Community Forums

wingnut60 · 11-15-2018, 07:44 AM

You need to check the budget or the Indiana Toll road and see if it states what $$ are collected and what $$ go back into the road maintenance...bet the $$ go into the general fund and some disappear.

Just finished trip thru upper midwest to Maine and back down thru DC. Not too hard to avoid most toll roads, even staying on interstates in places. Got the IN EZ Pass and it worked well--total for entire trip of tolls was around $110 including the $25 cost to buy the transmitter. As for the roads...seen better.

Teamfoxy · 11-15-2018, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by momdoc

We have found over the last couple of years that US highways (usually 4 lanes but 2 in rural areas) are far superior in condition to the interstates and toll roads. Plus a more pleasant drive and so what if your trip is 30 min longer????

I totally agree with your observation. We traveled about 8000 miles this summer and only about 700 of those miles was on interstate highways. A lot of the time we have the road about all to ourselves and find it far more relaxing.

Time? Get stuck in traffic for construction or an accident and the interstate does not save any time.

Teamfoxy · 11-15-2018, 08:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wingnut60

You need to check the budget or the Indiana Toll road and see if it states what $$ are collected and what $$ go back into the road maintenance...bet the $$ go into the general fund and some disappear.

Just finished trip thru upper midwest to Maine and back down thru DC. Not too hard to avoid most toll roads, even staying on interstates in places. Got the IN EZ Pass and it worked well--total for entire trip of tolls was around $110 including the $25 cost to buy the transmitter. As for the roads...seen better.

We bought the North Carolina quick pass that works on all EZ-pass roads and also FL, GA, and NC. The transponder for that is only $7.40. You have to pre-pay $20 in tolls. Previous to that, we had a West Virginia EZ pass, but they changed the terms to require an annual toll fee for traveling on WV roads that we would never drive on.

grindstone01 · 11-15-2018, 08:08 AM

The Indiana Toll road is privately run and the company went bankrupt in 2014. A subsidary of the original foreign company is in charge now but the years of maintenance neglect (while still collecting tolls) have taken it's effect. This is a case of tax payers building the road and the Ind. government then leasing the road for a one time payment in 2006 to make the general fund account black for election bragging rights.

https://www.nwitimes.com/business/tr...1ce03caf8.html

https://www.esquire.com/news-politic...-takes-a-toll/

Tireman9 · 11-15-2018, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChuckV1

As of Sept. 20th the Indian toll road has increased tolls for Class 3, three axles vehicles up 35 percent, so say you have a three axle trailer an a two axle truck a total of 5 axle's you paided $44.00 before an now you have to pay $60.02 for the 157 mile toll road ...

Thus if your trailer MFG uses a carrier that hauls trailers on the Indiana Toll road I'm sure they will increase the delivery fees ...

Of course it would be somewhat less for a two axle truck an trailer but not much ... You might think about other routes to avoid using this cow path, wait a minute, I've traveled cow paths better than this toll road an not had to pay for such Ugh !!!

Safe Travels

Chuck

You can thank Mike Pence for selling the Toll Road to a for profit company that simply wants to make money off the driver and isn't interested in providing better service at lower cost to the consumer.

Only possible option is to get EZPass which will save you some money on tolls in 6 Central and NorthEast sataes. Shop around and you can fiind the car transponder for free (no monthly fee).
EZPasssaves time and can save lots of money.

Tireman9 · 11-15-2018, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray,IN

The idea of making all interstates into toll roads was first proposed by the previous president.

Interesting news.

I guess I forgot that Mass, NY, PA, OH, IN & IL didn't have Interstate toll roads before 2008.

Damn that Nigerian anyway.

Wayne M · 11-15-2018, 08:17 AM

Indiana Toll road is owned by an Australian company.

EZ Pass from NC was free for the sensors, populated with $20 initial start and is honored in 18 states. More may be added later.

We just traveled the IN toll road last summer and I will never do it again until I hear they have repaired it. Definitely took its "toll" on my teeth.

Tireman9 · 11-15-2018, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teamfoxy

We bought the North Carolina quick pass that works on all EZ-pass roads and also FL, GA, and NC. The transponder for that is only $7.40. You have to pre-pay $20 in tolls. Previous to that, we had a West Virginia EZ pass, but they changed the terms to require an annual toll fee for traveling on WV roads that we would never drive on.

Good to know. In the Past there was no resiprosity between EZPass and the Southers states despite there being a federal law requiring it. THIS link seems to have different info

Ray,IN · 11-15-2018, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tireman9

You can thank Mike Pence for selling the Toll Road to a for profit company that simply wants to make money off the driver and isn't interested in providing better service at lower cost to the consumer.

Only possible option is to get EZPass which will save you some money on tolls in 6 Central and NorthEast sataes. Shop around and you can fiind the car transponder for free (no monthly fee).
EZPasssaves time and can save lots of money.

It was then-governor Mitch Daniels who made that deal, sold management and maintenance rights to it for $8 billion to an Australian corporation, who filed bankruptcy some years later. The state of Indiana has now resumed total control of the toll road in Indiana.

THenman · 11-15-2018, 02:26 PM

Just a word on IN roads.

They have been HORRID for a few years. Coming home this spring I drove on the rumble strips on 69 some to avoid the holes. Now it is true they have since redone that section of road. Still in 2016-2017 I hit 2!! tire treads in construction areas that did damage to coach and wife hit one a few years back in her car.

Also as we drive around the country we notice that IN seems to have a LOT more semi traffic than we see in other areas. Guess the cross roads name fits. *shurg*

Anyhow, know that I have seen work being done on the interstates here BUT still be prepared to dodge holes or slow a lot when going through the state. I am sure the toll road will be fixed at some point question is in who's life time.

Tom

Ray,IN · 11-15-2018, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by THenman

Just a word on IN roads.

They have been HORRID for a few years. Coming home this spring I drove on the rumble strips on 69 some to avoid the holes. Now it is true they have since redone that section of road. Still in 2016-2017 I hit 2!! tire treads in construction areas that did damage to coach and wife hit one a few years back in her car.

Also as we drive around the country we notice that IN seems to have a LOT more semi traffic than we see in other areas. Guess the cross roads name fits. *shurg*

Anyhow, know that I have seen work being done on the interstates here BUT still be prepared to dodge holes or slow a lot when going through the state. I am sure the toll road will be fixed at some point question is in who's life time.

Tom

Not to disappoint you, but the new South half is just as rough as the North half, especially the bridge ends. It's already being patched and filled-in where the roadbed sank at the bridge ends. Specifications for interstate highway construction were relaxed in favor of expediency and cost.
The entire I 69 project from I 64 to I 465 was scheduled for completion in 2014, it's not even to Martinsville IN yet.

Teamfoxy · 11-16-2018, 05:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wayne M

Indiana Toll road is owned by an Australian company.

EZ Pass from NC was free for the sensors, populated with $20 initial start and is honored in 18 states. More may be added later.

We just traveled the IN toll road last summer and I will never do it again until I hear they have repaired it. Definitely took its "toll" on my teeth.

The quick pass transponders that are good only in FL, GA & NC are free. The ones that are good in EZpass states as well are $7.40. The Florida Sun Pass and GA Peach Pass are good in FL, GA and NC. FL does not accept EZ-pass from any state except NC. They will toll by plate for those who don't have a transponder, but it is at a higher rate.

Dale & Mark Bruss · 11-16-2018, 05:22 AM

There is a law than soon all toll transponders have to be reciprocal to all states and I think in the 2020 series of cars, the transponders will be standard.

In 1996 Congress passed legislation that allowed all states to collect taxes on the "free" Interstate highways. So far, about the only states that have done that are ones where there was toll roads in the first place. There were increases in the rates on those roads but it wasn't toll increases, which would have gone to road maintenance, but taxes going to the state treasury. People just assumed the toll rate had increased. It is hard to add the tax on a non-toll road without people figuring it out. Imagine the bullet holes on toll booths on I10.

baraff · 11-16-2018, 07:09 AM

I know a guy who works for the Illinois Tollway. He says there is an active push to make ALL of I-80 a tollroad clear across the state, Indiana to Iowa.
Whether this will actually happen is anybody's guess.
The Illinois toll road commission has collected so much money over the years, especially with the iPass transponder system, that they don't know what to do with it all. They tear up roads that don't need to be torn up and take all summer to "fix" them. It's a job works program in disguise.
Can't wait to move out of this corrupt state.