[GIANT_ENEMY_CRAB]

lol 35 cents oh wow.

[pulpfiction]

Originally Posted by GIANT_ENEMY_CRAB

lol 35 cents oh wow.

You do realize this was decades ago, right? Google 'inflation'.

[pulpfiction]

So the tolls were along the I-95 mainline...not at off-ramps?

Wow...I can only begin to imagine the backups. Even decades ago, I'm sure I-95 was nearly the parking lot that it is today.

Imagine trying to get through Greenwich during rush hour without the option of an ez-pass lane. Totally nuts.

[GIANT_ENEMY_CRAB]

Originally Posted by pulpfiction

You do realize this was decades ago, right? Google 'inflation'.

Adjusted for inflation that's still pretty cheap.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by GIANT_ENEMY_CRAB

Adjusted for inflation that's still pretty cheap.

You must remember that the Connecticut Turmpike was built in the 50's and the original toll was 25 cents. It was raised to 35 cents later on but not sure the year.

Tolls on the Merritt and Wilbur Cross Parkways were in Greenwich, Milford and Wallingford. You could purchase toll plate each year that allowed you to go through the Parkway tolls without stopping to pay. You could buy the plates for one, two or all three Parkway tolls. I think they also had ticket books you could buy that gave you a discount on the tolls but I don't remember how they worked or how much they cost. Jay

[DanBev]

Tolls will work as well as state income taxes.The money will be wasted for other purposes.

[papafox]

Originally Posted by DanBev

Tolls will work as well as state income taxes.The money will be wasted for other purposes.

Exactly!

Someone who gets it!

[MrGompers]

The turnpike (i-95) tolls I don't remember as they were removed before I learned to drive.

I do remember tolls on the Merritt and Charter Oak Bridge in Hartford/East Hartford. I think this bridge toll was still collected until 1990. It had the big baskets that you could toss change into. One time I counted out 35 pennies before leaving home and had them ready to go. I tossed them into the basket and it took maybe 30 seconds for it to count, but it worked and the gate opened. As I remember the toll booths didn't say they accepted pennies, but they also didn't say they don't accept pennies.

The Charter Oak bridge was easy to avoid and the bridge was empty every time I crossed it. I used it because the first exit was for Silver Lane and I worked off of that street. It also was a fast way to get to the cinemas in East Hartford (also off Silver Lane)

You could avoid the Charter Oak bridge by using the Putnam bridge. I'm not sure how much this effected rush hour though, since at the time I was working 2nd shift hours. You could also buy a ticket book for this bridge, I don't remember the cost, but I think it was something like "pay for 9 trips - get 10 trips"

One more interesting thing from the 1980's was the Rocky Hill - Glastonbury ferry pricing. Once upon a time you could buy a season pass for the ferry for the low price of $20. They put the sticker in your windshield and you would get unlimited crossings all year. At the time crossing cost about $1 each way, so if you were a frequent user this was a hell of a bargain.

At some point in the 1980's the ferry came under scrutiny and the season pass was raised to $40 per year. Even that didn't last long though and the season pass was dropped completely in about 1988.

[Rakin]

We have the North TX Tollroad Authority (NTTA) that was incorporated by the cities to build specially new roads. Many are Hybrid Toll Roads where old high ways are improved and may have for example 8 free lanes and 6 toll lanes. The toll lanes are voluntary but travel faster most of the time.

We have no toll booths with the EZ Pass scanners. With an EZ Pass RFID Chip you get about 1/3 discount then if they bill you. Unpaid tolls (by mail) carry the weight of the state or cities by issuing traffic violations.

It can be done correctly as long as you have an honest Govt behind it and the use of modern technology.

[willow wind]

The tolls on I-95 were insane. Tolls at West Haven, East Haven, Branford & Madison. Yes, it was a parking lot. Bad enough most of the year- can you imagine the summer beach traffic ?

There were very few toll plates, more people had tokens. But with so many tolls and so much traffic, one had to sit in traffic until they could even approach the toll plaza.