SunPass worth it?

[Travisma 1,317]

27 minutes ago, Grumpy and Grandma said:

Once you get it besure to add the truck and trailer license plates to your account. If it does fail to read your transponder they match your plate number if a pic is taken. The fee is then deducted from your account.  That is why the complaints about getting tickets is more non-sense.  If your account is up to date it works very smooth. 

 

Some people like to complain just to hear themselves.

I hate having to use one, I'm a big anti toll road person, but my daughter now lives east and north of the Orlando Airport off the Beachline.  Paying the tolls can save me about 1/2 to 3/4 of an hour each way getting to I-4 to head to Tampa.

All this chatting about Sun Pass just reminded me that I got my "your funds are low email" this past weekend.  Time to feed the kitty.

[jrbdad 3]

Ok,,,,, Now I need more info on getting to fort.......Stopping for night in Kingsland GA on Thursday.  Hoping to leave there by 9am and head to Fort.  Was planning on I95 to I4 to keep it simple ( towing 36ft travel trailer).  What route would you guys recommend from I95 to avoid being stuck in traffic?  

[Travisma 1,317]

3 minutes ago, jrbdad said:

Ok,,,,, Now I need more info on getting to fort.......Stopping for night in Kingsland GA on Thursday.  Hoping to leave there by 9am and head to Fort.  Was planning on I95 to I4 to keep it simple ( towing 36ft travel trailer).  What route would you guys recommend from I95 to avoid being stuck in traffic?  

Depending on the time of day you will be going thru Orlando itself will determine the traffic.  Rush hours can be slow going.  Most of the other times it's not too bad.

If you want to do toll roads and save some time (if you have the SunPass) you can go I-95 to the Beachline (528) to I-4.  That drops you back on I-4 near SeaWorld.  Or the Beachline to 417 (toll) which avoids I-4.

[keith_h 420]

17 minutes ago, Travisma said:

Depending on the time of day you will be going thru Orlando itself will determine the traffic.  Rush hours can be slow going.  Most of the other times it's not too bad.

If you want to do toll roads and save some time (if you have the SunPass) you can go I-95 to the Beachline (528) to I-4.  That drops you back on I-4 near SeaWorld.  Or the Beachline to 417 (toll) which avoids I-4.

What he said. We've always taken I-4 and as long as we get through before 3 PM'ish have never really hit rush hour style traffic. We even hit rush hour once. It was slow but to us wasn't anywhere near as bad as what we've been through on the West Coast or places like Chicago or DC. It all depends upon your frame of reference. 

[jrbdad 3]

I lived in San Diego for 18years so to me bad/rush hour traffic is 5 mph for mile and miles. 

Hoping to get to Fort between noon and 1pm. So if traffic isn't that bad then I will stay on freeway. If not will have to look at alternative route. Just don't want to do stop lights! !!! 

[EpyonX 0]

3 hours ago, Grumpy and Grandma said:

Once you get it besure to add the truck and trailer license plates to your account. If it does fail to read your transponder they match your plate number if a pic is taken. The fee is then deducted from your account.  That is why the complaints about getting tickets is more non-sense.  If your account is up to date it works very smooth. 

 

Nice and thanks I will make sure they are in the system.

[Cortezcapt (Derek) 156]

I lived in San Diego for 18years so to me bad/rush hour traffic is 5 mph for mile and miles. 

Hoping to get to Fort between noon and 1pm. So if traffic isn't that bad then I will stay on freeway. If not will have to look at alternative route. Just don't want to do stop lights! !!! 

You can take 95 to 4 and pick up 417 around Sanford which will take you right into Disney. That time of day unless there are accidents 4 shouldn't be to bad though I don't know if or what kind of construction they may have going on 4. Maybe map it both ways and see what the time saved vs additional miles might be and if it's worth it to you.

I don't drive I4 north of Orlando very often but I4 in general can be very unpredictable and have unexplained slow spots. That and for as long as I can remember I4 has been under construction.

Now if you are superstitious and/or believe in ghosts or curses you will want to avoid I4 around the Sanford area as that is the I4 Dead Zone. Where legend says that I4 was built right over the Graves of a family and has been said to be the cause of many crashes as well as hurricane Donna and Andrew. The weather channel even did a story on it. Or just look up some info on it and it could be an interesting story to tell while driving that part of I4.

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[Travisma 1,317]

26 minutes ago, Cortezcapt (Derek) said:

You can take 95 to 4 and pick up 417 around Sanford which will take you right into Disney. That time of day unless there are accidents 4 shouldn't be to bad though I don't know if or what kind of construction they may have going on 4. Maybe map it both ways and see what the time saved vs additional miles might be and if it's worth it to you.

I don't drive I4 north of Orlando very often but I4 in general can be very unpredictable and have unexplained slow spots. That and for as long as I can remember I4 has been under construction.

Now if you are superstitious and/or believe in ghosts or curses you will want to avoid I4 around the Sanford area as that is the I4 Dead Zone. Where legend says that I4 was built right over the Graves of a family and has been said to be the cause of many crashes as well as hurricane Donna and Andrew. The weather channel even did a story on it. Or just look up some info on it and it could be an interesting story to tell while driving that part of I4.

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Just beware of Hitchhiking Ghosts!!!  :-)  The emoticons are gone?

[twiceblessed....nacole 433]

Just now, Travisma said:

 The emoticons are gone?

For me, most of them are... ever since the format change.  I think I can pull up about 15 of them.

[Travisma 1,317]

15 minutes ago, twiceblessed....nacole said:

For me, most of them are... ever since the format change.  I think I can pull up about 15 of them.

Ahhh, now they are back!

My previous reply they were gone, the box opened with just 1 blank line.

[twiceblessed....nacole 433]

Do you have more than 23? I'm only seeing 23 emoticons... 

[keith_h 420]

10 minutes ago, twiceblessed....nacole said:

Do you have more than 23? I'm only seeing 23 emoticons... 

That's all I see.

[geoffdaddy 33]

<sigh> Sunpass...

 

So, since we make enough trips down to justify this thing now, I sprung for it on the trip before last. We bought it about an hour before we hit the first toll plaza on Florida's Turnpike. According to all their documentation online, the transponder is active almost instantaneously after you set up an account. Well, first toll plaza we go through "TOLL NOT PAID." Great. so much for saving time I'm thinking. We looked through the website again and fixed what we thought was wrong, including the website putting our street address to a street in MADISON, FL, instead of... well, MADISON, AL like we put in. got off on 429 and went through the E-PASS which of course has no feedback at all.

Looking at the Sunpass account website, there's no indication that E-PASS worked either. I ended up calling up Sunpass and they did something to fix it and they told me to just pay the unpaid toll notice when I got it in the mail. Still haven't seen that and it's been well more than 60 days.

I'm hoping I don't get a nasty surprise one day...

[Travisma 1,317]

That's how we keep the state running.  Next time you cross the border you will be picked up and hit with a bill that has been quintupling daily so you will owe us $4000 on a $3 dollar toll! 

[geoffdaddy 33]

1 hour ago, Travisma said:

That's how we keep the state running.  Next time you cross the border you will be picked up and hit with a bill that has been quintupling daily so you will owe us $4000 on a $3 dollar toll! 

I hope you're joking! :)

[EpyonX 0]

15 hours ago, geoffdaddy said:

<sigh> Sunpass...

 

So, since we make enough trips down to justify this thing now, I sprung for it on the trip before last. We bought it about an hour before we hit the first toll plaza on Florida's Turnpike. According to all their documentation online, the transponder is active almost instantaneously after you set up an account. Well, first toll plaza we go through "TOLL NOT PAID." Great. so much for saving time I'm thinking. We looked through the website again and fixed what we thought was wrong, including the website putting our street address to a street in MADISON, FL, instead of... well, MADISON, AL like we put in. got off on 429 and went through the E-PASS which of course has no feedback at all.

Looking at the Sunpass account website, there's no indication that E-PASS worked either. I ended up calling up Sunpass and they did something to fix it and they told me to just pay the unpaid toll notice when I got it in the mail. Still haven't seen that and it's been well more than 60 days.

I'm hoping I don't get a nasty surprise one day...

Yeah I was wondering how fast that card would activate. That's a good point on double checking the site once the pass is setup. Also once they have your tag in the system can they not match the plate to the pass? 

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

On 3/9/2016 at 8:44 AM, mouseketab.....Carol said:

and with the construction on I-4, hopping off of I-4 onto the 417 toll is WELL worth it. You will drive to Disney instead of crawl to Disney.

I agree.  417 is great!

[bhall 115]

So, if you take 417 the whole distance with 4 axles am I reading it right that the cash price is roughly $18?

[Travisma 1,317]

3 hours ago, bhall said:

So, if you take 417 the whole distance with 4 axles am I reading it right that the cash price is roughly $18?

That sounds about right.  It's a pricey road.  From the Disney area on I-4 NE to the Beachline is about $5 for just 2 axles.

[fladogfan aka Gretchen 259]

Drove through downtown Orlando west bound from Longwood today.  time about 2-3pm.  Traffic was slow, stop, go, stop, slow and go.  I get in the middle lane and stay there till close to RT.535 exit.  Because of the destruction of I-4 there are more accidents happening, mainly because of drivers who don't slow down or switch from lane to lane.  If everyone drove with care in the de/construction areas there would be less accidents.

 

Can you guess I'm not happy with the I-4 mess?  And still no plan to provide any type of light rail for tourists and local employees.  Even tho we voted FOR it!

[bhall 115]

I will have to seriously consider 417 on my next trip.  The last time we came down, on the way there on March 2 of last year, we witnessed a car crash that caused a mini van to go up over the barrier and then it disappeared.  This was on the elevated part.  Saw on the news later that night at the fort that the min van ended up in a persons yard and the person only suffered minor injuries.  Nobody in that section of I-4 cared for the other drivers.  Even a Sheriff's Deputy merged right in front of us with a few feet to spare and then slammed on his brakes.  I had to squeeze the lever on my brake controller to help me stop in time.  He then proceeded to merge back into the far right lane where he came from then to exit the highway.  I blew the horn at him and showed him my appreciation for his elite driving skills.  My wife was convinced we were going to get pulled over further down the highway by one of his buddies.  Truth be told, I kind of expected it too, but it felt good :)

[Theed31u 10]

On 3/9/2016 at 8:38 AM, jrbdad said:

I lived in San Diego for 18years so to me bad/rush hour traffic is 5 mph for mile and miles. 

I live in rural Iowa, don't really have rush hour but try being stuck behind tractors for miles and miles without being able to pass!

[BR60103 5]

Does the Sun Pass work for MHs as well as cars? Are the tolls the same?

We rented a car this year in Orlando and the GPS was absolutely paranoid about toll booths. "Make a U turn" "Make a U turn" "Oh, dear, you're in for it now".

The only place we even worried about tolls was coming off the Turnpike at Winter Garden onto the new toll road (for one exit) where they wanted exact change -- for 35 cents? -- and no attendant.

[Travisma 1,317]

3 minutes ago, BR60103 said:

Does the Sun Pass work for MHs as well as cars? Are the tolls the same?

We rented a car this year in Orlando and the GPS was absolutely paranoid about toll booths. "Make a U turn" "Make a U turn" "Oh, dear, you're in for it now".

The only place we even worried about tolls was coming off the Turnpike at Winter Garden onto the new toll road (for one exit) where they wanted exact change -- for 35 cents? -- and no attendant.

I believe you are charged by the axle, so a 2 axle MH should be the same as a car.  Their website explains everything.

[geoffdaddy 33]

At the fort right now. I can confirm that our surpass is working fine now. We traveled both 429 and 419 so far on this trip and smooth sailing with the transactions this time around.  I like not having to worry with stopping for tolls.