Monthly E-ZPass fees for new customers

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - The Virginia Department of Transportation has stepped back its plans to charge E-ZPass users a monthly fee.

The department said Monday it would not charge those with existing transponders the proposed $1 fee. Instead, those customers will be charged a 50-cent monthly fee for each new transponder they order or $1 per month for each Flex transponder, which allows them to switch to a free mode on certain roads when they're carpooling.

All new E-ZPass customers after Monday will pay the monthly fees.

Thousands of Virginians submitted public comments on the proposal, and most were against the new fees.

Several new toll roads are scheduled to open over the next few years. The department says the fees are needed to keep up with the costs of operating the E-ZPass program.