Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

A Narragansett woman has sued two Massachusetts agencies, accusing them of "blatant" discrimination in the tolls they charge to out-of-state residents.

Carol L. Surprenant, a retired University of Rhode Island business professor, filed the lawsuit Friday against the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority and the Massachusetts Port Authority. It says that the agencies charge up to 10 times what state residents pay, in violation of the federal Constitution, and that the disparity will soon rise even higher, with non-residents paying up to 17 times the tolls some residents pay.

Her lawsuit seeks class action status, which would mean that it would be on behalf of all of the non-Massachusetts drivers who pay the higher tolls. It asks both an end to the discriminatory policies and restitution of the extra money paid by out-of-state drivers -- which it estimates at "tens of millions of dollars a year" that would otherwise have been charged to Massachusetts residents.

The two agencies operate the Tobin Memorial Bridge and the Sumner and Ted Williams tunnels, among other facilities. Surprenant says she has repeatedly paid the higher tolls at the tunnels to get to Logan Airport for both business and pleasure trips.

 Tags  highway lawsuit Massachusetts Narragansett RI

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