I had no idea. I haven 't had to drive in areas with tolls much in the past several years - I thought they were like 50 cents or maybe a buck. Are these rates becoming more common?

Illinois did it very sneaky many years ago. They tried to say that if you got one of the automated toll passes, you would be saving money. But the fact was that they simply doubled the cost of cash tolls.

We have lots of tolls here in Central Florida which start around $1.25. While it doesn’t sound like much, the volume of tolls makes them expensive.

The toll rates on 66 and 495 in VA are based on traffic. The rates are designed to keep traffic flowing at a set speed, I think 45 or 55 mph but don't hold me to it.

When there is an incident in the non-toll traffic lanes/routes. More people are willing to pay the tolls and take the toll roads thus pushing the price up.

Those are not the normal price but on bad days they can become what you see.

Traffic in that area is beyond bad.

I could write an entire post on my feelings on the tolls in the VA/MD area.



I used to have to drive into VA a few times a week from MD. That was over 10 years ago. I wouldn't want to do that anymore.

quote:

Originally posted by Edmond:
Illinois did it very sneaky many years ago. They tried to say that if you got one of the automated toll passes, you would be saving money. But the fact was that they simply doubled the cost of cash tolls.

As difficult as it is for me, I have to give Illinois a little credit here.

First, while they definitely screw people who pay cash and don't use the I-Pass device, Illinois tolls are a bargain compared to some other states. I drove to New York and back this past June and got sticker shock at the tolls I paid driving through Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

The other benefit Illinois has is that the majority of Illinois toll stations have what they call "open road tolling". Open road tolling uses overhead scanners to detect your I-Pass, allowing you to drive through the toll plaza without having to slow down.

If you only occasionally travel in states with tolls, like EZ pass is there a downside to putting one in your vehicle?

Sounds like open one with $20 and link to an account, then if you need it you just go through the lanes.

I sedulously avoid toll roads. I find alternate routes every time I can. I don't agree with them, because most do not stop charging when the road has been paid off. (I can understand a charge to pay for the road, but once it has been amortized, the upkeep should devolve to the regular road taxes.)

flashguy

I drove South through Illinois and Chicago last month and the dam tolls were almost $50!!

Only downside IMO is they track your movements. They were even going to use your ET between tolls to send you speeding tickets but there was some level of outrage and they dropped that. When I got my first toll summary you could pretty much track my comings and goings by iPass.

Fifteen years back I borrowed my Mothers Ez Pass for the trip back to MT in my vehicle. Then just sent it back with qa check for the charges. Saved me a ton of time.I checked and PA, IL, etc all took it.

Get home and weeks later find out that half the tolls in IL ,all of them, around Chicago, did not recognize the EZ Pass. In the photos of me running the toll booth you can even SEE the EZ Pass!

I tried to take care of it over the phone but no one would help me. Throw me on hold and never answer. So I finally paid the amount, IIRC like $12 or $14 total.

That check was cashed but I still got notices for warrants for failing to pay the tolls. AGAIN...tried to take care of the issue over the phone...no joy.

NEVER had issues anywhere else...just good old Chicago.

I'd rather be on the toll road than taxpayer roads.

Example here is the Epass SunPass roads in CFL, most are well maintained, you don't find crappy surfaces, and if you do, they fix it promptly, grass is mowed, they build continually to improve access and flow.

I-4 the interstate through O-town, it was undersized when it was built (and poorly built) the ramps are bad, the surface so poor in areas that riding a motorcycle over them was worse on your nerves than a wet steel grate bridge.

They are still rebuilding it, and when done, it will still be undersized, poorly managed and in disrepair within a short time.

Toll roads are a god send, more idiots prefer to stay on the freebee roads...

Run one of these Toll Roads with multiple axles on a RV or truck and a trailer or TOAD car and gasp at your Toll fees!

We have a handful here in Houston. The outer 2 loops & a few arterial roads, and the HOV have a toll option at certain times.

In general, they're not outrageously priced, per toll, but on a few of the roads there are numerous booths & it can quickly add up.

Last I was on I10 headed westbound out of downtown, I think it was something like $10 total from downtown to the 3rd loop (around 25 miles).

Edit: We also have a recently constructed toll exit, that was built to alleviate traffic on what was the busiest/most congested intersection in my county, that was run by the toll road authority.

TXDOT offered to take over management of the bridges, if the toll authority would remove the toll booths.
About the only time I've seen tolls removed on a heavily traversed toll.

Our toll costs me $5 to get to work. I contribute around $1000 each year.

quote:

Originally posted by GTO:
Our toll costs me $5 to get to work. I contribute around $1000 each year.

Do you haven an alternative route you could take or is it just not feasible time-wise or worth the hassle?

I was shocked when they took the toll off the Coronado bridge.

For decades the blue bloods and blue hairs wanted it there to dissuade the commoners from coming to their island, unless it was to work at North Island and then leave.

Very common here in the metro. So many of them. I pay the fee and have the pass mounted to the windshield. I loathe the cost but due to Kalifornian invasion, heavy traffic at all times of day, it's a necessity.

quote:

Originally posted by BamaJeepster:

quote:

Originally posted by GTO:
Our toll costs me $5 to get to work. I contribute around $1000 each year.

Do you haven an alternative route you could take or is it just not feasible time-wise or worth the hassle?

I'm sure he's talking about the toll crossing the Tacoma Narrows bridge. If you work in Tacoma or in the vicinity, it is the only logical way to get there from Gig Harbor.

Jim

There is nothing I resent more than a toll on an interstate highway that was paid for by my tax dollars already. It's a scam, it's thievery.

But, whether an interstate or toll-funded thoroughfare, tollways are one of the greatest examples of government waste one could ever illustrate. Toll collection points are supposedly created to fund the building of the road, but they end up being nothing more than a money furnace used to prop up the government bureaucracy created to collect the toll in the first place.



.

quote:

Originally posted by TigerDore:
There is nothing I resent more than a toll on an interstate highway that was paid for by my tax dollars already. It's a scam, it's thievery.

But, whether an interstate or toll-funded thoroughfare, tollways are one of the greatest examples of government waste one could ever illustrate. Toll collection points are supposedly created to fund the building of the road, but they end up being nothing more than a money furnace used to prop up the government bureaucracy created to collect the toll in the first place.



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This in spades! Remember all the promises.....once the bond is paid they will be free roads. I think the bonds were paid about 50 years ago in Illinois but we still have tolls. And BIG luxurious buildings for the Tollway workers and BIG paychecks for jobs for political cronies.

After getting rid of all the tolls on bridges in the late 80s we are just starting to get toll roads again.

Right now it is just an express lane but that is the camel's nose. We will have full toll roads in the near future.