My understanding is that you promised to only ever use it in the ZEV, and so they adjust the system to never charge you.
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California: Free 91/110/10 Express Lane Access
- Thread starter FANGO
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- California USA
My understanding is that you promised to only ever use it in the ZEV, and so they adjust the system to never charge you.
I'll take your word for it. Mine isn't switchable either. On a different topic, I just used it on the 73 northbound on Friday. I didn't hear any twiddle noise from it when we went under the toll monitors. I wonder if I misunderstood, it's supposed to be usable there too, no?
Thanks, yes, I knew it wasn't free. But when we got to the split (northbound) we could see the traffic ahead, even the car pool lane was backed up!
Thanks for all this valuable information. We have carpool lane stickers. We live in the Bay Area and have a Fastrak for the bridges that we got from Bay Area Fasttrak office. I put my Fastrak pass just to the right of the rear view mirror, but it doesn't register when I cross the bridges. However, our car gets photographed as we go through the toll booths and just get billed on our Fastrak account.
Our daughter and her family live in LA and we drove down to LA in the Tesla for the first time two weeks ago to help with our new grandson for a few weeks.
We have encountered the toll lanes and carpool lanes on various roads down here, but have only used the carpool lanes. It looks like we need to get a new Fastrak transponder which is switchable from the southern Cal Fastrak office if we use any toll roads. I haven't tried putting the transponder on the dashboard yet. However, in other threads it didn't seem to work for the regular transponders. Definitely the Norcal transponders don't work for me on the passenger side of the rear view mirror mount.
If the transponder doesn't register, what happens?
Thanks.
Our daughter and her family live in LA and we drove down to LA in the Tesla for the first time two weeks ago to help with our new grandson for a few weeks.
We have encountered the toll lanes and carpool lanes on various roads down here, but have only used the carpool lanes. It looks like we need to get a new Fastrak transponder which is switchable from the southern Cal Fastrak office if we use any toll roads. I haven't tried putting the transponder on the dashboard yet. However, in other threads it didn't seem to work for the regular transponders. Definitely the Norcal transponders don't work for me on the passenger side of the rear view mirror mount.
If the transponder doesn't register, what happens?
Thanks.
Is there some minimum usage that is required? If I don't use an express or toll lane for a year or two, will the $40 credit still be available afterward?
Someone told me that getting a transponder required using it multiple times a year (don't recall how many) or they charge you.
About a month ago, they began charging a $2/month fee. So, you'll run out of funds at some point.
As far as the 73 goes, I have been on it when it beeped, and when it has not. No, it is not free, so it does not matter if you have a switchable device or not for that road.
Thanks for the very valuable info FANGO. I did contact the 91 Express Lanes office to request the "switchable" transponder since I didn't see anywhere on the application where you could specifically request the "switchable" transponder. They said to just fill out the application checking the Zero Emission Vehicle box and including a copy of my registration, then to be sure to hand write across the bottom of the application to "Please send switchable transponder for use on 10/110 freeways".
As FANGO stated, you can only use this transponder in your Tesla or other EV. I have another ICE vehicle, but since I cannot add this vehicle to my 91 Express Lane account, I assume that I cannot use this transponder in my ICE vehicle even on other toll roads. Oh well, I guess I will have to spring for the extra $2/mo to have an extra transponder in my ICE vehicle that I almost never drive in any Express lane.
As FANGO stated, you can only use this transponder in your Tesla or other EV. I have another ICE vehicle, but since I cannot add this vehicle to my 91 Express Lane account, I assume that I cannot use this transponder in my ICE vehicle even on other toll roads. Oh well, I guess I will have to spring for the extra $2/mo to have an extra transponder in my ICE vehicle that I almost never drive in any Express lane.
FastTrak Expresslane Transponders. We are in the LA area but the FastTrak Transponder is used throughout California. We charge our tolls to our credit card and "finally" looked at a statement. It was charging us $50-60 per month for usage when an electric vehicle is free in express lanes. We sent an online inquiry and received a reply that told us about the correct mounting location for the transponder. Sent another inquiry and got the same reply.
So this morning, I called customer service. I told the customer service person that the transaction records on the statements show that when the overhead readers pick up the transponder, the toll is zero or free. But our license plate is recorded on the statement, we get charged. Seems like the transponder works some of the time.
Customer Service said it is a known problem with Tesla's. Something about the windshield being thicker and it blocks the signal. He said he will put us on an "Exclusion List" and will submit a dispute for the charges on the last 2 bills. I asked him about the 6 months prior to that and he said he will submit a request.
If you use a FastTrak transponder, check your statements to see if you are being charged. If you are charged, call 1-877-224-6511. Since you are calling "511" select the option for customer service and they transfer you to expresslanes. No use sending an online inquiry because you get a "canned" reply. What I don't understand is why we are not on an Exclusion List automatically since they know our license plate number and we register the car as an electric vehicle on www.metroexpresslanes.net
So this morning, I called customer service. I told the customer service person that the transaction records on the statements show that when the overhead readers pick up the transponder, the toll is zero or free. But our license plate is recorded on the statement, we get charged. Seems like the transponder works some of the time.
Customer Service said it is a known problem with Tesla's. Something about the windshield being thicker and it blocks the signal. He said he will put us on an "Exclusion List" and will submit a dispute for the charges on the last 2 bills. I asked him about the 6 months prior to that and he said he will submit a request.
If you use a FastTrak transponder, check your statements to see if you are being charged. If you are charged, call 1-877-224-6511. Since you are calling "511" select the option for customer service and they transfer you to expresslanes. No use sending an online inquiry because you get a "canned" reply. What I don't understand is why we are not on an Exclusion List automatically since they know our license plate number and we register the car as an electric vehicle on www.metroexpresslanes.net
I currently have the 10/110 Metro Expresslanes switchable transponder, but have been considering applying for the 91 Special Access Account (for the rare occasion I have to go out that way). Does the 91 Fastrak switchable transponder qualify for the free HOV use on the 10/110 Metro Express lanes? I would be concerned about having 2 separate Fastrak accounts with one license plate, and getting double charged, so I assume I would have to remove the Tesla from the 10/110 account.
Yes. You need to request the switchable transponder.
On the occasion I'm on the 73 Toll Road and the transponder isn't read, My LA County account is charged for the trip... EVEN when I have the 91 Express transponder on the windshield...
It's been suggested by @FANGO that folks should cancel their LA County account and just use the 91 one... that's actually reasonable, but I have both accounts still active.
Only one account at a time has been charged in my experience over the past five years.
All the counties interconnect their toll tags in California, I believe. I would presume that the reason that I was charged on my LA County account vs. my 91 Express account is that my car is registered in LA County, and not the OC, so when the algorithm doesn't read the transponder, it does an address search and sees if the registered owner has an account in their home county first.
But, that's just me presuming this, and not actually knowing that this is the case.
Well we had a good run on free FasTrak toll usage. It seems like it’s ending soon. Because this Krekorian bafoon does not know math and thinks 6% will alleviate all his problems.
Please vote him off the council.
“I cannot subsidize someone who puts their tie on and drives their Tesla to work in these lanes,” said Los Angeles City Councilman and Metro board member Paul Krekorian.
“But the lanes have become overused by paying single-occupancy customers, who represent 49 percent of the Metro Express Lanes customers, and free-riding EV drivers, which account for about 6 percent.”
It’s become overused because of ICE car single riders who cheat and mark their transponder as 3+ when it’s only 1 person.
Clean air vehicles will no longer ride pay lanes for free in LA County – Daily News
Please vote him off the council.
“I cannot subsidize someone who puts their tie on and drives their Tesla to work in these lanes,” said Los Angeles City Councilman and Metro board member Paul Krekorian.
“But the lanes have become overused by paying single-occupancy customers, who represent 49 percent of the Metro Express Lanes customers, and free-riding EV drivers, which account for about 6 percent.”
It’s become overused because of ICE car single riders who cheat and mark their transponder as 3+ when it’s only 1 person.
Clean air vehicles will no longer ride pay lanes for free in LA County – Daily News
I know that the 10/110 is reducing the discount for all valid HOV stickers to 15% at some undetermined time in November/December of this year. Have we heard any changes for the 91 free tolls (except M-F eastbound 4-6pm at 50% discount) for zero emission vehicles with the HOV stickers expiring for those issues before January 2017?
