New York State to Eliminate Cash Option for Paying Tolls

The greater Houston area recently expanded its offering of toll roads. The effect is dramatic - it just feels like it's now possible to zip anywhere that's covered. I can only imagine the effect on carbon emissions - it has to be quite positive ( check the EPA estimates for city v. highway - there's a difference ).

However, I still see ( in cases the majority ) pulling over to hit the cash lane.

Are there that many people with credit bad enough to not be eligible for a TXDOT pass? Surely not the majority. Is it because people feel like they're being tracked? Is it some variation on a frugality exercise - sort of Dave Ramsay's "envelope" system? Maybe it's some grumpy expression of discontent with toll roads? So you're gonna sit in line to pay more, cash?

I don't get it.

Hm, they've been caught before for trying to do something illegal; they are not allowed to give any form of discounts as a turnpike on the federal highway system. (To prevent perverting the cost structures to in-state user's advantage.)

Are they not going to charge fees for these paper bills when paid on time? Can one pay one in cash and without needing a stamp? Even if they've sorted those two out, a third of people not paying and that being made up in fines makes it sound onerous which is against the spirit of the rules.

They aren't kidding: whenever these systems are deployed the agencies choose privacy-destroying versions. They could just as easily have a refillable stored-value version, but instead they have one that reports its subscriber number and is tied to a user's account. Resulting in a data stream that can be subpoenaed or simply inspected.

I guess people are just inured to this. Driver's licenses are full of info not required for driving.

Oh, and a mandatory snarky Manhattanite snicker for "Bridge and Tunnel Officers"