Move coincides with a two-tiered toll increase that provides a lower rate to EXpressToll customers

E-470 will begin its transition to a cashless, non-stop tolling system on January 1 by offering License Plate Toll, the first phase of a program to discontinue cash toll collection by July 4. The change will allow drivers without EXpressToll transponders to drive the toll road and pay later through photo-based license plate billing. Although a scheduled toll increase will occur on January 1, E-470's EXpressToll customers will pay less than the new standard rates that will apply to License Plate Toll and cash customers.

Beginning Thursday, photos will be taken of the front and rear license plates of vehicles whose drivers choose not to pay by cash and whose vehicles are not equipped with EXpressToll transponders. The registered owner of the vehicle will receive a License Plate Toll bill in the mail a month later. Those who fail to pay their bills in full by the due date will receive a toll violation notice for each of the transactions on the bill.

The scheduled toll increase on January 1 features a two-tiered pricing structure. Tolls at mainline toll plazas and ramp plazas will rise for all customers but, for the first time, E-470 will provide a discount of approximately 10 percent to EXpressToll customers.

The standard toll will increase at all E-470 mainline toll plazas by 50 cents and the standard ramp toll will be increased from 75 cents to $1. However, EXpressToll customers will pay 25 cents less than the new standard rate at mainline toll plazas and 10 cents less for ramp tolls.

The second phase of cashless tolling will take place on July 4, when toll booths and automatic coin machines will be closed. Coins and paper currency will no longer be accepted.

"Non-stop tolling increases safety, provides convenience to our customers, and keeps operational costs at a minimum," said Ed DeLozier, executive director of E-470.

E-470 is a tollway that runs along the eastern perimeter of the Denver metropolitan area. The 70-mph highway extends 47 miles from State Highway C-470 at I-25 in DouglasCounty, ending at I-25 near 160 th Ave., in Thornton.