Community Forums

glennb100 · 05-31-2011, 08:08 AM

As the number of toll roads continues to increase, are any of you aware of some king electronic toll transponder that can be purchased that can be used across the country?

If this is available, it would mean minimizing stops at toll booths and easier access to roads and less hassle while traveling.

bdaball · 05-31-2011, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glennb100

As the number of toll roads continues to increase, are any of you aware of some king electronic toll transponder that can be purchased that can be used across the country?

If this is available, it would mean minimizing stops at toll booths and easier access to roads and less hassle while traveling.

We have the EZ-Pass from Maine-Virginia and the Sun Pass while in Florida.
EZ-PAss does require a different transponder for the MH than the toad. I can assure you that different states have different policies reagarding plate reading, (some read front plate-sme read rear plate) so make sure you investigate that first based on the states you think you may travel.
We were wanted fugutives for a while because the GW bridge which is run by the NJ highway system read our toad plate and not the MH. Only after several calls to people who speak English as a second language did we get it worked out and our "REPEAT OFFENDER" status removed.

Short answer, yes there is.

GaryKD · 05-31-2011, 09:16 AM

Hi glennb100,
My view is different. For me, there is no single way to use the variety of toll paying methods across the USA. Some states have the same process but most are different from each other. Within Florida, the tag reading devices are only in Broward County (Ft. Lauderdale) and South. Once out of Florida, I remove my transponder and just go to the toll booth that accepts cash. I remove the transponder as I have been lazy and paid cash and the transponder beeped indicating $s had been deducted from my account!

Gary RVRoamer · 05-31-2011, 09:41 AM

EZ pass will cover maybe 2/3's of the toll booths in the country. That's about as close as you can come to a "king pass". Some others use a different pass, e.g. the Florida Sun Pass, while some accept only cash.

RVThere · 05-31-2011, 09:42 AM

I also use the EZPass and SunPass combo. EZPass is also accepted in PA, OH, IN and IL as you go out west from the east coast.

EZPass does NOT work in CA where they have FasTrak tolls.

bldrbob · 05-31-2011, 11:01 AM

Son had a problem in south florida .Many tolls only accept sun pass. So if you don't have one they send you a bill with a surcharge for not having the sunpass. Another way to sock it to the tourist. When he inquired was told if he got a new sunpass it would take 24 hours to activate so would not help.A 75 cent toll becomes $2 plus.Thank you for visiting sunny florida.

melvonnar · 05-31-2011, 12:32 PM

I heard some time ago there was talk about making the interstate roads toll roads.
Don't laugh folks, they (the goverenment) is looking for all kinds of ways to raise money these days.

frankdamp · 05-31-2011, 02:20 PM

In Washington state, even the toll roads we have use different transponders. The Tacoma Narrow bridge was the first to go to transponder tolling, followed by the HOV lanes that you can pay to use if you don't qualify by the number of people in the car. Next month the 520 floating bridge is supposed to go to transponders.

With the incredible foresight so common to state governments, the transponders for the Narrows bridge ar different to those for 520 and the HOV lane system is yet a third type. I guess we can be thankful that the HOV transponders for I-5 and SR167 are the same!

I'm glad I don't have to drive through the greater Seattle urban area on a regular basis. I'll be interested to see how they handle occasional users from out of the area, as there are no manned toll booths.

Fencebuster · 05-31-2011, 06:39 PM

We also use EZ Pass, which provides a discount in some situations and has saved us a lot of time, especially around Chicago (always a time burner). We do not live in a state with toll roads so we had to "rent" one from another state. We chose Ohio. Interestingly, each participating state has different rates. Here is the link for Ohio, which lists all of the participating agencies.

Ohio Turnpike Commission - EZPass FAQ

Happy travels!

W4RLR · 05-31-2011, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bldrbob

Son had a problem in south florida .Many tolls only accept sun pass. So if you don't have one they send you a bill with a surcharge for not having the Sunpass. Another way to sock it to the tourist. When he inquired was told if he got a new Sunpass it would take 24 hours to activate so would not help.A 75 cent toll becomes $2 plus. Thank you for visiting sunny Florida.

To be fair, the surcharge only applies to the MONTH, not PER TOLL. You can get a SunPass and save anywhere from 25 to 50 percent on your toll. If not, the Toll By Plate option comes into play on several toll roads in Florida. A camera takes a picture of your vehicle and rear plate, a computer looks up the plate number for the vehicle owner, a bill is sent for all tolls recorded that way for the month. $2.50 is the "convenience charge". That equipment costs money, and if you don't want to buy a SunPass, no one is forcing you to. But you won't get the discount if you don't buy one. It sounds more than fair to me.

W4RLR · 05-31-2011, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by melvonnar

I heard some time ago there was talk about making the interstate roads toll roads.
Don't laugh folks, they (the goverenment) is looking for all kinds of ways to raise money these days.

It's already happened. California State Road 91 and I-95 in south Florida have toll lanes. I-10 in Houston has toll lanes. They also have free lanes, but it is only a matter of time before we are charged either by the trip or by the mile.

Ray,IN · 06-01-2011, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rray32539

It's already happened. California State Road 91 and I-95 in south Florida have toll lanes. I-10 in Houston has toll lanes. They also have free lanes, but it is only a matter of time before we are charged either by the trip or by the mile.

Pay per mile is coming, mainly because of electric cars. They pay little road tax for the miniscule gas they burn. This is leaving states shorted in road tax, so the individual states are contemplating eliminating road tax on fuel and enacting a mileage tax. Each auto owner must rent/buy a computer for each vehicle that automatically sends the necessary information to the state they are driving in/through. I think this encompasses the interstate toll road movement.

Arch Hoagland · 06-01-2011, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rray32539

It's already happened. California State Road 91 and I-95 in south Florida have toll lanes. I-10 in Houston has toll lanes. They also have free lanes, but it is only a matter of time before we are charged either by the trip or by the mile.

California State Route 91 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

91 is a freeway. The toll lane is privately funded.