Tolls on 540 (Hamlet: rental car, rental, home)

[Bull City Rising]

Originally Posted by North_Raleigh_Guy

I'm not disagreeing with you NJrover, but I have never seen a toll that hasn't caused a back up with traffic, EZ Pass or not, it still disrupts the flow of traffic. That is part of the reason why I will be grilling out in my backyard here in Raleigh this Memorial Day Weekend instead of making a trip up to the Jersey Shore to see some friends and family. Those Tolls on I-95 back up terribly during the Holidays, and I use EZ pass and know what lane I need to be in .... still the back ups continue.

Actually, do a search on "in-lane toll collection." It's used in Orlando on some of its toll roads (notably the eastern segment of the GreeneWay beltline). If you are paying with their version of EZPass, you continue straight in the travel lanes, and your pass is read by a sensor bar that is suspended 20-30' over the travel lanes. There is no plaza, no slowdown -- regular 55-65 mph speed limit.

If you are paying cash, you have to "exit" the roadway before the EZ-Pass onto a 'collector lane' -- that is, the tollbooths are outside the main roadway. You take this faux exit, stop at the tollbooths, then merge again.

For daily commuters, there is literally no stopping, no tollbooth. I hope I-540 (which I support -- as a toll road) has the same system.

[rbcp]

The Orlando method works. I have seen the same in the Tampa area. I assume we would get something similar on 540, which isn't bad at all.

[OmegaBaby]

Originally Posted by North_Raleigh_Guy

I'm not disagreeing with you NJrover, but I have never seen a toll that hasn't caused a back up with traffic, EZ Pass or not, it still disrupts the flow of traffic. That is part of the reason why I will be grilling out in my backyard here in Raleigh this Memorial Day Weekend instead of making a trip up to the Jersey Shore to see some friends and family. Those Tolls on I-95 back up terribly during the Holidays, and I use EZ pass and know what lane I need to be in .... still the back ups continue.

The tolls on I-95 probably aren't a good comparison. Very few people traveling on I-95 use EZ-Pass, since most are travelers from all up and down the east coast, and..
1) don't need EZ-Pass during their normal commute.
2) don't even have EZ-Pass in the state they're from.

In contrast, since traffic on I-540 would be composed of mostly local commuters, I would expect that the majority of cars would be using the EZ-Pass (or whatever they plan to use).

[NewUser]

Originally Posted by jbognar

The tolls on I-95 probably aren't a good comparison. Very few people traveling on I-95 use EZ-Pass, since most are travelers from all up and down the east coast, and..
1) don't need EZ-Pass during their normal commute.
2) don't even have EZ-Pass in the state they're from.

In contrast, since traffic on I-540 would be composed of mostly local commuters, I would expect that the majority of cars would be using the EZ-Pass (or whatever they plan to use).

Exactly. I have used this example before in this thread, but also consider the President George Bush Tollway and the North Dallas Tollway in Dallas as other examples. These are primarily commuter tollways.

Commuters with EZ-Passes sail through the toll lanes at 65+ mph and they are given a toll discount (20%-25%). If you don't have the EZ-Pass, you "exit" the road, pay the full priced toll at a booth manned by a tollway employee, and then merge back onto the tollway.

[North_Raleigh_Guy]

BCR, NEw User, and Jb -

Thanks for the reference to more successfull toll programs. Do we know if the they are planning to do something similar on I-540? If so, then my hats off to them. Maybe it wouln't be too bad after all, I guess I am just cautious about it after years of waiting in lines at tolls, but perhaps technology is finally catching up. I know they now have an express EZ pass lane with "in-lane toll collection" when you get on the NJ Turnpike which seems to work well, but they still have individual toll booths where I exit to get off whcih slows things down. But that may be a problem unique to the NJ toll system. Thanks for the heads-up on these other possibilities.

[Snowpea]

I think it is a shame that the remaining sections of 540 will have tolls. A precedent is being set for future highway construction projects in NC. However, I do concede that no-one has to drive on this new road. It will simply be an additional option for drivers. Also, it should lessen traffic on the neighboring roadways for Interstate-avoiders like me.

Now, is it true that the tolls will be discontinued once the construction costs have been met? If that is the case then there should be an electronic ticker over the start of the tolled section that shows a real-time cost 'countdown'. The 'tollees' could see each payment making a difference. A celebration in downtown Raleigh could be arranged once $0.00 is reached.

[OmegaBaby]

Originally Posted by Snowpea

Now, is it true that the tolls will be discontinued once the construction costs have been met? If that is the case then there should be an electronic ticker over the start of the tolled section that shows a real-time cost 'countdown'. The 'tollees' could see each payment making a difference. A celebration in downtown Raleigh could be arranged once $0.00 is reached.

That's a very interesting idea! It at least lets people know that their money is going towards some goal, instead of just being sucked into an unknown void.

[architect77]

I just wanted to remind everyone that North Carolina has over 78,000 miles of paved, state-maintained roads, second only to Texas. Maintaining all of these roads places a burden on the NCDOT that few other states must bear.

New York City recently announced that all of the bridges and tunnels will go cashless, and the collection booths won't be necessary anymore. Vehicles without EZ-Pass would receive a bill in the mail, based on the license plate number.

If 540 used this method, toll booths would not necessary and you wouldn't have to slow down at all.

[NewUser]

Originally Posted by Snowpea

Now, is it true that the tolls will be discontinued once the construction costs have been met?

That'll never happen

There is always maintenance, tollway employees, and fat-cat polititians that need their pockets lined.

[Desdemona123]

Originally Posted by Snowpea

I think it is a shame that the remaining sections of 540 will have tolls. A precedent is being set for future highway construction projects in NC. However, I do concede that no-one has to drive on this new road. It will simply be an additional option for drivers. Also, it should lessen traffic on the neighboring roadways for Interstate-avoiders like me.

Now, is it true that the tolls will be discontinued once the construction costs have been met? If that is the case then there should be an electronic ticker over the start of the tolled section that shows a real-time cost 'countdown'. The 'tollees' could see each payment making a difference. A celebration in downtown Raleigh could be arranged once $0.00 is reached.

Never will happen.....ever. When they built the Ohio Turnpike in the 60s that was the idea. Once they paid for it...it needed major maintaince...so they kept the tolls.

Sometimes you just have to pay to play.