This past Thanksgiving weekend I was driving through New York, specifically the Yonkers and Bronx area, on my way home when all of a sudden with no warning there was a toll booth. What made this toll booth odd was there were were NO cash options and we did not have an EZ pass on the car we were driving. These cashless toll roads are becoming more popular around the country from major highways in Texas and Florida to California and New York. In fact the new Scudders Falls Bridge, which spans the Delaware River for I-95, will soon be replaced with a cashless toll. For those cars that do not have any EZ Pass system, like mine last weekend, a camera takes a picture of the license plate and a bill is sent home. These are just part of the overall implementation of more technologies in transportation discussed in William R. Black's Sustainable Transportation chapter 21.
According to traffic planners working on projects like the Scudders Falls Bridge the new cashless tolls help reduce cost to run toll systems and speed up traffic. While this is true, there are some critics. One of the biggest critics are tourists. The big issue with tourists is that many will use a rented car and are unaware of the areas new tolling systems are will drive right through them. The rental company then later gets the bill and will pass it on, sometimes with up to a $25 "administrative" fee. One way that this is being combated is renting transponders that cashless toll systems use so that the renter can use the tolls and pay for them at the end of their trip.
I think that overall, while it may be a hassle to some people, in the long run this system will work. Hopefully as more toll roads become cashless, more people will buy the transponders which is simple; EZ Pass only costs $10 per car with no other fees besides the tolls themselves. Once a majority, or everyone with cars has transponders, then all toll booths can go cashless, saving money and speeding up traffic.
For more information please check out these two articles:
http://www.buckslocalnews.com/articles/2012/08/13/yardley_news/news/doc50285b6909974643223619.txt?viewmode=fullstory
http://www.elliott.org/the-navigator/cashless-toll-roads-another-hazard-for-car-renters/
What do you think?
According to traffic planners working on projects like the Scudders Falls Bridge the new cashless tolls help reduce cost to run toll systems and speed up traffic. While this is true, there are some critics. One of the biggest critics are tourists. The big issue with tourists is that many will use a rented car and are unaware of the areas new tolling systems are will drive right through them. The rental company then later gets the bill and will pass it on, sometimes with up to a $25 "administrative" fee. One way that this is being combated is renting transponders that cashless toll systems use so that the renter can use the tolls and pay for them at the end of their trip.
I think that overall, while it may be a hassle to some people, in the long run this system will work. Hopefully as more toll roads become cashless, more people will buy the transponders which is simple; EZ Pass only costs $10 per car with no other fees besides the tolls themselves. Once a majority, or everyone with cars has transponders, then all toll booths can go cashless, saving money and speeding up traffic.
For more information please check out these two articles:
http://www.buckslocalnews.com/articles/2012/08/13/yardley_news/news/doc50285b6909974643223619.txt?viewmode=fullstory
http://www.elliott.org/the-navigator/cashless-toll-roads-another-hazard-for-car-renters/
What do you think?
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