Toll By Plate - A Unique Challenge for RVers!

[HadEnough]

How on Earth is everyone handling all these automatic tolls everywhere throughout the East Coast??

They are now everywhere.

As I travel from place to place, they snap my plate and that's that. I have no way of getting information on what be I owe. They do not contact you at your mailing address, nothing. Actually, Massachusetts did send a bill to my mailing address, but that's it.

How does anyone know what they owe and who they owe if they are a traveler?

I have cash ready to pay, but they laid off all the toll booth workers and replaced them with machines.

[Jarlaxle]

No--US30 through Ohio and Indiana. Once in central Ohio, you can just take I-70, which goes directly to Breezewood.

[itguy08]

Jarlaxle wrote:

US30 is a pretty nice ride.

Not sure I'd want to tow a car behind a Class C from Breezewood, PA to Chambersburg, PA or even over to Gettysburg. It's a fun drive in a car up through the mountains but lots of up and down, twists and turns.

[allen8106]

I set my GPS to avoid toll roads then I don't have to worry about it.

It may take a tiny bit longer to get from point A to point B but it's usually the scenic route so it's more enjoyable anyway.

[JimBollman]

I resisted getting an EzPass for a long time. What convinced me was one trip when I stopped to pay and it was pouring down rain. The water was draining off the top of my truck camper and the wind was blowing it in my window. I stopped and signed up on the way home.

[afidel]

steveh27 wrote:
When in Mass this May I could not find any way to discover what the fees were. I stopped at a rest area and asked the turnpike staff & they had no fees posted nor did they have any handouts with them. The bill did come in the mail later and it wasn't bad, but I like to know in advance before I incur a liability.

I found an alternate route across Ohio after they changed the way they rate vehicles. Before on weight I was class 1 like cars, now on height I'm a class 2, much higher fees.

I do not drive enough on toll roads to justify EZ Pass.

Mass will send you up to 4 transponders for free and there is no monthly fee as long as you have a credit or debit card linked to your account. They will automatically refill it with $20 whenever you go under the minimum amount, but just not having to stop for tolls in most areas is worth the infinitesimally small amount of interest I might earn on that $20.

P.S. I can't believe that SunPass and EzPass still haven't figured out how to do proper billing between themseleves despite a federal law that required it by October of 2016, it's not hard to do they just don't want to and as long as the fed isn't withholding road funds there's no teeth behind the law.

[dodge_guy]

I just got a bill for 3 tolls while I was in CO. $30! Now I seen toll booths under construction, but nothing about them collecting tolls. Oh well, I guess I have to pay it.

[CavemanCharlie]

Tvov wrote:

DutchmenSport wrote:
So, say you are from another state, you go through one of those toll sections, and they send you a bill 3 months later. What happens if you do not pay?

I've never encountered one of these toll sections, and I'm avoiding I-65 through Louisville, KY like a passion!

But, what happens if you simply do not pay the bill that comes in the mail?

Thing is, in today's world, everything is tracked and saved by computers. If you ignore toll bills from other states, be careful driving through those states in the future - I wouldn't be surprised if it showed up on a police car's in-car computer that you were delinquent next time you happen to drive through a state. You may be stopped for going through a stop sign and it comes up. Or, more and more likely these days, it could pop up on a cop's computer just by them driving by you - notice those multiple camera things mounted on the sides of police car roofs? More and more these days there are license plate readers in addition to speed radar guns.

If they haven't done it already, I wouldn't be surprised if states start having "reciprocity" for sharing information about toll and vehicle traffic ticket information.

Around here even if you don't pay toll (fine or whatever) in some other state the local police are going to know about it because it shows up on there local squad cars computer. My area is so rural and has so many cops that have so little to do they are going to stop you and talk to you about it the next time they see you in town.

Also, what if the state that you got the toll (fine) in yanks your divers license for not paying ? Then you are going to be in a world of hurt.

Also, if the state you got the toll (fine) in yanks your license it takes days if not weeks for you to get the letter in the mail. During this period you are driving without a license and you don't know it. But, the cops will because it shows up in on the computer right away. Then (around here) the cops will just wait until they see you driving and then pull you over and give you a ticket for driving without a license. Your probably going to spend a night in jail for that one.

Now, I'm sure someone is going to point out that this all might not happen. And, it might not. But, it could. So paying the stupid few bucks is a lot easier then going through all the other stuff that "could" happen .

[ljr]

1968mooney wrote:

ljr wrote:

WTP-GC wrote:

HadEnough wrote:

As I travel from place to place, they snap my plate and that's that. I have no way of getting information on what be I owe. They do not contact you at your mailing address, nothing. Actually, Massachusetts did send a bill to my mailing address, but that's it.

How does anyone know what they owe and who they owe if they are a traveler?

If they got your a clear picture of your plate, you will get a bill. Might take a month. Might take 3 months. But you will get a bill.

The DMV told me I was required by law to use my street address on my registration. The Post Office doesn’t deliver to that address. I’ve probably got a bunch of outstanding bills but I don’t know how to pay them.

If you get stopped for a traffic violation in that state, you will have the opportunity to pay all of them at once. :S

Which leaves me stuck between the DMV and the Post Office. Talk about a no win situation.

[Jarlaxle]

cross21114 wrote:
We are picking up a new Class C in Elkhart next week and will be towing a car on the way back. I usually avoid the East to West toll roads by using I70. I checked the toll calculation for IN, OH and PA.
I will not be able to get an EZPass before registering the RV so compared cash vs. EZPass.

Elkhart to Breezewood, PA

Cash - $116
EZPass - $86

Will likely go southeast from Elkhart down to Columbus, OH and pick up I70.

US30 is a pretty nice ride.

[Jarlaxle]

CavemanCharlie wrote:
I didn't read this whole thread. I just stay out of states that have toll roads. But, I never go far from home anyway so it's easy for me.

As for the toll both worker making 30k a year. That comes to about 15 bucks a hour. Do they really make that much ? Where can I find a nice cushy job that pays like that ?

Tolltakers on the Mass Pike made more than that...$50K/year was common, plus gold-plated benefits and retirement.

[Jarlaxle]

jplante4 wrote:
The other thing that was supposed to happen last year was compatibility across all automatic toll systems. Sun Pass should work in the northeast and EZPass should work in FL. It was postponed because hapless government agencies can't seem to do anything that will benefit the public in any reasonable amount of time.

Here in Taxachusetts, they cut you a discount for using EZPass, but ONLY if it's a MassDot issued EZPass. My NJDot EZPass does not get the discount.

I'm sure the discount won't last long. It's just a tease to get people over to the system since ripping out the toll booths.

And meanwhile in Rhode Island, they put auto tolls on the Mt. Hope Bay Bridge between Tiverton and Newport. They hit your EZPass if you have one, if not they send you a bill. So, they use state municipal union employees to stuff a bill into an envelope that gets $.46 stamp to send you a bill for... wait for it... 10 cents!!!

Tolls on the Mount Hope Bridge came down in 1998.

[dodge_guy]

valhalla360 wrote:

dodge guy wrote:


Exactly my point. It was created as a way to provide income for itself. At least it used to be. Then it grew and people started taking money from it. Now they are just running away with toll increases and there is never enough money for a project! Hmmm! Get rid of them and things will still run as they are without taking anymore $$$$ from he public that aren't necessary.

The original toll roads were pure profit making private ventures. Only newer public toll roads try (and usually fail) to make enough money to pay for the road.

Get rid of the tolls and the money to keep them up still has to come from somewhere.

Right, and that would come from fuel and licensing taxes! If they actually used it there it would be enough. But they use it in other places which doesn't work out well for the roads!

[cross21114]

We are picking up a new Class C in Elkhart next week and will be towing a car on the way back. I usually avoid the East to West toll roads by using I70. I checked the toll calculation for IN, OH and PA.
I will not be able to get an EZPass before registering the RV so compared cash vs. EZPass.

Elkhart to Breezewood, PA

Cash - $116
EZPass - $86

Will likely go southeast from Elkhart down to Columbus, OH and pick up I70.

[valhalla360]

D.E.Bishop wrote:


I don't know how you figure benefits raise an annual salary of 30K to 90K, on average it is just 50 percent of base salary or in your example 15K additional and you forgot to mention the payback time for the equipment and added costs of mailing the bill and the second third and forth reminders to pay.

From my experience it's a shell game of hide the costs that the vendors/contractors use to get municipalities to sign a contract with them to run the system. Greater savings comes in the far distant future when all the current workers have retired and there is no more liability for paying retirements.

Because I deal with fully burdened pay rates and around a 3.0 multiplier is pretty common. Particularly for a govt job with full benefits and management structure to support.

Even if we assume $45k/yr, it's still pays for itself in 6-9months and then it's gravy from there on.