Toll Roads, love them or hate them?

Just checked... here's my entire year of tolls totaling $12.  It completely missed several trips to Pittsburgh and a few to Bedford.

Everyone hates the Illinois Tollway but it will triple your time to take alternate roads.  Cheeseheads in Wisconsin make fun of FIB's and our tollways. 

Mention them to my father-in-law and he brings up how they said in the 1960's that they'd pay them off eventually and would be free.  He's really mad they lied about that when he brings it up.  

bobzilla said:

In reply to AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) :

Last time we ran the PA turnpike from end to end was about 6 years ago and even then it was $48 for a car. 

I still grumble about going to the Eastern rallycross championship in 2016.  Fast way cut down across PA, not even all the way across the state.

$20 in gas for my S40, $40 in tolls.

I took a different way home.

I don't mind using the Ohio turnpike to get between work and my garage because it cuts about ten miles out of the trip and costs 50 cents.   Even on a strictly $/mi basis it makes sense to use it.

Apexcarver said:

alfadriver said:

In reply to Apexcarver :

Aren't HOV lanes free if you have more than one person in the car?  Which was supposed to be their point.

the Virginia part of the DC beltway has "pay to play" lanes. 

There are a few that if you have an EZ pass flex you can make free if you have 3+ in the car, but you can pay and use otherwise.

This was confusing when we went to pick up moxnix's RX-7.  The GPS kept telling us to get into the toll road.  We're in a truck with a trailer which equals piggybank for tolls.  I'm driving and I look and am like, wait it is the same road, going the same way, why should I use a toll lane?

To echo Curtis. I have driven multiple times when I forgot to grab the shared EZ pass. This is all in PA. In the months I've passed through the toll by plate, my bills have been....$0. 

In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :

Yeah you really need to be super familiar with the area.  So again for out of area travelers they are a pain.  The "Lexus lanes" run parallel to 495. But then in the case of the Dulles access road (267), the Toll Road can cut your transit time in half depending on distance.

I use I-70 to go from KC to Topeka (Heartland Park Racetrack) and over the years it's gone from .50 to $3.00 each way, twice that with a trailer. Doesn't sound like a lot but it's only about 20 miles and like others have said, the toll was supposed to end when the roads were paid for......I guess 60 years isn't enough to pay off the roads? cause that's how long they've been taking money on there!

I used the Ok turnpike while flat towing my Mini and spent $36 to get from Amarillo to Tulsa, and it was by far one of the worst roads I've ever driven! To pay that much and have it be on such a crappy road torques my shorts!

In reply to TheTallOne17 :

Minnesota the roads are free. Well we pay for them in taxes. But can use without paying a supplement 

In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :

I finally caved and got an ez pass this year as the 301 bridge to VA from southern Maryland has gone E-ZPass only and the video toll is a pain and I think more expensive.

Wanting to use the 495 till lanes, well, it depends on traffic. I caved and used them the other week as I had my two kids who are under 5 in the car on the way to Grandma's house. Was kind of worth it to not deal with stop and go traffic. Doesn't change my mind they they shouldn't be tolled and should just be available as express lanes or HOV similar to 270.

HATE. DESPISE. LOATHE. REVILE.