M-Tag
Encyclopedia
M-TAG refers to the first generation of Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) system used in the state of Maryland
by the Maryland Transportation Authority
(MdTA) from 1999 to 2001.
The request for proposal for the system was issued by the authority in 1995.
The contractor awarded the contract for the state of Maryland that developed the M-TAG software was Lockheed Martin
IMS Division.
M-TAG / E-ZPass
is an electronic toll-collection system available at all MdTA Toll facilities: the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel, the Fort McHenry Tunnel, and the Francis Scott Key Bridge
. When it came on line in 1999, the system was known as M-TAG. As of October 2001 the system became reciprocal with the other E-ZPass Toll agencies and Maryland then renamed the ETC system to E-ZPass. At that time the JFK Memorial Highway joined, followed by the William Preston Lane Memorial (Bay) Bridge
and the Harry W. Nice Bridge, and the Thomas J. Hatem Bridge was the last to come up in April 2002. E-ZPass allows a customer to drive from Virginia
to Maine
and Illinois
without stopping to pay tolls. A driver receives a small radio frequency transponder to place on the inside of a vehicle's windshield. Equipment in the toll lanes records the transactions, and trips are automatically deducted from the customer's account.
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
by the Maryland Transportation Authority
Maryland Transportation Authority
The Maryland Transportation Authority is an independent state agency responsible for financing, constructing, operating, and maintaining eight toll facilities, currently consisting of two toll roads, two tunnels, and four bridges in Maryland...
(MdTA) from 1999 to 2001.
The request for proposal for the system was issued by the authority in 1995.
The contractor awarded the contract for the state of Maryland that developed the M-TAG software was Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
IMS Division.
M-TAG / E-ZPass
E-ZPass
E-ZPass is an electronic toll-collection system used on most tolled roads, bridges, and tunnels in the northeastern US, south to Virginia and West Virginia, and west to Illinois. Currently, there are 25 agencies spread across 14 states that make up the . All member agencies use the same technology,...
is an electronic toll-collection system available at all MdTA Toll facilities: the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel, the Fort McHenry Tunnel, and the Francis Scott Key Bridge
Francis Scott Key Bridge (Baltimore)
The Francis Scott Key Bridge, also known as the Outer Harbor Bridge or simply the Key Bridge, is a continuous truss bridge spanning the Patapsco River in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. The main span of is the third longest span of any continuous truss in the world.The bridge was opened in March 1977...
. When it came on line in 1999, the system was known as M-TAG. As of October 2001 the system became reciprocal with the other E-ZPass Toll agencies and Maryland then renamed the ETC system to E-ZPass. At that time the JFK Memorial Highway joined, followed by the William Preston Lane Memorial (Bay) Bridge
Chesapeake Bay Bridge
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge is a major dual-span bridge in the U.S. state of Maryland. Spanning the Chesapeake Bay, it connects the state's rural Eastern Shore region with the more urban Western Shore. The original span opened in 1952 and, at the time, with a length of , it was the world's longest...
and the Harry W. Nice Bridge, and the Thomas J. Hatem Bridge was the last to come up in April 2002. E-ZPass allows a customer to drive from Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
to Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
and Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
without stopping to pay tolls. A driver receives a small radio frequency transponder to place on the inside of a vehicle's windshield. Equipment in the toll lanes records the transactions, and trips are automatically deducted from the customer's account.