Denver toll road

[psomers]

In September returning home from Yellowstone we were going south on I 25 and to bypass Denver we took E470 around Denver to I 70. This is a toll road that takes pictures of your license plate and mails you a bill. Well today we got our bill and I have never had such a shock. $37 dollars. I called to dispute the amount but was told that is correct bill for truck and two axle trailer. Also told the miles I traveled on E 470 was 47 miles. That figures almost 79 cents per mile. Glad I didn't travel several hundred miles. Also told fees are posted but I was too busy dodging traffic to see them. I've paid a lot of tolls and never dreamed this 47 mile toll would be this much.
I guess best just pay and forget it.

[mlh]

I have heard it was expensive, that might be an understatement!
Lynwood

[tspoon]

Almost as much as ny thruway

[Twopetes]

Funny. I thought all the grass tax was making Denver enough money so taxes could be reduced

[Ram Montana High Country]

that's because they have the mint there - gives them a different thought process

[Dam Worker]

What shape was the road in, well maintained or more like most state and federal roads? It seems high to me but I don't have a lot of toll road experience. Do they have different rates for different times of the day? Beware if you are ever in Washington and get on a Ferry, like your experience on E 470 but worse.

Tom Marty

[coachgrowl]

The same thing happened to me, I had no idea it was a roll road. I paid it and vowed never to return.

[Loneoak]

Originally Posted by tspoon

Almost as much as ny thruway

We have taken that road on a number of occasions and felt it was a pretty good deal (NY Thruway). We use it when we go to Indiana or Ohio to avoid going through Toronto. Yes, often with the trailer.

Good to hear about the Denver one, though, as we will be in that area next year.

[stengels]

We took the road this summer, knowing in advance what the toll was. The road is in excellent condition, and the fact that I didn't have to take 70 all the way into town to catch NB 25, it was well worth the money.

[mtlakejim]

I absolutely HATE those mail in toll bills so I am going to vent here. After our last little adventure down to Florida, I actually wrote a letter to the toll commissioner suggesting that perhaps my state of Arkansas should charge a toll to every Florida driver coming thru our state! I think it is only fair!!!!


Nothing makes me more angry than to pay taxes and then have them lump more fees on top of that!!! I mean there is already a fuel tax to pay for those roads so your double taxing me. Don't give me that BS that it is fair for folks that use the roads to pay for them. We already are paying for them!!!!


And the aggravation of taking MY time to have to mail in those tolls, well it is enough to make me not want to ever visit those states again. Yeah you got me ONCE but you businesses will never get my business again.

[mhs4771]

There are lots of local, state, and US roads, so if you don't want to pay to use a Toll Road there are plenty of other routes.
For us, we would prefer not to pay tolls, but when pulling heavy I hate going through towns and cities and all there traffic lights, so we pay the tolls.

[mlh]

I love going through little towns. You see so much, the town, old building the courthouse, farmers in their fields. And sometimes it’s a shorter route that takes about the same time.
Lynwood

[AZ Traveler]

I paid these tolls in the past and stay on I25 now.

[RV6A]

I unfortunately live in the Denver area. 470 is the loop around Denver and there are two versions. C-470 serves the SW side and is free (for now) and E-470 (a toll road) serves the SE-NE corridor.

C stands for Cheap, and E stands for Expensive.

Been here longer than I can remember and I have never used E-470. I understand that if you have a transponder the toll is less. If they have to photo/mail the toll is a lot more.

Depending on the time of day the money spent on the toll was most likely worth it.

[stengels]

If tolls aren't your thing, you need to stay clear of the Texas metro areas, particularly Houston. However, if they don't bother you, you can save a lot of money in time and gas getting around/through Houston on their toll roads.

[coachgrowl]

Were any of these roads built with taxpayer money? Just curious.

[Ram Montana High Country]

Correct on Houston and by passing San Antonio is good also - IMO

[stengels]

I don't disagree with mtlakejim regarding tolls on public roads. I do think, however, that some of these roads are not owned primarily by the government. I can tell you that since I grew up in Wichita (from 1953), I have known that the Kansas Turnpike has charged a toll. If you are driving I35 in Kansas, you are on a toll road until Emporia, and then can continue to Topeka and KC on toll. The Kansas Turnpike Authority is not owned by the State of Kansas. While I always hated paying the toll, I knew that my drive times to all of these places was cut in half, or more, and it was worth the cost. I think many of these toll roads have, at least in part, some private ownership. They have a right to make a profit on their investment.

[psomers]

The road was in good shape but no better than I 25 and I 70. The problem I'm having with a lot of toll roads is they are owned by foreign countries.
Dubai owns a lot of them. Don't know about E 470 but a lot are.

[BB_TX]

Originally Posted by stengels

............. While I always hated paying the toll, I knew that my drive times to all of these places was cut in half, or more, and it was worth the cost........... .

I hear you. I hate the tolls, but sometimes finding an alternate route to avoid them is even worse. The DFW area has numerous toll roads. But they have started to rebuild some roads where they have both free lanes and toll lanes. At least those give you the option of paying for a faster (sometimes much faster) trip with fewer vehicles, or going free along the same highway at a slower pace mixed in heavy traffic.