.
Eligibility Requirements for ERC Toll Relief
- Annual income of $65,000 or less
- Residing in Hampton Roads
- You must drive a passenger vehicle (vehicles with two or more axles are not eligible)
- Virginia E-ZPass transponder required
Proof of residence (only one required)
- driver’s license
- Mortgage or lease
- utility bills
- Military orders
Acceptable proof of income (only one required)
- W-2, 1099-MISC, or IRS 1040
- Salary statement (1 month)
- Letter from your employer
- Self-reporting of no income
Where can you register for the ERC Toll Reduction Scheme?
- Norfolk E-ZPass Service Center
1701 Church Street, Norfolk, VA 23504
Monday to Friday: 9am to 7pm
Saturday: 8am – 1pm - Portsmouth E-ZPass Service Centre
4010 Victory Blvd., Portsmouth, VA 23701
Monday to Friday: 9am to 7pm
Saturday: 8am – 1pm - DriveERT Customer Care Center
309 County Street, Portsmouth, VA 23704
Monday to Friday: 8am to 5pm
The new plan is expected to come into effect by January 1, 2025, in addition to ongoing ERC toll relief.
The new plan from the state Legislature would add another $101 million over the next two years for toll relief.
Starting Jan. 1, residents of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News and Franklin who make less than $50,000 a year will be able to use the Downtown and Midtown tunnels for free up to 14 times a week, have their personal toll debt forgiven and receive a free E-ZPass transponder.
VDOT Director of Operations David Caudill said the new plan will require more revenue information.
“Our program is going to reach out to them directly,” Caudill said. “We have the information to allow us to do that and say, ‘These changes are being implemented.'”
Suffolk Mayor Mike Duman told 10 On Your Side he was surprised they weren’t included in the new relief program, and said Suffolk is feeling the stress, too.
“My goal is to look at this in the near future and see how we can adjust the metrics to include other Hampton Roads regional cities and also Suffolk,” Duman said.
WAVY reached out to Scott about Duman’s concerns about the areas that would receive the new toll relief.
“We’ll look at that and see where we can add Suffolk,” Scott said. “We’ve added Gloucester, Hampton and Newport News, so it wouldn’t be unusual for us to go back and see if we can add additional regions.”
Scott said it was important to get the word out about the toll relief.
“I think it’s really important that 10 On Your Side is covering this story because it helps the public learn what they can do to help ease the burden of having to pay tolls every day,” Scott said. “The more information we can provide to hardworking Virginians who have to pay tolls through no fault of their own, the better off we’ll be.”
For more information about the ERC Toll Relief Program, here.
