Last toll collector in Colorado laid off

[mightyace]

Colorado's Northwest Parkway has converted to cashless tolling.

[leifvanderwall]

Why did they stop having cash in the toll booths there? Is it a fear of being robbed?

[corco]

Why did they stop having cash in the toll booths there? Is it a fear of being robbed?

Costs money to employ toll collectors and E-470 is too expensive for change buckets  

I also expect the processing costs to take a license plate photo and auto-mail a bill are less then that to sort change and send it to a bank- a computer and the USPS can do everything in the automated process, whereas somebody has to remove coins from the change buckets and haul the coins to the bank.

The conspiracy theorist can also speculate that even more revenue is to be made since when one accidentally throws the bill in the trash, an additional $80 penalty for non-payment is assessed

[Brandon]

Since they're going to completely cashless tolling, would it too much to ask for them to accept EZ Pass as well?

[mightyace]

Since they're going to completely cashless tolling, would it too much to ask for them to accept EZ Pass as well?

Unless their system uses compatible hardware,  (I.E. The same type/brand of transponder like the old pre-EZPass I-Pass units) it's doubtful that they'd find it economically justifiable.  Or, not enough EZ-Pass users.

Consolidation of passes seems to have taken place in places where there are multiple toll facilities in close proximity.  (e.g. EZ-Pass zone, Florida's Sunpass, Texas' TXtag)

[Brandon]

^^
Why not?  Illinois started accepting EZ Pass on the tollways long before Indiana and Ohio did.  This created a huge gap between EZ Pass states for a few years.

[mightyace]

^^^

True.  But, the Indiana and Ohio toll roads are about 350 miles total.  (i.e. to the PA line)

350 miles from the end of the Regan Tollway won't even get you out of Iowa.  Then you still have to cross Nebraska or Kansas (400+ miles)

EDIT:
Not only is the Gap bigger.  There was a chance, which happened to work out, that the Gap between Illinois and Pennsylvania toll facilities was bridges.  There are currently no toll facilities between Illinois and Colorado

[corco]

There are currently no toll facilities between Illinois and Colorado

Depending on what route you take, the Kansas Turnpike begs to differ

[mightyace]

There are currently no toll facilities between Illinois and Colorado

Depending on what route you take, the Kansas Turnpike begs to differ

Yeah, I realized I goofed after I wrote that. 

What I should have said is that there is no continuous toll route between Illinois and Colorado like there is between Illinois and Pennsylvania.