Maine is the latest state to get rid of its highway coin toll system for new technology
stonej
George D
> http://www.boston.com/news/local/maine/articles/2009/02/08/maine_is_latest_to_toss_its_coin_toll_system/
JOOC how do people who don't normally use the toll roads pay their
tolls? Some of us like me live in places where there are no toll roads
so we don't have any easy passes or such>
Bruce Remick
"George D" <geo...@arizona.com> wrote in message
news:ubgkl.4476$rt3....@newsfe15.iad...
If you don't happen to drive on a toll road, you don't pay any tolls. Most
of those who regularly use the tolls roads, bridges, or tunnels find it to
their advantage to sign up for something like EZ Pass which will allow you
to drive through designated lanes at toll plazas without having to stop and
pay. (You still are charged, of course) The rest of us occasional users
often have to wait in long lines to pay the toll. I'm one of the latter.
The last time I checked, you had to get a separate EZ Pass account for each
car you drive. From what I've seen, most of the toll roads seem to be
concentrated in the Middle Atlantic and northeast states. Tradition, I
guess. Otherwise, you're apt to find toll bridges just about everywhere.
Jud
was for my fairly regular trips to NYC, where the Whitestone Bridge
toll booths are often a 20 minute wait if you use cash. However, they
have just raised the tolls on the Maine Turnpike for everyone, but
more for those using cash. What once was a 60¢ charge to get on the
Turnpike is now $1, unless you have EZ Pass, in which case it is 75¢.
There are about 12 states that use or accept EZ Pass, and if you have
one from a state other than Maine, you will be charged the same amount
as a cash user. The convenience is still there, and now, there is a
cash advantage for me.
Bruce Remick
"Jud" <numis...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:492d8a97-025d-43c3...@p20g2000yqi.googlegroups.com...
Whenever I head to NE north on 95 over the George Washington Bridge (toll)
in NYC, the EZ Pass lanes are often clogged with out-of-towners who have
been conditioned to expect cash lanes to be located on the far right. Not
the case in this heavily congested toll plaza where semis and ferriners who
use cash are constantly jockeying across a dozen or more lanes to get out of
a closed lane or into one of the lanes they need. The setup there defeats
the convenience of EZ Pass. However, if I made that drive more than once or
twice a year, I'd probably do the EZ Pass thing.
mazorj
"Bruce Remick" <rem...@cox.net> wrote in message
news:s%gkl.18142$0v....@newsfe17.iad...
>
> "George D" <geo...@arizona.com> wrote in message
> news:ubgkl.4476$rt3....@newsfe15.iad...
>> stonej wrote:
>>> http://www.boston.com/news/local/maine/articles/2009/02/08/maine_is_latest_to_toss_its_coin_toll_system/
>> JOOC how do people who don't normally use the toll roads pay their
>> tolls? Some of us like me live in places where there are no toll
>> roads so we don't have any easy passes or such>
>
> If you don't happen to drive on a toll road, you don't pay any
> tolls. Most of those who regularly use the tolls roads, bridges, or
> tunnels find it to their advantage to sign up for something like EZ
> Pass which will allow you to drive through designated lanes at toll
> plazas without having to stop and pay. (You still are charged, of
> course) The rest of us occasional users often have to wait in long
> lines to pay the toll. I'm one of the latter. The last time I
> checked, you had to get a separate EZ Pass account for each car you
> drive.
Last time I looked, Virginia allowed you to list a second vehicle for
using one EZP transponder. That was some years ago so YMMV. Even if
you do have to get a second account, other than possibly a second
security deposit, you still pay the same - one trip, one toll. I kept
my EZP even though I use it so infrequently now that they wanted to
terminate my account. I said no thank you, keep it active. It still
beats fumbling for change and you can whip through the designated EZP
lanes barely slowing down.
> From what I've seen, most of the toll roads seem to be concentrated
> in the Middle Atlantic and northeast states. Tradition, I guess.
> Otherwise, you're apt to find toll bridges just about everywhere.
It's partly the colonial-era "tradition" of toll roads and canals in
the eastern half of the U.S., plus the fact that per mile it's much
more expensive to run a big roadway through even moderately populated
areas. Sometime the only way to get the (much more expensive) funding
is to show that tolls will recoup the cost over X years. Sometimes
they even remove the toll booths after the road or bridge or tunnel
has paid for itself, although it's hard for pols to give up the cash
cow once the cow has been paid for.