Don't take Candian toll roads.

Got this bill in the mail today from our trip to Niagra Falls a few weeks ago. We decided to go to Toronto to say we went there. Came across a toll road (hwy 403 QEW) and it had no prices listed but said they will bill us by mail. We figured it would be $5 to $10 like the others we encountered on our way there from Illinois. Boy, were we suprised by this one! As you can see we only went a total of 50 km or 31 miles.

On a side note, if we don't pay will one of those Candian police on the horse come to our door?

Oh, and my favorite part of the trip was Central and Northern Ohio. The small farms and the hay fields were beautiful. And the rail park in Fostoria is a must see for anyone interested in trains.[/img]

I'm sure that's in Canadian dollars, which would be about $1.19 in US money.

I got one of those bills last summer on my motorcycle. I've been through Toronto more times than I need to so when I saw the by-pass I took it. I called them up to complain and they reduced it down to less than half the original bill. I think it ended up 12 bucks American, which is still to much but I paid it. The three wheeler riding with me never got a bill. Although he had a cooler on the back that kind of blocks his lic, plate number.

Sounds like a US tag kicks in the multiplier.

Interesting that the amount doesn't have C$ next to it, or USD next to it to indicate the currency. Maybe it says in the fine print. More likely, they're hoping that people in the US will pay in USD. In any case, I'll bet you could send in just about anything and they'd probably call it even.

Yeah they are trying to crack down on people using it for free.
It's worth it though, the 401 is terrible through there.

We just skim through an hour north instead now and see all
the farming country instead.

There is a reciprocity agreement between between Ontario and 12 states, Illinois being one. If you don't pay, the state picks up the charge and
goes after you causing a higher state fine of money and possibly demerits. The bill is in Canadian funds.

That would be the 407, not the 401 or 403.
The 407 is a real money maker for the governent so it was sold for a few cents on the dollar to some politician's friends in Spain.

No, they won't send someone on a horse to visit, just a flock of Canada geese....Ben

It sounds like that is a privately run toll road. There is increasing talk of privatizing roads in the US to save states some money, also licensing private companies to build and operate new (toll?) roads. I don't see that happening unless they are very profitable. Maybe tolls like that will be our future?

Texas has started increasing toll roads which are managed by local firms; do know how the financing is setup, but paid for obviously by the users.

For revenue to finance operations in the state we have a 6.25% state sales tax and usually an additional 2% local tax on most all purchases but motor fuel and groceries. There are no income taxes here. Real estate taxes pay for schools, local colleges, and county functions. Those numbers total about $1.85/$100 valuation of your real estate. Farm exemptions makes ag. usage land almost tax free, ag. sales are tax free, farm equipment is not taxed, farm diesel is not taxed, and seniors get a $25k discount on their homestead ad-valorem taxes collected by the 3 entities listed above.

Example for roads around me are the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA). I'm about 55 miles from DFW airport and about 35 is fabulous 4 lane, controlled entry, camera operated automatic ticketing luxury. For a round trip I get a bill in the mail with a picture of my license plate in the amount of about $7.50. License plates for my ? ton Silverado run about $75 a year, $10 of that is a local tax for local road upgrades. Texas has a 20 cent per gallon road tax......as I recall....total road tax per gallon is 40 cents, fed and state.

For the convenience, considering the predecessor, 2 lane asphalt, stop lights everywhere, traffic congestion....on and on.....I pay in in a Heartbeat and love every penny I spent!

Coming off the Mid-Bay bridge from Destin, FL. for $4.00, you have a choice. Go through all the traffic of
Niceville or pay a $3.00 toll to use a lightly used road. The toll is collected automatically by taking a
picture of your license plate and your state motor vehicle dept collects by mail, no toll plaza. You can
avoid the whole $7.00 by going across the island to Ft Walton, but it takes about 30 minutes longer, if
traffic is lite.

I like it....not funded by gas taxes, only those using the road pay for it. Unlike NYS using gas taxes to
keep mass transit in NYC about half of the actual cost.

I was servicing their generators. When the went from manned toll booths to electronic. In the main office turning in my reports. Over heard them complaining about the money they lost. A little over two million. One booth someone forgot to turn the cameras on.

So if I pay a toll them nasty things will leave? where do I send my money?

Or one of those pink $5 bills if you have an old monopoly game laying around.

I had to chuckle a few years after I drove over a toll bridge over the Missouri River at Decatur, NE. There were two old geezers in the toll booth. I paid the toll and pulled into a C-store to get some snacks.

Two clerks were joking. They wondered out loud how much of the toll money went into the till and how much went into a coffee can under the counter. Thinking about it, absent a camera or traffic counter, you'd be relying on the honesty of the people in the booth.

I paid $180,000 in tolls in 2016. Mostly to Illinios. This is not a joke. Some people throw change into those toll booths, I buy
Illinios a nice new house each year.

Things happen. When the road to the airport was opening (in segments as it was completed) I truck on in on an ON ramp and see no booth both there and getting off. Just figured they weren't charging yet.......ha. About a week later came my first "portrait" and sale price in the mail. It was electronic.

(quoted from post at 17:39:05 08/29/17) I paid $180,000 in tolls in 2016. Mostly to Illinios. This is not a joke. Some people throw change into those toll booths, I buy
Illinios a nice new house each year.

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Ok, I'm curious how you paid so much. That is almost $500 every single day of the year.