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[xcellntbuy]

The cashless system is already coming to the Homestead Extension of the Florida's Turnpike, milepost 0 through Exit 47.  The Turnpike Enterprise will now begin moving toward an entirely cashless Turnpike in the future.

The details are here:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sfl-turnpike-sunpass-102609,0,7442287.story

[Alex]

The all-electronic toll plazas don't require large tracts of land. In Miami-Dade County, an upcoming widening project is expected to cost $60 million less without accommodations for toll booths.

The savings sounds worthwhile, and the removal of the existing older style plazas will be a nice change when driving the Turnpike.

[flaroads]

Glad to hear that the entire system will be cashless. It certainly will free up traffic tie ups that often occur at the Okahumpka toll plaza between U.S. 27 (Exit 289) and Florida 19 (Exit 285), especially during holiday weekends.

I wonder if the total cashless system will eventually reach the Turnpike Enterprise's other toll facilities, such as the Polk Parkway (Florida 570), Suncoast Parkway (Florida 589), and the portions of the Florida Greeneway (Florida 417) and Beeline (or Beachline as everyone else calls it) Expressway in central Florida (Florida 528)?

[florida]

It's always going to be Beeline to me. The only possible way for the system to go cashless on SR 528 is for every rental car to have E-Pass installed.

[mightyace]

Well, until the "universal transponder" arrives, that's another road off my list.

On the other hand, I've lived nearly 45 years without ever taking Florida's Turnpike so I'm sure to have a real effect. 

[realjd]

Well, until the "universal transponder" arrives, that's another road off my list.

On the other hand, I've lived nearly 45 years without ever taking Florida's Turnpike so I'm sure to have a real effect. 

According to the article, if you don't have a SunPass/E-Pass, they'll use your tag number to send you a bill, plus a processing fee.

[Brandon]

If they're going to go cashless, the least they could do is make SunPass/E-Pass fully compatible with EZ-Pass.

[mightyace]

Well, until the "universal transponder" arrives, that's another road off my list.

On the other hand, I've lived nearly 45 years without ever taking Florida's Turnpike so I'm sure to have a real effect. 

According to the article, if you don't have a SunPass/E-Pass, they'll use your tag number to send you a bill, plus a processing fee.

Yes, I can.  However, depending on exactly how they do it, the "processing fee" can be as much as $3 per toll.  But, if I read the article correctly, they said something about 25 or 50 cents.

[flaroads]

Here is the official press release information about the cashless conversion at the Turnpike website:

http://www.floridasturnpike.com/all-electronictolling/index.html

And here is the proposed tolling fee for all Turnpike owned facilities:

http://www.floridasturnpike.com/all-electronictolling/Toll-by-Plate/Proposed%20Turnpike%20Toll%20Rates.pdf

It answers my previous question as to whether or not the other toll facilities would be included, as from the PDF, they are included. It looks like not much is changing for those with a Sunpass, but if you look closely at the sheet there are some price differences between the cash rate column and the toll-by-plate column at certain interchanges throughout the Turnpike system. I also did not see anything concrete about how much the processing fee will be if you wait to receive your toll bill in the mail.

It will be interesting to hear peoples reactions to this once it is implemented. 

[mightyace]

Here is the official press release information about the cashless conversion at the Turnpike website:

http://www.floridasturnpike.com/all-electronictolling/index.html

And here is the proposed tolling fee for all Turnpike owned facilities:

http://www.floridasturnpike.com/all-electronictolling/Toll-by-Plate/Proposed%20Turnpike%20Toll%20Rates.pdf

From reading the links, it looks like "toll by plate" can either be prepaid or wait for a bill.  If you wait for the bill, there will be an administrative charge, but they will only send you a bill once a month and, probably, only get assessed that administrative charge once per month not per toll barrier.  If you are going to go cashless, this is an acceptable way to handle non-transponder users.

It answers my previous question as to whether or not the other toll facilities would be included, as from the PDF, they are included. It looks like not much is changing for those with a Sunpass, but if you look closely at the sheet there are some price differences between the cash rate column and the toll-by-plate column at certain interchanges throughout the Turnpike system. I also did not see anything concrete about how much the processing fee will be if you wait to receive your toll bill in the mail.

It will be interesting to hear peoples reactions to this once it is implemented. 

I expect to see more like the following as some people mistakenly assume that tolls are gone since the toll booths are gone.

Topic: MY GPS put me on toll,Ticket

[mgk920]

How far outside of Florida will they be 'dinging' out of state plates on the photo-toll part of the system?

For example, if I drive my car, registered here in Wisconsin and with no toll transponder (remember that Wisconsin has zero toll facilities and I live about 2:15 drive time from the nearest one in Illinois), will I ever see a bill if I drive it on the Florida Turnpike when it goes cashless?

 

Mike

[City]

How far outside of Florida will they be 'dinging' out of state plates on the photo-toll part of the system?

For example, if I drive my car, registered here in Wisconsin and with no toll transponder (remember that Wisconsin has zero toll facilities and I live about 2:15 drive time from the nearest one in Illinois), will I ever see a bill if I drive it on the Florida Turnpike when it goes cashless?

 

Mike

I'd bet that either it would pick up the state license plate's design and number/letter code and bill the owner properly, or it'd just read the number/letter code and bill some person from FL with the same number/letter code on his/her license plate.

[Brandon]

I'd bet that either it would pick up the state license plate's design and number/letter code and bill the owner properly, or it'd just read the number/letter code and bill some person from FL with the same number/letter code on his/her license plate.

It would be far better, and far easier if they just made Sun Pass/E-Pass fully compatible with EZ-Pass.  Cut down on their paperwork and guesswork.

[D-Dey65]

I'd bet that either it would pick up the state license plate's design and number/letter code and bill the owner properly, or it'd just read the number/letter code and bill some person from FL with the same number/letter code on his/her license plate.

It would be far better, and far easier if they just made Sun Pass/E-Pass fully compatible with EZ-Pass.  Cut down on their paperwork and guesswork.

That's the reason I've never owned a transponder in either New York or Florida. Plus, I figure that if I'm going to use a toll road or toll bridge, I'd rather pay the workers directly.

When I drove up to New York in 2008, I used the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, and I thought it was fun bragging to the girl at the toll booth that this was the first time I had been there since 1982, and she didn't even look like she was born in 1982. I'd miss that kind of thing if CBBT went cashless.

[florida]

I'd bet that either it would pick up the state license plate's design and number/letter code and bill the owner properly, or it'd just read the number/letter code and bill some person from FL with the same number/letter code on his/her license plate.

It shouldn't bill a FL driver in error for an out-of-state driver. Our plates are mostly ###AAA or A###AA. If they were to bill by plate, there should be a camera mounted for each lane of the toll plaza, at a height that would allow for clear pictures of license plates.

[mightyace]

I'd bet that either it would pick up the state license plate's design and number/letter code and bill the owner properly, or it'd just read the number/letter code and bill some person from FL with the same number/letter code on his/her license plate.

It shouldn't bill a FL driver in error for an out-of-state driver. Our plates are mostly ###AAA or A###AA. If they were to bill by plate, there should be a camera mounted for each lane of the toll plaza, at a height that would allow for clear pictures of license plates.

Tennessee's regular plates are also ###AAA as I'm sure many other states are.  I'm sure they plate recognition will try to differentiate between states.  The plethora of specialty plates will make it even harder.  I wonder what % will have to have a human look at them?

Of course, with more and more tollways going electronic only, plus the proposed i-80 project in PA, I'm sure this will be an area the software people will be working on heavily.

[Interstate275Fla]

I heard that sooner or later, the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway in Tampa will eventually go cashless.  It's already cashless on the reversible elevated express lanes from downtown Tampa to Brandon.

By going cashless it would alleviate all those traffic jams that are common at toll plazas where people are lining up waiting to pay a cash toll while people with a SunPass whiz on by.  It would also reduce the accidents happening at the toll plazas caused by people who change lanes at the very last minute because of being in the wrong lane (such as being in a SunPass lane without a SunPass).

And I agree, SunPass needs to be inter-operable with EZ-Pass.  It would make life a lot easier for those that live up north and come down to Florida for the Winter and at the same time make it easier for Floridians like me to use the toll roads and bridges up north without having to purchase an EZ-Pass.  Talk about convenience!

[SSF]

when i drive from PCB to Miami will i need SunPass? cash will work? i am planning on renting a car for the trip also.

[mightyace]

Now, this is, IMHO, a legitimate reason to go cashless.

Bogus big bills have Florida's Turnpike recording license plates

[xcellntbuy]

I could not agree more.  Whenever the Turnpike loses $20 in toll revenue due to counterfeit currency, that loss is a significant impact on the bottom line for operations, expansion and improvements.  Nothing of this issue has been published in the newspapers.  I would not be surprised that most of this fraud occurs in Miami-Dade County where toll running with or without a valid Sunpass has become sport.