Most expensive tolls in the United States

"MojoMotors.com" (MojoMotors) 01/06/2015 at 10:15 • Filed to: tolls, road trip, most expensive tolls, mojo motors, infographics, bridges, tunnels, highways, new york city, san francisco, chicago, maryland, new jersey

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Nobody likes paying tolls, but they are a necessary evil. The money from tolls is used to fund the construction of new roadways, as well as maintenance. Unless you live in one of the 22 states that don't collect tolls, or !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , you have no other choice but to pony up and pay the toll. We did some research and found the most expensive tolls in the nation.

Most toll roads cost under ten cents per mile, but the price of tolls on a long road trip can add up quickly. At the end of your journey, you could easily spend $50 in tolls…or more if you live in a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . There are some toll roads you should watch out for and they can add up to as much as $1.25 per mile. The cost is even greater for bridges and tunnels. Hopefully you don't have to pay any of these tolls on your commute.

5 Most Expensive Road Tolls

Whiteface Mountain Memorial Highway

Where: New York
Toll: $10
Distance: 8 miles
Cost Per Mile: $1.25

This scenic mountain road only has a 25mph speed limit, so you can really savor every mile. During the summer season, the Whiteface Mountain Memorial Highway will set you back $10 for a 2 Axle vehicle and driver, and $7 for every extra passenger. So if you fill your 8 passenger Honda Odyssey, be prepared to spend $59 for the right to pass.

17 Mile Drive

Where: California
Toll: $10
Distance: 17 Miles
Cost Per Mile: $0.59

17 Mile Drive is a scenic road that follows the Pacific coast line in California. This stretch of pavement goes through the gated community of Pebble Beach, and although its free for residents, nonresidents have to pay $10 to enjoy the views.

Chicago Skyway

Where: Illinois
Toll: $4
Distance: 7.8 Miles
Cost Per Mile: $0.51

The Chicago Skyway costs only $4, but that is quite a lot for only 7.8 Miles. Starting January 2015, the price of the toll is going up to $4.50, giving the Chicago Skyway a CPM of $.57. Now that's something for Chicagoans to complain about.

Fort Bend Parkway

Where: Texas
Toll: $4
Distance 7.8 Miles
Cost Per Mile: $0.51

If you're looking to get from Fresno to Houston, you might consider taking the Fort Bend Parkway, which leads to the Sam Houston Parkway and the downtown Houston area. Be prepared to drop $4 for this short trip of 7.8 miles, including the recent extension.

Delaware Turnpike

Where: Delaware
Toll: $4
Distance: 13.68 Miles
Cost Per Mile: $0.29

Savvy commuters in Maryland often use parallel roads to shunpike the the Delaware Turnpike, but drivers who don't know better are stuck paying $4 each way to drive the 13.68 mile stretch. That gives the road a CPM of $.29.

5 Most Expensive Bridge Tolls

Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel

Where: Virginia
Toll: $30 Round trip
Length: 17.6 Miles

The Chesapeake Bay-Bridge Tunnel is exactly that, a bridge and a tunnel combined into one structure, but we've included it as a bridge because the distance above ground is much longer than under ground. The 17.6 mile path brings you across the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay while still allowing for shipping channels and sea traffic to enter from the ocean. If you make the round trip within 24 hours, the toll will only cost $18. However, if you wait longer than 24 hours to cross back over the CBBT, you'll be stuck paying a $15 toll each way.

Verrazano Narrows Bridge

Where: New York
Toll: $15 One-way
Length: 4,260 ft

You would never know by looking at the current state of Manhattan's roads, but NYC collects some of the highest tolls in the country. The Verrazano Bridge that connects Staten Island with Brooklyn costs $15 one-way, heading into Staten Island. Multiply that by 189,000 cars every day, and you wonder how the MTA could run into a budget deficit of $15 Billion . And there's more bad news for New Yorkers, as the MTA recently announced a 4% toll increase in 2015. Just be glad your car doesn't have 7 Axles, for which the cash toll on the Verrazano is $116.

Golden Gate Bridge

Where: California
Toll: $7 One-way
Length: 4,200 ft

The Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco is famous for many reasons, but one of the more lackluster reasons is the pricey tolls. The $7 toll really adds up for commuters. But we can't say it's not worth it for tourists, as the scenery is breathtaking. Carpoolers with 3 or more people catch a break, getting away with $4 for the toll.

George Washington Bridge

Where: New York
Toll: $13
Length: 4,760 ft

Remember "Bridge Gate", the political scandal where staff members under New Jersey's Governor Chris Christie allegedly created traffic jams to "punish" the mayor of Fort Lee? Well, the bridge they (allegedly) closed to create traffic was the George Washington Bridge. No matter your political views, the GWB (as its fondly known by New Yorkers) is the busiest motor-vehicle bridge in the world, and the closure was a headache for commuters who already pay the absurd toll of $13 to cross.

Tacoma Narrows Bridge

Where: Washington
Toll: $5.50
Length: 5,400ft

The original Tacoma Narrows Bridge, better known as "Galloping Gertie" (shown above) was only open for 4 months. The structure succumbed to "aeroelastic flutter", which is a less terrifying way of saying "twisting violently in high winds." Watching this gif is almost as scary as this !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! The new Tacoma Narrows Bridge has been open since 1950, and has been stable ever since. The only thing commuters in Washington have to worry about now is the $5.50 toll, which is only collected one-way on the east-bound side of the bridge.

5 Most Expensive Tunnel Tolls

Lincoln and Holland Tunnel

Where: New York
Toll: $13 collected one-way
Length: 7,482 ft and 8,558 ft

Did you know that there are only 12 toll-collecting tunnels in the United States, and 4 of them are in New York City? Not surprisingly, two of them are tied for the most expensive. Entering Manhattan by the Lincoln or Holland tunnel will set you back $13 cash. Fortunately, the ride back is free.

Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel

Where: Alaska
Toll: $12
Length: 2.5 Miles

The close runner-up for most expensive toll tunnel is the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel in Whittier, Alaska. At 13,300 ft, the AAMT or simply "Whittier Tunnel" as it is sometimes called, is the second longest tunnel in North America. Whittier collects a $12 toll per car one-way, in the east bound direction.

Fort McHenry Tunnel

Where: Maryland
Toll: $8 round trip
Length: 1.5 Miles

The Fort McHenry Tunnel passes 1.5 miles, or 7,920 feet underneath Patapsco River in Maryland. Over 44 million cars pass through the tunnel every year, paying $4 each way. You do the math.

Brooklyn Battery Tunnel and Queens Midtown Tunnel

Where: New York
Toll: $7.50 only one-way
Length: 9,117 ft and 6,414 ft

Manhattan doubles its population during business days from everyone who commutes for work. To support that amount of traffic, the city has an extensive network of bridges and tunnels. The Brooklyn Battery tunnel connects Brooklyn to the southernmost tip of Manhattan. It's also the longest underwater tunnel in North America. The Queens Midtown tunnel, where Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith rode upside-down in a Ford Crown Vic in the movie Men In Black, connects Queens and and Midtown. The both carry hefty one-way tolls of $7.50.

Final Thoughts

Although the original purpose of collecting tolls was to pay for the construction and maintenance of the road structure itself, that's no longer the case. The MTA claims that 60% of the revenue from tolls goes towards subsidizing mass transit in New York City. Furthermore, the New Jersey Turnpike collects more revenue from tolls than any other road in North America, nearly $1 Billion dollars in 2012. That's more than the entire cost to build the Fort McHenry tunnel in the 1980's.

Think tolls are high now? !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! Our entire infrastructure will need to be revamped to support V2I (vehicle to infrastructure) before driverless cars can really take off. The new technology is guaranteed to be expensive, driving tolls up even higher. Just one more thing to add to the long list of !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

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Nibby > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:18

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Or just use the Queensboro Bridge or Williamsburg Bridge for free to get into Manhattan from Queens and Brooklyn and/or Long Island.

MojoMotors.com > Nibby 01/06/2015 at 10:21

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Fur Sure. Most veterans know to take those routes.

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:21

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Let's compare it to my country, Indonesia! :D

The most expensive toll in Indonesia is Suramadu Bridge. It's about 3.3 miles long and cost you about 3 USD for cars and 30 cent for motorbikes.

Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:24

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WA-167 has variable tolling in the HOV lane. I've seen it as high as $5.50 for just one segment (there are multiple segments and you pay for each one).

The Old Man from Scene 24 > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:25

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How about ferries? Peak one-way trip on the Cape May-Lewes ferry between NJ and DE is $45.00!

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:26

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Although the original purpose of collecting tolls was to pay for the construction and maintenance of the road structure itself, that's no longer the case.

The condition of Illinois roads are evidence enough of this.

Nibby > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:26

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Sometimes the QMT is the quickest way, if you go midday or after 8 PM... or on weekends.

MojoMotors.com > The Old Man from Scene 24 01/06/2015 at 10:27

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Wow, that's a great idea for a post. Car ferries can be pricey. Perhaps we'll put together a list of most expensive voyages.

SirUno > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:28

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Ouch! NY has some killer tolls for sure. I know it cost me about 35-ish bucks to drive from Baltimore, to NYC a few years back.

I managed to take a much cheaper route back.

I was a much happier man when the San Diego bay bridge finally rid itself of tolls some years back. Happy commuting!

SwimBikeRun > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:28

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Does this not count "flex-tolls"? The CA I-110 North bound has toll as high as $13 during AM rush hours with carpools 2+ and HOV stickers exempted.

MojoMotors.com > SirUno 01/06/2015 at 10:30

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Do you remember what your route back was?

DrScientist > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:31

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prices are a little better through the holland and lincoln if you use an easy-pass...

but shhhh, don't tell the newbs, who'll just block up the ezpass lanes.

Kate's Dirty Sister > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:31

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Confederation Bridge between New-Brunswick and P-E-I in Canada : $45.50

It probably saves you as much in fuel, though.

http://www.confederationbridge.com/tolls-fees/tol…

DrScientist > DrScientist 01/06/2015 at 10:31

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also, thanks for posting this, i had no idea i was going through the most expensive tunnel in the country a couple of times per week.

Dr_Watson > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:33

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No Boston? Last time I was out there getting to the ocean on I90 was quite pricey.

Bullitt417 > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:34

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Don't forget the Port Authority Bridges into Staten Island. The Outer Bridge, Goethals Bridge and the Bayonne Bridge are all $14 dollars cash into Staten Island. Even with the residence discounts, they really are pricing a lot of people off the island.

rcasi > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:34

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Where did you come up with that number for the Golden Gate bridge? The main span of the bridge is just shy of the Verrazano-Narrows.

BigBlock440 > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:34

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There's a bridge crossing the Delaware river, $1 for cars, $2 if you have a trailer. The bridge is only like 300 feet long. That's got to be up there on a cost per mile.

MojoMotors.com > Dr_Watson 01/06/2015 at 10:34

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Pricey, but not pricey enough to make the list.

SirUno > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:35

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Sorry, no I don't. I wasn't a native to the area, and only made that particular trip that one time. I remember I took (what seemed like) a short tunnel into NJ from somewhere in lower Manhattan on my return trip.

Of course, over the 3 years I lived back east, I discovered how expensive it was to drive anywhere in New York State.

adamftw > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:35

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Bridgeport/Port Jeff is $56 one way... Not including passengers.

FATM0USE > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:35

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GW Bridge cash price is $14 as of last month, and it's going up another dollar at the end of this year.

PeopleUnclearOnTheConcept > Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow 01/06/2015 at 10:36

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The Illinois Tollway system (I-355, I-294, I-88, I-90 outside of Chicago limits) is separate and apart from the regular IDOT system (I-90 in the City, I-94, I-55, I-290), and is therefore generally in better condition as a result of a dedicated revenue source.

The Old Man from Scene 24 > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:36

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I'd be interested to see how many car ferries are still out there.

My grandfather used to deliver produce to a customer in Wilmington DE and sometimes he would take me with him. One of my earliest memories is riding on the ferry across the Delaware river and seeing the second Delaware Memorial Bridge under construction.

rcasi > rcasi 01/06/2015 at 10:36

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Because if you're talking total length, the Verrazano is still longer. It's weird that you would take the span length of the Verrazano, but total length of the Golden Gate:

MojoMotors.com > rcasi 01/06/2015 at 10:38

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We asked Google but you are right, we were not consistent with our sources. I'll update now. Here's the google answer for total length.

Ike B > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:41

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It actually seems miraculous to me that Florida isn't on this list, despite being a non-union state (which they love calling "right to work") with extremely low taxes - so the money has to come from somewhere else. Republicans (the governor and a supermajority of the legislature are Rs, despite only 35% of voters being in the GOP) love "fees" because they don't have the word "tax" in them.

Anyway on a weekly basis I drive on a bridge that costs $2.07 for just over a mile, each direction (the Lake Jesup bridge charges both ways). This is on a road that they said would revert to being non-toll once they paid it off. Then suddenly everybody on the expressway authority is getting paid six figures and miraculously don't want their jobs to evaporate just for the sake of millions of drivers.

twosixteen > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:43

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Isn't the GWB collected only one way as well? I think it only collects going from NJ to NY.

Anonymy > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:44

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These fixed tolls are becoming a thing of the past. Flexible tolls such as the roads surrounding DC are quickly becoming the norm. Based on the traffic conditions the fare goes up or down for these toll roads. Our dickless politicians now embark on these passive taxes so they don't have to actually fess up to raising the taxes for everyone in their districts.

icyhot > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:44

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The queens to bronx bridges are also $7.50 each way as well. Throgs Neck, Whitestone, Triboro (RFK) Bridges.

EZpass does reduce the prices a good amount though which helps if you use any of them frequently. Also, any Hudson river crossings have a carpool rate (3 people or more) which is significantly cheaper as well.

HideyoshiJP > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:44

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It could be worse. A trip from my hotel in Osaka to Nara Park (33km) was like... $14-15 I believe. Mind you, they didn't charge by distance on those roads, just for entering them.

Image Source

Mister_Moon > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:46

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Last November I was driving across the George Washington Bridge from NJ into NYC and took the wrong ramp as I entered the city. Blithely following Google Maps on my iphone, I took the another wrong ramp trying to get back on the freeway towards LaGuardia. Yep, back across the GW bridge again. I paid $26 in tolls on that bridge in less than 10 minutes. Thank goodness I know to ALWAYS get the toll pass from National on my rentals and yes, I'm a bumpkin and a rube.

MojoMotors.com > Ike B 01/06/2015 at 10:47

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FL isn't the only state to renege on toll abolishment once the road is paid off. The same thing happened with the Massachusetts Turnpike, and probably in a lot of other places.

Mr Clutch > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:47

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You know what bothers me about the tolls in NYC. The roads leading up to the tolls are so fucked up. They should at least make them smooth for two miles approaching and leaving the toll. At least give me the illusion that your doing something with that money.

Read this it's interesting they show you how much money the Port Authority makes.

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/201401…

MyPhoresterLovesMeBack > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:47

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That Galloping Gertie gif desperately needs a "Hater's Gonna Hate" caption tattooed on it.

As Du Volant > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:48

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How about on the PA turnpike at the Ohio border? Heading out it's free. Coming back to PA? $6.20 to cross the state line. Always sucks when you forget about it since it's free on the way out, and then you're scrounging to find the money in the cup holders on the way back.

Depending on what exit you're taking that's anywhere from 23 to 69 cents per mile.

Have Jeep, will travel. > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:49

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How about here in southern California where our tax dollars built freeways and HOV lanes. Yet they are now being snatched up by our corrupt officials and being turned into HOV toll lanes run by a private company and you have to pay to use them now.

Gordon Moorehead > Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow 01/06/2015 at 10:51

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Don't most Il toll roads revenues go to private funds for years while the state took a lump sum for the trade off from the said financiers?

russkunkel > Nibby 01/06/2015 at 10:52

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There are ways to avoid the tolls, but this city makes it hard if you've not been here a while.

There was talk a few years back about putting tolls on every entry way into Manhattan (Willis Ave Bridge, 161st bridge, 59th, etc.) to get more cash. I think that was part of the congestion pricing bullshit that Bloomberg proposed.

Wagons-Midwest > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:52

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The Chicago Skyway is still the best way east from downtown; 94 is a lot longer and has much more traffic so you save a lot of time. After nearly twenty years Indiana may finally be finishing construction on their side, too!

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > PeopleUnclearOnTheConcept 01/06/2015 at 10:52

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I generally use the I-94 and I-90, and occasionally the I-294.

BlurpleToyotaDishwasher > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:52

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Could be worse. They could decide instead to outsource the charging to a company that will make huge profits leaving them with all the costs of having a bridge, higher-than-ever tolls for drivers and not even any money coming in to show for it due to the stupid contract. O HEY DARTFORD CROSSING.

Stradenko > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:53

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How about the most expensive roads? You know, the ones where road build/maintenance tax allocation per user is astronomical.

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > Gordon Moorehead 01/06/2015 at 10:53

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Yeah, something like that I think.

StevenG > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:53

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They are not necessary at all. They are a regressive form of taxation that should be replaced with income tax money.

bubbajoe123456 > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:53

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"you wonder how the MTA could run into a budget deficit of $15 Billion ."

I do wonder this, because they don't. That's the cumulative delta for the long-term capital plan.

T5Killer > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:54

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Being from New mexico and only driven to So cal, NV, OK and TX I have never been on a toll road.

G42dog > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:55

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Nobody likes paying tolls, but they are a necessary evil. The money from tolls is used to fund the construction of new roadways, as well as maintenance.

This is incorrect, as it implies there are no other options for funding roadway construction and maintenance. Tolling isn't necessarily about the need to raise funds in general . There are plenty of funding mechanisms for road maintenance - from general fund contributions, i.e., general tax revenue used for roadway construction, to targeted taxes that try to link funding to usage (gas tax, vehicle tax, assessments on properties benefiting from roads) and a host of others.

There are lots of reasons tolling can make sense politically. There are some reasons it can make sense economically (although often it seems it's a matter of moving funding streams around to get around other issues, or it's about scoring political points). Sometimes it's a way of getting private financing (which then is paid off with the tolling revenues); sometimes it's even part of a privatization of formerly public roads (Texas has been really aggressive on that - I guess people there prefer the freedom to pay a private party for their roads since taxes are un-American or something; or perhaps there's just been a lot of campaign contributions...)

Tolling seems to make sense if the benefit from roads accrues to people who don't contribute to the funding without there being enough of a benefit to the population that finances the roads. Austria and Switzerland have long tolled their big trans-Alps motorways, as they had to spend big money building and maintaining them, but they were used very heavily by foreigners just passing through (both tourists and, more importantly, truckers, connecting Germany and Scandinavia to the Mediterranian countries).

Problem with tolls is that collecting them tends to be really expensive. It's really cheap to levy excise taxes (in terms of cost to collect). It's cheap to levy registration fees (since it's just an add-on to an existing transaction). But any kind of usage based system is expensive - you need to collect money, enforce compliance, etc. Whether it's the stickers people have to buy for the Swiss motorways, or the convoluted electronic tolling the Germans tried to implement on their Autobahnen for trucks - you end up spending a lot for that revenue. The same is true with bridge tolls, or tolls for specific stretches of highway - you either need tollbooth, or transceiver infrastructure and all that.

So saying tolls are a necessary evil is true for the motorist (you can't get around them in most places where they're collected - as they tend to be levied on places that don't have an easy alternative), but it's not true in general, as there are plenty of alternatives to tolling to finance infrastructure. That ends up being a political question, and there are more ways to skin that cat.

straz85 > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:57

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I reckon the Tappan Zee will be on this once the new one is complete in a few years. That's when I will stop taking Rt. 15 from MA to NJ to my inlaws and start taking 84. Or maybe I just won't go to my inlaws anymore. Yeah, that seems like a better idea.

Anon29 > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:58

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That is a picture of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in Maryland and not the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel

JaredTheGeek > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:58

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One of these is not like the others. 17 mile drive is a private road.

AltitudeAssault > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 10:58

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You might want to add the Pikes Peak Highway to your list. That is a public toll road that is 20 miles long with a cost of $12 per person during peak season and $10 per person in winter.

MojoMotors.com > Anon29 01/06/2015 at 10:58

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Sure is.

MojoMotors.com > AltitudeAssault 01/06/2015 at 11:00

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Yeah... That one should be on the list. Thanks for pointing that out.

Raceday > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 11:00

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The cash toll for the GWB actually just went up to $14 in the beginning of December. Yay to commuting from NY to NJ every day for work! #sarcasm

Justin Hughes > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 11:01

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Quite true. In fact, I thought it was supposed to be illegal for a numbered Interstate highway to be a toll road. But clearly that's not the case, as there are many of them (90 throughout Massachusetts, 95 from Gardiner, ME to the NH border, 95 in NH as they extort $2 each way for their 16 miles connecting Maine and MA...)

shortyoh > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 11:02

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The Chicago Skyway can be an outright bargain compared to all the gas and time you'll waste trying to avoid using it.

Slave2anMG > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 11:02

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Depending on where you're originate and where you're going, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (CBBT) will save you 60-150 miles of driving. From Norfolk VA to Salisbury MD, about 150 miles. From the Raleigh NC area to Salisbury, MD it saves 60 miles...not to mention you avoid I-95 in Virginia and dealing with DC traffic to get to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge (not the CBBT) which still has a $6 toll eastbound. To my mind the $15 is a bargain when you look at cost per mile driving, traffic/hassles avoided and the time saved. By the way, the $15 is peak pricing; it's $13 off peak (Peak is Friday thru Sunday during May 15 thru September 15. Off Peak Pricing Season is all other times.)

And the Fort McHenry is essentially paralleled by I-895 and the old dowager Baltimore Harbor Tunnel. Same toll rates...usually less traffic than I-95 due to the thru traffic staying on the primary Interstate route. Locals and veteran visitors like myself know to use the Harbor Tunnel.

stubbornidealist > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 11:02

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I crossed the golden gate bridge this summer and never received an invoice. I contacted them and they said they would "look into it" and never got back to me. Still waiting for that invoice.

Trevor Mohr > adamftw 01/06/2015 at 11:03

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Yeah, I've taken that on a few occasions. With passengers, it can easily get up to $70...

shortyoh > As Du Volant 01/06/2015 at 11:03

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yeah, but you'd gladly pay it to get out of Ohio. :)

Highball! > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 11:04

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If the GWB is too much you could head north on the Palisades Parkway to I-87/287W and take a chance crossing the crumbling Tappan Zee bridge for under $6.

John > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 11:08

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I've been trying to find my way in and out of new york without paying tolls. Apparently the only way is loading my car onto a boat and sailing away. These tolls are starting to get awfully expensive.

nope > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 11:09

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NY bridges and tunnels went up a buck for cash customers.

Here's the full pay schedule for NYC area bridges and tunnels. It costs us $32 to send one of our moving vans over any of those bridges. http://www.panynj.gov/bridges-tunnel…

AlanJustAlan > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 11:10

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Virginia's Dulles Greenway: 12 miles, $6.10......

ranomatic > JaredTheGeek 01/06/2015 at 11:10

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Not on the list, but also private is the Dulles Greenway. Prime commute time toll works out to $0.378/mile.

Caddyman > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 11:10

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I am very familiar with most of the big chargers here. Living in DE and traveling to NY and NC quite often. The sunset over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnels is quite nice though. HATE the Verrazano bridge and Lincoln tunnels. When I was younger, around 9/11, I worked every weekend in Long Island, what an expense.

High Road > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 11:12

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Just for the record, the 1950 "new" Tacoma Narrows bridge was replaced in 2007, (actually built next to and used in conjunction with the old one) and it's the newest bridge that is tolled.

PeteRR > BigBlock440 01/06/2015 at 11:12

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Tacony-Palmyra or Burlington-Bristol?

mdensch > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 11:13

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Probably something more expensive out there somewhere, but the Lake Express ferry from Milwaukee to Muskegon, Mich., is right up there. $84.00 per adult passenger and 89.00 per 2-axle vehicle, that adds up to $258 for a car with 2 passengers for a 3 hour trip. (One way.)

Even more expensive on a nautical mile basis might be the Washington Island ferry in Wisconsin's Door County. $13.50 for each adult and 26.00 per car for a total of $53 for a car with two passengers for a trip of about 4 nautical miles that takes barely 30 minutes. (One way.)

davedave1111 > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 11:13

6

Just a note, the important thing with toll routes isn't how long they are - cost per mile - but how far you have to go if you take the (presumably longer) way which has no tolls.

The Severn crossing here in the UK is a well-known example: it's only about 3 miles long, but saves 60+ miles and 80-90 minutes depending on traffic (and on the wrong day, a lot more).

BabyClaude > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 11:13

0

Um. I thought the GW bridge was $14. Where is the Whitestone bridge? That costs $7.50 each way. Goddamnit why do I have parents that live on long island and the other side of the city.

Mr. Me > The Old Man from Scene 24 01/06/2015 at 11:14

0

The ferry from Port Angeles, WA to Victoria, BC was $96 for two people and two bikes last time I took it. Way spendy for a 90 minute journey.

Jerk Dently > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 11:14

0

Doesn't White Face qualify as more of a park fee? It dead ends at the top as a destination, it's not a through route.

Fireblade93 > DrScientist 01/06/2015 at 11:16

4

It took me the LONGEST time to convince my family that ez pass not only is faster, but it actually saves you money too. A lot of people don't seem to understand that concept.

mdensch > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 11:18

0

Least expensive ferry in Wisconsin is the Merrimac ferry connecting Sauk and Columbia counties across the Wisconsin River on State Highway 113. It's officially part of Wisconsin's state highway system and runs year round except during periods when the river ices up.

There is no charge.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > G42dog 01/06/2015 at 11:21

3

The reason that toll roads exist (in most of the US, anyway) is that our respective representative governments can't do a good enough job of spending our income tax dollars on the things that actually matter the most to all citizens (like infrastructure) so they resort to finding a way to give us decent roads (or not) by taxing us more with a use tax.

albo > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 11:24

0

The "Delaware Turnpike" is a stretch of I-95, which runs the entire east coast. And the bastards tolled it. One of the reasons Delaware richly earned its title of "worst state."

BigBlock440 > PeteRR 01/06/2015 at 11:25

1

Dingman's ferry, NJ to PA. A small bridge, but it does cuts off an hour or so driving.

Blesson > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 11:26

1

Just noticed that the lengths for GWB and Tacoma Narrows are total length while GG and Veerazanno are only main span. Verrazano is I still believe the longest by main span in the Americas (Mackinac Bridge may be longer total length). You should correct it so that either main span or total length is used consistently above.

lissyssil > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 11:26

1

How about the Mount Washington Auto Road:

7.6 miles.
$28 car and driver.
$8 each additional adult.
$84 for the loaded Honda Oddyssey

CPM
$3.68 alone in the car.
$11.05 in your loaded Honda.

472CID > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 11:26

0

It amuses me that a tax-hating place like Texas has one of the most expensive toll roads.

albo > The Old Man from Scene 24 01/06/2015 at 11:26

0

Yeah, but that's a fun trip, too.

Kumicho > Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow 01/06/2015 at 11:27

0

Actually, the Illinois Tollway Authority is one of the better examples that I've driven on. The ONLY funding for the tollway comes from toll revenue (ie, no federal or state funds), and ALL funds from tolls go to the Authority.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois_…

It's basically a prime example of user-fees, where if you want to drive on the pretty, shiny new highway system, you pay a small fee and don't burden anyone else. I actually think that it's a GREAT system, since people only pay for the things that they actually use. Up here in WI we're spending billions on widening various highways in our state that I use only a couple times per year. They're widening the 39/90 highway from Madison to the Illinois state line from 2 lanes to 3, at a cost of almost a billion dollars alone. That doesn't include maintenance and upkeep, like resurfacing 50% more of the road in 10 years, snow removal, pothole repair, etc.

And since the officials here refuse to raise the gas tax to actually pay for it, a huge chunk is coming directly out of the general fund (ie, my income and sales taxes). I'd far prefer that they made it a toll road, so that people who drive on it pay for it, and people like myself who only use it a couple times per year don't.

Kumicho > Gordon Moorehead 01/06/2015 at 11:28

0

I actually don't think that happened in Illinois (yet). Or at least didn't happen with the ISHTA, but I know that that's not the only toll system in IL. That has happened in OH, NJ, and a bunch of other corrupt states though...

albo > As Du Volant 01/06/2015 at 11:29

3

And PA turnpike tolls just went up (which they do every year). Lower price for EZ pass. In fact, if you drive in the Northeast and don't have EZ Pass, you're dumb.

facw > Nibby 01/06/2015 at 11:30

0

My experience with taxis between LGA/Midtown is that it is always faster and cheaper to take the Triborough and pay the toll, then to be stuck in traffic with all the people trying to avoid tolls on the Queensboro bridge.

albo > BigBlock440 01/06/2015 at 11:31

1

And its privately owned.

Blesson > Bullitt417 01/06/2015 at 11:31

2

You may as well just say point blank that any crossing into NYC from NJ (tunnel or bridge run by Port Authority of NY/NJ) is $14 (and I believe scheduled to increase $1 per year for the next 2 years, in addition to the $1 increase we just experienced last month). You have 4 bridges (1 into Manhattan & 3 into Staten Island) and 2 tunnels (into Manhattan) as options.

albo > StevenG 01/06/2015 at 11:32

0

No, they're a use tax, like the gas tax. You can choose not to use a tolled facility.

Malforus > The Old Man from Scene 24 01/06/2015 at 11:32

0

New York has a number for the folks who want to escape Long Island without going through the city. CT to Long Island I would venture is the most trafficked car ferry in the US.

Blesson > Nibby 01/06/2015 at 11:33

0

You could also use the Manhattan or Brooklyn Bridge for free between Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Starbuck > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 11:33

0

Avoiding I-78 and taking the Pulaski Skyway as well as RT 1/9 will help you save a lot of money. As well as jumping onto 295 as soon as possible from the Jersey Turnpike.

The toll in Delaware is an important one to avoid too.

http://goo.gl/maps/bdtSQ

Kumicho > G42dog 01/06/2015 at 11:34

0

With new electronic tolling here in the US, costs have gone down quite dramatically. Overhead gizmo reads the transponder on your windshield as you drive by at highway (~70-75ish) speeds. The amount is debited from your account, which is automatically linked to a credit/debit account. If you don't have a transponder the system takes a picture of your license plate and mails you a bill. Labor costs to actually take toll revenue has dropped precipitously in some cases.

Illinois actually has "Transponder-only" entrances and exits, so they don't even need to staff them at all...

For targeting the specific people using that road, it's really the best way to recoup the costs instead of charging the general population.

thisisaburneryesitis > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 11:35

0

An important note on the CBBT:

The CBBT was built using private funds, and continues to be owned and operated by a private organization (with state oversight). The toll pays for maintenance and will fund the upcoming construction of new tunnels for the southbound section.

Kumicho > davedave1111 01/06/2015 at 11:36

2

Same with the Chicago Skyway. Won't save you *quite* as much (like 20 miles or 15 minutes), but when you're on a long road trip it's worth it for me...

Bullitt417 > Blesson 01/06/2015 at 11:36

0

I keep telling people that I'm going to park in Jersey and just canoe back and forth soon. Thank god I van pool to work to absorb the toll costs.

Blesson > Fireblade93 01/06/2015 at 11:37

0

Its especially cheaper if you signed up for car pool plan with EZ Pass, which brings the price down significantly for any bridge/tunnel crossing from NJ into NYC if you have 3 people in the car ($5.75 anytime). The crappy thing is you have to wait on the cash lines to prove you have 3 people, rather than using the EZ Pass lane.

350Zed > MojoMotors.com 01/06/2015 at 11:39

0

Drive the 407 toll-road in Toronto from one end to the other during rush hour, and your total cost is $36.97 for a one-way trip .

Beat that!

facw > Highball! 01/06/2015 at 11:40

0

Fun fact: The Tappan Zee is built at basically the Hudson's widest point specifically so that New York could avoid having it (and its toll revenue) controlled by the Port Authority.