ISO Road Trip advice: anticipating tollroads

[heavenlyjane]

My daughters are embarking on a cross-country drive in a few weeks and I just realized that they will be hitting turnpikes on their route (IN + OH and possibly PA + MA). It would be great to anticipate the cost and method of payment. Will they need an ashtray full of coins and bills, or can they use a credit card? Neither possesses an EZ Pass. Does anyone know of a great app that provides this information?

They've already determined that avoiding toll roads would add many hours to their drive so they are resolved to pay the devil.

Thanks.

 

[Andrew]

If they are driving through Massachusetts on the Mass Pike/I-90 there are no longer toll booths. MA has moved to an all-electronic tolling system, so there is no option to pay with cash. I believe the cameras will take a picture of the license plate and send an invoice (perhaps with an extra fee) to the registered owner.

 

[heavenlyjane]

I just found this post which is quite useful. It sounds like my kids need to buy the EZ Pass, in hopes that it is universal.

http://removeandreplace.com/2015/06/17/how-to-find-toll-road-amounts-in-advance/

 

[MickiSue]

FWIW, toll roads really are the very best way to pay for decent roads. If you use them, you pay. If you don't, you don't. And furthermore, if you are driving semi trailer trucks on them, VS a Ford Focus, you pay more, because your vehicle stresses the roadway more.

IME, most toll roads, in this country and others, take credit cards in some fashion.

 

[Suzie]

I just found this post which is quite useful. It sounds like my kids need to buy the EZ Pass, in hopes that it is universal.

http://removeandreplace.com/2015/06/17/how-to-find-toll-road-amounts-in-advance/

I believe they are universal. I know PA, OH and MA is, and I would guess that IN is too.

 

[lochquel]

On a recent vacation to Florida, I bought a EZPass sticker before online and then attached it to my rental. It greatly reduced my toll anxiety (being from a non-toll state). I was able to drive where I wanted and didn't have to pay the rental car place the obscene amount they wanted for 'handling toll fares'. If you can get one ahead of time (and the states traveled through off it or similar) it could worth the hassle as well.

 

[knaveconwy]

There's an option in google maps and waze to avoid toll roads. It also looks like there are some other apps that will estimate costs. I haven't used this one, just found it googling:

http://www.tollsmart.com/

 

[zceuxbhjutf]

'round here, EZpass or not, you keep yer speed and the sensor just bills you. If you pay within some x hours timeframe (before the bill is even printed) your price is the universal price.

FWIW, toll roads really are the very best way to pay for decent roads. If you use them, you pay. If you don't, you don't.

I've never used the toll roads. Can't be good for MS purposes, can they? (I pay for my roads with gas taxes, and since MSing causes me to drive more I'm paying a little more but not "toll-price more")

 

[MickiSue]

Eh. Gas taxes don't come close to reflecting the actual cost of keeping up the roads. The reason that gas costs so much more in other countries isn't that the oil companies are making a lot more money there. It's that they are collecting enough to actually keep their roads in decent condition, in the areas between cities.

LOL, at least in Italy, where I've driven the most, the city streets can vary from horrid to wonderful. But then, when you are driving streets that were built 700 years or more ago, that's part of the equation.

 

[Deltahater]

You did not specify other states on their cross country drive but in Texas toll roads are worse than the drug cartels. Most can't be paid at all, other than through the "convenient" pay by mail option. However, they charge you the toll, then a $5 per CHECKPOINT fee, a convenience fee and then a mail fee. Your $5 toll turns out to be a $30 bill in no time and then you have 10 days to pay before you are late and incur additional fees.
These PPP (public private partnerships) that are now almost bankrupt, negotiated a clause that Mexican vehicles don't have to pay ANY tolls at all and then the State will reimburse the PPP in full plus fees. In short, stay off Texas Toll Roads, especially in Dallas.

 

[heavenlyjane]

You did not specify other states on their cross country drive but in Texas toll roads are worse than the drug cartels. Most can't be paid at all, other than through the "convenient" pay by mail option. However, they charge you the toll, then a $5 per CHECKPOINT fee, a convenience fee and then a mail fee. Your $5 toll turns out to be a $30 bill in no time and then you have 10 days to pay before you are late and incur additional fees.
These PPP (public private partnerships) that are now almost bankrupt, negotiated a clause that Mexican vehicles don't have to pay ANY tolls at all and then the State will reimburse the PPP in full plus fees. In short, stay off Texas Toll Roads, especially in Dallas.

I hear ya. I've been on toll roads in VA that had no humans after a certain hour and hapless visiting drivers were forced to pay surcharges for not knowing the rules ahead of time. This is an issue.

 

[baffld]

Illinois has their I-Pass. It also works in Indiana and in 15 E-Z Pass States.

https://www.illinoistollway.com/tolling-information/about-ipass?inheritRedirect=true

Hope they have a great adventure and miss out on any bad weather!