Driving through toll or toll access lane? (Plano, West: price, car)

[artsyguy]

Which one route is least expensive?

I don't care so much about time as I do saving some cash and using up less gas as I travel.

Your educated thoughts and opinions please.

[Visitor2007]

Most of the time, if saving money is your priority, not using the toll road is the best way to go. There are so many other routes you can take to go from A to B without using the toll road. Well the only exception is if your car is not gas efficient and can go only less than 20 miles per gallon.

[Kootr]

If I'm only traveling 4-5 miles on the toll road I rarely use it, instead using the access road. Even when traveling from West Plano to the Park Cities area to visit my son I will go down Preston Road instead of the toll road, then 635, then 75, etc., especially during rush-hour traffic. The travel time is about the same, with the toll road route actually taking longer during rush-hour. As Visitor2007 said, there are so many other routes you can take to get from point A to point B without using the toll road. Plus, the driving is more casual.

[artsyguy]

it's a little more than 15 miles to travel to

[bluescreen73]

Unless you're wasting considerably more gas driving on the access road, the tollway is a rip-off 99.999999999999% of the time. It's akin to being charged an extra $3 per gallon of gas.

[billdfw]

It probably depends on how many tolls you have to pay and how many stoplights/stop and go traffic and the city gas mileage of your car. If you have a tolltag I believe the tolls are 1/2 price or so.

Not to mention the time factor. Some people value their time or have little free time so a couple of dollars is worth it.

[Kootr]

Originally Posted by artsyguy

it's a little more than 15 miles to travel to

I assume you are responding to me. Yes, it is about 15 miles from West Plano to the Park Cities. It takes me about the same amount of time (32 minutes) to travel down Preston Road as it does using the toll road, then 635, then 75, etc. when the traffic is light. Plus, it's much more pleasant going down Preston Road. When the traffic is heavy it only takes me 40 minutes going down Preston whereas using the toll road route can often take 55 minutes to an hour. Therefore with what I've found, it actually takes less time by not using the toll road.

Personally, the toll road charge is not a factor for me one way or the other. I choose the route that is fastest, most convenient, and less wearing on the nerves - and that happens to be not using the toll road for this [one] particular trip. That said, if it was 2:00 AM and I needed to get there as quickly as possible I would probably take the tollway because I would know there's no traffic to contend with the whole way.