Tolls pay Garmin to use their Tolls?

 

Anyone ever hear of Garmin being paid to send folks via Toll roads vs other routes? Even though the non toll route may be faster?

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Ooops

I just realized I misread the original post! My bad.

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Nuvi 2797LMT, DriveSmart 50 LMT-HD, Using Windows 10. DashCam A108C with GPS.

easy fix

I love toll roads most of the time and even if you are in a rental car all you do is just always bring the EZ-pass with you, simple solution, never pay cash for tolls again. and most of the time save money with ezpass

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friends are the family we choose

Vacation or Work?

Here's the defining factor for me: am I going on vacation or am I going somewhere I have to but don't want be at, e.g. work?

If I'm on vacation I'm going to enjoy my vacation and take the scenic route, in the process avoiding every single toll I possibly can. The only way I'll encounter a toll on a vacation is if I have no choice, e.g. getting off Prince Edward Island (my favorite example of this). If I'm going somewhere I have to but don't want to be at and need to be there as quickly as possible, then I'll consider (and likely reject) bothering with the tolls.

To me, EZ Pass is just a means to forget that the state government has taken a little bit more of your money away.

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"Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job." --Douglas Adams

Just set to avoid tolls and

Just set to avoid tolls and compare difference to see cost in time & miles. Too bad they don't give the actual toll costs to compare...

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nuvi 250 --> 1250T --> 265T Lost my 1250T

The first to complain

I see all these extra options people want Garmin to add for toll roads instead of simple "Toll Roads, Yes or No". But should Garmain add the extra programing and needed disk space, they will be the first to complain about the added cost, lol

Couldn't you just have the GPS plot toll and non-toll routes and then compare and decide which route meets your needs. I mean it will plot time, mileage and gas for you, how long would that take you? One minute for each calculation?

Never heard of that

Besides, you can use the toll avoidance feature to bypass toll roads.

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With God, all things are possible. ——State motto of the Great State of Ohio

An expensive mistake

I made a $15 mistake on a recent drive from Chicago to South Florida that's relevant to this discussion. I had my Nuvi set not to avoid toll roads and just let it calculate the route. When I reached the destination, my father-in-law heard we'd taken the Florida Turnpike as directed by the Nuvi and said he never goes that way.

I rechecked the route in the Nuvi a second time, this time with and without Avoid Toll Roads checked, and found that for the $15 toll difference, the Nuvi calculated that I saved *three minutes* driving all the way from Chicago to South Florida! No I don't think I can blame Garmin taking money from Florida for this problem. This was definitely "operator error"!

Next time I'll try and remember to check the Avoid Toll Roads option where toll roads are involved just to see what the difference is.

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JMoo On

check your avoidance settings

May want to check your avoidance settings, though it could be a factor other than that.

As Abraham Lincoln once said:

As Abraham Lincoln once said: "Don't believe everything you read on the internet ... or the fastest route from your Nuvi!" razz

Just as an experiment ...

I had mine calc a route from Philadelphia to D.C., avoiding tolls. It did a great job of driving me down I-95, popping me off the exit before the tool booths and back on again as soon as possible. Not sure it was worth the time spent bypassing the tolls but it did a good job avoiding them.

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Nuvi 2460

It's called 'shunpiking'

tomkk wrote:

I had mine calc a route from Philadelphia to D.C., avoiding tolls. It did a great job of driving me down I-95, popping me off the exit before the tool booths and back on again as soon as possible. Not sure it was worth the time spent bypassing the tolls but it did a good job avoiding them.

Interesting. Reading thru this thread, I was wondering how the 'avoid tolls' option would work: avoid the toll booths or the entire road? e.g. I-95 in Delaware. Gonna turn on 'avoid tolls' the next trip I make from DC to CT and see how Jill wants me to go.

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NUVI 350

Some problems can stymie the Garmin

MikeSid wrote:

Interesting. Reading thru this thread, I was wondering how the 'avoid tolls' option would work: avoid the toll booths or the entire road? e.g. I-95 in Delaware. Gonna turn on 'avoid tolls' the next trip I make from DC to CT and see how Jill wants me to go.

Just for giggles a couple of weeks ago, I set the Garmin to Avoid Tolls as my wife who was driving was approaching the George Washington Bridge from the Jersey side while leaving it set to get us to Greenwich, CT (10 miles northeast of there where every route from west to east at least as far north as the Mass Pike requires a toll). Jill started recalculating and came back a couple of minutes later by routing us to Rockford, Illinois!

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JMoo On

Isn't a toll road almost

Isn't a toll road almost always going to be the fastest route?

I was driving N of Orlando. Garmin had me on I4 instead of toll road.

I'm 99% sure the answer is NO.

Strange indeed

dagarmin wrote:

Just for giggles a couple of weeks ago, I set the Garmin to Avoid Tolls as my wife who was driving was approaching the George Washington Bridge from the Jersey side while leaving it set to get us to Greenwich, CT (10 miles northeast of there where every route from west to east at least as far north as the Mass Pike requires a toll). Jill started recalculating and came back a couple of minutes later by routing us to Rockford, Illinois!

I-90 from Chicago O'hare to Rockford is a tollway

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1490LMT 1450LMT 295w

Elves

Box Car wrote:
BrianPe wrote:

Anyone ever hear of Garmin being paid to send folks via Toll roads vs other routes? Even though the non toll route may be faster?

Tom-Tom pays them in Magellan bucks

Not in toll house cookies?

Haven't heard

Haven't heard that, but i've noted a particular route i was planning, kept pushing me to a toll However, I was able to ultimately find the non toll route instead.

Toll Roads

Try driving from southern Ontario into the US without using a toll road.

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nuvi 855. Life is not fair. I don't care who told you it is.

Or going the other way in to Ontario.

Not2Bright wrote:

Try driving from southern Ontario into the US without using a toll road.

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Nuvi 2460LMT.

.

Money talks people walk. Wouldn't doubt Garmin doing this at all.

Toll Road Blues

I don't think that is happenning.

Well if you turn on the toll

Well if you turn on the toll avoidance and also turn off the fastest route I bet you would very rarely get toll roads on your route.

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Nuvi 3790LMT, Nuvi 760 Lifetime map, Lifetime NavTraffic, Garmin E-Trex Legend Just because "Everyone" drives badly does not mean you have to.

Hard to believe, but if

Hard to believe, but if anyone would think about doing this, it would be the Commonwealth of Massachusetts!! ;^)

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"Primum Non Nocere" 2595LMT Clear Channel and Navteq Traffic

Unmanned Toll Booth Locations

Is there a POI file for unmanned toll booths? I got nailed in FL because I didn't have the proper change at an unmanned toll booth. sad

avoid toll setting enabled

I wonder if that would still be the case if the avoid toll setting is enabled? hmmmmm

I have to agree. And as a

I have to agree. And as a result the toll roads are usually safer too.

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an94

Could this really be true?

Could this really be true?

Tolls beteween Philly and DC

tomkk wrote:

I had mine calc a route from Philadelphia to D.C., avoiding tolls. It did a great job of driving me down I-95, popping me off the exit before the tool booths and back on again as soon as possible. Not sure it was worth the time spent bypassing the tolls but it did a good job avoiding them.

Being somewhat familiar with those tolls, you need to choose which to bypass. There are 3 tolls on I-95 between Philly and DC. The Delaware Turnpike toll is pretty easy to avoid. Google claims it will add 1.3 miles and 7 minutes to avoid. Google claims avoiding the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel adds no miles and 8 minutes. I really doubt it only costs 8 minutes to traverse downtown Baltimore. Google claims avoiding the Susquehanna River toll adds 16 miles and 25 minutes, although that toll is only collected northbound.

yes

LongAce wrote:

{Isn't There Options To Avoid Tolls?}

I am aware of taking toll roads even when i use my Garmin.

My GPS lets me choose routing preferences, like avoiding toll roads.

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nightrider --Nuvi's 660 & 680--

avoiding the harbor tunnel

zeaflal wrote:
tomkk wrote:

I had mine calc a route from Philadelphia to D.C., avoiding tolls. It did a great job of driving me down I-95, popping me off the exit before the tool booths and back on again as soon as possible. Not sure it was worth the time spent bypassing the tolls but it did a good job avoiding them.

Being somewhat familiar with those tolls, you need to choose which to bypass. There are 3 tolls on I-95 between Philly and DC. The Delaware Turnpike toll is pretty easy to avoid. Google claims it will add 1.3 miles and 7 minutes to avoid. Google claims avoiding the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel adds no miles and 8 minutes. I really doubt it only costs 8 minutes to traverse downtown Baltimore. Google claims avoiding the Susquehanna River toll adds 16 miles and 25 minutes, although that toll is only collected northbound.

You avoid the Harbor Tunnel toll by taking the I-695 Beltway around Bawl'mur.

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Illiterate? Write for free help.

Try leaving/arriving to LI without paying one

There are options, but taking a free bridge through Manhattan, even outside rush hour adds a ton of time, red lights, traffic, headaches, etc. to your commute. Queensboro Bridge, Williamsburg Bridge, Manhattan Bridge are all free on the east side, but getting somewhere from them... Ugh!! Likewise, the tunnels west bound on the west side are free, but have you ever waited in line to get into one of them? Could take you 30-60 minutes just to get to the entrance... My time is worth something. I'll save the time and gas, and pay the (ugh!) $16, one way E-Z pass toll at the Verrazano Narrows. Again, the George Washington is free westbound, but to get to it, you have to pay at either the Throgs Neck, Whitestone or R.F.K. (formerly Triboro) bridge, and those (I believe now) are $7 one way. I'm scared to look at my E-Z pass receipts to confirm. It may honk me off... Also, did I mention the Cross Bronx Expressway? That short stretch of pavement has got to have set the record for the slowest piece of ground around...

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Striving to make the NYC Metro area project the best.

Could be worth it

Box Car wrote:

You avoid the Harbor Tunnel toll by taking the I-695 Beltway around Bawl'mur.

Google claims that is a 10 mile and 10 minute add, so could be worth it. With a 30 mile bypass, it kinda contradicts the original comment of "popping me off the exit before the toll".

I actually live off the Beltway about 5 miles form I95 and I still sometimes pay the toll. That Beltway bypass is not always worth it. Of course on the rare occasions when I go to DC, I often take I295 because it gets me in a better position for where I want to be. And depending on where in the Philly area I want to be, I would at least consider taking US1.

LOL

maybe navteq does.

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John_nuvi_

Pay Garmin to display your Corporate Logo?

Not sure about the question on toll road payments to Garmin, but I do suspect certain companies pay Garmin $$$ to get their logo on the maps. I say this because there are many prominent logos which show up as you drive along: (Dunkin Donuts, Panera Bread, Longhorn Steak House etc.) But some of the big ones (McDonald's, Mobil) never show up.

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"Primum Non Nocere" 2595LMT Clear Channel and Navteq Traffic

Companies will do anything

Companies will do anything for money.

Agree

dagarmin wrote:

Some of you are saying you like setting your GPS to Avoid Tolls when traveling so you don't get any surprises, but the surprise can be on you. Avoiding tolls in an unfamiliar area may mean you have ordered your GPS to route you around the only bridge or tunnel that makes sense to get from where you're coming from to where you need to be. You may go hours out of your way (burning extra gas) or end up on a less safe route, especially where crossing a large body of water is concerned, to save a two dollar toll. The GPS won't warn you or remind you of your setting--it will just plot the fastest route it can toll-free, and go.

This is one of those situations where, in an unfamiliar area, you really need to compare your GPS' planned route to a map to make it sure it makes sense before you just start driving, and you have to remember that tolls are set on the GPS to Avoid which might explain the cockamamie route selected (such as go 100 miles north, cross the river on the only free bridge around, then go back 100 miles south to get to a town 5 miles away from where you started).

And in answer to OP's question, assuming it was a serious inquiry, no, I really don't think toll roads pay GPS makers to prefer toll roads in routing. Basic GPS devices are programmed to just look at posted speed limits and calculate the fastest way to go. Basic GPS devices don't know about traffic lights, construction zones, accidents, or commuter schedules, so their interpretation of the fastest route and locals' interpretation of the fastest route at 4:30 on a workday afternoon may vary, as may your mileage following their planned route.

I agree but you can't fix "cheap"

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Nuvi 765T and Nuvi 255WT (but honestly I find myself using Navigon on iPhone most of the time)

My Sig

350Zee wrote:

As Abraham Lincoln once said: "Don't believe everything you read on the internet ... or the fastest route from your Nuvi!" razz

Where did you hear that? razz

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Re-CAL-culating... "Some people will believe anything they read on the internet" - Abraham Lincoln

My memories shot !

BillG wrote:
350Zee wrote:

As Abraham Lincoln once said: "Don't believe everything you read on the internet ... or the fastest route from your Nuvi!" razz

Where did you hear that? razz

I think Al Gore said that !!!!! Or was it ??????????

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MrKenFL- "Money can't buy you happiness .. But it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery." NUVI 260, Nuvi 1490LMT & Nuvi 2595LMT all with 2014.4 maps !

Tolls

Just another reason to have a Garmin. You can avoid tolls if you want or choose it. Whatever one decides a Garmin is there to help. Not perfect, but better than reading a map as you travel.

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No matter where you are "Life is Worth Living".
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