NEWPORT — For years now, motorists who travel on major highways and bridges around the country have been able to avoid the hassle of paying tolls with cash or with tokens. They simply drive through toll plazas with an automatic electronic pass.

But not at Rhode Island’s one and only toll plaza — the Claiborne Pell Bridge.

Soon, however, Rhode Island may join much of the rest of the Eastern Seaboard in allowing motorists to pay tolls through the pervasive E-ZPass system.

“The time has come,” said Buddy Croft, executive director of the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority.

Croft was referring to the authority’s decision to determine if the system is feasible by putting out a request for proposals. The formal process invites qualified engineering firms to bid on installing an E-ZPass system at the span between Newport and Jamestown. It’s expected that it will take several months for the bids to be returned and reviewed.

“We are looking at a minimum of a year before we have E-ZPass installed,” said authority chairman David Darlington. “We are going to take a very deliberative process here.”

Darlington admitted that the Pell Bridge is really “one of the last vestiges” of public tolls that haven’t yet joined the digital age. “We’re really isolated … Pretty much everybody that has toll roads has some form of electronic tolling,” he said

But he also said there is a reasonable explanation. The bridge is largely a destination for people leaving or visiting Newport, not part of an interstate network of toll roads and bridges in metropolitan areas such as New York or New Jersey. In addition, traffic congestion has not been a problem at the Pell Bridge as it is in major traffic corridors.

“We have a lot of token users who go through relatively rapidly anyway,” he said.

Nevertheless, Darlington said, “At some point you say you have to get up to speed with everyone else … It becomes less of a ‘this is a good thing, why don’t you get it?’ to ‘Gee, everyone else has moved in this direction; can’t we have this sort of convenience?’ That’s one of the factors you have to weigh. What are your users’ expectations.”

In the past, Darlington said, the costs of the E-ZPass system seemed prohibitive. But further review, he said, has revealed that they’re not as great as once thought. Initially, it was believed that Rhode Island would have to pay $250,000 annually to join the system. Later it was discovered that since the authority operates such a relatively small toll operation, it can pay just $12,500 a year to simply become affiliated with E-ZPass, he said.

“We’ve evaluated this now for at least the last three years,” Darlington said.

The other costs are estimated at between $2 million and $2.5 million for hardware and software. In addition, fees will have to be paid to the credit-card companies for toll purchases.

E-ZPass holders can use credit cards to establish a balance on their accounts. Every time they go through a plaza, a toll is deducted from their account. The transactions are triggered when a small transponder placed on a vehicle’s windshield or dashboard sends a signal to an antenna at a toll plaza. There’s no need to come to a stop. Usually the E-ZPass toll is less than the cash toll, to encourage motorists to use the system and reduce the need for toll takers.

But Darlington doesn’t expect much savings in personnel costs. The token program is so popular at the bridge that there are usually only two lanes with toll collectors. Since many motorists will still pay with cash, the number of these lanes probably cannot be reduced, he said.

It’s possible, said Darlington, that revenues will increase with the installation of the E-ZPass.

“With more convenience, we may in fact get more traffic,” Darlington said. “We will get the word out that folks in other states can easily get through the toll plaza if they want to make a visit to or through Newport …We are hopeful that with the ease of use will come more use.”

On the other hand, he said, “If there is going to be a significant loss of revenues that needs to be made up somewhere, we would evaluate it at that time.” Causing a slight drop in revenues is something “we are willing to do… for the convenience of the system.”

The E-ZPass system would help the authority better collect and analyze data about the motorists who use the bridge, including their home states, said Darlington. By reducing congestion, it’s also good for the environment, eh said.

After much review, he said, “We’ve finally come to a place where we feel if we do this right, it will be mostly pluses and very few negatives.”

It might take up to 18 months to get the system up and running, if the decision is made to go through with it, Darlington said. It would probably be brought on line during an off-peak time of the year to avoid any start-up troubles, he said.

rsalit@projo.com