Pikepass to become compatible with K-Tag

[bugo]

http://www.okcfox.com/story/25071420/oklahoma-kansas-turnpikes-team-up-for-pike-passes

The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority announced that it's teaming up with the Sunflower State to make it easier on motorists paying their tolls.

The OTA board passed a resolution that would allow the two toll systems to become interoperable. The Kansas Turnpike Authority passed a similar measure on Monday.

The two resolutions allow Oklahoma residents to use Pikepass on toll roads in Kansas, and vice versa for K-tag owners in Kansas.

The system is expected to be available for use by the end of 2014.

[Scott5114]

Interesting. I don't use Oklahoma toll roads all that much, but I do occasionally use the Kansas Turnpike, so I might actually get one now unless there are maintenance fees that make it uneconomical.

[Brandon]

Now if they can only become compatible with the E-Z Pass consortium and the Texas passes.  The closest state for E-Z Pass is Illinois (I-Pass).

[bugo]

Pikepass is actually a great value.  Tolls are slightly cheaper, and you pay depending on what exits you get on and off at.  For example, it costs 85 cents to go from 31st Street to 51st Street on the Creek Turnpike if you pay cash because you have to go through a toll barrier.  With Pikepass, it only costs 30 cents.  It also saves time.  I went to Quapaw (within feet of the KS/OK/MO tripoint, the casino is in Oklahoma, parking lot in Kansas, and the exit is in Missouri) to the casino to watch The Departed play, and when I got to the mainline plaza on the Will Rogers Turnpike there was a long line of cars in the cash lanes.  I flew by at 75 MPH and made it to the show barely on time.

[Scott5114]

I would imagine a Pikepass would be much more attractive to a Tulsa resident than a Norman resident. We only have the Kilpatrick, Turner, and HE Bailey. I'm never in the part of town that the Kilpatrick is in, I hardly ever go to Tulsa or southwest Missouri anymore, and likewise for Lawton.

[bugo]

I would imagine a Pikepass would be much more attractive to a Tulsa resident than a Norman resident. We only have the Kilpatrick, Turner, and HE Bailey. I'm never in the part of town that the Kilpatrick is in, I hardly ever go to Tulsa or southwest Missouri anymore, and likewise for Lawton.

Yeah, Tulsa got shafted.  Every major highway that goes through Tulsa either eventually turns into a turnpike or peters out into a 2 lane highway.  OKC has the free I-35 and I-40.  OKC always gets the good stuff while Tulsa is treated like a redheaded stepchild.

[Bobby5280]

I've had a PikePass account for around 10 years or so. I don't drive to Wichita Falls, Oklahoma City and Tulsa all that often, but it's still pretty convenient to be able to roll through a toll booth instead of dealing with all the issues having to pay in cash.

I got my PikePass account after going through a pretty infuriating situation at the I-44 H.E. Bailey Turnpike toll both just south of the extension going toward Norman. Some guy in an old pickup truck pulling a long, junky looking trailer was up at the toll booth for what seemed like forever. It turns out he was having a knock down drag out argument over how much money he had to pay. Traffic was backing up well behind me. Meanwhile cars that had PikePass tags were zipping through the toll gate at full speed in the dedicated PikePass lane off to the right of the plaza. I kind of wonder if those vehicles had to squeeze by on the shoulder or something. Anyway, I signed up for a PikePass the next day.

My girlfriend doesn't have a PikePass tag for her car, yet. I keep prodding her to get one. Sometimes we take her vehicle to the city (her Nissan Altima gets better gas mileage than my Chevy truck). On the way back to Lawton, if it's late enough, we'll end up having to pay exact change to get through the toll booths since the attendants take off at some point. I don't like the change collectors. They're not very accurate. They'll miss nickles, quarters, etc. It's not fun dealing with that or a temperamental dollar bill changer after midnight with other motorists waiting for me to get out of the way already. A PikePass avoids that nonsense.

I liked the old soap bar style tags since you could take them out of your own vehicle and use them in another (even though customers weren't supposed to do that). The newer stickers obviously prevent anyone from using the same tag in more than one vehicle.

I'd like to see a single RFID tag that works on every toll road in the United States and Canada. These various toll road authorities really need to work on this. Such a thing would solve a lot of headaches.

[J N Winkler]

I live in Kansas but I wonder if I should get a Pikepass tag to take advantage of passive RFID.  It disturbs me that battery-operated transponders rely on sound (which I can't hear) to advise drivers of successful reads.  I don't know if K-Tag uses batteries or RFID.

[bugo]

I'd get the Pikepass.  It's available by mail, and a light lights up when you pass a tollbooth or highway entrance.

[Henry]

I like this idea, and the fact that these two states will honor each other's pike passes makes me wonder why this hasn't been done elsewhere.

[bugo]

It has been done elsewhere.  Ever heard of E-Z Pass?

[jeffandnicole]

I would almost think Henry's post has a hint of sarcasm in it, being that EZ Pass has merged with a half-dozen or so similiar programs.

[bugo]

Humor is difficult to convey on a web forum.  That's why my humor is so over the top: you always know when I'm joking.

[WichitaRoads]

I live in Kansas but I wonder if I should get a Pikepass tag to take advantage of passive RFID.  It disturbs me that battery-operated transponders rely on sound (which I can't hear) to advise drivers of successful reads.  I don't know if K-Tag uses batteries or RFID.

I'm pretty sure it has to be RFID now. The K-Tag I have is a sticker-like device, about the size of a business card. It makes no noise, nor does it seem to have any parts to it requiring power.

Now, the old "bar of soap" type may have had a battery, but I don't remember them ever making a sound or lighting up or anything. It just was read, and the gate went up... if not already stuck in the "up" position.. still a common occurance. Heck, the "Thank you" lights are often stuck on, too. I just have to assume as I drive through that it was read and I will be okay when I exit.

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[Scott5114]

I can't speak for the old K-Tags, but the Pikepasses of that vintage do emit a beep when a successful read occurs. This is in conjunction with a light on the side of the road (a modified traffic signal head, usually), and I believe it may have had an LED on it as well.

[leroys73]

I've had a PikePass account for around 10 years or so. I don't drive to Wichita Falls, Oklahoma City and Tulsa all that often, but it's still pretty convenient to be able to roll through a toll booth instead of dealing with all the issues having to pay in cash.

I got my PikePass account after going through a pretty infuriating situation at the I-44 H.E. Bailey Turnpike toll both just south of the extension going toward Norman. Some guy in an old pickup truck pulling a long, junky looking trailer was up at the toll booth for what seemed like forever. It turns out he was having a knock down drag out argument over how much money he had to pay. Traffic was backing up well behind me. Meanwhile cars that had PikePass tags were zipping through the toll gate at full speed in the dedicated PikePass lane off to the right of the plaza. I kind of wonder if those vehicles had to squeeze by on the shoulder or something. Anyway, I signed up for a PikePass the next day.

My girlfriend doesn't have a PikePass tag for her car, yet. I keep prodding her to get one. Sometimes we take her vehicle to the city (her Nissan Altima gets better gas mileage than my Chevy truck). On the way back to Lawton, if it's late enough, we'll end up having to pay exact change to get through the toll booths since the attendants take off at some point. I don't like the change collectors. They're not very accurate. They'll miss nickles, quarters, etc. It's not fun dealing with that or a temperamental dollar bill changer after midnight with other motorists waiting for me to get out of the way already. A PikePass avoids that nonsense.

I liked the old soap bar style tags since you could take them out of your own vehicle and use them in another (even though customers weren't supposed to do that). The newer stickers obviously prevent anyone from using the same tag in more than one vehicle.

I'd like to see a single RFID tag that works on every toll road in the United States and Canada. These various toll road authorities really need to work on this. Such a thing would solve a lot of headaches.

I wish we could move ours from car to car. You are right, often the automated toll both does not count correctly. The dollar changers in Oklahoma are either not working, non existent, or short change you.  Oklahoma still owes me 75 cents. 

When I am in Oklahoma and it is correct change only I just blow through them (pay back).  I never have change I can get to when riding my motorcycle.  Some of the time I do have it if I am in a car. 

What really pisses me is when the sign for "correct change only" is after it is too late to turn around.  So I figure they really don't want me to pay.  I know you in state guys can get a ticket for that.  How much is the fine? 

Down here in Texas the fools have put up almost all Toll Tag only lanes so out of staters have no way of paying. The state even admitted they can't track them.  Texas tagged vehicles have a bill mailed to them some time in the distant future initially charging them about 60% more than if they would have had a Toll Tag. I finally felt forced into buying a Toll Tag for 3 of my 4 vehicles.  I hate toll roads but some times you just need to make time. 

[Bobby5280]

Considering how highways and streets are funded and that the gas tax hasn't exactly been keeping up with road construction costs (particularly inflation in road building materials prices) I have a feeling we will start seeing RFID tag readers pop up all over the place. Highways, main thoroughfares, neighborhood streets, everywhere. Highways and streets can't be maintained for free.

Such a scenario would be scary, especially if one drives frequently. There might be privacy concerns as well. It wouldn't be hard for a city or state to track vehicle movements. OTOH, it sure would cut down on a bunch of crime that depends on vehicle use. Some gang doing a drive-by shooting would be nailed based on tag readers at street corners pinging their position when people started dialing 911.

[vdeane]

It would also make it impossible to be a roadgeek.  Every last one of us would be pulled over for suspicious driving patterns.

[Henry]

It has been done elsewhere.  Ever heard of E-Z Pass?

I meant states without EZ-Pass that have similar programs of their own.

[jeffandnicole]

I think EZ Pass is an acceptable answer.  In the beginning, EZ Pass was in Delaware, PA and states North and East.  MD, VA, Indiana, and Illionis had their own system.  An EZ Pass user couldn't use their tag in Maryland, and Maryland M-Tag users couldn't use them in EZ Pass land.  Eventually, Maryland opted into the consortium that is EZ Pass (as did the other states). 

When Florida first started their ETC systems, each toll road's pass was independent from each other - that's 1 state, 5 separate systems.  Eventually they all accepted each other's transponders.

[Brandon]

^^ And to boot, Illinois (ISTHA) joined the consortium long before the states in between (Indiana, Ohio) joined.  So there is precedent for joining E-Z Pass without being connected to an E-Z Pass state, as well as keeping your own branding (I-Pass is still I-Pass even though ISTHA has joined E-Z Pass).

[route56]

Johnathan, ICTRoads:

I still have my older plastic K-TAG. It does not, and never has, given me any audible indication, and I suspect that it is indeed a passive RFID similar to the modern "sticker" K-TAG

(BTW, based on the usage on the KTA website, K-TAG is properly branded in all caps)

[WichitaRoads]

Johnathan, ICTRoads:

I still have my older plastic K-TAG. It does not, and never has, given me any audible indication, and I suspect that it is indeed a passive RFID similar to the modern "sticker" K-TAG

(BTW, based on the usage on the KTA website, K-TAG is properly branded in all caps)

That's what I thought. I appreciate the low-profile of the new stickers, but I do miss the portability (when I was an early teen, mom grabbed some extra velcro she had - a seamstress was she - and stuck it to the window of the secondary car. It held the old transponder just fine, even if the velcro was kahki tan, unlike the black of the original).

At the school district where I run the driver ed program in the Summer, they used to just have us pass around the one transponder. Now, they've had to buy a sticker for EACH car. It means a higher bill; since we have it in all cars, we cruise the 'pike a LOT more than we used to!

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[J N Winkler]

A question--can you just leave the sticker on the wax paper (or whatever backing is used for it) and transfer it from car to car as needed?

[WichitaRoads]

A question--can you just leave the sticker on the wax paper (or whatever backing is used for it) and transfer it from car to car as needed?

Not really. Once you get it on the window, you'll need a razor to get it off... when I traded in my Crusier for the Fusion, I had to go to AAA and buy a whole new sticker, and register it to my account. They gave me my old one back, but it was badly curled and wouldn't stick, and I imagine the RFID was ruined in the process. I suppose you could find a way to attach it so it was removable, but they make it pretty hard to do that.

Also, don't try going to the KTA office at Kellogg to buy one... they closed down the customer service counter a couple years ago... found that out the hard way. You have to go to AAA if you are a member, or buy it online at the K-TAG site. Frankly though, the stickers aren't that bad - $15 each, and you can just add them to your account.

However, it's the principle of the thing!

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