Toll Road - Newport

[Waynem]

Coming into Newport, one of the ways is down 138S across the Pell Toll Bridge. Well, my son has tokens and with tokens you pay only $1 to cross the bridge, versus $2. A roll of tokens cost $10 and you get to ride free when you buy a roll of tokens.

Hey! No Brainer. Save money since we are going back and forth several times and then just give any left over to the son.

So, I stopped at the booth and asked for a roll of tokens. I was told that I could not purchase a roll of tokens because my vehicle was over 8000 pounds (F350 Dually). Of course, I informed the person that it was not over 8000 pounds and they asked for registration papers. Well, in Texas, you don't have to carry registration papers unless you are a commercial vehicle.

But wait! My mind was working one day and I put the registration receipt in the glove box. DW couldn't find it so I paid the $2 and crossed.

We found the papers when I stopped and on the return trip I again asked for and received the same answer regarding tokens. I handed her the registration receipt and stated that I was only 7400 pounds. She didn't even look at it and gave me a roll of tokens.

Now! If I were a RI resident driving a dually, I would really look at curbside weight on purchase documents if I were crossing toll roads frequently. I wonder just how much money they make on duallys in RI.

Now! What if I had a car and a 1 ton and I drove the car up and asked for a roll of tokens and then used it in the 1 ton????

Screwy, huh?

[snfexpress]

We stayed in New Jersey, the closest RV park to Philadelphia. I was threatened with arrest when I refused to pay the higher toll based on GVWR as opposed to curb weight. I stuck to my guns and won, but the next time, my wife said pay it so there wouldn't be any stress. The difference? $3 versus $9.

[JimF]

At the toll booth East bound on I90 in New York our toll ticket said 58.00 for toll, the toll booth guy looked at it and said that is totally ridiculous and charged minimum toll of 9.00 for cross state. Had that happen a couple of times, guess it's who you get on the booth. A friend of mine said he had to pay the higher price on his trip.

[snfexpress]

So what are the tolls for? Building a bridge, and once it's paid for, that's it? Then our Federal fuel tax dollars are supposed to take up the slack for the maintenance of roads and bridges? But wait...if the tolls are to maintain and improve the section of road that is tolled, then they should be in great condition as opposed to pot hole city, right?

I hate tolls! Not for the money I pay, but because I think it's just another tax...

[Waynem]

Michael,
RI, well at least the Newport area, has no idea concerning road repair. I'm glad I'm driving solo around here because these roads are in terrible shape. The Pell bridge, where the toll is paid, is in bad, rocky, bumpy, lump of a state.

Can we say "politician, graft and corruption," in the same breath?

[skypilot]

One advantage to KS right now -- the KS tollway is in good shape - always under some type of construction -- they are now starting to redo the two major bridges over the Kansas river as you go by Lawrence KS. Will be two or three years in the doing but will be larger, etc....

That said, I do remember reading some articles where our elected officials wanted to make other portions of the interstate system 'Toll roads'; make them self-supporting. Would be OK if they then used the money that was allocated for them to repair / maintain other sections of road -- unfortunately, that was not mentioned nor the intent. They were looking on where to get money for some other project that they wanted ...