Riders without FasTrack...?

ST Gui said:

Because it just doesn't make economical sense for me. I don't mind paying for my convenience but if it's not cost effective for me I'm certainly not going to pay for someone else's convenience.

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It's the same cost as far as I know, they just take money when it is needed to refresh the account. Just the toll, nothing else.
Am I missing something? Is there an initial up front cost involved beside the first deposit required? Which is just paying the toll in advance.
I started using the FT a long time ago when they offered a discount of a dollar per crossing.

Slydynbye said:

Originally Posted by ST Gui
Because it just doesn't make economical sense for me. I don't mind paying for my convenience but if it's not cost effective for me I'm certainly not going to pay for someone else's convenience.

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Slydynbye said:

It's the same cost as far as I know, they just take money when it is needed to refresh the account. Just the toll, nothing else.
Am I missing something? Is there an initial up front cost involved beside the first deposit required? Which is just paying the toll in advance.
I started using the FT a long time ago when they offered a discount of a dollar per crossing.

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I don't get it either. Paying cash is always more than a toll tag in all areas I've ever seen... NY, Philly, Dallas, etc. Why spend more time and effort to pay more money?

dwalby said:

Since we're on the topic, here's a little guide to the non-toll routes around SF bay. Generally it won't take you out of your way, there's a couple options heading north and a couple options heading south.

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Was stationed at Concord weapons station. But we moored at Oakland, Alameda, and Mare Island or in San Francisco itself. Lived in Novato in old Hamilton AIR Force base off base housing. The tolls were $1 back then. This summer went across the Richmond bridge and it was 5. The Golden Gate was usually more expensive. I always appreciated that they didn't get you both ways like Illinois does.

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Slydynbye said:

Why oh why don't you get Fastrak You don't even need to carry the transponder, just register the license plate.
One of my riding buddies refuses to get one and we have to stop and wait for him as he is the only one that has to stop and pay.
This is a little irksome and adds danger to our ride. Rolling through is the best and safest way!

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OLD THREAD ALERT

I had some spare time so got roundtoit and now have my FasTrak Flex Tag (Tag is what CA calls the xponder] and my bike and car are registered to it.

There's no cost involved except for the actual tolls you'd pay anyway. Unlike some states or districts our tolls are the same with or without a xponder. No discount for having one; no penalty for not having one (using cash instead). Keep a credit card on file you only have to keep $25 in your account. They replenish it based on how often you incur a toll.

So now I won't be the cause of a fiery death because I stopped to pay cash. That makes two out of three of our little group with FT. I'll work on the other guy.

Great that you needn't even carry the tag and can just let them use the camera. But I want to see the VALID sign as I roll through. Validation is good. LOL So I'll probably put the tag in my left saddlebag.

I conveniently misplaced the Mylar bag they provide. I could order one from them but am wondering if use the Mylar bags HDDs ship in will work. Otherwise I'll get an Official FT Mylar tag bag or two. Or take the tinfoil out of my hubcaps and form maille for the tag?

We're supposed to ride one day this weekend so here's hoping it's across the bay again maybe to Buck's. I'll ride straight through the FT Only booth and panic my buddies for a min.

Here is my very high-tech solution to carrying toll money.

I was going to to the same thing with a binder clip if I could ever get around to getting one. Turns out it was easier to get the FasTrak. And really— I prefer the idea of sailing thru the toll plaza anyway.

SupraSabre said:

Well, close, we do have the "Toll/Carpool Lanes", but they are all auto-magically collected, so there are no booths.

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But for MC's on the HOA we don't need no stinkin' toll transducers......

3 times in a 1 month period my wife got a toll violation for the same hwy in LA (don't remember which one). Each time they sent a notice with a photo of the same white Chevy Suburban, the license plate was not clear. And each time i had to go on to the website and tell them it wasn't me. By the third time I wrote a sarcastic response including a photo of the license plate of my wife's bright yellow Fiat 500 asking them if they still thought this was the same vehicle and to stop harassing me. Been dead quiet since then.

All of the tolls in my area accept Ezpass. It mounts to velcro on my dash. . Great for when I travel highway to get where I'm going a little faster. . .I love me some Ezpass express lanes, no need to stop. . . Just roll through the sensors at hwy speed. . . .

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SupraSabre said:

Well, close, we do have the "Toll/Carpool Lanes", but they are all auto-magically collected, so there are no booths.

A few months back I received a notice that I was in violation of riding the 91 toll road. And they identified my '04#2 as the bike. Which was a really good trick since it was in storage at the time. So I wrote them back and said I wasn't there, please send a picture! I never did hear back from them.

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I got a $1000+ delinquent toll bill from NTTA, some 300 violations. I avoid toll roads as much as possible and had never been on this specific stretch so I called and lodged a protest. When the clerk called up some photos to prove me guilty, she saw that some bubba had modified his plate with black electrical tape....which was obvious to anyone just glimpsing the photos.

A transponder is a farkle?

I am so far behind you guys....

Panjammer said:

But for MC's on the HOA we don't need no stinkin' toll transducers......

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Up here we have both HOV ('diamond') lanes and toll/express lanes. Motorcycles can use the HOV lanes for free. Others need 2 or 3 occupants depending on the location.

There are three maybe four toll express lanes. I think motorcycles still pay but the FasTrack works. I haven't tried it yet but I'm looking forward to it.