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FAMILY-SIZED FASTRAK®
Pilot program puts TCA FasTrak on Costco shelves; Customers can get up to $10 in free tolls at seven Costco locations
IRVINE, Calif.
(April 13, 2006) -- Signing up for FasTrak is about to get simpler if you shop at Costco. Starting at the end of April , seven Costco warehouses in Orange and Riverside counties will begin selling TCA FasTrak transponders, the windshield-mounted devices that allow drivers to travel California’s tollways at highway speeds without stopping.
The Boards of Directors of Orange County’s Transportation Corridor Agencies, the government agencies that operate the 241, 261, 133 and 73 Toll Roads in Orange County, today approved a three-month pilot program that would make it the first toll authority in California to sell FasTrak devices in retail stores.
Customers may purchase a TCA FasTrak account at participating Costco stores for $44.99 and automatically receive $5 in free tolls, for a total start-up value of $50 in tolls when the transponder is activated online. Customers can also receive an additional $5 in free tolls if the customer designates their American Express ® Card for future toll replenishment. Tolls are automatically deducted from the pre-paid FasTrak account as drivers use any California tollway that accepts FasTrak.
“ This shows how important The Toll Roads are in Orange County and how FasTrak is seen as a valuable service that major retailers want to offer their customers,” said Bert Hack, Chairman of the San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor Agency, which operates the 73 Toll Road.
“Getting FasTrak will be even more convenient for drivers who haven’t had the time to sign up,” said Ken Ryan, Chairman of the Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency.
“It’s another example of how we’re pushing the envelope -- we were the first to introduce FasTrak in 1993 and will soon become the first toll operator in the state to it available to customers through retail stores.”
"American Express is proud to join with Costco and the TCA to provide our mutual customers with added convenience and a great value," said Glenda McNeal, senior vice president and general manager, American Express Retail and Emerging Industries. "FasTrak is a great way to save time on the tollways and charging those accounts directly to an American Express Card is a great way save time paying monthly bills."
The Costco stores participating in the pilot program are Irvine, Tustin, Yorba Linda, San Juan Capistrano, two stores in Laguna Niguel, and Corona.
Before using the transponder, the customer must first activate their TCA FasTrak account online through a special website. The customer must enter the transponder ID number, a special activation code, a credit card number that will be used to replenish the pre-paid toll balance, and the vehicle and license plate information for the account.
The pilot program is expected to generate about $500,000 in new annual toll revenue for the Agencies, at an estimated total cost of $21,700. Extra Velcro ® strips, used to attach the transponder to the windshield, are included in each transponder package to allow the transponder to be moved from car to car.
ABOUT TCA FASTRAK
FasTrak is a pre-paid electronic toll-collection system that allows drivers to pay tolls automatically while driving at highway speeds through designated FasTrak lanes. FasTrak is the statewide electronic toll collection standard, and can be used on tollways and bridges such as the 91 Express Lanes between Orange and Riverside Counties, the I-15 Express Lanes in San Diego, and Bay Area bridges.
FasTrak is a registered trademark of the San Joaquin Hills and Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA), two government authorities that collectively operate the San Joaquin Hills( State Route 73), Foothill ( State Route 241), and Eastern (State Routes 261, and 133) Toll Roads in Orange County. Currently, there are more than 330,000 TCA FasTrak accounts and more than 600,000 TCA FasTrak transponders in circulation throughout California. Customers may signup for TCA FasTrak online at www.thetollroads.com or visit The Toll Roads’ Customer Service Centers in Irvine (125 Pacifica) or San Clemente (209 Avenida Del Mar).
ABOUT TCA/THE TOLL ROADS
The Toll Roads are operated by the Transportation Corridor Agencies, two joint powers authorities formed in 1986 to plan, finance, construct, and operate Orange County's 67-mile public toll road system. Fifty-one miles of the system are complete, including the San Joaquin Hills (73) Toll Road from Newport Beach to San Juan Capistrano; and the Foothill/Eastern Toll Roads (241, 261, and 133) from the 91 Freeway to south Orange County.
More: www.thetollroads.com.
ABOUT AMERICAN EXPRESS
American Express Company (www.americanexpress.com) is a diversified worldwide travel, financial and network services company founded in 1850. It is a world leader in charge and credit cards, Travelers Cheques, travel, business services and international banking.
More: www.americanexpress.com.
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