Toll road payment system

[Foxery]

Originally posted by: Auryg
I've never seen one - I live in MN. How are they even legal? They just seem..wrong, to me. By paying gas tax I should be able to use the roads/bridges.

Many highways are built using huge loans; part of the repayment terms is that the tolls go towards repaying the loan.

Once the debt is cleared, it's such a good moneymaker that they just leave it in place and put the money towards maintaining the road as it ages.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Originally posted by: tenshodo13
All of the above

EZ Pass = Electronic Payment. If you don't have one, don't go into the lane unless you want some very pissed off commuters behind you

i really don't get why everyone doesn't use EZ pass. it makes traffic flow 100000x smoother.

 

[Savij]

Originally posted by: Fenixgoon

Originally posted by: tenshodo13
All of the above

EZ Pass = Electronic Payment. If you don't have one, don't go into the lane unless you want some very pissed off commuters behind you

i really don't get why everyone doesn't use EZ pass. it makes traffic flow 100000x smoother.

If you take a toll road once every few months, why bother?

 

[Fenixgoon]

Originally posted by: Savij

Originally posted by: Fenixgoon

Originally posted by: tenshodo13
All of the above

EZ Pass = Electronic Payment. If you don't have one, don't go into the lane unless you want some very pissed off commuters behind you

i really don't get why everyone doesn't use EZ pass. it makes traffic flow 100000x smoother.

If you take a toll road once every few months, why bother?

because you don't have to bumble around with cash.

 

[natto fire]

When I made the drive from Ohio to New Mexico, there were large portions of I40 that were toll. Most of them still had the baskets, and it was pretty painless. I don't remember what I payed in tolls altogether, as it was over 6 months ago, but I know it was nothing compared to the fuel cost.

When I lived in Ohio, I used the Ohio turnpike a few times and it was a distance based system, you had to make sure not to lose your ticket or you would pay the max toll. I never did that cause I was only on the turnpike a few miles before my exit.

Originally posted by: Fenixgoon
because you don't have to bumble around with cash.

Out of curiosity, did you make those atrocious and false Visa commercials that lambaste cash users?

 

[TruePaige]

Originally posted by: Fenixgoon

Originally posted by: Savij

Originally posted by: Fenixgoon

Originally posted by: tenshodo13
All of the above

EZ Pass = Electronic Payment. If you don't have one, don't go into the lane unless you want some very pissed off commuters behind you

i really don't get why everyone doesn't use EZ pass. it makes traffic flow 100000x smoother.

If you take a toll road once every few months, why bother?

because you don't have to bumble around with cash.

I just had an application sent to me.

Do I have to pay a monthly fee? If so I won't get it, if not I will.

I take about...10 tolls a month for work.

 

[AVAFREAK182]

They should call them troll roads.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Originally posted by: TruePaige

Originally posted by: Fenixgoon

Originally posted by: Savij

Originally posted by: Fenixgoon

Originally posted by: tenshodo13
All of the above

EZ Pass = Electronic Payment. If you don't have one, don't go into the lane unless you want some very pissed off commuters behind you

i really don't get why everyone doesn't use EZ pass. it makes traffic flow 100000x smoother.

If you take a toll road once every few months, why bother?

because you don't have to bumble around with cash.

I just had an application sent to me.

Do I have to pay a monthly fee? If so I won't get it, if not I will.

I take about...10 tolls a month for work.

No monthly fee. Based on the state, you may also need to put down a deposit($20) on the transponder. And you'll have to credit your account around $20.

 

[Eos]

Originally posted by: tenshodo13
Also, the basket type toll seems a bit more uncommon these days. However, I'm pretty sure there is usually a person waiting there for cash payments.

I rolled up on a basket booth with no attendant in a Chicago suburb. In a semi. IIRC, it was $9 something. Luckily I had a ton of change.

Originally posted by: Steve
Seriously, who the fuck hands over a $20 at a toll booth?

Uh, people who pay more than $20 to pass? Last time I went through the boroughs, GWB was over $40 as was Throg's Neck and Verrazano Narrows. Come in from NJ, go to LI and back out heading south through NJ and a semi will pay close to $100.

Originally posted by: Fenixgoon
i really don't get why everyone doesn't use EZ pass. it makes traffic flow 100000x smoother.

Because then the man will know where you drive.

 

[The Green Bean]

They should have a system like they have in London for the congestion charges. The take not of your car's number and then send you a bill. That way no slowdowns and no hassling over finding the right change.

 

[thomsbrain]

Originally posted by: Mavrick
hehehe, I can imagine that!

But I cannot see how people can casually carry a whole bunch of quarters in their car for whenever they need to take that highway!

Tolls in the Bay Area start at $4 a pop. No one carries quarters. 😉 Piles of cash is more like it.

Most frequent toll road users have FasTrak transponders in their cars that automatically deduct the toll from a pre-paid account (usually linked to a credit card). Newer toll stations have space designated for FasTrak drivers, with the toll booths completely removed so that you can blast through without even slowing. Old stations have booths switched over to FasTrak status, so you still have to slow to avoid smashing the booth, but only to 45 MPH or so. All the other lanes also accept FasTrak. Cash lanes can make change for bills larger than the toll, and yes, these can get very backed up, especially in rush hour.

 

[thomsbrain]

Originally posted by: Doodoo

Originally posted by: Savij
Just make sure you have money and the guy in the booth will give you change. Hand them a $20 every time and you're fine. Very few places have the quarter baskets from what I've seen, and the one time I did see it, it was marked as exact change only.

Please dont give the guy a 20 unless the toll is close to 20 bucks. Takes them forever to count out the change and just backs up traffic even more.

Toll takers in the Bay Area are smart enough to simply hand you pre-rolled money in the common change denominations (change for $5, $10, $20). It takes the exact same amount of time regardless of what size bill you hand them.

 

[Vette73]

This is how they work with Zug look at them 😉

 

[Fenixgoon]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975
This is how they work with Zug look at them 😉

:laugh:!!

they don't have cameras that record tags and bill the owner?

 

[markgm]

Toll roads are the biggest waste of time and money. Just raise the gas tax another 5 cents and be done with it. I think every state now charges a yearly "maintenance fee" for EZ-pass. PA didn't use to but now they do. Just like ATMs used to be free because you were saving the bank money because you were freeing up a teller, so too did EZ-pass once give discounts on the tolls on top of being free. How quickly times change. I guess I'm just bitter in the Northeast since it seems every road is a toll road. CT did away with them when an 18 wheeler lost control at a toll booth in 1983 killing 7 people waiting to pay the toll. They're thinking of bringing them back. How quickly they forget!

If my federal tax dollars go to pay for earthquake/hurricane/tornado/flood relief that doesn't affect my part of the country, then your tax dollars should pay for my roads!