thetollroads.org - driver beware

[JavaBrewer]

Toll roads in SoCal no longer accept cash or even CC. The toll collection stations are now fully automated. Without an electronic pass your car is photographed for toll collection.

BEWARE - the signs indicate that you have 48 hours from the time of the toll to visit https://www.thetollroads.com/ and pay your toll. DO NOT BE LATE!!

Tried paying our toll 3 days after the fact (our fault we forgot) and was denied. Now expecting a invoice (more CA taxes) that includes a $50+ fine per infraction. We used 2 toll roads that day

IMO 48 hours is unreasonable. Yes this was my fault for not making the payment a priority. Drivers with busy lives beware.

[porsche4life]

Great.... This will suck for those of us from out of state...

[scottmandue]

The whole cali toll road idea is idiotic! I was hoping the powers that be would see how impractical it is and put an end to it.
Having said that... I sent in my $50 refundable deposit and have a transponder.

[widgeon13]

That's total BS!

[ossiblue]

Originally Posted by JavaBrewer

Toll roads in SoCal no longer accept cash or even CC. The toll collection stations are now fully automated. Without an electronic pass your car is photographed for toll collection.

BEWARE - the signs indicate that you have 48 hours from the time of the toll to visit https://www.thetollroads.com/ and pay your toll. DO NOT BE LATE!!

Tried paying our toll 3 days after the fact (our fault we forgot) and was denied. Now expecting a invoice (more CA taxes) that includes a $50+ fine per infraction. We used 2 toll roads that day

IMO 48 hours is unreasonable. Yes this was my fault for not making the payment a priority. Drivers with busy lives beware.

You may not have to pay the fine. Check this link which updates the situation as of June 24: Toll Road Fines WILL BE Waived All Summer: Update | OC Weekly

Basically, fines will be waived through Labor Day and you have 30 days to pay--if you are a first time offender.

BTW, the fines are not CA taxes, they are penalty fees that go to the Toll Road Consortium--it's a for-profit business.

[Noah930]

Do out-of-state transponders work, too?

I think it may have been Maryland that offered transponders for free. (You just linked your transponder account to your bank account and the funds got deducted in $25 increments so that there was always a positive balance in the transponder account to pay for the tolls.) When I lived in Massachusetts, MA wanted to charge for the transponders so I simply ordered a pair from MD, instead.

[Gogar]

Here, the toll road snaps a pic of your license plate and mails you an invoice. I thought it was weird but it works.

[tadink]

....and that's how the Golden Gate Bridge tolls now work.

snap a pic, mail and invoice

seems idiotic to drop a bunch of people off the payroll, and extend the collection time for the cash from zero to 30+ days....but someone thinks its a good idea I guess???

[Rot 911]

Missouri = no toll roads.

[sketchers356]

NY has free transponders and I forget what percentage but you get a discount too.

[KNS]

Born and raised in SoCal, never had toll roads then. So you get to pay twice for driving on the crumbling roads?

[intakexhaust]

Not nearly as bad as Illinois. Often in the news - NON TOLL drivers frequently GET FINES by mail by erroneous system.

They can't decipher same plate number but different classification! The system is so stupid it even cross references the same plate number but DIFFERENT states! Out of state truckers blow the IPASS but little grandma with her Toyota forever parked in the garage gets the tickets. Dude on a MOTORCYCLE in Chicago blows the IPASS but downstate broke college gets the ticket(s).

Try to convince the traffic court and prove your innocence. IDIOTS - Illinois Dept. of Turds

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by Noah930

Do out-of-state transponders work, too?

Things may have changed but not even all in-state transponders work! I got my transponder to use on the 110 Harbor freeway over a year ago... it works on the 71 by Newport beach but not sure it will work on the 91 down by Chico. I think they are integrating the system to be state wide. FWIW I stopped using mine on the 110, only shaved five minutes off my forty five minute commute each way and that cost me $50 a month in tolls.. such a deal!

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by Gogar

Here, the toll road snaps a pic of your license plate and mails you an invoice. I thought it was weird but it works.

Same here and I have to say I have nothing but praise for TXDOT's Tolltag people.

If you rack up tolls without a tag they are higher than with.

They only send you an invoice when the total is more than a certain amount.

1st one I got I forgot about and got hit with late fees.

Called them up to get a tag and while chatting with the woman she says "oh, no problem, since you are getting the tag we'll drop the late fee and prorate the previous tolls to the Toll tag discount"

Seriously?

Sure

I've had a couple of other occasions to call them and each time it's like a Twilight Zone episode. They are so pleasant, helpful and accommodating you think you are dreaming it all.

[porsche4life]

Sounds like the pike pass system in OK, very easy to deal with. They now share privileges too by the way, so you pass is good in both state!

[lowyder993s]

Just got a notice of violation for 1 of our tractor trailers on the 110. Evaded toll .15...cost to mail invoice .46 ...GENIUS I tell you!

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Expect license plate thefts to go up as a result of this.

Yet another reason I'm glad I got the hell out of the sinking ship known as California when I did. Last one out please remember to turn out the lights.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by lowyder993s

Just got a notice of violation for 1 of our tractor trailers on the 110. Evaded toll .15...cost to mail invoice .46 ...GENIUS I tell you!

LOL, had a friend whose family owned a small supermarket.

Gets a bill for $0.02 one day from one of their long time suppliers. Ignores it.

Next month gets a another bill, same amount. Ignores it.

Next month, same thing so he calls the supplier and says WTH? You've spent 20 x's in postage alone to collect this stupid $0.02, what gives?

Supplier apologizes and tells him they moved to a new service to handle A/R and there is a glitch. Do him a favor and just pay it so it stops.

So friend sends a check for $0.01

[Evans, Marv]

I hate toll roads, especially in this state where we pay hefty taxes for roads already. I won't use one unless there is no other way. A toll road was built where I lived south of San Diego some years ago. For the first month or so it was free to use. After that it was 50 cents per mile. I timed using the toll road against an alternate route not using it on a short trip I traveled frequently. The toll road took 5 minutes, while the alternate took 10 minutes. I sure wasn't going to pay fifty cents a minute to save 5 minutes. Others must have declined to use it also, since it went bankrupt in about two years. Construction and operation was contracted out to a private company which collected the tolls and paid a portion to the State and local authorities. When I go near enough to see it, it's still almost deserted.

[Noah930]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

LOL, had a friend whose family owned a small supermarket.

Gets a bill for $0.02 one day from one of their long time suppliers. Ignores it.

Next month gets a another bill, same amount. Ignores it.

Next month, same thing so he calls the supplier and says WTH? You've spent 20 x's in postage alone to collect this stupid $0.02, what gives?

Supplier apologizes and tells him they moved to a new service to handle A/R and there is a glitch. Do him a favor and just pay it so it stops.

So friend sends a check for $0.01

Off topic, but I recall reading a story about a woman who kept getting a bill from a utility for $0.00 along with a notice that she was delinquent. WTH? After awhile, she finally sent in a check for $0.00 .... and subsequently stopped getting those delinquency notices.