I recently learned something surprising about the I-77 Express Lanes.
Hmm… Never Realized This
The toll rates displayed on the overhead signs are the prices for vehicles equipped WITH transponders like NC Quick Pass, E-ZPass, SunPass, or Peach Pass. I had always thought that having a transponder meant you would receive a 35% discount on the price displayed compared to entering the express lane without one. However, the posted toll IS the price you pay with the transponder. Vehicles without a transponder will pay a higher toll than what is displayed on the signs.
The I-77 Express Lanes use dynamic pricing, meaning toll rates change based on real-time traffic conditions to keep traffic flowing smoothly. Prices may change as often as every five minutes, but the rate displayed on the pricing sign when you enter a toll segment is the rate you will be charged for that segment with a transponder. Operators claim that the increased toll is due to the added cost associated with billing by mail, but some sources suggest that “bill by mail” tolls can be as much as 50% higher than the posted rate.
If you have three or more people in the car, the tolls are free, however, to qualify for free travel, you need to set your High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) status using your transponder or the NC Quick Pass app. Its amazing how they can tell if you DON”T have 3 passengers yet they WON’T confirm it if you don’t “tell” them you have 3 passengers.
When you visit the website, there are plenty of tabs referencing toll prices and “what you will pay,” but nothing actually provides a concrete price. There is a clear sign stating that mailed invoices incur higher tolls, but I naively thought that the transponder would give me a discounted rate compared to the posted toll. This assumption stemmed from marketing claims suggesting a 35% discount. They also claim that transponders will provide a 50% discount starting in 2025, but if I think about it critically, this doesn’t seem accurate either. It sounds more like the invoice-by-mail prices will increase, and they’ll simply call it a discount for transponder users.
Two more thoughts before I step off the soapbox:
- Why is it that I frequently see tolls higher than $5 per segment on I-77, yet in all my travels through Atlanta and Florida, I cannot ever remember seeing tolls even close to $2?
- The toll lanes were constructed by a Spanish-owned company that retained ownership after construction and they profit from the tolls. Why didn’t those approving the deal include a stipulation that, once the initial investment had been recouped, the toll prices would drop (or cap) to more reasonable levels? I guess that would require a certain level of common sense, and there doesn’t seem to be much of that in Raleigh.
I-77 Express Lanes…The Definition Of Highway Robbery.
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I recently learned something surprising about the I-77 Express Lanes.
Hmm… Never Realized This
The toll rates displayed on the overhead signs are the prices for vehicles equipped WITH transponders like NC Quick Pass, E-ZPass, SunPass, or Peach Pass. I had always thought that having a transponder meant you would receive a 35% discount on the price displayed compared to entering the express lane without one. However, the posted toll IS the price you pay with the transponder. Vehicles without a transponder will pay a higher toll than what is displayed on the signs.
The I-77 Express Lanes use dynamic pricing, meaning toll rates change based on real-time traffic conditions to keep traffic flowing smoothly. Prices may change as often as every five minutes, but the rate displayed on the pricing sign when you enter a toll segment is the rate you will be charged for that segment with a transponder. Operators claim that the increased toll is due to the added cost associated with billing by mail, but some sources suggest that “bill by mail” tolls can be as much as 50% higher than the posted rate.
If you have three or more people in the car, the tolls are free, however, to qualify for free travel, you need to set your High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) status using your transponder or the NC Quick Pass app. Its amazing how they can tell if you DON”T have 3 passengers yet they WON’T confirm it if you don’t “tell” them you have 3 passengers.
When you visit the website, there are plenty of tabs referencing toll prices and “what you will pay,” but nothing actually provides a concrete price. There is a clear sign stating that mailed invoices incur higher tolls, but I naively thought that the transponder would give me a discounted rate compared to the posted toll. This assumption stemmed from marketing claims suggesting a 35% discount. They also claim that transponders will provide a 50% discount starting in 2025, but if I think about it critically, this doesn’t seem accurate either. It sounds more like the invoice-by-mail prices will increase, and they’ll simply call it a discount for transponder users.
Two more thoughts before I step off the soapbox:
- Why is it that I frequently see tolls higher than $5 per segment on I-77, yet in all my travels through Atlanta and Florida, I cannot ever remember seeing tolls even close to $2?
- The toll lanes were constructed by a Spanish-owned company that retained ownership after construction and they profit from the tolls. Why didn’t those approving the deal include a stipulation that, once the initial investment had been recouped, the toll prices would drop (or cap) to more reasonable levels? I guess that would require a certain level of common sense, and there doesn’t seem to be much of that in Raleigh.
I-77 Express Lanes…The Definition Of Highway Robbery.
