Ready to hit the road this summer? Before you do you may want to prepare yourself for the likelihood of encountering tolls on your trip. Here are ten seldom-known facts about tolls to help ensure you don’t encounter any surprises on your epic road trip journey in the US.
- Toll roads are now in the majority of US states. Yep, tolls are no longer limited to the northeast or Chicagoland, they’ve now spread to 34 states — with a number of other states considering adding them. In fact if you’re planning a cross-country road trip you might be shocked to learn you could encounter tolls in every single state save one; Nevada.
- Some toll facilities don’t accept cash. If you were saving quarters to pay for those toll tunnels and bridges they may be better spent at the arcade as some of these facilities no longer accept cash, including the Tappan Zee Bridge in New York that just switched to all-electronic tolling. In fact cashless toll systems are becoming increasingly popular across the US, and if go through one without the right transponder you’ll arrive home to find a bill in the mail — and likely a service fee as well.
- There is no pan-american toll transponder. Warning to travelers visiting the US from overseas, don’t expect an E-ZPass or SunPass account to cover you across the entire US as each only work within their respective region (E-ZPass in the northeast and upper midwest and SunPass in the southeast). In fact there are over 50 transponders in the US and Canada — and none of them work across all states.
- Transponder discounts can save you a lot of money, but they don’t always apply. Establishing a transponder account can save you a lot of money through discounts, however having one doesn’t mean you’ll automatically receive the discount everywhere you travel — even within the transponder’s own regional network. For example, if you established an E-ZPass account in New York you won’t receive discounts as you travel through toll facilities in Maryland as they only apply to holders of Maryland E-ZPass accounts. Conversely, holders of Maryland E-ZPass accounts won’t receive discounts driving on the NY State Thruway, but they will for the tunnels and bridges entering New York City from New Jersey. Confused Yet? That said, you can still save a substantial sum of money using a transponder as discounts can exceed 30% for some trips. For example, you can save up to 31% ($21.45 off the $69 cash rate) on a one-way trip from Philadelphia to Chicago by using an iPass or an E-ZPass issued in any state.
- For many this summer, tolls will cost more than gas. Now that gas prices have plummeted to a national average of around $2 per gallon, if your summer travel takes you through a heavily tolled region like the northeast US you’re likely to spend more — and possibly substantially more — on tolls than gas. For example, a one-way trip from DC to NYC in a 2014 Honda Accord can cost you $44 in tolls (cash rate) but less than $10 in gas — that’s more than 4X the amount for gas!
- Some tolls are seasonal. Many travelers may be aware that certain tolls have peak and off-peak hourly pricing, but few know there are also peak and off-peak seasonal toll pricing. For example, the Chesapeake Bridge & Tunnel (an engineering masterpiece) has peak season pricing that runs during the weekends — but only during the summer months.
- Some toll facilities in the northeast don’t accept E-ZPass. As ubiquitous as the E-ZPass systems has become across the northeast US, you still may encounter toll facilities that do not accept it. For example, there are several toll bridges on the south Jersey shore that only accept cash, such as the Ocean Drive bridge connecting Ocean City to Longport, or the Thousand Islands Bridge connecting New York state with Canada (although this bridge is applying to become part of the E-ZPass network).
- Some tolls prices change every 15 minutes. A growing trend in tolling is the conversion of High Occupancy Vehicle lanes (HOV) to tolled (HOT) lanes. These lanes — also known as Express Lanes — allow solo drivers to drive on HOV lanes for a fee, and the fee is determined based on traffic congestion and can change as frequently as every 15 minutes. These lanes offer a great option for avoiding rush hour traffic for a fee near major urban centers like Washington, DC, but note that most require a transponder even if your passenger count qualifies you for HOV status and no charges apply.
- If you don’t pay your tolls, you don’t get no rolls. Just because you’re from out-of-state doesn’t mean the tolling authorities can’t track you down and impose stiff penalties and fines for unpaid tolls. In fact an increasing number of states are cooperating to ensure compliance across state borders — and many have passed laws that impose tougher penalties on toll evaders, including withholding vehicle registration until the tolls and related fines are paid in full, even if the toll violation occurred in another state.
- One day every mile you drive may be tolled. Over the past ten years mileage of toll roads in the US has grown at triple the rate of systemwide roadway mileage overall — a trend showing no sign of abating. In fact it’s possible that one day in the near future every single mile you drive may be tolled as states like Oregon and California test road usage fee models where drivers are charged a fee for every mile driven.
The mission of Tollsmart is to help people make smarter driving decisions by providing full visibility into tolls along a route. The Tollsmart Toll Calculator is the only consumer application that calculates toll costs across all tunnels, bridges and toll roads in the US & Canada, and is available on all platforms including iPhone, Android and Desktop. Learn more at www.Tollsmart.com
