The tolling system was developed based on the principles of ease of use, superior customer service, convenience and fairness.

It will use what is known as Open Road Tolling, which means that exhaust emissions from idling cars at toll booths are eliminated and bridge users don’t need to worry about exact change or delays. Open road tolling is also much safer than traditional toll booths. Instead, users' trips will be recorded through a tolling sticker that can be attached to their windshield or by license plate identification as they pass under the tolling station.

The cameras will also be capable of identifying out of province licence plates to ensure that all bridge users are able to pay for their use of the bridge.

There will be multiple payment options for every type of user – those that wish to pay in person, those that prefer to pay online or with a smart phone, those that wish to have an account for convenient automatic payment and those that wish to pay-per-use.

ELECTRONIC STICKER

As vehicles travel over the bridge, a radio signal from the sticker (decal that sticks to your car windshield) is sent to a receiver on the bridge, identifying the vehicle. With a form of payment linked to the device, such as a bank account or credit card, payment is made automatically. Using an electronic device to automatically calculate usage and make a payment will be the most efficient and cost‐effective method for regular and occasional users.

This technology is similar to that in use on the Golden Ears Bridge. Although TranLink currently uses what's known as a transponder, and the electronic equipment that reads the transponder and the sticker is the same.  The PMH1 and Golden Ears Bridge electronic tolling systems will be fully interoperable with each other so that users of both bridges can use a single toll device.

PAYMENT OPTIONS

Users who wish to pay as they go, rather than using an electronic toll device, may do so using a variety of methods, such as online, by phone, or in person at the tolling operations centres on either side of the bridge. They will be able to pay before or after using the bridge.

Bridge users will make a payment and provide their licence plate and the system will automatically reconcile the payment against the record of the bridge crossing captured by the system’s cameras.

TI Corp is conducting research on best practices in other jurisdictions where tolling is used with key stakeholders on how to make the system as fair and easy to use as possible. As part of the research, TI Corp will be analyzing the potential traffic and financial implications of various pricing measures and will confirm a refined pricing, product and customer service structure in 2012.

More information on payment and registration options, including where and how to pay and how long customers will have to pay and will be available in early 2012.