Community Forums

bdickson · 10-17-2012, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wnytaxman

Some states, such as NY, give you a discount for using the EZ Pass. I use it a lot on all of my vehicles and it saves time and money.Ed

We have an EzPass and a Florida SunPass. They both paid for themselves the first season in discounted tolls. They just lay on the dash and we forget about them. The EzPass is used as far west as West Virginia.

Interestingly, we drove some toll roads around Denver CO about two months ago. The tolls were "Bill by Mail". I have not yet seen a bill. The vehicles are registered in NC, I wonder if it's just not worth their time chasing out of state tolls?

OSP1268 · 10-17-2012, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BFlinn181

To throw another wrinkle in this discussion, Indiana 'leased' their tollroad to a private company, an Australian/Spanish joint-venture, for $3.8 billion for 75 years. Ohio has discussed doing the same sort of thing. Talk about outsourcing!

I just returned from Maine, at times I wasn't sure if I was paying a toll to drive in Maine, leave Maine, or enter New Hampshire.

Maybe the Ohio Turnpike would improve if it was leased out. We went across it last year and it was in terrible shape.

bdickson · 10-17-2012, 02:50 PM

For the past 10 years or so, Raleigh NC has been building a beltlinearound the city and calling it I-540. Last year they decided they wanted to collect tolls on a new section, so they had to designate that part as a state road instead of an Interstate and name it NC-540.

SpringerPop · 10-17-2012, 02:58 PM

Here's a link to the U/S/ Department of Transportation with their explanation:
https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/tollroad.cfm

Pop

Sky_Boss · 10-17-2012, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BFlinn181

...If I had to use tollroads more regularly I would probably invest in EZ pass or one of the similar systems to speed the transaction at the booth.

It would be great if all tollways worked on the pass system.

**CLIFFTALL** · 10-17-2012, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sky_Boss

It would be great if all tollways worked on the pass system.

The same pass system would even be better. My Fl. Sun Pass only works in Fl.

Cliff

DSL417 · 10-17-2012, 03:30 PM

And wait till they start raising the rates....we have one in Virginia that went private and the rates have tripled in the last 7 years. To their credit, the road is in pretty good shape.

racefn · 10-17-2012, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wnytaxman

Some states, such as NY, give you a discount for using the EZ Pass. I use it a lot on all of my vehicles and it saves time and money.

Ed

Illinois and Indiana also is discounted with ez pass or similar, they are basically free with a ten dollar refundable deposit, of course you must maintain a minium balance, as a frequent toll user in chicago area I have it attached to credit card for automatic recharge, you set the amounts when the account is set up

thebings · 10-17-2012, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wnytaxman

There is a toll road around Toronto which I believe is owned by the same company. Most people who use it look upon it positively.

The issue of one road being toll while the same road in the adjoining state is not a toll road has been brought up. When you leave a non-toll state like Missouri and go into Kansas you are not paying any taxes to Kansas unless you fuel up in the state. The toll you pay in Kansas is a use tax. If you do not wish to pay that use tax, then the option is to use a different road on which there is no toll.

I personally agree with toll roads because they are a fair way to tax. You use it, then you pay for it. You don't use it, then don't pay for it. It is fairly simple. I don't expect everyone to agree with my assessment, but interstate highways are not paid for 100% with federal funds. Tolls help each state to pay for their share of the highway construction. The maintenance of those roads and the upkeep is pretty much up to the states to fund and tolls help to perform that service.

My thinking is; I help Kansas pay for the upkeep of their interstate just by driving on it but they do not pay anything (unless they buy gas in my state) to help upkeep the interstate in Missouri when they drive on it. I am not picking on Kansas, it just a way to make a point. And again, I am talking about an interstate highway.

BFlinn181 · 10-17-2012, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thebings

My thinking is; I help Kansas pay for the upkeep of their interstate just by driving on it but they do not pay anything (unless they buy gas in my state) to help upkeep the interstate in Missouri when they drive on it. I am not picking on Kansas, it just a way to make a point. And again, I am talking about an interstate highway.

Actually, we don't pay tolls to drive INTERstate, we pay tolls to drive INTRAstate. The tolls are for the highway within the state, not between the states.

thebings · 10-17-2012, 09:06 PM

Then to better clarify, I am talking about "INTERstate 70" that runs from Utah to Maryland, going all the way through Missouri and Kansas. There are tolls in Kansas for this highway.

BFlinn181 · 10-17-2012, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thebings

Then to better clarify, I am talking about "INTERstate 70" that runs from Utah to Maryland, going all the way through Missouri and Kansas. There are tolls in Kansas for this highway.

I've been on it many times, good weather and bad, traveling from Cincinnati to my son's home in Denver. Same situation on I 95 in Maryland between Wilmington, DE and Baltimore. Parts of I 95 in Maine are toll, others are not. Some 'interstates' around Chicago are also toll roads. Fact is, if a state isn't getting enough federal help to develop the limited access highway, so it is built on borrowed money with tolls charged to pay back the bonds. I don't resent that, it is a fair use tax. Sometimes it's the power of the congressional members from that state that determines funding.
Why do you think a space ship launched in Florida, a scientifically located launch site determined by earth's rotation and open ocean, is immediately shifted to ground control in Houston, TX? Thank Rep. Lyndon Johnson. Probably would have made more sense to keep control in Florida or maybe Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL where rockets were designed, built, and tested, but LBJ had the power.

DAN L · 10-18-2012, 12:59 AM

the problem i have with toll roads is that most of the time half of the tolls that i pay goes to the toll collecting company, not for maintaining the bridges and roads.

kinda like red light cameras.

Dan DeBruin · 10-18-2012, 04:55 AM

I have been in upstate NY so long, almost forget there are states that don't have tolls. Costs me almost $125 in tolls to drive round trip from Rochester NY to Springfield Mass with my RV and toad. Used to be a viable option to take other roads than the thruway and go a bit further before diesel got to $4.35 per gallon but now, I just suck it up, turn on the cruise control and pay the toll. Just part of the cost of driving here in NY. In NYS the Thruway Authority also uses the tolls to support the Erie Canal. Something that is up for discussion now in the legislature since the canal is not able to generate enough money to support itself, it always sucks a portion of the tolls away. EZ pass is helpful both in time and cost. Don't even want to talk about the tolls in NYC for the bridges and tunnels!!