I miss the option of paying tolls in real time.

[Larry Caldwell]

Maybe. Before I got an Ezpass, on the occasions I had to drive toll roads I'd get a bill in the mail a couple months later with 30 days to pay. No nasty notice of evasion, I paid the bills promptly so no idea what the next step would be if I didn't pay. N.Y. Thruway, Maine Turnpike and Spaulding Turnpike in N.H.


Must vary by state, I believe it's $30 they keep in reserve here in N.H. It's not a huge imposition. Probably cheaper for the state to administer than to have to process a zillion $1 transactions.

Got the Ezpass a couple years ago to make it easier when we do a road trip. It's valid throughout the northeast, and as far west as Illinois.

Good to know. The last toll interstate I drove on was in Seattle, in a rental. I never heard anything about it, so I assume the rental company rolled it into incidentals. If they ever get the replacement Interstate Bridge across the Columbia built, they say it will be a $6 toll. I like that, since the only time I drive it is to visit a cousin in Clark County a couple times a year. Let the people who use it pay for it, mostly people who live in Oregon and work in Washington to evade the income tax, or people who live in Washington and shop in Oregon to evade the sales tax. Does EZ Pass mind if you don't use it in a calendar year?

 

[MossRoad]

Texas uses toll tags which are transponders.

 

[MossRoad]

...Does EZ Pass mind if you don't use it in a calendar year?

Nope. At least in Indiana. Why not? Because they charge you $1.50 per month regardless of if you use it or not.

Here's some info...

What is the cost to obtain an E-ZPass transponder(s)? (2-axle class only)​

Transponder pricing varies by toll agency. Indiana E-ZPass 2-axle transponders are $25.00. Your opening balance is $10.00 ($8.00 for retail transponders) and a one-time $15.00 transponder issuance fee. Shipping and handling is $7.00 per order when ordered online or from the Customer Care Center. There is a $1.50 management fee per month per device deducted from your account balance. If a paper statement is mailed to you every month, there is also a fee of $1.00 deducted from your E-ZPass balance. There is no charge when balances are accessed via the website instead.

What happens during the first three months of my account? After?​

Normally, when you open an account, usually $10.00 per E-ZPass (for a 2-axle class only), is placed in your account to pay your tolls. If you do not use up 75% of your opening balance prior to the first three full months of your account opening date, you will not be replenished during that period of time. If you use more than 75% of your opening balance during the first three months, your account will auto-replenish $10 per E-ZPass on the account until the three months have expired. Our system uses this initial three-month time period to obtain an average of your monthly usage. After three months, your average monthly usage will replace the $10 amount our system used during the initial phase of your account. In any case, you only get replenished based on your actual toll usages and your remaining balance is continuously carried over to the next month.
Part of the cost of purchasing an E-ZPass serves as your initial balance when you open your account. That balance amount will be your account replenishment amount for the first three months that the account is open. You will have a low-balance limit that is 25% of that cost. Anytime that your balance drops below the low-balance limit, the replenishment amount will be added to your account from the form of payment on file. The most common scenario is for a 2-axle class, which will have a replenishment amount of $10 with a low-balance limit of $2.50.
After three months of the account being open, the system will take the average of the funds used on tolls during that time and recalculate the replenishment amount. The low balance limit will also be adjusted, as it is always 25% of the replenishment amount. ($10 is the minimum replenishment amount.) Going forward, the replenishment amount will be readjusted at the beginning of each month based on the three previous months of travel.

From here:

https://www.indianatollroad.org/faq/e-zpass/#:~:text=Transponder%20pricing%20varies%20by%20toll,accessed%20via%20the%20website%20instead.

 

[eolesen]

That monthly fee for a transponder is just crazy. The Illinois and Texas transponders we have are free with a balance on the account. Get one of the other state's transponders which is compatible with your state.

 

[dodge man]

I think as a rule interstate highways don’t have tolls. Most toll roads look like interstate highways and often connect one to another. I think the difference is toll roads are built by someone other then the feds.

 

[Oaktree]

But there is a way around it if you take the last exit, go down to surface streets, use an old bridge, weave your way through downtown Louisville, and get back up on the highway, bypassing the toll bridge. However, it can be anywhere from 5-30 minutes longer depending on traffic.

Yeah, you can avoid the tolls from the Everett Tpk here by taking US 3, which parallels it. Lots of traffic, traffic lights, general congestion. Adds considerable time to your trip. Hardly worth it to save $1.

That monthly fee for a transponder is just crazy. The Illinois and Texas transponders we have are free with a balance on the account. Get one of the other state's transponders which is compatible with your state.

Ours are a one time fee to purchase the transponder. Forget what I paid for it, $35 give or take. No monthly fee.
When they first introduced them here in the early-mid 00s the transponder was free. Not sure when they started charging for them.

 

[CliffordK]

I think as a rule interstate highways don’t have tolls. Most toll roads look like interstate highways and often connect one to another. I think the difference is toll roads are built by someone other then the feds.

I'm not sure what the rule is. Try driving through Oklahoma. Interstate Highway 44 becomes a toll highway. There are two lane roads that you can bypass some, but the main interstate highway is toll.

Just to the south side of Chicago, the main freeway becomes a tollway. Interstate 94/294/80?

Oregon/Washington is planning on replacing the main Interstate 5 Columbia river crossing. About half the money is supposed to be federal grant money, and half is supposed to be state funded between the two states. And there is a proposal to do the state proportion with tolls. I'm not excited about that, but I don't get up there very often. It will be interesting the impact if the I-5 crossing becomes a toll bridge, and the I-205 crossing remains free.

California puts tolls on many of the roads leading to San Francisco, or the bridges in and out of parts of the metro area. This includes the Golden Gate Bridge. I'm pretty sure they are state owned.

 

[Torvy]

I think as a rule interstate highways don’t have tolls. Most toll roads look like interstate highways and often connect one to another. I think the difference is toll roads are built by someone other then the feds.

Something like 6.2% of Interstate miles have tolls. That doesn't sound like much, but most of the total miles are the big cross country ones across rural areas.

interstate-toll-roads

Complete 2025 guide to interstate toll roads in the USA. Coverage, rates, payment methods for I-95, I-90, I-76, I-80, and all tolled interstates.

tollguru.com

 

[Torvy]

I had to find the definition of a transponder. Guess they don't use those in Texas.

I had a toll tag when we lived in DFW. The old ones were a plastic case that attached to the windshield via velcro.

The newer ones are an orange and blue sticker.

Apparently, it still sends a signal to the booth. That's why if you go to the booth at DFW airport, the bars open for you.

@ultrarunner I forgot until I wrote this...the airport still has some lanes where you pay a person.

 

[ultrarunner]

I'm not sure what the rule is. Try driving through Oklahoma. Interstate Highway 44 becomes a toll highway. There are two lane roads that you can bypass some, but the main interstate highway is toll.

Just to the south side of Chicago, the main freeway becomes a tollway. Interstate 94/294/80?

Oregon/Washington is planning on replacing the main Interstate 5 Columbia river crossing. About half the money is supposed to be federal grant money, and half is supposed to be state funded between the two states. And there is a proposal to do the state proportion with tolls. I'm not excited about that, but I don't get up there very often. It will be interesting the impact if the I-5 crossing becomes a toll bridge, and the I-205 crossing remains free.

California puts tolls on many of the roads leading to San Francisco, or the bridges in and out of parts of the metro area. This includes the Golden Gate Bridge. I'm pretty sure they are state owned.

Golden Gate is not under the State… the other bridges are.

No toll roads other than bridges that I am aware but plenty of toll express lanes in the Bay Area

They had been free for electrics but that program is sunsetting.