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I have wondered the same. To me the solution is to send bills after the driver has hit some minimum value. They could wait until the driver owes a few dollars before sending a bill. Sure some cars may get by with never paying, but it would ensure each transaction is profitable for the state.
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Originally Posted by Myghost
I do TOTALLY agree that it would be (even more) efficient if they would hold bills until a threshold was met (say $5). I thought that had already been decided, but I guess not. Or even better, just attach the bill to your registration, save all expense and collect 1x a year, with the option to pay as you go either electronically, or via transponder (both of which already exist, so really only eliminating the "per use" paper bills).
Invoicing when it hits a threshold would make sense or, better yet, tying it up to the invoice for the annual registration fee. What they have today is too elaborate for collecting a few cents.
They already bill on a 30-day cycle (was 15 days when the expressway first opened) to cut down on having to send bills for small amounts to infrequent users. A minimum threshold for amount owed is a decent idea, but at some point the state should collect from everyone who owes out of fairness (even if it costs a bit more than the toll amount to collect it), and no one wants to receive a bill for a toll they incurred 6, 12, or more months ago, so there needs to be a time limit.
The answers to all of your questions are somewhere in some pricing feasibility study on the NCDOT or NC Turnpike Authority websites. Somehow tolling is allowing them to complete the Triangle Expressway and Complete 540 projects 20 years early, so I'm okay with it.
20 years early only after they blew the budget in the first place. It's like me owing the bank $20 and I can't pay it because I spent it on hookers and blow. So, I say I'll pay in increments over the next 40 years. But suddenly I stop paying for hookers and blow and pay the bank off 20 years sooner. I obviously am an excellent money manager and should be commended for my effort.
Invoicing when it hits a threshold would make sense or, better yet, tying it up to the invoice for the annual registration fee. What they have today is too elaborate for collecting a few cents.
Even ebay doesn't send sellers bills when the amount isn't worth the postage.
They already bill on a 30-day cycle (was 15 days when the expressway first opened) to cut down on having to send bills for small amounts to infrequent users. A minimum threshold for amount owed is a decent idea, but at some point the state should collect from everyone who owes out of fairness (even if it costs a bit more than the toll amount to collect it), and no one wants to receive a bill for a toll they incurred 6, 12, or more months ago, so there needs to be a time limit.
So the state should LOSE money to ensure it's fair? If this was about fairness then roads would be tolled equally to building costs, 540 north of 40 would be tolled as well. This is about paying for the construction expense. LOSING MONEY to collect a toll does not help the goal of paying for construction.
Tied to registration makes sense but what if you buy/sell a car? That could get complex with getting systems to talk to each other.
A better way IMO is to write off the cost of the toll if the amount is less than their billing costs IMO. They save money and it makes the entire thing a lot less complex.
Tied to registration makes sense but what if you buy/sell a car? That could get complex with getting systems to talk to each other.
A better way IMO is to write off the cost of the toll if the amount is less than their billing costs IMO. They save money and it makes the entire thing a lot less complex.
When I worked in credit card, we did not bill amounts less than $1.00 and just adjusted them off after 2 billing cycles.
I think DC did the same with the Washington Monument. Puny admission fee cost more to collect than it was worth.
Perhaps the tiny bills could be considered a "free trial" hoping the one-time user liked the road and would become a regular user or a mistake where a driver entered the road in error and quickly exited. At RDU airport, you can exit the paid parking lots within 15 minutes without charge if you entered the wrong lot by mistake
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