Uptown to Plano every day on Northpark = $5.92 on tolls PER DAY (Houston: renting, mortgage)

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by unexpected

what about 75->george bush ->exit preston? This would be one toll.

Also, if you want to take 75, i would exit spring creek. Spring creek is 45 MPH most of the way up, and less "curvy".

OR, if you take tollway straight up, exit the plano parkway exit and then take the service road/preston to Legacy area. Plano parkway has no exit toll booth, if you do this, you cut out the parker tollbooth each way.

Preston to Legacy can be nasty. My old boss lived at Frankford & Preston and it took her longer to get to the office (via Preston) most days than it did me from Uptown.

You just need to play with the commute based on the times you're coming & going.

I would have told you to always take Tollroad in the am and experiment on the way home, but pp said the exact opposite based on his experiences.

[loves2read]

exit the plano parkway exit and then take the service road/preston to Legacy area. Plano parkway has no exit toll booth, if you do this, you cut out the parker tollbooth each way.

yeah--what's with that--noticed there is no toll booth on that exit when I have been going to Angelika Plano---
that is busy exit...

[andyATMcandy]

I'm pretty sure I'll hate anything compared to this straight shot drive on the DNT... time is important to me, so another 15-30 minutes on the road + gas + traffic + lights/stop signs is probably worth paying $5.92 to avoid.


But I'll keep trying those alternate routes probably on the way home because I'd hate to screw up on the way to work ha

[$DFW8$]

Originally Posted by andyATMcandy

Holy crap... is there any way around this? That's freakin nuts... >$1530/year

Uptown to Plano (Legacy)


06/21/10 07:55
Parker Rd. L7 -0.80
06/21/10 07:41
Wycliff L10 -1.26
06/21/10 07:51
Springs L7 -0.90
06/21/10 17:52
Wycliff L8 -1.26
06/21/10 17:42
Springs L6 -0.90
06/21/10 17:36
Parker Rd. L6 -0.80

We just moved but when we lived in Frisco, I commuted down the tollway to downtown Dallas.....which is even more tolls. It just all part of it when using the tollway....almost everybody who lives along the tollway or uses it to commute has a tolltag. However, I did know people in Frisco who would drive over to 75 and then go south. No tolls, but more traffic. Preston Road is also an alternate, but it also has lights.

[txtoal]

I was spending about $100 bucks a month on tolls. I moved out of the immediate DFW area and now I spend $0. Can't believe that I am saving about $1,200 a year on not having to pay freaking tolls. It sucks and I am sorry for everyone who has to pay them. 10 years was long enough for me.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by txtoal

I was spending about $100 bucks a month on tolls. I moved out of the immediate DFW area and now I spend $0. Can't believe that I am saving about $1,200 a year on not having to pay freaking tolls. It sucks and I am sorry for everyone who has to pay them. 10 years was long enough for me.

Hey, it's better here than other parts of the US. Almost all the Interstates (not to mention state highways) in NY/NJ/Ct are tolled.

[PanTerra]

Originally Posted by buzzpost

Ahhh, I see... I thought you paid a flat rate and had unlimited use. Thanks!

Oh wouldn't that be great. I do get charged a flat rate of $40. Every time I spend that much cumulativly on tolls, my credit card gets "dinged" for another $40, until the next time .

[pappy97]

Originally Posted by andyATMcandy

I'm pretty sure I'll hate anything compared to this straight shot drive on the DNT... time is important to me, so another 15-30 minutes on the road + gas + traffic + lights/stop signs is probably worth paying $5.92 to avoid.


But I'll keep trying those alternate routes probably on the way home because I'd hate to screw up on the way to work ha

As has been mentioned here before, it's better to hate your commute than hate where you live and you ended up moving to where you wanted to be (Uptown), so it's all good.

The biggest tip I have for you is that even though you do a reverse commute, see if you can check the traffic situation before heading out the door to go to work in the morning and also before leaving to go home. That way you'll know if there is a problem in your direction on the DNT and you can take the alternate route. When there is an accident on DNT, I know firsthand it's better to avoid it. And accidents happen all the time here, even with lighter reverse commutes (Since there are plenty of idiot drivers driving in all directions at all times).

[JS1]

What I don't understand is why $5.92 to save an hour driving to work is such a huge deal when you're renting an apartment that costs, in my opinion, an outrageous amount of money.

[pappy97]

Originally Posted by JS1

What I don't understand is why $5.92 to save an hour driving to work is such a huge deal when you're renting an apartment that costs, in my opinion, an outrageous amount of money.

A lot of people have to stretch their budget to live in Uptown. IIRC, OP is a recent college grad so I suspect OP is in this kind of situation and thus it's a big deal when a big chunk of your income goes to rent/mortgage.