Do Canadians pay tolls?
Hey, hopefully this is the right spot to post this. I have a question about paying to use toll roads in the states if you're a Canadian. A few years ago I was in Washington state and drove a toll roa...
Forum Discussion
I set my GPS to avoid tolls and minimize my exposure that way. Keep in mind that depending on your RV configuration, the tolls are always going to be higher than a passenger car. Most of the time you pay a toll for each axle or even the fact that you have a dual wheel axle. I have seen toll booths disappear in favor of EZ Pass. For the few times I found myself on an EZ Pass road, I never got a bill. Maybe it is too much trouble to pursue the occasional missed toll; the efficiency of EZ Pass more than makes up for it.
Cameras are everywhere in the Lower 48. Not only monitoring the toll plazas, but there are red light and speed cameras. How is this for a money maker: In Montgomery County, Maryland, there are speed cameras set up in such a fashion that it is a sure thing to catch drivers going too fast as the speed zone transitions. Here is how they get into your pocket. A private company sets up the camera. An employee serves as a 'Deputy' and reviews the 'evidence' which gets forwarded to the court. A ticket is issued and sent to the address of record for the licensed vehicle. You the owner are presumed guilty unless you can prove someone else was driving the vehicle. To encourage people to just pay the ticket and move on, the fine is set relatively low and treated not as a moving violation, but as a parking ticket and thus no points are charged against the driver. No one is going to go to court to dispute this for maybe a $40 ticket. The traffic camera company makes money and the county makes money with no capital outlay. A win-win situation, but not for you. I read a story a few years back about a business man who got caught twice on the same day in one town. He was so angry about the cheesy setup that he cancelled all of his expansion plans to build in that town. I figure they lost a few million dollars in economic activity in that town.
A friend in New Jersey tells me that they will track you down to get that extra nickel. And one more thing, some toll roads and bridges only collect in one directions counting on round trip drivers for revenue. I plan my routes with this in mind. I can get from Baltimore to New York State with no tolls, but the other way around you can count on at least some tolls. On one southbound trip I planned to cross a river using a state highway instead of the interstate. Just as I approached the bridge, I saw a sign posted that had a 5 ton weight limit and our rig was at least 6 tons. I might have crossed the bridge except for the local police car that was in full view. It would be my luck that I would be seen, so I went back, got onto the Interstate and paid the toll. Try driving from New Jersey to Maryland through Delaware on I-95. You may have to take out a second mortgage on your house.
Cameras are everywhere in the Lower 48. Not only monitoring the toll plazas, but there are red light and speed cameras. How is this for a money maker: In Montgomery County, Maryland, there are speed cameras set up in such a fashion that it is a sure thing to catch drivers going too fast as the speed zone transitions. Here is how they get into your pocket. A private company sets up the camera. An employee serves as a 'Deputy' and reviews the 'evidence' which gets forwarded to the court. A ticket is issued and sent to the address of record for the licensed vehicle. You the owner are presumed guilty unless you can prove someone else was driving the vehicle. To encourage people to just pay the ticket and move on, the fine is set relatively low and treated not as a moving violation, but as a parking ticket and thus no points are charged against the driver. No one is going to go to court to dispute this for maybe a $40 ticket. The traffic camera company makes money and the county makes money with no capital outlay. A win-win situation, but not for you. I read a story a few years back about a business man who got caught twice on the same day in one town. He was so angry about the cheesy setup that he cancelled all of his expansion plans to build in that town. I figure they lost a few million dollars in economic activity in that town.
A friend in New Jersey tells me that they will track you down to get that extra nickel. And one more thing, some toll roads and bridges only collect in one directions counting on round trip drivers for revenue. I plan my routes with this in mind. I can get from Baltimore to New York State with no tolls, but the other way around you can count on at least some tolls. On one southbound trip I planned to cross a river using a state highway instead of the interstate. Just as I approached the bridge, I saw a sign posted that had a 5 ton weight limit and our rig was at least 6 tons. I might have crossed the bridge except for the local police car that was in full view. It would be my luck that I would be seen, so I went back, got onto the Interstate and paid the toll. Try driving from New Jersey to Maryland through Delaware on I-95. You may have to take out a second mortgage on your house.
