Airport + Pikepass

[safetyguy]

Why do they need to spend a ridiculous amount to see if it will work when DFW's airport already uses a similiar system?? They have had the system in place for several years.

As a person who travels for work I am not sure about using the pikepass because I have to have a receipt for expenses.I would have to wait until the bill came in to get reimbursed.

My wife parks downtown and has to carry 2 passes because the Central Parking Garage has said for the past couple years they are going to convert over to use the pikepass. She used to ask when they were going to get the new equipment, but she eventually gave up since it was obvious they weren't going to get it.

[TheTed]

Somewhat off topic, but...doesn't the state save money the more people use PikePass?

As a former Illinois resident and user of their PikePass-type system, it sure seems like Oklahoma isn't going out of its way to get people to use it. You have to go to one of a few places (I tried to get one at the downtown tag agency, and was told to sign a petition so they could offer PikePasses. Not sure why they have to have people signing a petition to sell them.)

You have to fill out lengthy forms, come back in several hours, all to save a nickel or so at each toll plaza.

Illinois offers them at Osco (like Walgreen's). You buy for $50, all of which goes toward deposit/future toll usage, then you call and activate. Illinois has a useful website where you can add funds or add a car to the list of cars registered with the device in a matter of minutes. Oklahoma's version of the site is worthless.

Illinois doubled the tolls for those who aren't using the PikePass-type device.

Why doesn't Oklahoma do any of this? Tolls on the turnpikes are cheap. Why not double them for non-PikePass users, which should mostly affect out of staters? Why not make it easier to get a PikePass and make it a better deal financially?

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by TheTed

Somewhat off topic, but...doesn't the state save money the more people use PikePass?

As a former Illinois resident and user of their PikePass-type system, it sure seems like Oklahoma isn't going out of its way to get people to use it. You have to go to one of a few places (I tried to get one at the downtown tag agency, and was told to sign a petition so they could offer PikePasses. Not sure why they have to have people signing a petition to sell them.)

You have to fill out lengthy forms, come back in several hours, all to save a nickel or so at each toll plaza.

Illinois offers them at Osco (like Walgreen's). You buy for $50, all of which goes toward deposit/future toll usage, then you call and activate. Illinois has a useful website where you can add funds or add a car to the list of cars registered with the device in a matter of minutes. Oklahoma's version of the site is worthless.

Illinois doubled the tolls for those who aren't using the PikePass-type device.

Why doesn't Oklahoma do any of this? Tolls on the turnpikes are cheap. Why not double them for non-PikePass users, which should mostly affect out of staters? Why not make it easier to get a PikePass and make it a better deal financially?

Pikepass already offers a small discount and has a pikepass dealer downtown already long before that tag agency opened. The sell the pikepass, you have to have an agreement with the turnpike authority, not the oklahoma tax commission like tag agents do.

[sauerkraut]

I wish they would work on plans to start making at least some of the toll roads FREE roads. With the cost of fuel at $3.00 a gallon and going to $4.00 a gallon in the summer of 2008, perhaps even as early as May, 2008, the cost of tolls is a added expense that really can add up, even more so if you have to drive the darn toll roads every day.. I guess with a PikePass the tolls are a bit cheaper, I don't know how much cheaper. I don't live in Tulsa but I visit the area alot. Tulsa has no free Interstates that surround it like OKC does. At least in OKC I-35 & I-40 are freebies, I wish they would at least just make I-44 free in Oklahoma, fine keep all the other toll roads, I'd just avoid them, like I always do.[]

[sauerkraut]

quote:Originally posted by TheTed

Somewhat off topic, but...doesn't the state save money the more people use PikePass?

As a former Illinois resident and user of their PikePass-type system, it sure seems like Oklahoma isn't going out of its way to get people to use it. You have to go to one of a few places (I tried to get one at the downtown tag agency, and was told to sign a petition so they could offer PikePasses. Not sure why they have to have people signing a petition to sell them.)

You have to fill out lengthy forms, come back in several hours, all to save a nickel or so at each toll plaza.

Illinois offers them at Osco (like Walgreen's). You buy for $50, all of which goes toward deposit/future toll usage, then you call and activate. Illinois has a useful website where you can add funds or add a car to the list of cars registered with the device in a matter of minutes. Oklahoma's version of the site is worthless.

Illinois doubled the tolls for those who aren't using the PikePass-type device.

Why doesn't Oklahoma do any of this? Tolls on the turnpikes are cheap. Why not double them for non-PikePass users, which should mostly affect out of staters? Why not make it easier to get a PikePass and make it a better deal financially?

I have a better idea, why not raise the Oklahoma state  fuel tax 10 cents a gallon and make all the toll roads free? Most states have no toll roads at all and they seem to get along just fine, Oklahoma can just follow them. Oklahoma's fuel tax is one of the lowest around. They can then use that extra money for the roads & bridges. Chicago is full of toll roads and Detroit, Michigan has none, Michigan/Detroit seems to be able to get along fine without toll roads why can't Chicago, or the state of IL? Both states have simular populations, Even worse the state of IL has one of the highest fuel taxes around and they still have toll roads.

[safetyguy]

I was in Austin this past summer and by accident ended up on the new toll road. It was so new that they weren't charging to drive on it. It was very nice.

Go Buckeyes!