document_title: E-ZPass

question_text: what states does the i pass work in

question_tokens: what states does the i pass work in

text: E-ZPass

text: Functionality[edit]

text: Technology[edit]

text: E‑ZPass tags are active[1] RFID transponders, made exclusively by Kapsch TrafficCom (formerly Mark IV Industries Corp—IVHS Division). They communicate with reader equipment built into lane-based or open-road toll collection lanes by transmitting a unique radio signature. The most common type of tag is an internal tag that can be mounted on the inside of the vehicle's windshield in proximity to the rear-view mirror. Though toll agencies advice adherence to the windshield with mounting strips (usually 3M's Scotch brand "Dual Lock" fasteners), third-party options using trays with suction cups to adhere a pass to a windshield temporarily if used in multiple vehicles are available. Some vehicles have windshields that block RF signals; for those vehicles, historical vehicles, and customers who have aesthetic concerns, an external tag is offered, typically designed to attach to the vehicle's front license plate mounting points.[2]

text: Although a tag can be used with a motorcycle, there are usually no official instructions given for mounting due to the numerous variations between bike designs and the small area of a motorcycle windshield which could prove a hindrance if the transponder is attached following automobile instructions. Transponders may be put in a shirt or jacket pocket, if necessary.[3]

text: Most E‑ZPass lanes are converted manual toll lanes and must have fairly low speed limits for safety reasons (between 5 and 15 miles per hour (8 and 24 km/h) is typical), so that E‑ZPass vehicles can merge safely with vehicles that stopped to pay a cash toll and, in some cases, to allow toll workers to safely cross the E‑ZPass lanes to reach booths accepting cash payments. In some areas, however (typically recently built or retrofitted facilities), there is no need to slow down, because E‑ZPass users can utilize dedicated traffic lanes ("Express E‑ZPass") that are physically separate from the toll-booth lanes. Examples include:

text:
Delaware Route 1,
Hampton toll plaza on I‑95 in New Hampshire
Hooksett toll plaza on I‑93 in New Hampshire
Interstate 78 Toll Bridge,
Newark Toll Plaza on the Delaware Turnpike,[4]
Pocahontas Parkway in Virginia
Express lanes of the Atlantic City Expressway,
Three locations on the New Jersey Turnpike (near the Delaware Memorial Bridge (Exit 1), near Exit 18W, and the Pennsylvania Extension, which connects to the Pennsylvania Turnpike (Exit 6)),
Garden State Parkway,
Pennsylvania Turnpike's Gateway, Warrendale, Neshaminy Falls and Mid-County (I‑476) toll plazas,
New sections of the Mon–Fayette Expressway,
New York State Thruway at the Woodbury toll barrier

text: In October 2006, Illinois completed open road tolling for I‑Pass and E‑ZPass users; it was the first U.S. state to have done so.[5]

text: Each E-ZPass tag is specifically programmed for a particular class of vehicle; while any valid working tag will be read and accepted in any E‑ZPass toll lane, the wrong toll amount will be charged if the tag's programmed vehicle class does not match the vehicle. This will result in a violation and possible large fine assessed to the tag holder, especially if a lower-class (e.g., passenger car) tag is being used in a higher-class vehicle such as a bus or truck. In an attempt to avoid this, E‑ZPass tags for commercial vehicles are blue in color, contrasting with the white tags assigned to standard passenger vehicles. The blue E‑ZPass is also used in government employee vehicles. In New York, an orange E‑ZPass tag is issued to emergency vehicles as well as to employees of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and New York State Thruway Authority.

text: For purposes of interoperability, all agencies are connected to each other by a secure network (the "reciprocity network"). This network provides the means to exchange tag data and process toll transactions across the various agencies. Tag data is exchanged among the agencies on a nightly basis. This data can take up to 24 hours on the primary network the unit is issued by (e.g., i‑Zoom, i‑Pass, E‑ZPass), but may be delayed by as much as 72 hours on other networks.[6][7]

text: Technology details[edit]

text: The E‑ZPass transponder works by listening for a signal broadcast by the reader stationed at the toll booth. This 915 MHz signal is sent at 500 kbit/s using the TDM (formerly IAG) protocol in 256‑bit packets. Transponders use active Type II read/write technology. In April 2013, Kapsch (purchasers of Mark IV Industries) made the protocol available to all interested parties royalty-free in perpetuity and is granting the right to sublicense the protocol.[8]

text: Retail availability[edit]

text: Some issuing agencies offer a packaged E‑ZPass transponder preloaded with toll funds sold over-the-counter at a retail setting (such as a supermarket or pharmacy service desk) that is valid immediately.[9][10] A portion of the balance is available instantly; customers can access the remaining balance when they register their transponders with the issuing E‑ZPass agency within several days of first using their E-ZPass.

text: Usage[edit]

text: According to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, 83.2% of vehicles crossing its five bridges and tunnels used E-ZPass for toll payment during the first half of 2016.[11]

text: History[edit]

text: The notion of electronic tolling had been considered as early as the 1980s, particularly in the New York metropolitan area. The tolling agencies of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania—which constitute two-thirds of the United States' $3 billion-a-year toll industry—sought to create a compatible electronic-tolling technology that could be used on the toll roads and bridges of the three states, in an effort to reduce congestion on some of the busiest roadways and toll plazas in the United States.[citation needed] In 1991, the E‑ZPass IAG was created to develop an interoperable system, and involved the participation and cooperation of seven independent toll agencies—the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, the New Jersey Highway Authority (which, at the time, operated the Garden State Parkway), the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (d.b.a. MTA Bridges and Tunnels), the New York State Thruway Authority, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, and the South Jersey Transportation Authority (operator of the Atlantic City Expressway). The E‑ZPass trademark, however, belongs to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.[12] The Port Authority has been aggressive at protecting its trademark, including forcing the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority to rename the "EZ Pass" regional transit pass to "EZ transit pass" to protect its rights.[13]

text: Under the direction of Peter Tufo, chairman of the New York State Thruway from 1989 to 1996, E‑ZPass was first deployed on the Thruway at the Spring Valley toll plaza on August 3, 1993. Over the following three and a half years, the New York State Thruway Authority (NYSTA) installed electronic toll-collection equipment, in stages, along the Thruway. By February 6, 1997, E‑ZPass had been installed along the entire length of the corridor.

text: The Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, which is the legal name for MTA Bridges and Tunnels, is a New York State Public Authority that operates and maintains all toll bridges and tunnels that begin and end in New York City, and is the largest tolling agency by revenue in the United States ($1.9 billion in 2017). It began its E-ZPass implementation in 1995 and completed it at all nine of its toll facilities in 1996. It implemented open road cashless tolling at all of its facilities in 2017, and 94% of its toll transactions were paid with E-ZPass by the end of that year.

text: The Pennsylvania Turnpike had planned to adopt E-ZPass by 1998;[14][15] however, implementation of the system was postponed until December 2, 2000,[16] when E-ZPass debuted on the turnpike between Harrisburg West and the Delaware River Bridge.[17] By December 15, 2001, E-ZPass could be used on the entire length of the mainline Pennsylvania Turnpike.[18][19] Commercial vehicles were allowed to use the system beginning on December 14, 2002,[20] and the entire Turnpike system was taking E-ZPass by 2006.[21]

text: On October 6, 1998, a U.S. patent for an "automated toll collection system" was issued to Fred Slavin and Randy J. Schafer.[22]

text: Meanwhile, various other agencies began work on similar electronic toll collecting facilities. This resulted in the emergence of other networks:

text:
The MassPass system used in Massachusetts, changed to the compatible Fast Lane in 1998 and rebranded E‑ZPass in 2012
The I-Pass system used in Illinois
The I-Zoom system used in Indiana, rebranded E‑ZPass in 2012
The Smart Tag system used in Virginia, merged with E-ZPass in 2004[23]
The TransPass system used in Maine, since replaced by the E‑ZPass system
The M‑Tag system used in Maryland, integrated into and rebranded E‑ZPass in 2001
The Quick Pass system used in North Carolina, partially integrated in 2013[24] and integrated into Florida's SunPass system

text: Originally, these systems were not interchangeable with E‑ZPass. However, since most of them use the same technology (or have since converted over to a compatible technology), all of them have been incorporated into the E‑ZPass network. Though several still retain their own brand name for their own facilities, users of those systems can use E‑ZPass and vice versa. This allows, for example, travelers to drive on various toll roads in several states from Chicago, Illinois, to Atlantic City, New Jersey, with only an E‑ZPass tag.

text: The E‑ZPass system continues to expand. The Indiana Toll Road Concessions Corporation has upgraded its toll plazas to include E‑ZPass functionality on the Indiana East–West Toll Road, while the Ohio Turnpike Commission has upgraded its toll plazas in October 2009 for the Ohio Turnpike (I‑76, I‑80, I‑90). The Indiana Toll Road Concession Company brands its E‑ZPass program as I‑Zoom; Ohio will use the E‑ZPass brand name.[25] On December 16, 2008, Rhode Island joined the network by activating E‑ZPass lanes in the state's only toll booth, at the Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge.[26] The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, which had a toll road system predating the E-ZPass system which was ended in 2006, announced at the end of July 2015 its entrance into the E-ZPass system as part of the financing for the Louisville-area Ohio River Bridges Project involving the new Abraham Lincoln (paired with the retrofitted Kennedy) and Lewis and Clark bridges.[27]

text: E‑ZPass ETC transponders do not work on all toll roads in the United States. Currently, the E-ZPass electronic toll-collection system (as well as the other ETC systems that are part of the E‑ZPass network) are not compatible with Florida systems (including SunPass and E‑Pass), California's FasTrak, Kansas's K‑Tag, Oklahoma's Pikepass, Texas's TxTag, Utah's Express Pass, Puerto Rico's AutoExpreso, Georgia's Peach Pass and Cruise Card, or other ETC systems outside of E‑ZPass operating regions. Under MAP-21, passed in 2012, all ETC facilities in the United States must reach some form of interoperability by October 1, 2016.

text: In 2009 an organization called the Alliance for Toll Interoperability[28] stated that it was exploring the option of using high-speed cameras to take photographs of the cars passing through non-E‑ZPass lanes in other states.[29] The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, which has been studying going towards all-electronic tolling in order to cut costs, plans to implement such a system for non-E-ZPass users by 2018.[30]

text: E-ZPass in Canada[edit]

text: Until 2005, drivers crossing the Peace Bridge between Fort Erie, Ontario, and Buffalo, New York, paid a toll before crossing to Canada. Following upgrades to the border crossings in 2005, drivers instead pay a toll on the Canadian side of the Peace Bridge after clearing Canadian customs. This is the first E‑ZPass toll gantry outside of the United States. The toll goes to the Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority, a bi-national agency responsible for maintaining the international bridge.

text: On August 11, 2014, E-ZPass began to be accepted at the Lewiston–Queenston Bridge, Rainbow Bridge, and Whirlpool Rapids Bridge.[31] The toll for the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge is paid in Canada after clearing Canadian customs, whereas the toll is paid before leaving the United States at the other two bridges. The toll from these three bridges goes to the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission.

text: Variants[edit]

text: E-ZPass Plus[edit]

text: For E-ZPass subscribers who replenish their accounts with a major credit card, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey offers an E-ZPass option to pay for parking at three Port Authority airports—John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia, and Newark Liberty—through a program known as E-ZPass Plus.[32] This program is also available in New York at Albany International Airport in Albany; Syracuse Hancock International Airport in Syracuse; and the parking lots at the New York State Fair when the fair is in progress; as well as in Atlantic City, New Jersey, at Atlantic City International Airport, the New York Avenue Parking Garage, and the Atlantic City Surface Lot.

text: The parking payment is debited from the prepaid E‑ZPass account if the parking fee is less than $20. If it is $20 or more, the amount is charged directly to the credit card used to replenish the E‑ZPass account.[32] The Port Authority reports that drivers save an average of 15 seconds by opting to pay for airport parking using E‑ZPass.[citation needed]

text: Subscribers who replenish their E‑ZPass accounts with cash or check cannot participate in this program. Additionally, this service is only available, as of 2013, to customers of the DelDOT, Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission, Delaware River and Bay Authority, in Delaware; of the New Hampshire DOT; in Maryland; in New Jersey and New York to customers of the PANYNJ, the New York MTA, or the NYS Thruway; and to customers of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.[33]

text: E-ZPass Flex[edit]

text: In late 2012, the I‑495 HOT (high occupancy toll) lanes in Virginia started to support E‑ZPass Flex transponders.[34] These work similarly to regular transponders, but let the driver switch between HOV and toll-paying modes. When a transponder is switched to HOV mode (with three or more passengers in the vehicle), it is read by the HOT lane's toll equipment but no toll is charged. E-ZPass Flex also works like a standard E-ZPass on all other toll roads where E-ZPass is accepted, regardless of the position of the switch.[35]

text: Effects[edit]

text: Reduced pollution and health[edit]

text: A study published in the American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, "Traffic Congestion and Infant Health: Evidence from E-ZPass", compared fetal health outcomes for mothers living near congested and uncongested toll plazas on three major highways in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The researchers focused on areas where toll plazas had instituted E-ZPass, which, because cars travel through more efficiently, diminishes congestion and pollution. The study drew its conclusions by looking at the health outcomes of nearly 30,000 births among mothers who lived within two kilometers of an E-ZPass toll plaza. The researchers state that their findings "suggest that the adoption of E-ZPass was associated with significant improvements of infant health." The study's specific findings were: 1) In areas where E-ZPass was adopted, rates of infant prematurity decreased by between 6.7% and 9.1%; this means that, out of the sample studied, 255 preterm births were likely avoided; 2) Introduction of E-ZPass was correlated with a reduction in the incidence of low birth weight by between 8.5% and 11.3%; that means 275 cases of low birth weight may have been avoided.[36]

text: Privacy concerns[edit]

text: Civil liberties and privacy rights advocates have expressed concern about how the position data gathered through E‑ZPass is used. As of August 2007, several states that employ E‑ZPass had provided electronic toll information in response to court orders in civil cases, including divorces and other non-criminal matters.[37]

text: Position data is collected by antennas at locations in addition to fee collection locations. The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), for example, collect transponder information to provide real-time estimates of travel times between common destinations. By subtracting the time when vehicles pass under the first sign from the current time, the sign can display the expected travel time between the sign and the destination point ahead. This information is also used to determine the best times to schedule maintenance-related lane closures and for other traffic management purposes. According to NYSDOT, the individual tag information is encrypted, is deleted as soon as the vehicle passes the last reader, and is never made available to the Department.[38]

text: Accounts and agencies[edit]

text: Within the IAG, each member agency has its own billing and customer service center, and each establishes its own fee and discount structures. The agencies also set their own customer account policies. Areas of variation include the refundable deposit or nonrefundable charge for a tag, periodic maintenance fees, paper statement fees, the low account threshold, and replenishment amounts. E‑ZPass is usually offered as a debit account: tolls are deducted from prepayments made by the users. Users may opt to have prepayments automatically deposited when their account is low, or they may submit prepayments manually, either by phone or a toll authority's web portal, depending on the agency. For commercial accounts, some agencies allow postpaid plans with a security deposit (which effectively renders them prepaid accounts, with a different replenishment policy).

text: Some agencies have imposed periodic account maintenance fees on their subscribers. After New Jersey began losing money with the E‑ZPass system, a monthly account fee of one dollar was implemented on July 15, 2002[39] and is still in effect for both individual and business accounts.[40] The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey also charges a monthly individual account fee of one dollar.[41] On July 1, 2009, the Maryland Transportation Authority began charging a fee of $1.50 a month to accountholders[42] which, as of July 1, 2015, only applies to non-residents and is waived if three Maryland E‑ZPass tolls were incurred during the previous month.[43]

text: The Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (TBTA) in New York City once imposed a monthly account fee starting on July 1, 2005, claiming to defray the administrative costs.[44] However, New York State Assembly Bill A06859A in 2005 and 2006 and Senate Bill S6331 in 2006 both considered such a fee threatening the efficiency to move traffic faster with lower tolls and sought to ban it.[45] When the New York State Law started to ban the monthly account fee,[46] the TBTA repealed it on June 1, 2006, and those, especially New Jerseyans, seeking New York accounts and avoiding the monthly fee still imposed by New Jersey and Port Authority, would have to apply for the TBTA or the New York State Thruway accounts at an E‑ZPass New York Service Center.[47]

text: Several agencies offer discounted tolls to E-ZPass customers. The details vary widely, and can include general discounts for all E‑ZPass users, variable pricing discounts for off-peak hours, commuter plans with minimum usage levels, flat rate plans offering unlimited use for a period of time, carpool plans for high-occupancy vehicles, and resident plans for those living near particular toll facilities. Many of these plans are available only to customers whose tags are issued by the agency that owns the toll facility in question (reciprocity applies to tag acceptance, not to discounts). Eight authorities in the Northeast (Maine,[48] the Massachusetts Turnpike,[49] the New Hampshire Turnpike,[50] Rhode Island,[51] the NYC TBTA,[52] the New Jersey Turnpike,[53] DelDOT[54]) and Maryland restrict their general discounts to their own respective tagholders. The Delaware Memorial Bridge restricts its discount plans to New Jersey tags[55] despite its toll plaza being located in Delaware (DelDOT-issued tags cannot obtain the discount plans).[56]

text: Some agencies charge a one-time fee between $20 and $30 for each new transponder, including the Delaware Department of Transportation, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, and the Maine Turnpike Authority.[57] At least two agencies, the Delaware River and Bay Authority and the Maryland Transportation Authority, once charged multiple fees. In a press release dated July 17, 2007, the DRBA stated: "Beginning January 1, 2008, all DRBA E-ZPass account holders will be charged an account management fee of $1.50 per month. The transponder cost will also be passed on to E‑ZPass customers for each new transponder." E‑ZPass New York charges a monthly fee of 50 cents for each tag in connection with a business account.[58] The DRBA since merged its service center with New Jersey's E-ZPass service center. On July 1, 2015, a plan put forth by Governor Hogan eliminated Maryland's monthly fee (except accounts without a Maryland address, unless using Maryland toll facilities at least three times in the previous statement period)[59] along with decreasing some toll rates especially for Maryland-issued E-ZPass tags.[60]

text: E‑ZPass users are not required to maintain their account with an agency in their home state. Subscribers can open an E‑ZPass account with any member of the IAG regardless of residency. This means that users have the option of choosing an agency based on the fees that it charges, effectively allowing them to circumvent transponder and account maintenance fees.[61]

text: Fees and discounts by state[edit]

text:
State
Monthly/annual fee(s)
Deposit
Minimum balance
Discounts

Delaware[62]
$0 for email/web statements, $8/year for quarterly paper statements
$15 per internal or external transponder (non-refundable)
$10 minimum balance (account charged a replenishment amount based on monthly toll usage, with a minimum of $25)
50% off cash rates for Delaware SR‑1 when 30 or more qualifying trips are made by a two-axle passenger vehicle within a 30-day rolling period

Illinois (I-PASS)[63]
$0 per month
$10 per internal transponder (refundable)
$10 minimum balance (account charged a minimum replenishment amount of $20 or an amount 10% of average monthly usage, whichever is higher)
50% off cash rate for all transponders (ISTHA tolls and passenger cars only)

Indiana (formerly i‑Zoom)
$1 per month/transponder
$20 per internal transponder (refundable)
$2.50 minimum balance (first 90 days), then $2.50 minimum balance or 25% of average monthly usage, whichever is greater (account is charged a minimum replenishment amount of $10 in the first 90 days, after which the minimum replenishment amount is based on the previous three months of usage on one's account and is recalculated on the first of each month, the minimum amount being $10). Manual replenishment for any amount is available via ITR website.
Discounts available to all transponders. Percentage varies by exit.

Kentucky/Indiana (RiverLink)
$0 per month/transponder
$15 per internal (hard-case) transponder (non-refundable)[a]
$20 initial minimum balance. Users can arrange for automatic credit card or ACH charges for replenishment; otherwise, the system sends reminders to replenish the account once the value drops below $10. Manual replenishment for any amount is available via RiverLink website.
$2 discount per crossing for all transponders issued by any E-ZPass member (available for any vehicle type).
Discounts based on travel volume: For passenger vehicles only with locally issued transponders (both internal and stickers), the 40th crossing in a calendar month triggers a 50% discount from the regular transponder price, applied to all crossings (previous and future) in that calendar month.

Maine[64]
$0 per month
$10 per internal transponder (non-refundable)

$17 per external transponder (non-refundable)
$15 minimum balance (account is charged a minimum replenishment amount of $20 when one's account drops below minimum balance)
Discounts based on travel volume: 30–39 account trips per month will equal a 25% discount applied to monthly account trips. 40+ account trips per month will equal a 50% discount applied to monthly account trips. For less than 30 account trips per month, Maine E-ZPass customers pay slightly less than cash rate. Other transponders pay cash rate.

Maryland[65][66]
$0 per month ($1.50 fee for non-residents only, effective July 1, 2015, waived if three Maryland E‑ZPass tolls incurred during the previous month)[43]
$7.50 per internal transponder (non-refundable)

$33 per external transponder (non-refundable)

$40 per internal FUSION CVO (PrePass & E-ZPass all-in-one) transponder

$18 per internal E-ZPass Flex transponder (for use on I-495 Express Lanes)
$10 minimum balance (account is charged a minimum replenishment amount of $25 or an amount equal to one's average monthly usage, whichever is higher)
Discounts available to Maryland E‑ZPass users only. 10–37.5% discount off the passenger vehicle cash rate at all Maryland toll facilities.[67] Various other plans available for bridges and regions.

Massachusetts (formerly Fast Lane)[68]
$0 per month if monthly statements by e-mail
$0 per internal transponder
$20 minimum balance (account is charged a replenishment amount whenever the balance falls below $10, replenishing the account to a balance of $20)
Out-of-state E-ZPass: 30¢ discount at Sumner and Ted Williams tunnels and Tobin Memorial Bridge. Massachusetts E-ZPass: 55¢ discount at Sumner and Ted Williams Tunnels, 30¢ discount at Tobin Bridge. [69]
With special transponder obtained by application: Residents of Charlestown and Chelsea pay $0.15 on Tobin Bridge. Residents of East Boston, South Boston, and the North End pay $0.20 at Sumner and Ted Williams tunnels. [70]

New Hampshire[71]
$1 per month for paper statements after year 1[72]
$0 per month for email statements
$8.90 per internal transponder (non-refundable)

$15.19 per external transponder (non-refundable)

$.50 per month to lease transponder
$30 minimum balance (account is charged a minimum replenishment amount of $30 in the first 35 days, after which the minimum replenishment amount is based on the previous three months of usage on one's account, the minimum amount being $30)
30% off cash rate for NH transponders only. Other transponders pay cash rate.

New Jersey
$1 per month membership fee + $1 bimonthly for print/email statements
$10 per internal transponder (refundable) or $0 if credit or direct debit replenishment.
$10 or 25% of one's replenishment threshold, whichever is greater (account is charged a minimum replenishment amount of $25 in the first 90 days, after which the minimum replenishment amount is based on the previous three months of usage on one's account, the minimum amount being $25)
Various discounts for NJ transponders only, including an approximate 25% off-peak auto discount on the New Jersey Turnpike and lesser peak and off-peak discounts for trucks and buses. Other transponders and autos during peak period pay cash rate. No auto or bus discount on the Garden State Parkway; however, truck tolls are discounted about 5% during the off peak period on the portion that permits their access.[73]

New York[74]
$1 per month PANYNJ account service fee (no fee for MTA, Thruway, or Bridge Authority accounts) + $6/yr for monthly paper statements (bimonthly statements are free)
$10 per internal transponder (refundable) or $0 if auto-replenish or pay per trip with a credit card backup
$30 minimum balance (account is charged a minimum replenishment amount of $25 or an amount equal to one's average usage in a 90‑day period, whichever is higher) or $0 minimum balance for pay per trip
At all Port Authority facilities, E‑ZPass discounts are available. At MTA Bridges and Tunnels, E-ZPass discounts for tags issued by the New York E-ZPass Customer Service Center (NY E-ZPass) range from 32% to 56%. At most facilities, NY E-ZPass tolls are $2.74 less than Tolls by Mail rates (all of its facilities are open road cashless tolling). NY E-ZPass rates are $5.48 off for a round-trip at the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and a $2.09 discount at the Marine Parkway–Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge and Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge. At the Henry Hudson Bridge, NY E-ZPass gives a $3.36 discount. At all New York State Thruway and New York State Bridge Authority facilities, E‑ZPass discounts apply. Discount rates apply only to customer tags issued by a New York E-ZPass Customer Service Center (discounts don't apply to out-of-state E-ZPass holders).
NY now also offers a Pay-Per-Trip option for total tolls to transact on a daily basis directly via the checking account linked per tag. It is optional (yet recommended) that a credit card be kept on file, but monthly balances are not required under this new payment option in New York.[75][76]

North Carolina (Quick Pass)[77]
$0 per month, $1 per month after 12 consecutive months of no toll transactions ($5 Mail Statements)
$7.40+Tax per internal (hard case) transponder (Works with Sun Pass and Peach pass as well)[b]
$20 minimum balance for first two transponders, $10 for each additional transponder, up to five transponders total. (Account is charged a minimum replenishment amount of $10 or when account balance is 25% of one's replenishment threshold, based on the previous three months of usage, whichever is greater.) A $5.00 charge will occur if transponder is not present 15% of the time you pass a toll.
Discounts available to all E-ZPass, NC Quick Pass, SunPass, and Peach Pass users; percentage varies by exit.

Ohio[78]
75¢ per month (waived for those who use their E-ZPass for 30 or more trips in a month on the Ohio Turnpike)
$0 per internal transponder ($25 replacement fee within first four years)
$25 minimum balance per transponder (account is charged a minimum replenishment amount based on the previous three months of usage, or the amount needed to return the account balance to $25.00 per transponder, whichever is greater)
Ohio discount available to all transponders. Percentage varies by exit (0–35%).

Pennsylvania[79]
$3 per year/transponder, $4 per month for monthly paper statements
$10 per internal transponder (refundable) or $0 if credit or direct debit replenishment
$10 per transponder. Account is charged a minimum replenishment amount of $35 whenever the balance reaches a total value of $10 or less ($15 or less for manual replenishment accounts) per transponder. If one's account requires more than the allowed replenishments in a one-month cycle (2 times for credit cards and 3 times for ACH), the amount of replenishment will switch to average usage.
35% discount off cash rate to all E-Z Pass transponders.

Rhode Island[80]
$0 per month if monthly statements by e-mail
$20.95 per internal transponder (purchase required)

$33.04 per external transponder (purchase required)
$25 minimum balance per transponder (account is charged a minimum replenishment amount based on the previous 45-days of usage and is recalculated every 90-days, or the amount needed to return the account balance to $25.00 per transponder, whichever is greater)
$0.83 per car on the Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge toll for Rhode Island residents only (as opposed to the normal $2/axle)

Virginia[81]
$0 per month, as of July 1, 2014
$35 per internal transponder
$10 minimum balance per transponder (account is charged a minimum replenishment amount of $35 per transponder or an amount equal to one's average monthly usage, whichever is higher)

West Virginia[82]
$5 per year for "prepaid" plan (includes free use of the North Beckley ramp on the West Virginia Turnpike). Flat rate, unlimited use plans range from $5 to $285 for various parts of the West Virginia Turnpike.
$10 per internal transponder
$10 minimum balance (Account is charged a minimum replenishment amount of $20. No balance needed with annual WV unlimited plan)
35% off cash rate and free use of the US-19 North Beckley exit for WV transponders only (non-WV transponders pay cash rate)

text:
Jump up ^ Sticker transponders are available at no charge, but these are incompatible with E-ZPass and will only work at the three tolled Ohio River bridges in the Louisville area.
Jump up ^ Sticker transponders are available for Free but these are incompatible with E-ZPass and will only work in North Carolina, Florida, and Georgia.

tag: ol

text: List of places where E-ZPass is accepted[edit]

text: List of agencies[edit]

text: As listed on its website, the E-ZPass Interagency Group includes "38 members in 16 states".[83]

text:
Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority (New York/Ontario)
Burlington County Bridge Commission (New Jersey/Pennsylvania)
Delaware Department of Transportation
Delaware River and Bay Authority (Delaware/New Jersey)
Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission (New Jersey/Pennsylvania)
Delaware River Port Authority (New Jersey/Pennsylvania)
Illinois State Toll Highway Authority
Indiana Toll Road Concession Company
Maine Turnpike Authority
Kentucky Public Transportation Infrastructure Authority (see also Ohio River Bridges Project)
Maryland Transportation Authority
Massachusetts Department of Transportation
Metropolitan Transportation Authority Bridges and Tunnels (New York)
New Hampshire Department of Transportation
New Jersey Turnpike Authority
New York State Bridge Authority
New York State Thruway Authority
Niagara Falls Bridge Commission
North Carolina Turnpike Authority
Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission
Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (New Jersey/New York)
Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority
Skyway Concessions Company (Illinois)
South Jersey Transportation Authority (New Jersey)
Thousand Islands Bridge Authority (New York) – does not currently offer ETC, but plans to implement E-ZPass at an undetermined date in 2017[84]
Virginia Department of Transportation
West Virginia Parkways Authority

text: Although the Virginia Department of Transportation is Virginia's sole member of the E-ZPass Interagency Group, not all E-ZPass facilities in Virginia are operated by the Department of Transportation.[85]

text: Each of the 16 E-ZPass states operates its own E-ZPass Service Center.[86] NJ E-ZPass manages accounts for the Burlington County Bridge Commission, Delaware River and Bay Authority, Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission and Delaware River Port Authority.[87][88] The E-ZPass New York Service Center operates accounts for the Buffalo and Port Erie Public Bridge Authority, the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.[89]

text: List of roadways, bridges, tunnels, and airports[edit]

text: The following tolled roads, bridges, tunnels, and airports accept E‑ZPass. Crossings between jurisdictions are listed in the state where the toll collection point is located, or linked to (in the case of international border crossings).

text: Delaware[edit]

text:
Delaware Turnpike/Interstate 95
Delaware Route 1
Delaware Memorial Bridge/Interstate 295

text: Illinois[edit]

text:
Chicago Skyway/Interstate 90
Elgin-O'Hare Western Access/Illinois Route 390
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway/Interstate 90
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway/Interstate 88 (west)
Tri-State Tollway/Interstate 80, Interstate 94, and Interstate 294
Veterans Memorial Tollway/Interstate 355

text: Indiana[edit]

text: Indiana Toll Road/Interstate 80, Interstate 90

text: Kentucky[edit]

text:
Lincoln & Kennedy Bridges/Interstate 65
Lewis and Clark Bridge/Interstate 265

text: Maine[edit]

text: Maine Turnpike/Interstate 95

text: Maryland[edit]

text:
Baltimore Harbor Tunnel/Interstate 895
Fort McHenry Tunnel/Interstate 95
Francis Scott Key Bridge/Interstate 695
Maryland Route 200 (Intercounty Connector)
John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway/Interstate 95
William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge (aka the Chesapeake Bay Bridge)/U.S. Route 50 and U.S. Route 301
Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge/U.S. Route 301
Thomas J. Hatem Memorial Bridge/U.S. Route 40

text: Massachusetts[edit]

text:
Callahan Tunnel in Boston
Massachusetts Turnpike/Interstate 90

Boston Extension

Sumner Tunnel/Massachusetts Route 1A
Ted Williams Tunnel/Interstate 90
Tobin Bridge/U.S. Route 1

text: New Hampshire[edit]

text:
Everett Turnpike/U.S. Route 3, Interstate 293, New Hampshire Route 3A, and Interstate 93
New Hampshire Turnpike/Interstate 95 (aka the Blue Star Turnpike)
Spaulding Turnpike/New Hampshire Route 16

text: New Jersey[edit]

text:
Atlantic Avenue Parking Lot, Atlantic City
Atlantic City Expressway
Atlantic City International Airport
Benjamin Franklin Bridge/Interstate 676
Betsy Ross Bridge/New Jersey Route 90
Burlington-Bristol Bridge/New Jersey Route 413 and Pennsylvania Route 413
Commodore Barry Bridge/U.S. Route 322
Easton–Phillipsburg Toll Bridge/U.S. Route 22
Delaware River-Turnpike Toll Bridge/Interstate 95 and Interstate 276
Garden State Parkway
George Washington Bridge/Interstate 95
Holland Tunnel/Interstate 78
Lincoln Tunnel/New Jersey Route 495, New York State Route 495
New Jersey Turnpike/Interstate 95 and Interstate 78
New York Avenue Garage, Atlantic City
Newark Liberty International Airport
Tacony–Palmyra Bridge/New Jersey Route 73 and Pennsylvania Route 73

text: New York[edit]

text:
Albany International Airport
Bayonne Bridge/New Jersey Route 440 and New York Route 440
Bear Mountain Bridge/U.S. Route 6 and U.S. Route 202
Bronx–Whitestone Bridge/Interstate 678
Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel/Interstate 478
Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge
Goethals Bridge/Interstate 278
Henry Hudson Bridge/Henry Hudson Parkway and New York Route 9A
International Bridges between New York State, US and Ontario, Canada[90]

Peace Bridge
Lewiston–Queenston Bridge
Rainbow Bridge (Niagara Falls)
Whirlpool Rapids Bridge (NEXUS Only)

John F. Kennedy International Airport
Kingston–Rhinecliff Bridge/New York Route 199
LaGuardia Airport
Marine Parkway–Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge
Mid-Hudson Bridge/U.S. Route 44 and New York Route 55
New England Thruway/Interstate 95
Newburgh–Beacon Bridge/Interstate 84 and New York Route 52
New York State Thruway/Interstate 87, Interstate 287, and Interstate 90
Outerbridge Crossing/New Jersey Route 440 and New York Route 440
Queens–Midtown Tunnel/Interstate 495
Rip Van Winkle Bridge/New York Route 23
North Grand Island Bridge/Interstate 190
South Grand Island Bridge/Interstate 190
Syracuse Hancock International Airport
Tappan Zee Bridge/Interstate 87 and Interstate 287
Throgs Neck Bridge/Interstate 295
Robert F. Kennedy (Triborough) Bridge/Interstate 278
Verrazano-Narrows Bridge/Interstate 278

text: North Carolina[edit]

text: Triangle Expressway

text: Ohio[edit]

text: Ohio Turnpike (sections of Interstate 76, Interstate 80, and Interstate 90)

text: Pennsylvania[edit]

text:
Amos K. Hutchinson Bypass/PA Turnpike 66
Benjamin Franklin Bridge/Interstate 676 and U.S. Route 30
Delaware River-Turnpike Toll Bridge/Interstate 95 and Interstate 276
Delaware Water Gap Toll Bridge/Interstate 80
Interstate 78 Toll Bridge/Interstate 78
James E. Ross Highway/Interstate 376
Milford–Montague Toll Bridge/U.S. Route 206
Mon–Fayette Expressway/PA Turnpike 43
New Hope–Lambertville Toll Bridge/U.S. Route 202
Findlay Connector/PA Turnpike 576
Pennsylvania Turnpike/Interstate 76, Interstate 70, Interstate 276, Interstate 476, and Interstate 95
Pittsburgh International Airport[91]
Portland–Columbia Toll Bridge
Trenton–Morrisville Toll Bridge/U.S. Route 1
Walt Whitman Bridge/Interstate 76

text: Rhode Island[edit]

text: Pell Bridge/Rhode Island Route 138

text: Virginia[edit]

text:
Boulevard Bridge/Virginia State Route 161
Dulles Toll Road/Virginia State Route 267
Dulles Greenway/Virginia State Route 267
495 Express Lanes/Interstate 495 (HOT Lanes)
Powhite Parkway/Virginia State Route 76
Downtown Expressway/Virginia State Route 195
George P. Coleman Memorial Bridge/U.S. Route 17
Chesapeake Expressway/Virginia State Route 168
Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel/U.S. Route 13
Pocahontas Parkway/Virginia State Route 895
South Norfolk Jordan Bridge/Virginia State Route 337
Downtown Tunnel/Interstate 264
Midtown Tunnel/U.S. Route 58
95 Express Lanes on Interstate 95 (HOT Lanes)
Dominion Boulevard Veterans Bridge/U.S. Route 17

text: West Virginia[edit]

text: West Virginia Turnpike/Interstate 64, Interstate 77

text: Other non-toll uses[edit]

text: Although not part of the E‑ZPass-Plus program, E‑ZPass users may also pay for parking at Pittsburgh International Airport. The E‑ZPass transponder is used for identification only. The Southern Beltway, which also uses E-ZPass, has its western terminus at the airport.

text: E‑ZPass was tested in a since-discontinued program by some McDonald's restaurants on Long Island, New York, at which drive-through customers were given the option to pay using their E‑ZPass accounts to test out cardless payment platforms.[92][93] In late 2013, Wendy's started a similar system called iDriveThru that is E-ZPass compatible, and is currently undergoing testing at five Staten Island Wendy's locations.[93]

text: The New York State Fair offered E‑ZPass Plus as a payment option at two of its parking lots for the first time in 2007,[94] and offered the service again for subsequent seasons.[95] The service was administered by the New York State Thruway Authority (NYSTA), and motorists' E‑ZPass accounts were charged the same $5 parking fee that cash customers were charged. Unlike other E‑ZPass Plus implementations, the State Fair systems charged motorists at the parking lot entrances; drivers opting to pay by E‑ZPass Plus used dedicated "E‑ZPass Plus Only" lanes. Since the lots only charge for parking during the twelve days of the State Fair, mobile, self-contained E-ZPass units were used to process vehicles. The units were mounted on trailers with a collapsible gantry for the E‑ZPass antennas, used a cellular wireless connection to send transactions to the NYSTA backoffice system, and were powered by batteries that were kept replenished by photovoltaic solar panels, with a generator for backup.[96]

text: E‑ZPass can be used to pay for parking at the Route 128 station in Westwood, Massachusetts; this is available for Massachusetts customers only. E-ZPass can also be used to pay for parking at John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport in New York City.

text: E‑ZPass transponders are also used to monitor traffic. A transponder reader is placed above the roadway at various intervals, and the time a particular tag takes between scans at each interval provides information about the speed of traffic between those points. This transit time information is often relayed back to motorists via electronic signs on the roadway.[97] The individual tag data is not collected or used for ticketing purposes, as some sources have suggested.[98]

text: Toll facilities that do not accept E-ZPass in E-ZPass states and provinces[edit]

text: There are a few toll facilities, mostly bridges run by independent authorities, that are not part of the E-ZPass network even though they are in a state that is in the E-ZPass region. These facilities include:

text:
Anderson Ferry (Ohio/Kentucky)
Atlantic Beach Bridge (New York)
Augusta Ferry (Ohio/Kentucky)
Downbeach Express (New Jersey)
Dingman's Ferry Bridge (New Jersey/Pennsylvania)
Fort Madison Toll Bridge (Illinois/Iowa)
Memorial Bridge (West Virginia/Ohio)
Moseywood Road (Lake Harmony, Pennsylvania) – Toll paid upon entry to community. Provides a shortcut to Lake Harmony from Pennsylvania Route 940 to Pennsylvania Route 903
Newell Toll Bridge (West Virginia/Ohio) – Privately owned, not operated by the Ohio Turnpike nor the West Virginia Parkways Authority
Ocean Drive (New Jersey) (will be getting E-ZPass in 2017)[99]
Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge (New York/Ontario, Canada)
Old Town Toll Bridge (also known as the Low Water Toll Bridge) (Oldtown, Maryland to Green Spring, West Virginia)
Seaway International Bridge (New York/Ontario, Canada)
St. Francisville Bridge – Old Wabash Cannonball Railroad (Illinois-Indiana)[100]
Thousand Islands Bridge (New York/Ontario, Canada) – The Thousand Islands Bridge Authority will be upgrading their tolling facilities to accept E-ZPass, having already joined the E-ZPass Consortium as of January 1, 2016. [101]
White's Ferry (Dickerson, Maryland to Leesburg, Virginia)

text: With Congress seeking a national electronic toll-collection system in place by mid-2016 for federal highways, E-ZPass officials are talking to other states that have electronic tolls "to find a common way to do business".[102]


document_title: Columbo

question_text: who was first offered the part of columbo

root

text: Columbo

text: Episodes[edit]

tag: table

text: After two pilot episodes, the show originally aired on NBC from 1971 to 1978 as one of the rotating programs of The NBC Mystery Movie. Columbo then aired less regularly on ABC beginning in 1989 under the umbrella of The ABC Mystery Movie.[11] The last film was broadcast in 2003 as part of ABC Thursday Night at the Movies.[12]

tag: p

text: In almost every episode the audience sees the crime unfold at the beginning and knows the identity of the culprit, typically an affluent member of society. Once Columbo enters the story, viewers watch him solve the case by sifting through the contradictions between the truth and the version presented to him by the killer(s). This style of mystery is sometimes referred to as a "howcatchem", in contrast to the traditional whodunit. In structural analysis terms, the majority of the narrative is therefore dénouement, a feature normally reserved for the very end of a story. Episodes tend to be driven by their characters, the audience observing the criminal's reactions to Columbo's increasingly intrusive presence. The explanation for the crime and its method having played out as part of the narrative, most of the stories simply end with the criminal's reaction at being found out.

text: In some cases, the killer's arrogance and dismissive attitude allow Columbo to manipulate his suspects into self-incrimination. While the details, and eventually the motivation(s), of the murderers' actions are shown to the viewer, Columbo's true thoughts and intentions are almost never revealed until close to the end of the episode. (Often he begins to whistle the tune "This Old Man" once he has all the loose ends of his case tied up.) Columbo generally maintains a friendly relationship with the murderer until the end. The point at which the detective first begins to suspect the murderer is generally not revealed, although it is often fairly early on. In some instances, such as Ruth Gordon's avenging elderly mystery writer in "Try and Catch Me", Janet Leigh's terminally ill and deluded actress in "Forgotten Lady", Donald Pleasence's elegant vintner in "Any Old Port in a Storm", and Johnny Cash's enserfed singer in "Swan Song", the killer is more sympathetic than the victim.[13]

text: Each case is generally concluded in a similar style, with Columbo dropping any pretense of uncertainty and sharing details of his conclusion of the killer's guilt. Following the killer's reaction, the episode generally ends with the killer confessing or quietly submitting to arrest. There are few attempts to deceive the viewer or provide a twist in the tale. One convoluted exception is "Last Salute to the Commodore", where Robert Vaughn is seen elaborately disposing of a body, but is proved later to have been covering for his alcoholic wife, whom he mistakenly thought to be the murderer.[14]

text: Development and character profile[edit]

text: The character of Columbo was created by William Link, who said that Columbo was partially inspired by the Crime and Punishment character Porfiry Petrovich as well as G. K. Chesterton's humble cleric-detective Father Brown. Other sources claim Columbo's character is also influenced by Inspector Fichet from the French suspense-thriller film Les Diaboliques (1955).[15]

text: The character first appeared in a 1960 episode of the television-anthology series The Chevy Mystery Show, titled "Enough Rope". This was adapted by Levinson and Link from their short story "May I Come In", which had been published as "Dear Corpus Delicti" in an issue of Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine. The short story did not include Columbo as a character.[16] The first actor to portray Columbo, character actor Bert Freed, was a stocky character actor with a thatch of grey hair.[citation needed]

text: Freed's Columbo wore a rumpled suit and smoked a cigar, but he otherwise had few of the other now-familiar Columbo mannerisms. However, the character is still recognizably Columbo, and uses some of the same methods of misdirecting and distracting his suspects. During the course of the show, the increasingly frightened murderer brings pressure from the district attorney's office to have Columbo taken off the case, but the detective fights back with his own contacts.

text: Although Freed received third billing, he wound up with almost as much screen time as the killer and appeared immediately after the first commercial. This delayed entry of the character into the narrative of the screen play became a defining characteristic of the structure of the Columbo series.  This teleplay is available for viewing in the archives of the Paley Center for Media in New York City and Los Angeles.

text: Levinson and Link then adapted the TV drama into the stage play Prescription: Murder. This was first performed at the Curran Theatre in San Francisco on January 2, 1962, with Oscar-winning character actor Thomas Mitchell in the role of Columbo. Mitchell was 70 years old at the time. The stage production starred Joseph Cotten as the murderer and Agnes Moorehead as the victim. Mitchell died of cancer while the play was touring in out-of-town tryouts; Columbo was his last role.

text: In 1968, the same play was made into a two-hour television movie that aired on NBC. The writers suggested Lee J. Cobb and Bing Crosby for the role of Columbo, but Cobb was unavailable and Crosby turned it down because he felt it would take too much time away from the golf links. Director Richard Irving convinced Levinson and Link that Falk, who wanted the role, could pull it off even though he was much younger than the writers had in mind.[17]

text: Originally a one-off TV-Movie-of-the-Week, Prescription: Murder has Falk's Columbo pitted against a psychiatrist (Gene Barry). Due to the success of this film, NBC requested that a pilot for a potential series be made to see if the character could be sustained on a regular basis, leading to the 1971 hour and a half film, Ransom for a Dead Man, with Lee Grant playing the killer. The popularity of the second film prompted the creation of a regular series on NBC, that premiered in the fall of 1971 as part of The NBC Mystery Movie wheel series rotation: McCloud, McMillan & Wife, and other whodunits.

text: According to TV Guide, the original plan was that a new Columbo episode would air every week, but as a motion picture star, Peter Falk refused to commit to such an arduous schedule, which would have meant shooting an episode every five days. The network arranged for the Columbo segments to air once a month on Wednesday nights. The high quality of  Columbo, McMillan & Wife, and McCloud was due in large part to the extra time spent on each episode. The term wheel show was coined to describe this format, and additional such series were attempted by NBC, but the astounding success of The NBC Mystery Movie series was not repeated.

text: Columbo was an immediate hit in the Nielsen ratings and Falk won an Emmy Award for his role in the show's first season. In its second year the Mystery Movie series was moved to Sunday nights, where it then remained during its seven-season run. The show became the anchor of NBC's Sunday night line up. Columbo aired regularly from 1971–78 on NBC. After its cancellation by NBC in 1978 Columbo was revived on ABC between 1989 and 2003 in several new seasons and a few made-for-TV movie "specials".[18]

text: Columbo's wardrobe was personally provided by Peter Falk; they were his own clothes, including the high-topped shoes and the shabby raincoat, which made its first appearance in Prescription: Murder. Falk would often ad lib his character's idiosyncrasies (fumbling through his pockets for a piece of evidence and discovering a grocery list, asking to borrow a pencil, becoming distracted by something irrelevant in the room at a dramatic point in a conversation with a suspect, etc.), inserting these into his performance as a way to keep his fellow actors off-balance. He felt it helped to make their confused and impatient reactions to Columbo's antics more genuine.[19] Some of the episodes established that Columbo carried a Colt snub-nosed revolver in his raincoat, which he pulled in rare episodes, and would occasionally remark that his wife, 'the Mrs.', would not allow him to buy a new car because it 'wasn't necessary', portraying the detective throughout the series as permanently driving an aged and battered 1959 Peugeot 403 Cabriolet.

text: A few years prior to his death, Falk had expressed interest in returning to the role. In 2007 he claimed he had chosen a script for one last Columbo episode, "Columbo: Hear No Evil". The script was renamed "Columbo's Last Case". ABC declined the project. In response, producers for the series announced that they were attempting to shop the project to foreign production companies.[20][21] However, Falk was diagnosed with dementia in late 2007.[22] During a 2009 court trial over Falk's care, Dr Stephen Read stated that the actor's condition had deteriorated so badly that Falk could no longer remember playing a character named Columbo, nor could he identify who Columbo was.[22] Falk died on June 23, 2011, aged 83.[23][24][25]

text: Contributors[edit]

text: Directors and writers[edit]

text: The first season première "Murder by the Book" was written by Steven Bochco and directed by Steven Spielberg. Jonathan Demme directed the seventh-season episode "Murder Under Glass". Jonathan Latimer was also a writer. Actor Ben Gazzara, a friend of Falk's, directed the episodes "A Friend in Deed" (1974) and "Troubled Waters" (1975).

text: Falk himself directed the last episode of the first season, "Blueprint for Murder". Actor Nicholas Colasanto, best known for playing Coach on Cheers, directed two episodes, "Swan Song" with Johnny Cash, and "Étude in Black".

text: Patrick McGoohan directed five episodes (including three of the four in which he played the murderer) and wrote and produced two (including one of these). Vincent McEveety was a frequent director, and homage was paid to him by a humorous mention of a character with his surname in the episode "Undercover" (which he directed).

text: Two episodes, "No Time to Die" and "Undercover", were based on the 87th Precinct novels by Ed McBain,[26] and thus do not strictly follow the standard Columbo/inverted detective story format.

text: Score composers[edit]

text: Columbo episodes contain a variety of music that contributes to the uniqueness of each. The score becomes of particular importance during turning points of the plots. "The Mystery Movie Theme" by Henry Mancini, written for The NBC Mystery Movie series, was used extensively in the whole of 38 episodes, from 1971 to 1977.  Unlike the other elements of the Mystery Movie wheel, Columbo never had an official theme as such, although some composer, such as Dick DeBenedictis and Gil Mellé, did write their own signature pieces. Several composers created original music for the series, which was often used along with "The Mystery Movie Theme":

text:
Dick DeBenedictis (23 episodes, 1972–2003)
Patrick Williams (9 episodes, 1977–92)
Bernardo Segall (10 episodes, 1974–76)
Billy Goldenberg (7 episodes, 1971–74)
Gil Mellé (4 episodes, 1971–72)
Jeff Alexander (1 episode, 1975)
Oliver Nelson (1 episode, 1972)
Dave Grusin (1 episode, 1968)
Bob Prince (1 episode, 1977)
Jonathan Tunick (1 episode, 1978)
John Cacavas (3 episodes, 1989–91)
James Di Pasquale (2 episodes, 1990)
Steve Dorff (2 episodes, 1991)
Dennis Dreith (1 episode, 1990)
Richard Markowitz (1 episode, 1990)
David Michael Frank (1 episode, 1990)
Ken Jordan (1 episode, 2003)

tag: ul

text: Series Music department included:

text:
Henry Mancini — composer: "Mystery Movie" theme / "Sunday Mystery Movie" theme (38 episodes, 1971–77)
Hal Mooney — music supervisor (27 episodes, 1972–76)
Mike Post — composer: "Mystery Movie" theme (9 episodes, 1989–90)

text: Patrick Williams received two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series in 1978 (for "Try and Catch Me") and 1989 (for "Murder, Smoke and Shadows").  Billy Goldenberg was nominated in the same category in 1972 for "Lady in Waiting".

text: Columbo also featured an unofficial signature tune, the children's song "This Old Man". It was introduced in the episode "Any Old Port in a Storm" in 1973 and the detective can be heard humming or whistling it often in subsequent films. Peter Falk admitted that it was a melody he personally enjoyed and one day it became a part of his character.[27] The tune was also used in various score arrangements throughout the three decades of the series, including opening and closing credits. A version of it, titled "Columbo", was created by one of the show's composers, Patrick Williams.[28]

text: Awards and nominations[edit]

text: Columbo received numerous awards and nominations from 1971 to 2005, including 13 Emmys, two Golden Globe Awards, two Edgar Awards and a TV Land Award nomination in 2005 for Peter Falk.[29]

text:
showAwards and nominations

Primetime Emmy Awards

Year

Category

Nominee

Result

1971

Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Lee Grant, for "Ransom for a Dead Man"

Nominated

1972

Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama

Jackson Gillis, for "Suitable for Framing"

Nominated

Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama

Steven Bochco, for "Murder by the Book"

Nominated

Outstanding Series – Drama

Richard Levinson, William Link, Everett Chambers

Nominated

Outstanding New Series

Richard Levinson, William Link, Everett Chambers

Nominated

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama – A Single Program of a Series with Continuing Characters and/or Theme

Edward M. Abroms, for "Short Fuse"

Nominated

Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition – For a Series or a Single Program of a Series

Billy Goldenberg, for "Lady in Waiting"

Nominated

Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Series

Peter Falk

Won

Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama

Richard Levinson, William Link, for "Death Lends a Hand"

Won

Outstanding Achievement in Film Editing for Entertainment Programming – For a Series or a Single Program of a Series

Edward M. Abroms, for "Death Lends a Hand"

Won

Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography for Entertainment Programming – For a Series or a Single Program of a Series

Lloyd Ahern, for "Blueprint for Murder"

Won

1973

Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama

Steven Bochco, for "Étude in Black"

Nominated

Outstanding Drama Series

Dean Hargrove

Nominated

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama – A Single Program of a Series with Continuing Characters and/or Theme

Edward M. Abroms, for "The Most Dangerous Match"

Nominated

Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Peter Falk

Nominated

Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design

Grady Hunt, for "Dagger of the Mind"

Nominated

1974

Best Lead Actor in a Limited Series

Peter Falk

Nominated

Outstanding Limited Series

Dean Hargrove, Roland Kibbee, Douglas Benton, Robert F. O'Neill, Edward K. Dodds

Won

Best Cinematography for Entertainment Programming – For a Series or a Single Program of a Series

Harry L. Wolf, for "Any Old Port in a Storm"

Won

1975

Outstanding Limited Series

Dean Hargrove, Roland Kibbee, Douglas Benton, Everett Chambers, Edward K. Dodds

Nominated

Outstanding Individual Achievement in Art Direction or Scenic Design – For a Single Episode of a Comedy, Drama or Limited Series

Michael Baugh, Jerry Adams, for "Playback"

Nominated

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series

Peter Falk

Won

Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Drama Series

Patrick McGoohan, for "By Dawn's Early Light"

Won

Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography for Entertainment Programming for a Series

Richard C. Glouner, for "Playback"

Won

1976

Outstanding Drama Series

Everett Chambers

Nominated

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Peter Falk

Won

1977

Outstanding Drama Series

Everett Chambers

Nominated

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Peter Falk

Nominated

1978

Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Series

Patrick Williams, for "Try and Catch Me"

Nominated

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Peter Falk

Nominated

Outstanding Drama Series

Richard Alan Simmons

Nominated

Outstanding Film Editing in a Drama Series

Robert Watts, for "How to Dial a Murder"

Nominated

1989

Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Series

Patrick Williams, for "Murder, Smoke and Shadows"

Nominated

1990

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series

Patrick McGoohan, for "Agenda for Murder"

Won

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Peter Falk

Won

1991

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series

Dabney Coleman, for "Columbo and the Murder of a Rock Star"

Nominated

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Peter Falk

Nominated

1994

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series

Faye Dunaway, for "It's All in the Game"

Won

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Peter Falk

Nominated

Edgar Allan Poe Awards

Year

Category

Nominee

Result

1972

Best Episode in a TV Series

Steven Bochco, for "Murder by the Book"

Nominated

1974

Best Episode in a TV Series

Jackson Gillis, for "Requiem for a Falling Star"

Nominated

1979

Best Episode in a TV Series

Robert Van Scoyk, for "Murder Under Glass"

Won

1979

Special Edgars

Richard Levinson & William Link for "Columbo and Ellery Queen TV series"

Won

Golden Globe Awards

Year

Category

Nominee

Result

1972

Actor in a Leading Role – Drama Series Or Television Movie

Peter Falk

Nominated

1973

Best Television Series – Drama

Won

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama

Peter Falk

Won

1974

Best Television Series – Drama

Nominated

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama

Peter Falk

Nominated

1975

Best Television Series – Drama

Nominated

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama

Peter Falk

Nominated

1976

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama

Peter Falk

Nominated

1978

Best Television Series – Drama

Nominated

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama

Peter Falk

Nominated

1991

Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series – Drama

Peter Falk

Nominated

1992

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV

Peter Falk

Nominated

1994

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV

"It's All in the Game"

Nominated

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV

Peter Falk, for "It's All in the Game"

Nominated

Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV

Faye Dunaway, for "It's All in the Game"

Nominated

text: Home media releases[edit]

text: DVD releases[edit]

text: As of January 10, 2012, Universal Studios Home Entertainment had released all 69 episodes of Columbo on DVD.[30] The episodes are released in the same chronological order as they were originally broadcast. On October 16, 2012, Universal released Columbo — The Complete Series on DVD in Region 1.[31]

text: Because the Columbo episodes from 1989 to 2003 were aired very infrequently, different DVD sets have been released around the world. In many Region 2 and Region 4 countries, all episodes have now been released as ten seasons, with the tenth season covering the last 14 shows from "Columbo Goes to College" (1990) to the most recent "Columbo Likes the Nightlife" (2003).  However, in France, and The Netherlands (also Region 2), the DVDs were grouped differently and released as twelve seasons.

text: In Region 1, all episodes from seasons 8 on are grouped differently; all the episodes that were originally aired on ABC were released under the title COLUMBO: The Mystery Movie Collection.

text:
Season

Eps.

Year

DVD release

DVD name

Region 1

Region 2

Region 4

Pilots

2

1968–71

The Complete First Season

September 7, 2004

September 13, 2004

December 3, 2004

1

7

1971–72

2

8

1972–73

The Complete Second Season

March 8, 2005

July 18, 2005

July 13, 2005

3

8

1973–74

The Complete Third Season

August 9, 2005

November 14, 2005

July 20, 2006

4

6

1974–75

The Complete Fourth Season

March 14, 2006

September 18, 2006

September 19, 2006

5

6

1975–76

The Complete Fifth Season

June 27, 2006

February 12, 2007

March 21, 2007

6

3

1976–77

The Complete Sixth & Seventh Seasons

November 21, 2006

April 30, 2007

May 2, 2007

7

5

1977–78

8

4

1989

The Mystery Movie Collection 1989 (R1/R4)The Complete Eighth Season (R2)

April 24, 2007

March 31, 2008

July 4, 2008

9

6

1989–90

The Mystery Movie Collection 1990 (R1)The Complete Ninth Season (R2/R4)

February 3, 2009

March 30, 2009

May 6, 2009

10 +specials

14

1990–93

The Mystery Movie Collection 1991–93 (R1)The Complete Tenth Season – Volume 1 (R2/R4)

February 8, 2011[32]

June 15, 2009

July 28, 2009

1994–2003

The Mystery Movie Collection 1994–2003 (R1)The Complete Tenth Season – Volume 2 (R2/R4)

January 10, 2012[33]

July 27, 2009

November 28, 2009

Complete series

69

1968–2003

Columbo: The Complete Series

October 16, 2012

October 19, 2009

December 7, 2016

text: Blu-ray release[edit]

text: To commemorate the death of Peter Falk,[citation needed] the complete series was released on Blu-ray in Japan as a ten-season set, taken from new HD masters and original 1.33:1 (4:3) aspect ratio (1989–2003 episodes are presented in 1.78:1 (16:9)[citation needed]).[34] The set contains 35 discs and is presented in a faux-wooden cigar box. It features a brochure with episode details, and a script for the Japanese version of Prescription: Murder. Special features include the original 96-minute version of Étude In Black and the original NBC Mystery Movie title sequence. In addition, many episodes include isolated music and sound-effects tracks.[35] Before the release of this set, only the episodes up to Murder, a Self-Portrait were released on DVD in Japan.

text: Streaming[edit]

text: Seasons one through seven had been available for streaming from Netflix, but as of January 2017 Netflix offered only the DVD version.

text: Other appearances[edit]

text: Stage[edit]

text: The Columbo character first appeared on stage in 1962 in "Prescription: Murder" with Thomas Mitchell in the role of Columbo.

text: In 2010, Prescription: Murder, was revived for a tour of the United Kingdom with Dirk Benedict and later John Guerrasio as Columbo.[36]

text: Television[edit]

text: Falk appeared as Columbo in an Alias sketch produced for a 2003 TV special celebrating the 50th anniversary of ABC.

text: Falk appeared in character as Columbo in 1977 at The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast of Frank Sinatra.

text: Film[edit]

text: The insurance investigator, John Frazier (played by James Corden) in the film Ocean's Eight is referred to appearing like a Columbo look alike.[37]

text: Books[edit]

text: A Columbo series of books was published by MCA Publishing, written by authors Alfred Lawrence, Henry Clements and Lee Hays. This series of books, with the first title published in 1972, were mostly adapted from the TV series.[38]

text: Columbo was also used as the protagonist for a series of novels published between 1994 and 1999 by Forge Books, an imprint of Tor Books. All of these books were written by William Harrington.

text: William Link, the co-creator of the series, has written a collection of Columbo short stories, titled The Columbo Collection, which was published in May 2010 by Crippen & Landru, the specialty mystery publisher.[39]

text: The Columbo character is highlighted in volume 7 of the Detective Conan manga edition of Gosho Aoyama's Mystery Library. Columbo was briefly mentioned in the anime adaptation in the episode "The Forgotten Cellphone Part 2" when Conan said one of Columbo's lines: "You know, my wife says...".

text: Columbo was briefly mentioned in a 1990 chapter of the long-running manga, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, where the main character Jotaro Kujo begins to suspect the actions of a suspicious old woman. He mentions to her that he couldn't sleep at night if he had doubts, because he frequently watched Columbo as a child.

text: In Harry Turtledove's sf/alternate history novel Homeward Bound a non-human detective, Inspector Garanpo, is a recognizable tribute to Columbo.[citation needed][original research?]

text: Sculpture[edit]

text: A statue of Lieutenant Columbo and his dog was unveiled in 2014 on Miksa Falk Street in Budapest, Hungary.[40] According to Antal Rogán, then-district mayor of the city, Peter Falk may have been related to Hungarian writer and politician Miksa Falk, although there is no evidence yet to prove it.[41]

text: Podcast[edit]

text: A podcast about Columbo was launched in 2014, primarily considering episodes of the television series.[42]

text: Mrs. Columbo spin-off[edit]

text: Mrs. Columbo, a spin-off TV series starring Kate Mulgrew, aired in 1979 and was canceled after only thirteen episodes. Lt. Columbo was never seen on Mrs. Columbo; each episode featured the resourceful Mrs. Columbo solving a murder mystery she encountered in her work as a newspaper reporter. Connections with the original Columbo series were made obvious: the glaring presence of Columbo's car in the driveway, Dog, and Mrs. Columbo emptying ashtrays containing the famous green cigar butts—all featured in the show's opening sequence. References were also made to Kate's husband being a police lieutenant.