Toll Road question

[Jeff Hahn]

How much of a toll per mile are you willing to pay?

When we go to our cabin on Georgian Bay, I always used to travel at night to avoid the horrific traffic around Toronto. The 401 is the worst...5-6 lanes of 70 mph bumper to bumper or dead stopped bumper to bumper. But, the QEW from Burlington to Mississauga and the 403 north to the 401 are no picnic, either. Towing a boat in that kind of traffic ain't a whole lot of fun!

Lately, I have not been able to travel at night, so I have opted to take the 407 ETR (Express Toll Route) which passes north of the other roads and has far less traffic, due to being a toll road. There are no toll booths. They take a pic of your plate and mail you a bill. I take the 407 ETR from Burlington to Rt 400 north, a total of 64.1 km or 42 miles. And, of course, I have taken the same route when I come home. So, when I get my bill in the mail, it is for a total of 153.4 km or 84 miles. I was billed $39.00 (CND) or @ $29 (US) for my trip in May. The bill for my trip in July was $34.00 (CND) or @$25.00 (US). I just got my bill for my August trip. It was $56.00 (CND) or @$42.00 (US)!!! That's 67 cents (CND) per mile or @ 50 cents (US) per mile!!!

So, I called the folks at the 407 ETR to find out why my bill was so much higher for my last trip compared to the two earlier ones this year. I found out that the charge per mile/km varies depending on the time of day. During heavier traffic periods, the toll rate is higher. Second, the reason that my two earlier bills were so "low" was because their cameras missed me getting on or getting off on each trip, so for that trip I was charged a minimal amount. The charges for those two earlier trips should have been much higher. I told the young man that, even though the traffic on the non-toll routes is terrible, $33.00 (CND) per round trip was right on the cusp of my tolerance for paying tolls and that $56.00 (CND) was way beyond my tolerance level. He put me on hold and when he came back he said that he would knock-off the camera surcharges and video charge, which dropped the total to $44.00 (CND). I thanked him but said that I would have to reconsider traveling at night, because their per mile/km toll rate was just too outrageous for my budget. I also found out why some of my buddies from other states never get a bill for using the 407 ETR...the company who runs the road does not have a reciprocal agreement with those states, like they do with Ohio.

So, what's your tolerance for tolls? Is 50 cents a mile outrageous or am I just a cheap SOB?

[DrewFlu33]

Don't ever drive through Chicago. I think they get you for about $2 a mile.

That's probably an exaggeration, but not much of one. I'm trying to remember what it cost me to drive through last time I did it. I'm thinking they soaked me for $34 between the Indiana and Wisconsin border.

[Al from Canada]

We run to Mississauga (west end of Toronto) once a month and we take the 407 for much of the way when we're close to Toronto. It's not cheap but has far less traffic than the 401 and the 401 across Toronto can be downright scary. It's actually the busiest highway in the world.
You are paying a bit more because you don't have a transponder so you'll get the video charge.

Personally I will NOT run the 401 across Toronto and much prefer to pay the cost of running the 407.

[rangerbobber]

Al, can you get a transponder if you live in the US?

[Al from Canada]

I don't see why not. Not sure what the transponders cost these days but I would guess they're around $40 (Canadian).....probably not feasible for just a couple of uses a year.

Here's their website - https://407etr.com/en/index.html

[BoatBuggy]

Is 50 cents a mile outrageous or am I just a cheap SOB?

Probably a bit of both. 6-8 lane highways that have little traffic and are in excellent condition (at least it was when I towed a boat end-to-end on the 407 back in March) costs money. Pay up or take the shitty roads and sit in traffic.

[rangerbobber]

I wondered because of the exchange rate, thanks

[Lund1625]

The 407 has been made getting past Toronto easy. But they always get the bill wrong and I have to call.
It's a high toll but it's worth it.

[Al from Canada]

Shortly after the 407 opened, we were coming out of Mississauga at night and I must have gone 5 miles and didn't see a vehicle in either direction; was very weird. I actually thought for a while that maybe I'd gone down the wrong ramp or something and wasn't supposed to be on it.

[bilgerat]

95 through the metro Baltimore area has a lane set up like that - the rate changes based on volume and it's posted well enough in advance that you can take it or leave it, the only difference is it's for E-Z Pass vehicles only.

[jbassman87]

There is a tool bridge over LOZ that charges $5 for each crossing. Went over it twice a day prefishing. It rounds out to $1.00 for every 860' one way.

[BMCD]

Just took the Grand Parkway from Katy to I-69. that is 52 miles. Just my truck is $20, with my boat its $45 one way. Only took it because I-10 was closed for a stretch, and rather avoid traffic.

[Dando]

That's highway robbery!!!

[polywad6963]

Pay the piper..all the way across Oklahoma was a toll..Chicago its cheaper calling a explicit number than paying the tolls there..but if you need the road, gotta pay the toll.

[TampaJim]

$20.00 to cross 1/3 of Florida ... the government charges a few times for things.
Plates, registration, licenses, fuel and finally road tolls. It's some of their best work.
However, with the massive influx to Florida, it's the only viable option.

[DrewFlu33]

$20.00 to cross 1/3 of Florida ... the government charges a few times for things.
Plates, registration, licenses, fuel and finally road tolls. It's some of their best work.
However, with the massive influx to Florida, it's the only viable option.

Still no income tax! Count your lucky stars for that one.

[TampaJim]

Still no income tax! Count your lucky stars for that one.

Not feeling terribly lucky when the property tax and property insurance bills arrive.
Let's just say you could purchase a very reliable used car ... every year.

And we have a sales tax of up to 8% just in case they forgot any particular user fees.
Florida isn't a bargain nowadays. It's decided to keep up with the times.

[D.O.C. 989]

Topeka to Kansas City 52 miles 2.00 0r 3.25 if you're towing a boat on I70. Run by the State DOT. Going to Wichita on I35 is much more but farther also.

[TRCM]

All the tunnels around here that have tolls are like that...peak traffic times they are like $2.50, and non-peak, $1.50.

and that is just for a 1 mile stretch

[Bassman Ia.]

$1.00 each way over a half mile bridge