WASHINGTON – A Virginia man racked up a more than $200,000 bill after he neglected to pay for commuting on the Dulles Tolls Road more than three years ago.
Jason Bourcier told NBC Washington that more than about 3 1/2 years ago, he frequently rode the Dulles Toll Road from Reston, Va. to Washington without paying. Under incorrect guidance from a friend, he was under the impression that he didn’t have to pay to use the toll road after 11:30 p.m. when the booths were unmanned.
Bourcier’s initial fine came in at $440, but this week, the Virginia Department of Transportation took the 33-year-old to court after the bill swelled to more than $200,000 — a figure that includes late fees and interest, according to NBC Washington.
Bourcier and VDOT reached a settlement: He owes $40,000 plus another $55,000 in interest, NBC Washington reports. He will pay back $150 a month — which means Bourcier will be in his 80s by the time the debt is paid.
Bourcier says he has learned some lessons from the incident.
“One would be for state legislature to take another look at the fines and fees that they are assessing the taxpayers,” he said to NBC Washington. “The other would be for me, and that would be don’t mess with E-ZPass.”
Toll rates on the Dulles Tolls Road start at $1.75 to drive on the main toll plaza. Rates increase on Jan. 1, 2014 to $2.50 to drive on the main toll plaza.
All toll violations are recorded by the vehicle enforcement system and a violation notice is issued to the registered owner of the vehicle by the customer service center. It is not clear if Bourcier received a violation notice following his initial fines.
Watch an NBC Washington video about the bill below:
Follow @WTOPTraffic and @WTOP on Twitter.
