Wanted: More Drivers on Toll Roads

Call it fear and loathing of the toll roads.

A recent survey of motorists done by Orange County’s toll road operators found that many drivers find the road network too exotic and ominous for their tastes and avoid using it. Common anxieties are the fear that they will be trapped at a booth without the correct change or borne off to unfamiliar areas, the survey found.

“The problem we’re running into now is that people are making the decision not to drive on the toll roads because they’re afraid they’ll do it wrong,” said Transportation Corridor Agencies spokeswoman Lisa Telles. “People do find it confusing.”

Now, as summertime begins and many motorists venture onto the toll roads en route to vacation spots like San Diego and Palm Springs, officials at the agency are launching a new publicity drive to educate leery drivers--and generate new revenue for the $1.7-billion highway system.

Part of the effort involves 50-cent coupons that can be used at the system’s three main toll plazas. The coupons are being mailed to residents in areas along the Eastern, Foothill and San Joaquin toll roads. Officials also are setting up information booths at several summer festivals.

For first-timers, it can be a maze. Along some roads, tolls are collected at the end of the route. Along others, the main toll plaza is at the halfway point of the highway. Some toll stations are staffed with people who can make change; others are automated and require the exact toll.

“One of the first times I used the toll roads, I got stuck at an automatic toll booth without the correct change,” admits Beth Krom, an agency board member and Irvine city councilwoman. “I thought that if I went through, giant nets would fall from the sky, sirens would blare and lights would go off. I actually got out of my car and went to the car behind me to make change.”

Because toll violators can be fined $25, it pays for would-be tollway drivers to learn the ins and outs of the system--the most extensive toll roads in the state.

Here is a quick primer:

The county’s toll roads should not be confused with the 91 Express Lanes--a private toll franchise that operates on the median of the Riverside Freeway. Motorists cannot pay cash to use these express lanes and must set up a special account for the service. Drivers who use the lanes without an account can be fined up to $23.

Motorists using the county’s 73, 133, 241 and 261 toll roads may pay cash or set up a similar debit account that automatically deducts the cost of a trip, via a special radio transponder affixed to the windshield. These so-called FasTrak devices allow motorists to drive through marked lanes without having to stop.

There often are two separate lanes for cash and FasTrak customers, and drivers who use the FasTrak lanes without a transponder could be fined.

FasTrak transponders require a $30 deposit and are assessed a $1 service fee each month.

Prices vary among the toll roads and depend on where the motorist enters or exits. The maximum toll on the network is $4.50.

The network has three 24-hour manned collection plazas on the 73 and 241 toll roads.

The agency gives the following recommendations for dealing with the collection booths:

* Keep coins in your car. Toll machines accept dollar coins, 50-cent coins, quarters, dimes and nickels, but not pennies or bills.

* Get change and pay the toll. Some ramp locations are equipped with change machines for $1 and $5 bills. You must still place the exact change for the toll in the basket. The change machine will not automatically deduct the toll.

* Plan ahead. You can calculate the toll for your next trip online at: https://www.thetollroads.com. Click on “Destinations,” then “Toll Calculators.” (The URL is: https://https://www.tollroad.com/cgi-bin/calc/ftcntollcalc.cgi)