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E-470 tolls to rise

By Berny Morson, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published November 13, 2008 at 2:50 p.m.

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Tolls on E-470 will rise Jan. 1.

The increase approved by the tollroad's board of directors varies among different collection points and between those who pay cash and those who pay automatically with a transponder.

Tolls collected from cars at on-off ramps will go from 75 cents to $1 for those who pay cash and to 90 cents for vehicles with transponders.

Tolls collected at the plaza between the Peoria Street and Chambers Road exits will go from $1.75 to $2.25 if paid in cash and to $2 if paid by transponder.

The fee at the road's other four toll plazas will go from $2 to $2.50 for motorists who pay cash and $2.25 if paid by transponder.

Tolls are higher for vehicles with more than two axles.

Paying by cash will no longer be an option after July 4, 2009, said E-470 finance director John McCuskey.

A new system will read the license plate on vehicles and send a bill in the mail. Billing will be at the cash rate.

The new system, called license plate toll, will be phased in beginning Jan. 1.

McCusky said the Jan. 1 toll increases will raise about $5 million a year, boosting collections from $95 million a year now to over $100 million.

E-470 has been raising tolls at regular intervals since 1999, usually in 25-cent increments. The increases reflect the way the highway's bond payments are structured, as well as maintenance needs.

McCusky said some drivers may decide to take other routes as tolls rise.

"We know we'll have some drop-off.... Over time the traffic comes back. We expect that," McCusky said.

Comments

  • November 13, 2008

    3:25 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Scott writes:

    There was a reason that I call this boondoggle "The Romer Ripoff Roadway." And let us not forget the extra $10 per year in license tax for the "privilege" of living in the area of The RRR ... whether you use it or not.

    Scott

  • November 13, 2008

    3:41 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    ou8one2 writes:

    It's all about the money. They are laying-off all of the toll both employees, but still raising rates. It will now cost over $10 to drive from I-25 to I-70 on the toll road. Leave a little early and take I-225 around, E-470 stinks!

  • November 13, 2008

    3:44 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    blindrid writes:

    There will some dropoff by me anyway and short of having to use it, I won't be coming back.

    I used to love using the road but unfortunately cannot afford a 10%+ increase in my monthly bill. I'm cutting back right now and certainly find this as an opportunity to cut back further.

  • November 13, 2008

    4 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    EnlightenedOne writes:

    When the new license reading technology was previously reported, the story was that the toll authority would eliminate the collection booths and cut costs. How is that costs are going up now?

  • November 13, 2008

    4:05 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    CWW writes:

    When are the tolls supposed to be finished? I thought it was only for 5 years. Does anyone know? I guess they want to continue collecting the $$ for as long as they can.

  • November 13, 2008

    4:10 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Who_Me writes:

    If your kids want to play on a street, take them to the Northwest Parkway. Very safe, fewer cars on that road than anywhere in America.

  • November 13, 2008

    4:41 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Nosybear writes:

    I find it abhorrent that we as a Nation and as a State can no longer afford to build roads. Tolls on E-470 serve only one purpose, ultimately, and that's to keep people off the road. Seriously, that's their purpose. You see, if there were no charge on the road, two things would happen: More people would use it (increasing congestion) and there would be more development along it (again increasing congestion). The tolls amount to a congestion charge.

    Growing up in Kentucky, I could drive the toll road from Paducah to Louisville for under $2.00. Tolls were low, traffic high and the bonds paid off many years early. E-470 is taking the opposite approach: Tolls high, traffic low and road never paid off. Sweet deal if you can get it!

  • November 13, 2008

    4:45 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    joggle writes:

    I've driven a number of toll roads in other parts of the country and have never seen ones with rates as high as E-470 (at least not as high per mile as E-470). Why the heck must tolls be so high? It isn't like we've been getting inundated with snow and the roads haven't been damaged by floods or heavy use.

  • November 13, 2008

    5:56 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Denverboy1 writes:

    E-470 is way outta line.....way way out of line...Im not sure but I think it cost more to drive than any ....toll ...In the U.S of A....could be the entire planet....What are they thinking...you morons rise the rate now,,in this economy ??? No one will drive..it...You should be going the other way with the toll... If you want revenue...Jezz business 101...Think to prove the point I'll cancel my EZPASS

  • November 13, 2008

    9:44 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    robbyr2 writes:

    The tolls are permanent. The tolls are coming to every major highway. E-470 has the highest tolls in the country. But this is all the way we like it. We prefer to pay tolls rather than taxes. We don't want FasTraks because RTD might have to use eminent domain to keep from getting swindled by the landowners. We don't want to pay any more taxes to support FasTraks, because RTD should have known the price for construction materials would increase by 100% over 4 years.

    This is what Colorado wants, so that's what we get. Like my dad used to say, "You may not get what you pay for, but you never get more than you pay for."

  • November 14, 2008

    4:43 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Chadley25 writes:

    My god... those tolls are breathtaking. I thought they were ridiculously high before. Maybe people should just stop using E470. I know I won't ever use it.

  • November 14, 2008

    5:45 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    gatengreen writes:

    I think that most people would agree that the tolls were too high before and that kept people from using the road. Now with the increase, at the worst possible time, there will be fewer riders and their income will drop.

    Personally, I used the road once and decided that the cost benefit wasn't there.

  • November 14, 2008

    6:23 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    LockeRobster writes:

    I'm still trying to figure out why a toll road was built in the first place. Aren't we paying enough in taxes at the gas pump to fund these sorts of projects? Or is that money possibly being used for other purposes? Nah, that couldn't be the case, could it?

  • November 14, 2008

    7:09 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    FU writes:

    Just rub some mud on your license plate and drive for free.

  • November 14, 2008

    7:55 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    sabooba writes:

    E-470 made almost $100 million last year. Go to their website to see. It's a private road owned by a private entity geared entirely towards making a profit.
    http://www.e-470.com/pdf/2007%20Annua...

  • November 14, 2008

    8:01 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    LingLingfor_prez writes:

    LOL FU. Make sure you leave your wallet at home and give a fake name too if you get caught.