Ohio finally gets EZPass

Any chance Oklahoma and Kansas will ever merge with EZPass? Not that I plan on driving through there anytime soon.

Not sure. It'd be really nice, but I doubt it'll happen. I think Kansas might be more compatible with it then OK's system. EZ Pass and KS both use induction with magnetics and RFID's. I believe Oklahoma uses just RF and the pikepasses have batteries in them.

We use it I-71 to SR-57, and went from .75 to $1. Last Friday evening, it was funny because they had one EZ-Pass only lane open with no traffic entering it at all. While sitting there, they switched it to cash tolls or EZ-Pass, effectively making it so that the pass folks (both of them) would have to wait in traffic anyway.

Obviously not a lot of benefit until it's in widespread use.

I use the simplest solution. Take RT.2

Also don't forget, even if you don't save time, that new "toll fee hike" well that doesn't apply to you as an EZ-Pass holder.

I got my transponder in the mail the day before they went into use and the rate hike for not using an EZ-Pass went into effect. Simple to setup (although the first time I tried ordering it their website was having major issues, had to try again later) and easy to use. My biggest complaint is that the transponder is kinda big, and in my opinion, looks really ugly on my windshield when looking at the outside of the car. It comes with some sticky velcro for the windshield allowing you to move the transponder from car to car. I'm going to look into replacing that with a suction cup so I can take the thing down (and not have the remaining velcro strips on my window) when I'm not on the turnpike.

Jeff said:
Last Friday evening, it was funny because they had one EZ-Pass only lane open with no traffic entering it at all. While sitting there, they switched it to cash tolls or EZ-Pass, effectively making it so that the pass folks (both of them) would have to wait in traffic anyway.

Obviously not a lot of benefit until it's in widespread use.

That's the one other problem I had. Getting on the turnpike at the I-280 entrance was simple because they had two dedicated lanes. Getting off at the tiny Rt. 4 exit, I still had to wait in line because there are only two booths, and both were doing cash and EZ-Pass. Felt a little weird just driving past the attendant while using a device that will most likely eventually replace their jobs...

Its nice I guess for you that use the Turnpike. From Medina County I take Rte 18 W to Heartline road N and it changes names to State Route 61. From there I goto Route 2 and in about 3 exits I am off on Rye Beach Road and I totally by-pass being on Route 250.

Touchdown said:
Also don't forget, even if you don't save time, that new "toll fee hike" well that doesn't apply to you as an EZ-Pass holder.

Not true for the 2012 rate hike. The Westgate-to-Eastgate toll will go from $10.25 to $11.25 in 2012.

I just heard someone else say that same thing, that it's too big/bulky. You would think they would be able to make it more compact.

Once your order went through, how lond did it take to arrive?

I've had my EZPass for about 2 years now. I never keep it on the window. I keep it in the glove box. I take it out when I need it. I've even left it sitting on the dashboard during trips when it was in frequent use. It worked fine on the dash. Though I suppose you could hold it to the window while driving through the toll if you wanted too.

The rates go up in 2012. But, of all the rates I've checked, the Non-EZPass will be going up more than the EZPass rate. In several instances, the Non-EZPass went up 75 cents where the EZPass only went up 50 cents.

I haven't found the Ipass to be that bulky, or the pikepass (which is about 1/3 bigger). I just put the strips behind the mirror on the passenger side. I can't hardly even see the thing when I'm driving. I guess I don't care what it looks like aesthetically from the outside, though.

With the laptop, camera & mount, ipass, and GPS in my windshield when storm chasing, it's amazing I can even see out the windshield :)

The best deal I found was Massachusetts' Fast Lane, which is compatible with E-ZPass. You can register online, and they send you the transponder in the mail for free. All you have to pay is $20 to load the account, and when it gets down to $10 they charge your credit card to bring your account back up to $20. No monthly or annual fee, no shipping costs, nothing.

I suppose the only annoyance is that there is a delay in Ohio sending the information to Massachusetts, so it's difficult to check how much you have left (should you need that information -- since it recharges automagically, I'm not sure how important this is). For example, I've been using my Fast Lane transponder in Ohio for a week now, and when I check my account on Mass Pike's website it still says I have $20 left.

One thing I find annoying, compared to most gates I've been through in PA and NY, is that there is no screen or green light to tell you the E-ZPass worked. If you're the only car at the gate, you'll see the pike turn up, but if there is a car in front of you, the pike just stays up. So the only indication that your E-ZPass was accepted is that there isn't a bar crashing down on your hood.

I think it's kind of dumb. Are people really hurting for time that they can't lose a couple of minutes to pay for their toll? Now we have to pay for this system with ludacris fees just to drive on a damn road, and more likely than not, the money will not be reinvested to maintain that same road.

Ugh.

But I did order one, because of the fees.

:(

CornStalk said:

Once your order went through, how lond did it take to arrive?

I got mine in 2 days.

If you pass the tolls twice a day on your way to work, and the EZPass saves you 5 seconds each pass, you'd save almost 1.5 hours a year. If you end up paying less money for wasting less of your own time, I see no downside.

That's assuming there is no line fore the tolls. I have had tolls in Chicago that took 30 minutes to get through.

Chicago tolls are all open road now. No stopping with an I-pass. It's fantastic.

The best part is that I don't have to remember to keep cash in my car when visiting a toll road. The ipass does it all for me.

Costs four dollars to cross the Newport bridge here in Rhode Island and the bridge is only a half mile long, with the easy pass, its .89 cents.

Thanks for the info Birdman I just signed up for my MTA Fast Lane transponders.