Hi guys. Hallo Leute.
I've returned from vacation. San Diego was wonderful.
It was a good holiday.
Now I'm back and
today we continue with my video series Driving in the USA.
This series appears to be popular.
I've even received a few requests from you.
A viewer, Anja Knudsen, wrote to me:
Once again a very informative video!
Wish you all a wonderful vacation.
P.S. wanted to ask whether you could make a video about SunPass?
Thank you Anja. That's a great idea and a very suitable topic.
What is SunPass?
SunPass is the brand name of the electronic toll system in Florida.
In Florida, there is a network of toll highways.
There are toll highways in the regions of Miami, Orlando, and Tampa.
Additionally, there is the so-called Alligator Alley
and the mainline of the Florida Turnpike.
When you go on vacation in Florida,
you will probably have to travel on one of these toll highways at some point.
For example: You begin your vacation in Miami,
and after a few days, you want to discover Fort Myers.
You will travel on Alligator Alley (I-75).
Or, you are driving from Miami to Orlando
because you want to spend a few days at Disney World.
You will travel on the mainline of the Florida Turnpike.
As a first-time visitor to the USA from Germany,
it can be confusing and perhaps intimidating
to drive on an American toll highway.
Don't worry about it. It's not so complicated.
In this video, I'll show you
the typical traffic signs for toll highways in the USA,
the different types of toll lanes,
and I'll speak to the three methods of payment.
Let's go!
The first sign is the toll shield.
It shows the highway number. In this case, 589.
At the top is the word: Toll.
When you see this shield, you know either
that you are driving on a toll highway, or that you are approaching one.
The toll shield is often used in connection with a direction sign.
This is a direction sign for Toll Highway 589,
the so-called Veterans Expressway in Tampa.
You see this next sign shortly before a toll plaza.
This is the toll table, and it shows how much you must pay.
The toll is based on the number of axles of the vehicle.
At this hypothetical toll plaza, the toll
for a 2-axle car is $0.25 with SunPass or $0.40 with Toll-by-Plate.
I'll explain Toll-by-Plate shortly.
The second row says: Each additional axle costs $0.25.
Here's a guy who is towing a boat.
He has five axles.
With SunPass, the toll is $1.00.
$0.25 for the two axles of the car
plus $0.75 for the three additional axles of the trailer.
With Toll-by-Plate, the toll is $1.60.
On the top edge of a toll plaza, there is a row of signs
that indicate the allowed method of payment for each lane.
The SunPass-Only-sign indicates
that the lane is dedicated to SunPass.
You must have a SunPass-Transponder in order to drive in this lane.
The blue Exact Coins sign indicates
that the lane has a coin basket.
On this type of lane, you have to throw the exact sum
of coins into the basket.
On this sign, the SunPass Logo is also seen.
This means that you can either pay with coins or electronically with SunPass.
The green Change Provided sign indicates
that the lane has a toll attendant.
Take this lane when you need change.
You see these two signs in the Orlando region.
E-Pass is the brand name of the electronic toll system in Orlando.
SunPass and E-Pass are compatible.
As you approach the toll plaza,
you will see these two signs next to each other.
Vehicles with SunPass and E-Pass Transponders travel straight ahead.
Cash paying customers go to the right.
Here is a screenshot from Google Maps.
That's Toll Highway 408 in Orlando.
You see the two signs.
The two lanes in the middle are for the SunPass and E-Pass customers.
On the right side, you see the toll plaza.
The cash paying customers have to stop at the toll plaza
while the SunPass and E-Pass customers continue through at high speed without stopping.
This last sign is a, in English,
Dynamic Toll Sign or Variable Toll Sign.
The black field with the dollar amount is a LED display.
The amount depends on the traffic.
The more the traffic, the higher the toll.
The amount is updated every fifteen minutes.
One sees such signs in connection with so-called Express Lanes.
These Express Lanes are currently located
on I-95 and I-595 in Miami and Fort Lauderdale
and on the Veterans Expressway in Tampa.
Here is a photo from I-595 Express Lanes in Ft. Lauderdale.
There are three methods of payment: SunPass, cash, and Toll-by-Plate.
With SunPass, you pay with a transponder.
The toll with SunPass is more reasonable than the cash tolls and with Toll-by-Plate.
The toll authorities do that on purpose
because they want you to buy a transponder.
Unfortunately for you, SunPass is out of the question because you're a tourist.
You have no transponder and no SunPass account.
The second option is cash payment.
You stop at the toll plaza and throw the coins into the basket,
or you give the toll attendant your money.
The third option is Toll-by-Plate.
With this, a photo is taken of your license plate
as you drive underneath the toll devices.
The toll authorities know all of the license plates of the rental cars in Florida.
They charge the rental car company with the toll,
and then the rental car company charges you with the toll and a fee.
The fees vary from rental car company to rental car company.
For example. Hertz charges you with a fee of $4.95
for every day that you use Toll-by-Plate.
With Enterprise the fee if $3.95.
Let's say that you want to drive from Miami to Ft. Myers.
You drive on Alligator Alley.
With cash and Toll-by-Plate, the toll for a 2-axle car is $3.25.
But remember that there is also a fee
when you chose Toll-by-Plate.
Therefore, in this example,
the sum is $8.20 with Hertz or $7.20 with Enterprise.
That you don't need to stop at the toll plaza is an advantage for you.
Whether it's worth it, only you can decide.
However, when you opt for Toll-by-Plate,
you have to use the SunPass Only or E-Pass Only lanes.
Very important. Look for these signs.
Toll-by-Plate doesn't work on Exact Coins or Change Provided lanes.
One last piece of advice.
There are some toll highways that are one hundred percent electronic.
That means your only payment options are SunPass or Toll-by-Plate.
They don't have cash lanes.
For example.
In Miami, all of the toll highways are one hundred percent electronic.
How does one recognize that the toll highway is one of these?
I'll show you.
Here is a screenshot from Google Maps.
That is the direction sign for Toll Highway 836,
direction Miami International Airport.
The sign indicates that SunPass and Toll-by-Plate are the only allowed payment options
OK. Enough with the lecture. Let's drive finally.
This here is the Pinellas Bayway in Saint Petersburg.
It leads to St. Pete Beach and Fort DeSoto Park.
SunPass Only, Keep Left. That means
that the SunPass Only lane is the one furthest to the left.
This here is the toll table.
The toll for a 2-axle car is $1.00.
Each additional axle costs $1.00 extra.
So three axles three dollars, four axles four dollars, and so on.
Here we see the row of signs on the top edge of the toll plaza.
From left to right, the SunPass Only lane,
the Exact Coins lane in blue,
and two Change Provided lanes in green.
First, I'll show you the Change Provided lane.
I need change because I only have a five note.
Next, the Exact Coins lane.
It's a bit hard to see, but the LED display is counting the coins.
Last, the SunPass Only lane.
When you opt for Toll-by-Plate, then take this lane.
On a SunPass Only lane, you do not stop at the toll plaza.
You continue driving without stopping.
There are the cameras that take the photo of your license plate.
Here is a direction sign for Toll Highway 589,
the Veterans Expressway in Tampa.
This sign indicates that SunPass and Toll-by-Plate
are the only allowed methods of payment.
Here is a Variable Toll Sign for the Express Lanes.
All lanes on the Veterans Expressway are toll lanes.
However, the Express Lanes are for commuters who are ready
to pay a higher toll in order to avoid traffic jams.
Currently, there is no higher toll because it's midday.
Here is the entrance to the Express Lanes.
The Express Lanes are separated from the other lanes by poles.
There is the toll table. It's hard to read, but
the toll is $1.07 with SunPass and $1.34 with Toll-by-Plate.
These tolls are valid for vehicles
that are traveling on one of the three opposite lanes
We're traveling instead on the Express Lane.
Normally we pay the amount that is posted on the LED display
but as seen already, there was no amount on it today.
Therefore, today we pay $1.07.
Here is the toll gantry where your license plate is photographed.
Do you see the Do Not Stop sign? Very important.
You drive underneath the toll devices without stopping.
There are the cameras. Say "Cheese!"
My last example is the beautiful Sunshine Skyway Bridge
that connects Pinellas County and Manatee County.
You can opt for either SunPass or Change Provided lanes.
As always, use the SunPass Only lane
when you opt for Toll-by-Plate.
As I approach the toll plaza,
I reduce my speed to 25 mph.
Here is a pretty view of the bridge.
At the top, you are 131 meters above the water.
Another day in paradise.
Welcome to Saint Petersburg. Let's go to the beach.
That was my video for September.
I want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart.
In August while I was on vacation,
I reached an important milestone – 100 subscribers.
As of today, I have 128.
In comparison to other channels, this number is small.
Nevertheless, I'm happy and amazed I have to say.
Through these videos, I'm trying to build a bridge for myself to Germany,
to Austria, and to Switzerland.
It makes me so happy, especially as a foreign language speaker,
that you like my videos,
and that you find them helpful.
So many, many thanks.
I'm already thinking about my next topic.
I don't know if it will be about driving in the USA,
but I'll think of something interesting.
Thanks for watching, and until next month
from Ticket to Florida: Your Ticket to Sunshine. Bye!
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