toll roads

There is a bridge coming from NJ to Philly that caught me. Cost me $40 for MH and toad, East to West. West to East cost nothing.

Never again will I travel that road. I don't recall the route nor the bridge but if I ever need to go through Pa and Phil area to NJ I will do severe due diligence to avoid that theft.

I like and use them although I don't like the rates of the tolls on many of them. I certainly agree that the toll rates have gotten out of hand on most tolls roads. I like to get from point A to B as efficiently as possible. I have the EZ-Pass and like the expediency of using the EZ Pass lanes, especially the high speed EZ-Pass lanes on some toll roads.

Having said all of that, there are times that we'll take a secondary route for the sake of a change of scenery when we're not under any time constraints. As it is that DW and I are not yet retired, we don't always have the luxury of taking all the time we want to get to a destination or returning home. Someday...

I avoid them. Not so much about the money but usually because where a toll road exists near a city, is where the local rush hour people are and it seems like rush hour is now 24 hour.

EZ Pass's is only as good as the state you are in. I hear you can now buy them in stores for the states you are in but what a pain it would be trying to find a store that has them.

The few times I did use them in Wisconsin and Florida? What a joke some charge by axle some charge by tires and some even add the tires and axles. My MH towing I never knew what the charge was going to be.

And honestly the 'main' reason I don't use the toll roads......I couldn't stand knowing that the dogs were all going to start barking at each and every toll booth and then would have to have a potty break right after.

We generally avoid toll roads when in the car but in the coach, we take the easiest route which could be a toll road. While traveling in the north east a couple of years ago, there seem to be an abundance of toll roads. I think we spent about $100 in toll fees while we were there.

When we were touring in the Honda in Rochester, NY, we came up to a toll booth. I saw that the lane to my left was open so I jumped in that lane and drove up to the toll booth and no one was there. It was the easy-pass lane and I just didn't notice. The cars started stacking up behind me.

The lady in the toll booth to our right said, "you are in the easy pass lane, just go through". She said "since you have out-of-state tags (TN), that they would probably not send you a fine."

Months and months went by and we never received a citation.... thank you NY! It was a true accident.

The toll bridge that goes from San Diego to Coronado Island had the toll booths removed once it was paid for. I know that usually never happens. LOL!

MM.

jfkmk wrote:

wnytaxman wrote:
We use them a lot. It doesn't bother me to pay the tolls. Generally the toll roads are better maintained and less hassle than the non toll roads. Toll roads are the fairest form of taxation. You use it then you help pay for it. If you don't want to pay the toll then drive somewhere else.

Dude, are you serious? Do you know how much of that toll money goes to pay the salaries of the toll collectors and administration? You're ok with paying tolls and most of it goes to the administrative costs of collecting tolls? Tolls are not a fair way of paying for the roads. Those who use tolls pay twice; once through the gas tax and again through tolls. Not to mention the extra fuel spent sitting in traffic waiting to pay the toll. They are absurd and archaic and should be outlawed. Sorry if you're a toll collector.

In the DC area where I live, the tolls are going right into the pockets of the New Zealand based company that Virginia gave the new toll roads to, right after spending billions of dollars in tax monies to build them.

Toll collection does not factor into my route planning. I generally go for the least stressful route. To me, that means a multi-lane, controlled-access highway. If it has tolls, so be it. My EZPass makes the process nearly transparent on most roads. I find it incredibly stressful to maneuver 50+ feet of truck and trailer down narrow, twisty two lane roads with local traffic impatiently stacking up behind me or cutting me off because they don't want to be behind the RV.

I avoid toll roads whenever possible. I did RI to Wisconsin a few weeks ago...only toll paid was crossing the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge eastbound. (IIRC, $5, and there's no real way around that.)

I avoid toll roads. I grew up in FL and am old enough to have been an adult when Florida PROMISED that as soom as the construction of the road was paid for the Florida Turnpike would no longer be a toll road. Well that time came and went. It is still a toll road. And I don't use it when in FL.

I also avoid interstates when possible. I prefer the US designated highways. They are more interesting and, after comparing notes with many others (who actually keep notes like I do), have decided that running the primary highways is saving me both time and fuel. Not only that, I am not as stressed and tired at the end of the day. And that is a biggie for a woman of my age.

Executive wrote:
I like to help the folks who use the toll roads. My GPS is also programmed to not only avoid toll roads, but unpaved roads and Interstates....I'm just not in that big a hurry to get somewhere....over the past five years traveling 42 States, we've paid exactly $19.80 in tolls. Once in California and once crossing the Mackinac Bridge......Dennis

It is a little more difficult to avoid the Mackinac Bridge if you don't have an amphibious vehicle. At least they finally got the rates straight so it is not cheaper to disconnect the toad and drive separately. We have the I-Pass because it is almost impossible to take I-80 past Chicago without going 100 miles out of the way. With the car it is reasonable (almost). We are planning this summer and avoiding OK because of all their toll roads. Don't try E407 in Ontario, around Toronto. You may have to refinance the MH when that bill comes in the mail.

I use the toll road between Oklahoma City and Tulsa. It is the only straight shot to Tulsa and the road is nice.
I also pay the toll on Hwy 301 bridge to get out of Maryland. Cost is $12 and is much better than the long drive around Maryland if you are starting from Southern Maryland.
Basically I have used some toll roads and avoided others. It just all depends on if we are trying to save time or money. Some cannot be avoided without wasting a lot of fuel and time.