Toll Roads and SunPass

[CM Dad]

I saw the option of the transponder. We usually rotate cars each time for the trip, so that would be great.

Question... are the passes/transponders good until you cancel them so we could use them for several years in a row? Wasn't sure if they expired after a certain amount of time. One of the fields during ordering asks for a start and end date. How does that work?

WOW ... there's a ton of misinformation in this thread! Some truth, but clouded by misunderstanding. I recommend going to SUNPASS.COM and reading up.

If from out of town and wanting a SUNPASS, get the more expensive one. You can move it from vehicle to vehicle and it is good "forever". You can even register MORE THAN ONE VEHICLE at a time (can't do either with the Mini-Sticker). And here's something they don't tell you: technically you don't even need the transponder in the car IF the tag has been registered to the transponder. How do I know? I have several times traveled 'tween WDW and Port Canaveral without the transponder in the car. No foul .... no fines ... the tolls show up on my bill just as if the transponder WAS in the car. (I have 4 cars and one transponder .... most of the time the transponder is at home in a drawer!)

VERY SIMPLIFIED: The way the system works when you pass thru an electronic lane in an area that is NOT electronic ONLY 1) use transponder if found 2) if not found, check SUNPASS database for the tag, if found charge the transponder account the regular transponder (discounted) toll, nothing found equals a fine if you did not use the PAY lane. {the toll plazas on 417 and the Beachline/528 operate this way with the exception of a few 'local' exits that a visitor would probably not use}

IF AN ELECTRONIC ONLY AREA (primarily Dade County) with no transponder or registration in the database, process as toll by plate - if this was on your vehicle you get a monthly bill with a SMALL service charge; if this was a rental car ... the rental company gets this bill & you may get ZAPPED with extra fees BY THE RENTAL COMPANY. How they handle activating electronic toll payment varies by rental company and some will zap BIG $ if you don't sign up in advance and then accrue an electronic toll. See https://www.sunpass.com/rentalcar

IF YOU BOUGHT A SUNPASS over a year ago, and it is the one that has lights & beeps to confirm transactions - and uses a battery (about the size of a pack of cigarettes) this type of transponder will no longer work after the first of the year. Florida will replace it FOR FREE. See SUNPASS.COM The transponders are being upgraded as a set towards interoperability with other systems nation wide.

I found it was cheaper to buy two of the stickon Sunpass transponders and just attach one to my car and one to my wife's. I think it was around $5 for each of those vs $20-$25 for the portable version. Both of the stick-on ones are linked to the same Sunpass account.

 

[bumbershoot]

There are sections of Broward and Palm Beach County that have no option to pay cash for tolls. It is $100 fine each time you don't pay a toll.

Absolutely. If you get on a tollroad, of course.

But this is the OP's sentence.

We'll be going to and from Orlando and the port twice during our next vacation.

She's not going *there*. She's going along 417 and/or 528. Other areas are irrelevant for her trip.

 

[Bree]

Absolutely. If you get on a tollroad, of course.

But this is the OP's sentence.



She's not going *there*. She's going along 417 and/or 528. Other areas are irrelevant for her trip.

Was on my phone and quote wasn't working. I was trying to respond to the post about cashless Miami-Dade county. I was just stating that other parts of FL are cashless. Just today we went through a toll that was Sunpass or Pay By Plate.

 

[TinkRose]

It will save you a tremendous amount of time and aggravation! IMHO it will be one of the best $5 you spend on your trip.

I have NEVER had aggravation on the toll roads there, and only once have I been behind a slower-than-instant driver.

So it *might* save you time and aggravation, but there is NO guarantee that the OP would EVER encounter any time-wasting or aggravation.

I bring a roll of quarters, I have some ones. I pay the tolls. EASY, almost no time spent on it, and more simple for me than buying a pass when I don't need to do that.

Because it's Florida some people think the toll taker should give detailed directions to their destination. I can't tell you how many times the line is held up with the toll taker and driver talking and pointing in addition to looking for money. It's a little better since GPS is popular but a lot of people don't opt for it on a rental car or just don't have or use one. Now that you are routed off the highway to a toll booth and there might be only one $ booth open so it does take longer even if you don't get behind someone who doesn't know where they are going.

 

[truck1]

See. Told ya! I'd be hunted and jailed.

The wont hunt you down if you fail to pay a toll. I had an issue years ago before I started using the toll roads on a regular basis and called and asked. Basically I had come off a toll road, and got to a exact change only toll with no humans at all in the other booth. I put my change in and it did not register. I tried it again and it still did not register that I had put the money in 2x. So I drove thru since there was no arm. The next day I called and asked about it and explained what happened, and I was told that a person is given a certain number of free passes a month or in a given time frame. (This was backed up again not long ago, when I noticed that my transponder wasn't beeping before being replaced with a new version.) If your a habitual, they'll suspend your lic. If you do it here or there, there not concerned.

What I would do, is to set up a regular transponder account, and put the plates of all vehicles you own on the account. This way if you forget the transponder, you will still pay the toll. The little tickers are nice and convienent but once there on a windshield, you cant move them. They'll break the minute you try to take it off.

 

[MillauFr]

They don't go after you in Florida for unpaid tolls??? In Washington State they just turn the unpaid tolls over to a collection agency. Plus I think they put a hold on your car registration.

 

[truck1]

I have NEVER had aggravation on the toll roads there, and only once have I been behind a slower-than-instant driver.

So it *might* save you time and aggravation, but there is NO guarantee that the OP would EVER encounter any time-wasting or aggravation.


I bring a roll of quarters, I have some ones. I pay the tolls. EASY, almost no time spent on it, and more simple for me than buying a pass when I don't need to do that.

Its rare for me to see more then 1 or 2 cars in a line at the exact change or manned toll lanes. Most of the time, theres a reason behind it like a malfunctioning traffic light or accident. I can probably count on 1 hand the number of times that Ive seen a line at any toll lanes. The beauty of having a transponder or account is that if the regular epass only lane is full or moving slow do to a lost or slow moving semi, the other lanes all usually are Epass/Sunpass also. But this is generally on the north end of the Turnpike, from I4 north to 75.

 

[truck1]

They don't go after you in Florida for unpaid tolls??? In Washington State they just turn the unpaid tolls over to a collection agency. Plus I think they put a hold on your car registration.

After a certain point they will. If you make a mistake for example, and you visiting, traveling on say the 528 to Disney, and you miss the tolls, by going thru the sunpass lane, there not overly concerned. If you habitually drive through the sunpass/epass lane on a regular basis, they'll come looking for you. They have a threshold, and I honesty forget what it is, before they take notice. Even out of state drivers, if your state doesnt have reciprocity with Fl, theres nothing they can do. If you live here, and you rack up say $50 in unpaid tolls, they'll suspend your lic until you pay them and the fine. For 2 or 3 dollars, they lose out on the deal.

 

[phinz]

I saw the option of the transponder. We usually rotate cars each time for the trip, so that would be great.

Question... are the passes/transponders good until you cancel them so we could use them for several years in a row? Wasn't sure if they expired after a certain amount of time. One of the fields during ordering asks for a start and end date. How does that work?

We've been using our transponder for years, and we give it to friends when they head down to Florida from Tennessee.

 

[jahber]

Its rare for me to see more then 1 or 2 cars in a line at the exact change or manned toll lanes. Most of the time, theres a reason behind it like a malfunctioning traffic light or accident. I can probably count on 1 hand the number of times that Ive seen a line at any toll lanes. The beauty of having a transponder or account is that if the regular epass only lane is full or moving slow do to a lost or slow moving semi, the other lanes all usually are Epass/Sunpass also. But this is generally on the north end of the Turnpike, from I4 north to 75.

The toll lines on 528 west of the airport can get pretty backed up at random times of the day, but especially rush hour. I drove to WDW from home the other day (I live off of 528), and the lines to get to the tolls were backed up all the way to the fork from the epass lanes. Now, granted, it's only a few extra minutes, but why wait in line if you don't have to?

 

[Capt_BJ]

Was on my phone and quote wasn't working. I was trying to respond to the post about cashless Miami-Dade county. I was just stating that other parts of FL are cashless. Just today we went through a toll that was Sunpass or Pay By Plate.

Where?

one of the few out of Miami areas I know of is in Tampa .... the Crosstown aka Selmon parkway .... not usually encountered by cruisers.

I know of some EXITS in the Orlando area but these generally lead to residential areas that cruisers would not be interested in.

 

[Bree]

Where?

one of the few out of Miami areas I know of is in Tampa .... the Crosstown aka Selmon parkway .... not usually encountered by cruisers.

I know of some EXITS in the Orlando area but these generally lead to residential areas that cruisers would not be interested in.

Sawgrass Expressway is electronic or pay by plate.

Not that most cruisers would be using it, but it's a pretty major road around here.

http://www.wptv.com/traffic/sawgras...ing-drivers-must-use-sunpass-for-paying-tolls

 

[Capt_BJ]

I found it was cheaper to buy two of the stickon Sunpass transponders and just attach one to my car and one to my wife's. I think it was around $5 for each of those vs $20-$25 for the portable version. Both of the stick-on ones are linked to the same Sunpass account.

To each their own .....

I had a $5 one on my last car and when I sold the car it was trash so I had to start over. At this same time I had a $20 version for the wife's car. After reading up I discovered that I did not need to buy a new transponder, sticker or other. I just added my tag to the account for the $20 version (you can only hook ONE tag to a sticker and you can't change it) Then I learned that the transponder did not need to be in the car, so I added my other car, and the daughter's and the son's (who does not even live in state but visits regularly) ... and when I sold a car I deleted that one, and added the new car ...... You can't do that on the 'sticker' accounts. In other words, you can't use a 'sticker' for two different rental cars unless you trust the electronics to see the sticker (which you are using outside of how they say it works). While with the $20 version, it works 'forever', you just change the info in the SUNPASS account.

Both of the stick-on ones are linked to the same Sunpass account

Really? Or are they linked to the same CREDIT CARD and actually 2 different accounts?

FOOTNOTE: the only time we worry about having the transponder IN the car is when we are using it to pay parking at MCO. No 'platepass' there!

 

[Capt_BJ]

Sawgrass Expressway is electronic or pay by plate.

Not that most cruisers would be using it, but it's a pretty major road around here.

http://www.wptv.com/traffic/sawgrass-expressway-now-cashless-tolling-drivers-must-use-sunpass-for-paying-tolls

Sawgrass is Miami area IMO .... but I'll accept as notice that the 'electron only' is migrating north.

 

[Bree]

Sawgrass is Miami area IMO .... but I'll accept as notice that the 'electron only' is migrating north.

I think it is migrating too. I take the turnpike North from Boca Raton to Osceola Parkway when I go to WDW. I don't remeber specific exits, but I know there are some on the turnpike that are electronic only.

 

[CM Dad]

To each their own .....

I had a $5 one on my last car and when I sold the car it was trash so I had to start over. At this same time I had a $20 version for the wife's car. After reading up I discovered that I did not need to buy a new transponder, sticker or other. I just added my tag to the account for the $20 version (you can only hook ONE tag to a sticker and you can't change it) Then I learned that the transponder did not need to be in the car, so I added my other car, and the daughter's and the son's (who does not even live in state but visits regularly) ... and when I sold a car I deleted that one, and added the new car ...... You can't do that on the 'sticker' accounts. In other words, you can't use a 'sticker' for two different rental cars unless you trust the electronics to see the sticker (which you are using outside of how they say it works). While with the $20 version, it works 'forever', you just change the info in the SUNPASS account.

Both of the stick-on ones are linked to the same Sunpass account

Really? Or are they linked to the same CREDIT CARD and actually 2 different accounts?

FOOTNOTE: the only time we worry about having the transponder IN the car is when we are using it to pay parking at MCO. No 'platepass' there!

I agree, that it depends on your needs, and how many cars or types of cars you will be using as to what works for you.. If I intended to be able to use it in a rental car, than I would choose the portable transponder. For my purposes, there are only two vehicles that I intend to use on Florida toll roads (and in most cases it really is just the one car), so I opted for purchasing 2 of the cheaper transponders that are permanently mounted to the windshield.

Most of our trips to Florida don't involve ANY toll roads.

What I really wish is that the Florida roads would work with the EZPASS system that I can use locally and in most of the other states that I go to that have tolls.

As far as whether they are linked to the same Sunpass account or just to the same CREDIT CARD and actually 2 different accounts, I just logged on to sunpass.com system, and my account shows both transponders and both vehicle license plates, with the one credit card.