WV Turnpike and E-ZPass

[VTGoose]

So on the recent trip "back home" to the Burgh, we took the usual route from Blacksburg of 460/77/19/79. I updated my Virginia E-ZPass account to add a new vehicle, stuck the transponder on the windshield, and off we went. Rolled up to the first toll booth on the turnpike and just about had to stop to make sure the transponder was read (signs said the E-ZPass limit was 5 MPH). I was trying to figure out how this was better than just flinging some cash at the toll attendant -- I was all but stopped in the lane anyway. Same thing at the N. Beckley exit -- 5 MPH.

I've used my E-ZPass more in other states than in Virginia, which is why I bought it -- for the convenience of not having to worry about digging out cash for tolls. After throwing cash at toll booths on a Florida trip, I invested in a SunPass on our next trip. In just about all cases, I have been able to slide through the pass lane at 25 or 35 MPH. Is West Virginia just living down to its reputation as a backwards hillbilly state with lousy pass readers?

To add to the insult, I discovered that I got no break for using E-ZPass on the turnpike. If you don't have a West Virginia pass, there is no discount -- you pay the whole $2.00 (or $0.40) toll. Everywhere else offers a break on the toll for using electronic payment -- I guess the parkway authority must still reconcile everything on paper and send bills to the other states via the USPS.

Bruce in Blacksburg

[seicer]

I have an Ohio Turnpike EZ-Pass and receive no discount in Ohio or elsewhere.

As for the speeds - I did find the readers to be extremely slow. I think it's an earlier system - and when it says 5 MPH, they mean 5 MPH. In other states with newer systems, the speed limit tends to be dictated by the width of the booths and congestion. I've gone through plenty at 10 - 20 MPH with no problem.

[Jim]

The New York Thruway has a 5% discount for E-ZPass on the mainline Thruway, and I seem to recall that the discount applies only to NYSTA-issued E-ZPass tags. A quick search shows the 5% discount on the NYSTA E-ZPass page, but it is not clear there if the discount would be applied to tagholders from other agencies.  I believe I have gotten the E-ZPass pricing on PANYNJ and MTA crossings with my NYSTA E-ZPass, but it's been at least a few years since I've crossed any of those.

[jeffandnicole]

So let me get this straight...you say "Is West Virginia just living down to its reputation as a backwards hillbilly state with lousy pass readers?", but yet they have EZ Pass in the first place.  Wouldn't a backwards hillbilly state have nothing but dirt roads, no electricity, and holes in the ground for toilets, and when you approach the toll booth, a guy sucking on a toothpick asks for a sliver of gold to pay your toll?

Ignoring 99% of your statement, which is just a bunch of whining that says more about you than some stereotype of a certain state...

Yes, EZ Pass is still an improvement.  Do you want to be stuck behind someone in a cash lane looking for the cash to pay their toll, only to finally pull out a $20 after they couldn't find a bunch of ones?  And then they proceed to ask directions to a bunch of places, being confused about which side of the road the exit will be?

No, West Virginia is not the only state with 5 mph toll lanes.  Delaware & PA have them as well.

Many states don't offer any discounts, and for states that do, often times the discount only applies to those that have an EZ Pass from that toll authority.

[SP Cook]

Yeah.  People that live in glass houses should not throw stones.  Blacksburg ain't exactly Paris, you know.

The WV Turnpike management are pretty much incompentent.  The devistating Legislative Auditor's  report is still on line and pretty much nothing was corrected.   

Fact is the WVTP is rarely backed up except on holidays.  The need for open road or high speed tolling is not there.  99% of the time you have to stop for maybe 4 to 6 cars.  With EZ Pass you have to slow down for maybe 18 seconds.  First World Problem.

As to the discounts, I know many people who live out of state and for which the WV Turnpike is their primary toll road.  They get a WV account.    Why would somebody in Blacksburg have a VA account, all the toll roads in VA are 100s of miles away.

[vdeane]

I think the rumors of NYSTA only offering discounts to NY tags is because the MTA DOES do transponder discrimination, and many people from out of state probably don't get that we have multiple toll authorities.

And yes, MANY states only offer discounts to their own.  Off the top of my head, NJ and Maine are that way as well... Maine being a particularly egregious one, using a "ticket" system for in-state transponders and a barrier system for everyone else (even other transponders who could otherwise be easily read on the E-ZPass gantries on the ramps).

And even with the 5mph speed limit, not being stuck behind cash payers or having to fumble for cash (not so easy as a solo traveler; can't imagine having to dig my wallet out of my purse, sort through bills (if applicable; normally, I only carry a 20 and a 10), sort change and put it back in my wallet, and put my wallet back into my purse in moving traffic.  That would all have to happen at the booth... holding up the line and wasting everyone's time.  Quite different from when I'm traveling with my parents and just hand Dad a quarter or couple of dimes as we're on the exit ramp.

[jeffandnicole]

I can't tell you the number of times this happens. While I'll use a toll ticket system, it's pretty similar on fixed toll rate barriers as well:

Dumbass Driver: Waiting in line for toll booth behind several other vehicles.
Toll Taker: Collecting tolls.

DD approaches the TT.

DD: TT: "When you got on the turnpike""How much is the toll?"
TT: "Do you have your ticket?"
DD: "What ticket?"
TT: "You should have gotten a ticket when you entered the turnpike"
DD: "I didn't get one"
TT: "Then it'll be $12.25 (or whatever the max toll is)"
DD: "Wait, you mean this ticket?"
TT: "No, that's a speeding ticket"
DD: "Oh, wait, you mean this thing?"
TT: "Yes.  It says you owe $7.60"
DD: "How do you know?"
TT: "It says you got on at Interchange 82, and we are at Interchange 145, and that's the rate"
DD: "Why so much?"
TT: "I dunno dude.  I just work here"
DD: "Let me look for money.  Hold on, my wallet is in the backseat"
DD: Fumbles around looking for wallet.
DD: Finds wallet.
DD: Looks for money.  Counts out dollar bills.  Only has 4.  Pulls out a $20.
DD: Hands TT $20 bill.
DD: "Hold on, I think I have the 60 cents"
DD: Looks in coin tray.  Counts nickels and dimes.
DD: "No, I only have 40 cents"
TT: Puts $20 bill down, counts out $12.40 in change.
TT: Hands DD $12.40 in change.
DD: "OK, now can you tell me how far away I am from Anytown, USA?"
TT: "15 miles"
DD: What exit number?
TT: "I don't know"
DD: "What side of the road is the exit on?"
TT: "Probably the right"
DD: "Are there any hotels/restaurants/gas stations?"
TT: "I think so"
DD: "Don't you know anything about your state?"
TT: "Anytown, USA isn't in this state"
DD: "Whatever".
DD: Drives off.  Quickly stops.
DD: "You didn't give me a receipt"
TT: "Hold on". 
TT: Gets receipt.
DD: Backs up.
DD gets honked at by car behind him because he already pulled up.
DD: Gets out, snatches receipt from TT.
DD: Drives off.

Next DD...

DD: "What was his problem?"
TT: "He had no clue where he was and didn't have any money on him"
DD: "What a dumbass"
TT: "Yeah"
DD: "How much is the toll?"
TT: "Do you have your ticket?"
DD: "What ticket?"...

Now, if you don't believe this scenario exists, please be my guest and apply for a job as a toll taker.

This, my friends, are why toll plazas are so backed up sometimes.  And when I said the DD gave me their speeding ticket...that happened twice during my toll taking days.  Funny stuff.

[Bitmapped]

The discount for holders of WV Parkways Authority-issued E-ZPass units was to appease locals who were upset at a toll increase.

As others have said, the 5mph limit for the E-ZPass lanes isn't just a WV thing. PA does it too. The Ohio Turnpike uses gates on their E-ZPass lanes.

[hbelkins]

WV's 5 mph limit on the mainline is ridiculous. I can understand such a limit on tolled ramps, such as PA's, but there's no reason on God's green earth WV's E-ZPass lanes couldn't be increased to 20-25 mph.

[74/171FAN]

I still get the discount on the PA Turnpike despite my E-ZPass still being from VA.  Also even the west end of the Schuylkill Expressway gets the 5 mph E-ZPass lane speed limit.

[GCrites]

The WVTP is cheap as hell anyway and if you don't have EZ-Pass (like me) it's also extremely easy to use with no complex tickets or charts.

[rte66man]

I can't tell you the number of times this happens. While I'll use a toll ticket system, it's pretty similar on fixed toll rate barriers as well:

Dumbass Driver: Waiting in line for toll booth behind several other vehicles.
Toll Taker: Collecting tolls.

DD approaches the TT.

DD: TT: "When you got on the turnpike""How much is the toll?"
TT: "Do you have your ticket?"
DD: "What ticket?"
TT: "You should have gotten a ticket when you entered the turnpike"
DD: "I didn't get one"
TT: "Then it'll be $12.25 (or whatever the max toll is)"
DD: "Wait, you mean this ticket?"
TT: "No, that's a speeding ticket"
DD: "Oh, wait, you mean this thing?"
TT: "Yes.  It says you owe $7.60"
DD: "How do you know?"
TT: "It says you got on at Interchange 82, and we are at Interchange 145, and that's the rate"
DD: "Why so much?"
TT: "I dunno dude.  I just work here"
DD: "Let me look for money.  Hold on, my wallet is in the backseat"
DD: Fumbles around looking for wallet.
DD: Finds wallet.
DD: Looks for money.  Counts out dollar bills.  Only has 4.  Pulls out a $20.
DD: Hands TT $20 bill.
DD: "Hold on, I think I have the 60 cents"
DD: Looks in coin tray.  Counts nickels and dimes.
DD: "No, I only have 40 cents"
TT: Puts $20 bill down, counts out $12.40 in change.
TT: Hands DD $12.40 in change.
DD: "OK, now can you tell me how far away I am from Anytown, USA?"
TT: "15 miles"
DD: What exit number?
TT: "I don't know"
DD: "What side of the road is the exit on?"
TT: "Probably the right"
DD: "Are there any hotels/restaurants/gas stations?"
TT: "I think so"
DD: "Don't you know anything about your state?"
TT: "Anytown, USA isn't in this state"
DD: "Whatever".
DD: Drives off.  Quickly stops.
DD: "You didn't give me a receipt"
TT: "Hold on". 
TT: Gets receipt.
DD: Backs up.
DD gets honked at by car behind him because he already pulled up.
DD: Gets out, snatches receipt from TT.
DD: Drives off.

Next DD...

DD: "What was his problem?"
TT: "He had no clue where he was and didn't have any money on him"
DD: "What a dumbass"
TT: "Yeah"
DD: "How much is the toll?"
TT: "Do you have your ticket?"
DD: "What ticket?"...

Now, if you don't believe this scenario exists, please be my guest and apply for a job as a toll taker.

This, my friends, are why toll plazas are so backed up sometimes.  And when I said the DD gave me their speeding ticket...that happened twice during my toll taking days.  Funny stuff.

ROTFLMAO  This needs to be cross-posted to the Central Sates board for us OK pike drivers.

[Sykotyk]

First, WV plazas have rather narrow lanes. They're very old. So, they're not going to be suitable for the 20-30MPH you are expecting.

Secondly, the point of EZPass is to quickly get a lot of cars through fast. It's not just for you, snowflake. Without it, you have hundreds of cars trying to pay with cash and coins which will take longer than the average tag reading in the automated lane.

And if the sign says 5mph, why would you be upset you can't go 20mph? It tells you, in black and white, literally, how fast you can go.

[1995hoo]

Even if you have to come to a complete stop for a second or two, as was sometimes the case in New York City in the converted toll machine lanes when the gate arm didn't respond quickly enough, it's still faster to use E-ZPass than it is to have to deal with handing over cash and (for many people) receiving change back.

[VTGoose]

And even with the 5mph speed limit, not being stuck behind cash payers or having to fumble for cash

That's great when there is a dedicated E-ZPass lane, but the Turnpike doesn't have those.

[jeffandnicole]

That's great when there is a dedicated E-ZPass lane, but the Turnpike doesn't have those.

https://goo.gl/maps/AqoQyLkd1gF2

https://goo.gl/maps/wzCaQXwz9F52

[Sykotyk]

And even with the 5mph speed limit, not being stuck behind cash payers or having to fumble for cash

That's great when there is a dedicated E-ZPass lane, but the Turnpike doesn't have those.

They most certainly do have dedicated EZPass lanes. I was just through there two weeks ago. They're usually to the middle. Left is for car cash, right is for truck cash. Middle is for EZ Pass only and the other lanes take EZPass as well anyways.

[seicer]

First world problems. People seriously complaining about going 5 MPH versus 20 MPH that will literally save them no time in the toll booth.

FWIW, those toll booths are not that old. They were installed when the Turnpike was rebuilt circa 1979-1986.

[SP Cook]

First world problems.

FWIW, those toll booths are not that old. They were installed when the Turnpike was rebuilt circa 1979-1986.

Agree.

And correct.  IIRC the origninal toll booths were similar to the ones you see when Sonny gets it in the Godfather.  The mainlines were at the ends of the road, today's Belle and Princeton exits, and there were few exits.  These were removed in the 4 lane upgrade. 

There was a, IIRC, quite long (2 years or so) time where they had removed those and used today's nothernmost and southernmost barriers for the old card system (the 2 lane turnpike was on the "closed" card based system) with someone actually paid to sit at the middle booth where motorists had to stop and be told "there is no toll at this booth".  What a job.

[jeffandnicole]

First world problems.

FWIW, those toll booths are not that old. They were installed when the Turnpike was rebuilt circa 1979-1986.

Agree.

And correct.  IIRC the origninal toll booths were similar to the ones you see when Sonny gets it in the Godfather.  The mainlines were at the ends of the road, today's Belle and Princeton exits, and there were few exits.  These were removed in the 4 lane upgrade. 

There was a, IIRC, quite long (2 years or so) time where they had removed those and used today's nothernmost and southernmost barriers for the old card system (the 2 lane turnpike was on the "closed" card based system) with someone actually paid to sit at the middle booth where motorists had to stop and be told "there is no toll at this booth".  What a job.

In one of the GSV links I posted, there's a guy standing in the booth for the EZ Pass Only lane. 

While that was common in the early days of EZ Pass to help those in the lane by accident, that lasted for a short time. Except in WV, apparently.

[Jim]

While that was common in the early days of EZ Pass to help those in the lane by accident, that lasted for a short time. Except in WV, apparently.

At Exit 24 of the New York Thruway, there is often a person in the toll booth for leftmost or second-to-leftmost E-ZPass lane very frequently.  At morning rush, it seems to be the same person most of the time.  I always assumed he was a supervisor or something.  Does anyone know what he's doing in there?  A more cynical part of me sometimes thinks he's just a bad unfireable employee who is just required to go sit in an exhaust fume filled box for a few hours every morning but still won't quit.  Though I'll say he looks friendly enough.

[Sykotyk]

While that was common in the early days of EZ Pass to help those in the lane by accident, that lasted for a short time. Except in WV, apparently.

At Exit 24 of the New York Thruway, there is often a person in the toll booth for leftmost or second-to-leftmost E-ZPass lane very frequently.  At morning rush, it seems to be the same person most of the time.  I always assumed he was a supervisor or something.  Does anyone know what he's doing in there?  A more cynical part of me sometimes thinks he's just a bad unfireable employee who is just required to go sit in an exhaust fume filled box for a few hours every morning but still won't quit.  Though I'll say he looks friendly enough.

If it's heavy traffic, it can be a matter of trying to clear up EZPass read failures or again, those in the lane by accident. This way someone that doesn't read properly, there's someone there to punch in their barcode number on the back of the tag. Or, to take the cash if it still fails.

I crossed the Hudson on I-84 last year and had forgotten to update my card data for EZpass with the new card. So, in NY (only state to do it) it didn't open the barrier because it was insufficient funds. Other states, including Ohio, apparently just charged my delinquent account and put it further into the negative. But, not NY. So, I had to pay cash to have the gate open and the guy had to run over to first read the bar code to make sure it read it right, and then took the cash payment.

Because, unlike NY, in Ohio, if you go Negative, they simply charge your card for the negative and whatever your default replenishment rate is. So, if it's $50 (what I have it set at), it will charge you $65 if you're $-15 when the debit goes through. This is good if you plan to drive through states such as IN, OH, and PA and are going to rack up huge bills. Normally, my usage is I-376 in PA or I-80 from Youngstown to I-480 in Streetsboro. So, very minimal incursions.

[Jim]

At Exit 24 of the New York Thruway, there is often a person in the toll booth for leftmost or second-to-leftmost E-ZPass lane very frequently.  At morning rush, it seems to be the same person most of the time.  I always assumed he was a supervisor or something.  Does anyone know what he's doing in there?  A more cynical part of me sometimes thinks he's just a bad unfireable employee who is just required to go sit in an exhaust fume filled box for a few hours every morning but still won't quit.  Though I'll say he looks friendly enough.

If it's heavy traffic, it can be a matter of trying to clear up EZPass read failures or again, those in the lane by accident. This way someone that doesn't read properly, there's someone there to punch in their barcode number on the back of the tag. Or, to take the cash if it still fails.

The reason I've never thought that was the purpose is that most of the E-ZPass lanes remain unstaffed, even at peak hours.  It seems to be just that one lane.

My own limited experience with any kind of problem (no tag, tag read failed, etc) is that the toll takers are unable to do anything about it, and tell you to call the E-ZPass customer service. 

I'm sure I'm not the only one who's seen people stop in an E-ZPass only lane, get out of the car and try to pay an attendant in another lane (to the great annoyance of those waiting.  I don't think they can take the cash, since the system will have their plate on file.  Maybe someone with better knowledge of the Thruway's policies on this than I have can comment.

[Super Mateo]

And even with the 5mph speed limit, not being stuck behind cash payers or having to fumble for cash

That's great when there is a dedicated E-ZPass lane, but the Turnpike doesn't have those.

They most certainly do have dedicated EZPass lanes. I was just through there two weeks ago. They're usually to the middle. Left is for car cash, right is for truck cash. Middle is for EZ Pass only and the other lanes take EZPass as well anyways.

I used them coming home from NC and they read my I-Pass just fine. While it's nothing like Illinois' Open Road Tolling, I never had to come to a complete stop going through the toll booth. I had to slow down so I could see the toll light turn green, but having to slow or stop is no big deal to me.

[qguy]

...West Virginia is not the only state with 5 mph toll lanes.  Delaware & PA have them as well.

The toll plazas on the PA Turnpike exits are posted at 5 mph, but that intentionally takes into account that most drivers don't actually keep their speed under the posted limit. Turnpike officials are happy if drivers keep it between 15 and 20 mph through the EZPass lanes.

First world problems.

Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!