Tolls

 

I was thinking about this the other day on my trip to Orlando and actually started working on it:

Basically, it's a Toll POI file. Real simple, just the location (well, obviously), an icon, and text that says:

Toll: $2.50
or for ramps:
Toll (ramp): $.50

Then it'd give you the following functionality in your GPS (mine supports all of this but I'm aware some may not):
- You could get an alert x miles before the toll to start fishing out your change.
- You can do a search on Tolls 'near current route' and get an idea of what tolls are coming up.
- You could easily look at your map and think, "Oh, I want to avoid that road - it has tolls on it" (I know you can do this with a route and toll avoidance but I'm think you in terms of just driving along and you don't have a route in.

The only downside I'd see is the work in aquiring the toll information. Some of it is on the tolls sites but you'd have to map it out and keep up with it over time.

Any thoughts?

Great idea

You can avoid toll roads altogether if you use a Garmin GPS - not sure about Tom Tom and Magellan. Use Settings, Navigation, Avoidances.

But your idea about how much the toll costs and giving you a warning a few miles before arriving at the toll gate is a great idea!!! While I was on vacation in Orlando last year I was sat behind someone at a toll gate while they fished around for the correct change - it was just SO annoying.

Great idea and when you do post it I am sure that a number of people (myself included) will download the .csv file.

--
"Life is a journey - enjoy the ride!" Garmin nuvi 255

Sounds like a good idea

Keeping up with the fares may be the most difficult part, but it does add value by letting you know when you are approaching the booth.

Krieger

I'll get GA (1 toll) and FL

I'll get GA (1 toll) and FL and name the files as:
Toll-<2-character state>-Car.csv

so for GA and FL I'd have:
Toll-GA-Car.csv
Toll-FL-Car.csv

I'll also put in some extra data so, when updating, we can easily identify where the toll is like:
,,"Toll: $2.50","mile marker 150"
or for ramps:
,,"Toll (ramp): $.50","exit 38a"

just something along those lines so when it's time to update someone can say, "Oh, exit 38a is not $.60!"

The only downside is that if you put in an alert for, say, a mile out, if you get within a mile of that toll and aren't on the road you'll still get the alert. No real way of getting around this, though.

I like it!

I like it. You can put the GPS in simulation mode, map the route with tolls and then use the Turn by Turn feature to add up to the total in tolls for your trip.

PT

--
Garmin nüvi 200 (my first GPS), 780, & 3700 Series. And a Mac user.

EEE-ZED Tag

Brad Bishop wrote:

. . . . Any thoughts?

Obtain an EZ-tag for the car or do they not work in Florida? I was only down there once.

david

--
nüvi 1490T, V1, Sanyo PRO-700a, maps, sunglasses, hot co-pilot, the open road

Ez-Pass

You are right, the EZ-pass will not work in Florida. you must buy a Sun Pass which will work only in Florida The EZ-pass will work all the way up the coast from Georgia to Maine

--
Paul..... Nuvi 765T

EZ Pass does work in Florida

I was there this winter and EZ Pass worked fine!

--
etrex vista, Nuvi 350, Nuvi 650, Nuvi 750(3)

EZ-Pass

I wish I had your luck. I live in Florida from Nov.till May for the last four Winters. On my first trip down I went right through the first toll booth on the Florida Turnpike and was stopped by State Police for running the toll. He told me that the Sun Pass is the only one that will work. I call the Florida Highway Dept every year before I go to see if EZ-pass will work. They keep saying maybe next year.
As of May third this year, EZ-pass did not work untill I got to Maryland.
I think that I read that the EZ-pass may work only in the Orlando area

--
Paul..... Nuvi 765T

This does raise a good

This does raise a good point:

It'd be nice to know, as you approach the toll, if your RFID is covered. I'll try to include that info as well.

I haven't had the time to look at it in the last two weeks but it is on my list of stuff to try to get done.

One of the things I'm trying to sort out is how to easily identify where a toll booth is for updating. I thinking in terms of someone going through a toll, seeing the GPS say its $2 when the toll has been bumped up to $2.50 and then updating the file (finding which location it is and updating it that way). It needs to be easy or no one would ever do it.

Maybe integrating with Google Earth somehow would make it work - like you go to Google Earth, turn on the 'tolls layer' and then update the toll information.

E-Pass is in Orlando

The electronic toll collection system in the Orlando area is call E-Pass (not to be confused with EZ-Pass). SunPass, which is used on most toll roads and bridges in Florida, is compatible with E-Pass, but not EZ-Pass.

Also, someone mentioned that EZ-Pass can be used in Georgia - I don't think this true.

-Dave

The only toll road I'm aware

The only toll road I'm aware of in Georgia is GA-400 between I85 and I285 in Atlanta. It uses the Georgia Cruise Card (SRTA) which works nowhere else. It's a single RFID system for a single toll booth on a single road (seems kind of silly, doesn't it?).

EZ Pass states and info

Here is a link to a map of where EZ Pass is accepted. http://www.e-zpassny.com/static/info/index.shtml It is used from IL to ME, except OH and RI, south to VA. This site also lists all the bridges and agencies that accept EZ Pass.

Edit: Woot, the Cheasepeake Bay Bridge Tunnel is now accepting EZ Pass. Sorry, heading that way with my nuvi 350 and family in a few weeks.

--
4 wheels move the body, 2 wheels move the soul

ezpass.com

Javious wrote:

Here is a link to a map of where EZ Pass is accepted. http://www.e-zpassny.com/static/info/index.shtml It is used from IL to ME, except OH and RI, south to VA. This site also lists all the bridges and agencies that accept EZ Pass.

Edit: Woot, the Cheasepeake Bay Bridge Tunnel is now accepting EZ Pass. Sorry, heading that way with my nuvi 350 and family in a few weeks.

Add this to the list:
http://www.ezpass.com/static/info/facilities.shtml

Bob

--
Using Android Based GPS.The above post and my sig reflects my own opinions, expressed for the purpose of informing or inspiring, not commanding. Naturally, you are free to reject or embrace whatever you read.

Toll

I like your idea that is great. Out here in CAli, we dont have many toll roads. When I was trucking it seemed that every other state I went through had a different little toll computer. I had one that worked with the scales which was nice.