By Cheri Sicard
In the video below, Robin Barrett of Creativity RV gives a warning of toll road fines you can incur on East Coast toll roads without even realizing it. These fines can mean BIG extra expenses.
Last year Robin got a LOT of unexpected bills and fines in the mail, and she says they just kept coming. The fines related to East Coast toll roads. I had a similar, although thankfully not as bad, experience the last time I traveled back East. It was bad enough that I am not in a hurry to do it again, despite having lots of friends and relatives back there.
Personally, I think it should not be legal to have a toll road without a way to pay right then and there. But sadly, that is now the way of the world. Please don’t tell me about transponders. They come with a host of issues of their own and recurring charges that ONLY make sense if you live in areas with toll roads (I do not). But if you don’t use one you get charged SUBSTANTIALLY more. I wonder if the powers that be have ever considered how hostile these practices are towards tourists.
But I digress. Robin, in the video, is talking about cashless toll roads, which are EVERYWHERE in the East. As you enter the toll road the equipment snaps a photo of your license plate and then automatically sends you a bill. For this to work properly:
The bill must reach you in time so you can pay it—not always easy for RVers who are on the road for long periods or full time.
The camera must have read the license plate correctly. This does not always work out. Robin cites the case of a Class A motorhome with a toad that was mistakenly charged as being a semi-truck for a whopping $188 for a single toll!
In the video, Robin recounts how her toll road bills would just keep coming during her cross-country trip. She would think they were all paid, then another would appear. And if you don’t pay these tolls on time, boy howdy are the fines HEFTY ($50 or more)! Also, it can sometimes take up to six months before you even get the bill.
How to avoid East Coast toll road fines
Fed up, Robin finally called the New York Toll Authority, which manages the toll roads in most Eastern states, to find out how to avoid this. This advice will only help with them and not other independent toll roads, but here is what Robin discovered:
You can go to the E-ZPass® New York website and pay tolls in advance! Who knew? I sure didn’t.
Now maybe I will consider another trip back East. Honestly, the toll road nightmares last time I was there put serious dampers on the trip. I am not sure why they don’t let more people know about the prepay option, but it does make a viable solution. Get details of how from Robin in the video.
##RVDT2405
I am curious as to the author’s comment “Please don’t tell me about transponders. They come with a host of issues of their own and recurring charges that ONLY make sense if you live in areas with toll roads (I do not).”
I have used a Florida SunPass transponder for years. No issues, no recurring charges, only get charged an amount I selected when my balance drops below a level I suggested. I would note that my Sun Pass (small charge to purchase) is compatible with Georgia’s Peach Pass and all the states that use Easy Pass. Leads me to believe that the author has never had a transponder.
Carl is right. Ditto for the Easy Pass from Delaware. And it’s good for most tolls nationwide.
I agree. The transponder is easy to get, no fees beyond the toll, and the EZ Pass works everywhere east of Texas except one bridge in Michigan. Just get one already.
Maine EZ pass is the same. $10 for the transponder. You put the amount of money you choose on your account and you choose the level at which the account is replenished. When you click the link to create an account, note the two types of accounts. We have a business account for our motorhome, as that account includes RVs. When I set it up, I called to be sure I was getting the correct account for our vehicle.
The transponder is the solution to her problem. Just Do It!
Had that issue with the Massa-two-sh*ts toll road, I just paid the toll and told them to go to heck on the late fee. Had them bug me for a few years and I told them to send it to collections. Never heard from them again.
If you drive a big Class A coach with a tag axle towing a car do NOT cross the Hudson using the Mario Cuomo Bridge unless you have a FAT wallet. I ended up paying $106 unexpectedly when I could have changed my route and used the bridge to the north which I had used the previous year for only $20. What a ripoff!
Last name CUOMO should have known
We had the exact problem with the NY E-ZPass a couple of years ago. We got home from our winter excursion and found a bill and a whopper of a penalty!
I did get to speak to a lovely woman who voided our penalty and we now have it set up online, so as we travel we can check what we owe. It still took two-four weeks for our toll charge to show up, but no more penalty issues!
NB: And no need for a transponder.
So, I looked into signing up. It appears the requirements say not to exceed 7000 gross weight. Are you all using this pass with a motor home and a toad. Are you paying for two vehicles. Pass in both? Please advise
If towing, only the first vehicle need the pass BUT, some places charge Per Axle.
EZ pass from PA is FREE. You must maintain a balance of $25.00 +/- or an active credit card. They debit your account until it reaches a minimum balance then recharge your cc. Florida’s SunPass charges for the transponder as well as a minimum balance requirement with a credit card. EZ Pass and Surpass are on the same network now and used pretty much everywhere east of the Mississippi. As far as the fees for toad’s, certain road systems charge per axel (flat tow would be at least 4 which puts you in a higher fee. The PA Turnpike commission sells and maintains the EZ Pass for Pa. It also saves time on toll roads that still collect tolls by having special lanes to use.
For those who want to travel the east coast and need a transponder go to EZPass MA. Un like the New York EZPass there is no charge to get the transponder. All you need to do is sign up with auto-replenishment and keep a minimum balance of $25.00. Happy Travels.
We have the PA EZpass. All of our vehicles are registered to one pass, including our trailer.
The only thing is that I have a separate pass foe my motorcycle. In PA, a motorcycle, eve pulling a trailer is considered a Class1 vehicle. Same as a car with nothing in tow.
But, I was once traveling in New York with the bike in the toy hauler. When I got the statement, it showed both my truck ad trailer pus the bike 10 seconds later. Seem the scanner registered the bikes pass through the roof of the trailer and the trunk on the bike. I had to call the NY turnpike commission to get it straightened out.
The agent told me to put the bikes pass in a RF shielded bag.
Thanks all. I have a duelly truck with a truck camper in the bed. Sometimes towing a jeep. It appears I need a pass for the truck and one for the jeep. But, I think I need to remove the jeep pass while towing as not to get charged twice like the motorcycle.
I found this article interesting as we also used the NY Thruway, west of Buffalo NY and the Grand Island bridge in April. The bill came in the mail as we expected.
I clicked on the link in the article and the home page does not have any info about pre-paying tolls. You have to click on the Tolls By Mail link. I was using my cell phone just as I would while travelling. The page show three options, with the third Rental/Loaner Vehicle or Future Travel. When I click on this option it just goes to the Pay Toll screen. To see the Future Travel option, I had to go to my laptop to get it to serve the correct page. So, a little pre-planning is in order before hitting the road to set up pre-payment.
Government efficiency!
I somehow ended up on Queens Highway in Canada and not a toll booth in sight. A million cameras though. I got home and received a bill for toll.
No problem, I’ll just send a check.
Next month I receive, in the mail a 53 cents credit. The stamp was worth more than the credit. Finally got them on the phone and told them to donate it to whatever charity they wished.
What a way to run a business.
Be extra careful and vigilant in New Jersey. Their toll system is, I believe, set up to scam people from out of state and collect massive amounts of revenue.
My daughter and her husband were driving there in a car I own and drove through several toll locations. They have a SunPass transponder. It recorded and paid all the tolls correctly. However, New Jersey sent me notice of three toll violations in which I was charged not only the tolls, which ranged from 75 cents to $1.30, but fines totaling $300!
After many calls, and submissions of proof of toll payment, they finally removed the charges and violations, but they made it difficult as heck. What a scam!
You were lucky, I couldn’t get them to remove the penalties because of a dead transponder.
I have EZPass and SunPass. Both work great and I probably only need one of these after current changes in coverage. EZPass also has extra options. My white pass works for my truck, 2 axle and my blue pass is for when I have my fifth wheel in tow, 4 axles. The blue pass can be customized for your rv situations to keep the toll correct. The blue pass also offers a discount when used. None of these passes in NY have a cost that I am aware of. The SunPass was a one time fee when I got it. Never had an issue with either pass system.
So here’s a good example. I have an ez-pass. Went south from Taxachusettes to SC. Going through Jersey didn’t know my ez-pass had a dead battery.(Only 3 years old). Jersey hit me with all kinds of penalties. I disputed it, proved the battery went dead, had an account with all
my vehicles listed, proved they replaced it with a new one, but they would not remove the penalties. GW bridge was the same. Over $300 in penalties for what should have been about $75 dollars in tolls. I now avoid the GW and New Jersey.
Thank you, Cheri! 🙂 We lived in northern Virginia (i.e., metro Washington, DC) for more than 25 years and got an E-Z Pass while there. After moving to Tennessee we retained it and keep it “loaded” with about $25 and have it set up to automatically replenish. Ours is EZ Pass Virginia, not New York, but same deal. Ours works there and many other states too. We just applied for a transponder for the RV through Open Roads. It may be home when we return from this trip. Thanks again and safe travels! 🙂
Just one more reason I won’t be visiting the northeast!
Great. That will help lessen traffic.
And where is your “perfect” traveling destination, Mike? I’ve been coast-to-coast and from Canada to Key West and though toll roads are more common in the East, they certainly are not exclusive to the East only.
Mike, Sorry you have removed 17 states from your future travel plans because of some inaccurate and incomplete reporting.
There is a lot of misinformation in the toll road article.
For starters, New York doesn’t manage Toll Roads in other states. There is an organization of states that takes care of it’s own state toll roads and cooperates to ensure a smooth use of multi-state toll systems.
The E-Zpass system automatically maintains a minimum balance on your E-Zpass account and deducts tolls from that as needed. There are no fees.
If you don’t have an E-Zpass account covering the many states that are members, you will incur a toll automatically when going through an unattended toll plaza. They will try to notify you and penalties will accrue if they can’t get in touch with you. That’s on you.
I agree Steve. If you don’t do your preparation, don’t whine about what happens.
I have a Florida Sun Pass Pro which is good in Fla and in all the northeast states that have toll roads. I have never had a problem with it. All it cost was the initial purchase of the transponder and when the money get low it automatically refills from my credit card. The tolls are cheaper than having to pay by tag number.
Being a full-timer I’m surprised Robin doesn’t have an E-Z Pass or similar road pass.
Also, I like the cash-less tolls or pay by mail because it keeps the traffic moving. Yeah, you hear of screw-ups by the different state agencies occasionally, but nothing is perfect. I believe Robin is wrong that NYS Thruway Auth. manages most Northeast States tolls. If she is referring to E-Z Pass, it is a consortium of states using the same technology that comprises E-Z Pass, not NYS.
Please, don’t publish articles like Robins that are more opinion than fact. This happens often I have noticed on RV Travel and it hurts your credibility.
We live in FL and I have a Sunpass, but also a NY EZPass, as we have family that live in upstate NY. Back in May 2023, after visiting family, we went out to Niagara and stayed on Grand Island. We took our Honda PCX-150 over to the falls, (crossing the Grand Island Bridge). Later we got a toll applied to our EZPass, by photo. Fine, that was legit, they even had the photo I could see. The following Nov I got a notice from EZPass of another Toll By Plate for the Honda, on a causeway down in Miami. I have not been to So Fla since early March 2020 and my bike has never been there. I disputed this and had to go thru all kinds of trouble to finally get it overturned, (cont)
including writing to the head of NYS Thruway. Finally overturned and refunded to my acct. But they did not, and never did, even when requested, show me the Photo proof. I think it was either same letters/numbers but from another state, or misread and came up as mine.
I spent five months in the northeast. Before I left, I bought an EZ pass and loaded it. I never had a bit of trouble The website kept a running total of what and where, and enabled me to load more when I was running low. I am planning another trip in a couple of years. A little preparation prevents a lot of hassle.
Robin and Cheri have some incorrect information concerning “Toll Road Fines”. New York state does not control or manage toll roads fines for a number of states. Each of the many states have their own rules and procedures and charges. EZ-Pass covers some 17 states with others in the process of joining that system. You do not have to pay any monthly fee for a transponder to have a transponder if you do a little research. I currently have 3 vehicles covered and pay $0 a year for the convenience. Maybe RV Travel needs to post an article on “Eastern Toll Road Fines” with the facts.
I’ve been to the east coast twice now, and simply buy an EZ-pass before I get to the area. No issues, no fines, no problems! You can purchase them in a grocery store, then register and join the program on your computer.
Wouldn’t you have just used the EZ-Pass you bought the first time, for the second trip to the area? You made it sound like you bought one each time.
I live in so Cal and there’s 2 major hwys that are toll roads. I have the free tiny sticker on all my vehicles that direct debits from my bank acct. On the RV I actually called them (hands free) while driving over 241 toll to add it to the acct. Took 5 min. The roads were funded with private and taxpayer money that were supposed to become free once a certain level of profit had been reached yet we’re still paying? Oh well, that’s life. Bigger things to worry about. If you’re even on this forum be grateful. This is a vast country to explore and heck so many amazing sights to see and free camping on BLM land, wow!!!!
In support of the positive EZ Pass transponders, as I said yesterday, PA’s transponder is free. My FL SunPass was purchased prior to SunPass joining the same consortium of states that use EZPass, and there was a small fee charged for the transponder (under $30). Since both states Fl and PA overlap their coverage, I use one for when we are up north and the other in FL. The advantage to using EZpass is that most home agencies give a discount opposed to “non-pass” vehicles.
Now for those of you on the fence and travel on PA toll roads, starting later this year (‘24) and ending by 2027, manned toll booths will be removed, starting in the Philadelphia region and going west on the PA TPK. Cont’d.
We are from Georgia. In 2018 were headed to many East Coast states. At that time, the Massachusetts transponder made the most sense since it had no monthly fee. Every 2-3 years head up that way and have had no problems, even with the length of time between trips. NOTE: We also got a separate one for our toad when not attached to the RV. In order to avoid being charged twice when driving both RV and toad, wrap the toad transponder in foil so it is not detected.
Never thought about it, but, if you have an E-Z Pass from anywhere, doesn’t it work anywhere the E-Z Pass sign shows up, regardless of what state you’re in? I thought that was the point of the system.
Yes and an EZ-Pass transponder works in over 16 states. An experienced RV traveler should know that.
Maybe we have just been lucky but when we get onto a toll road, the navigator logs on and pays the fees from her phone. It is one thing in California I can say has been user friendly, for us. North Eastern Toll roads, same. Not a real issue with a few rare exceptions but oh well, life happens, we pay up and move on.
Beware that there are huge scams out there including one allegedly from Sunpass. We got a legitimate looking email with a fake link saying we owed them money. We were never anywhere near the east coast. DO NOT CLICK ON THE LINK if you get that email that says it is from Sunpass.