Peasy cash-by-plate toll program

[hbelkins]

Anyone ever heard of, or used, this service?

https://drivepeasy.com/

GasBuddy is advertising it, and it says that it will work with your existing transponder.

I can see this working at a strictly toll-by-plate gantry, or a combo gantry (such as the new bridges in Louisville), but not an E-ZPass-only lane or similar (K-Tag, PikePass, etc.).

[cl94]

I haven't used it, but I indeed saw it advertised today and was wondering what it was, so I did a little research.

It appears to be an automated pay-by-plate system. That is, you drive through a pay-by-plate facility and it'll automatically pay the bill to debit your account. Looks like it registers your plate with the toll authority so said toll authority won't send a bill. It says that they have negotiated a lower rate than cash for some facilities, but it does NOT list discounts over cash per facility or whether or not you still need to pay the various camera/pay by mail charges. I see it working well for people who don't want an E-ZPass/similar for a variety of reasons, but I'd want clarification re: the bill by mail charges before signing up (not that I'll ever have a reason to use it).

[jeffandnicole]

The 'Coverage' page is interesting.  https://drivepeasy.com/coverage/

It says that coverage is NOT available in PA, Ohio or Indiana.  So you'll still be handing over cash in those states, although chances are if you get this service and fail to check this info out, you'll be getting an invoice in the mail for the toll plus a nice service fee.

When you click on the states that are covered, you'll find, as an example, Delaware has 9 toll roads that are covered.  You didn't realize they had 9 toll roads?  Of course they do!  Just look at the list:

Delaware Memorial Bridge
State Route 1
The Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway
Ben Franklin Bridge
Betsy Ross Bridge
Commodore Barry Bridge
Walt Whitman Bridge
Interstate 95

So who knew that most of those bridges involved a trip into Delaware! LOL  And the toll roads?  Why not list both the route number and politically-assigned name as two different highways.

And even better...a quick look at the map shows that NJ is covered.  Yay!  Just make sure you look at the excluded list of toll roads, which includes the NJ Turnpike, AC Expressway and the Garden State Parkway.  It also excludes the DRJTBC bridges as well.  In fact, the only tolls that'll work with it are the DRPA, DRBA and the PANYNJ bridges.

But wait...then why is NJ shown as covered, when it only works on bridges between two states, yet PA is shown as not being covered?

Virginia is probably even more interesting with the mixmash of covered and uncovered roadways.

So...is it worth it to get this system?  That would be a big, hearty NO in my opinion!

[mrsman]

While this system may not be worthwhile in its present context, I can see that in light of COVID-19, something along these lines could be a model for eventual national interoperability.  Toll by plate systems in place to relieve the toll agencies from hiring toll collectors.  But put in place a registration system like this in order for your license to be on lookup.

[1995hoo]

....

Virginia is probably even more interesting with the mixmash of covered and uncovered roadways.

....

I note they listed the Dulles Greenway as being in the Richmond area. That's definitely news to me!

Forum member mtantillo once said some states charge other jurisdictions a fee for access to the license-plate database, which is one of the things hindering a more universal adoption of toll-by-plate. This sort of app might be a way to get around that sort of thing because the user is voluntarily providing the license-plate data to the app's publisher.

[sprjus4]

I note they listed the Dulles Greenway as being in the Richmond area. That's definitely news to me!

Apparently the VA-895 Pocahontas Pkwy near Richmond is SR-76 (which is actually the Powhite Pkwy), and that Dominion Blvd and Veterans Bridge are two separate, uncovered facilities.

Transurban launched GoToll - https://www.gotoll.com/ - a couple months ago, a similar program, but currently only works in Virginia, and only on toll roads in DC (excluding the Greenway) and Hampton Roads, not Richmond. On roads with cash and E-ZPass Only lanes, using this app will allow you to travel through the E-ZPass Only lanes.

[1995hoo]

I note they listed the Dulles Greenway as being in the Richmond area. That's definitely news to me!

Apparently the VA-895 Pocahontas Pkwy near Richmond is SR-76 (which is actually the Powhite Pkwy), and that Dominion Blvd and Veterans Bridge are two separate, uncovered facilities.

Transurban launched GoToll - https://www.gotoll.com/ - a couple months ago, a similar program, but currently only works in Virginia, and only on toll roads in DC (excluding the Greenway) and Hampton Roads, not Richmond. On roads with cash and E-ZPass Only lanes, using this app will allow you to travel through the E-ZPass Only lanes.

I read about that (and I think I may have posted about it on this forum), but I didn't pay a lot of attention to it because I have no need for it.

[lstone19]

Its listing for New York is a mess. It lists the Niagra [sic] Thruway as not covered but lists the Grand Island bridges, the only tolls left on the Niagara Thruway (I-190), as covered. While it lists all the Thruway fixed toll barriers as covered, it is silent as to the Thruway ticket sections. And finally, it lists the Garden State Parkway, which, of course, is not even in New York as not covered. They probably mean the extension to the Thruway but that's Thruway, not GSP nor is there a toll on it for them to collect.

[RobbieL2415]

Why is the Mass Pike listed as compatible when it's all AET?
Why is the GSP Extension listed as compatible when the connection to the Thruway is free?
Why is NJ missing all the important roads?
Why is KS listed with 0 compatible roads instead of just keeping it off the list?
Why isn't it compatible with the bridges in RI or the truck tolls on US 6?

Why?  What?  WHY?!?

[noelbotevera]

Kansas: Covered, except for the Kansas Turnpike (the only toll road)

Did the office janitor write this?

[vdeane]

Why is the Mass Pike listed as compatible when it's all AET?
Why is the GSP Extension listed as compatible when the connection to the Thruway is free?
Why is NJ missing all the important roads?
Why is KS listed with 0 compatible roads instead of just keeping it off the list?
Why isn't it compatible with the bridges in RI or the truck tolls on US 6?

Why?  What?  WHY?!?

1. Why wouldn't it work with AET?  That would be pretty bad, given that avoiding bill by mail on AET facilities is the whole point.
2. I don't see that.  Are you referring to the listing for the Garden State Parkway under "exceptions" (which mean that it's NOT compatible)?  It's probably just there because someone decided to compile a list of all the toll roads and figured "the Thruway is a toll road and it's part of the Thruway system" and didn't check more closely.
3. They probably don't have an agreement with NJTA.  Peasy isn't a transponder, it's a company that pays tolls on your behalf (rather than having the authority send a bill in the mail) and then bills you for it.
4. No idea.  That is very weird.  Might be something like they're in the process of negotiating an agreement or something.
5. See #3.