- SunPass
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SunPass logo
SunPass is an electronic toll collection system in use by the State of Florida and was originally created by the Florida Department of Transportation's Florida's Turnpike. SunPass customers benefit from an average of a 25% discount on most tolls.
The system uses Amtech active RFID windshield-mounted transponders manufactured by TransCore along with lane equipment designed by several companies including SAIC and TransCore.
SunPass is fully interoperable with E-Pass (from the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority), O-Pass (operated by Osceola County; operations have been absorbed by E-Pass), LeeWay (from Lee County toll bridges) and Miami-Dade Expressway Authority (MDX) toll roads.
Contents
Design
SunPass-Only toll lanes on most toll roads in Florida allow a vehicle to proceed through the tollbooth at speeds of up to 25 mph (40 km/h). This is a safety guideline, not a technological limitation, and violation may be subject to a speeding ticket and associated fine. Most mainline toll barriers on the Turnpike system have been, or are currently being reconstructed with Open-Road Tolling (ORT) SunPass-only lanes that handle highway speeds. The mainline toll barriers have dedicated lanes capable of full-speed automatic toll collection at up to 65 mph (105 km/h); however, E-Pass-Only lanes in the OOCEA system have a speed limit of 35 mph (56 km/h). Most toll booths in the Orlando area have already upgraded to this open road tolling technology.
SunPass portable (hard case) transponders can be transferred between vehicles without damaging the transponder. The original transponders operate on battery power to communicate with toll barrier equipment and to operate audible and visual indications of toll paid, toll low, battery low, and so forth. The Type IIe transponder, an updated version of the SunPass portable, requires no batteries, but do not have indicator lights or audible beeps. SunPass portable transponders are sold for US$25 plus sales tax to customers who prefer the portability offered by the transponder; this is a revenue generator that Sunpass employs so that customers may have the privilege of using SunPass's toll system. Currently, only the Type IIe transponder is being sold. Customers must establish a minimum opening account of US$10 to fund their tolls. Unused toll fees are only refunded if the user closes the account or takes advantage of a money-back guarantee.
SunPass Mini sticker RFID passive transponders, about the size of a credit card, operate on the energy emitted by toll barrier detectors, thus requiring no battery and providing no indicators. The Mini went on sale on July 1, 2008 at US$4.99, although the money is rebated minus tax with the opening of a new account. SunPass Mini, unlike its predecessor, must be mounted on the glass windshield of the vehicle to work properly and, once applied, cannot be removed from a windshield without destroying the pass. (Unless heat from a blow-dryer or just from the summer sun is applied to loosen the adhesive. Then, carefully remove the sticker and reapply it to the new windshield before the stickiness loses its tack. Remember to update Sunpass account on website to inform them of car's new description.) It will not work on motorcycle windshields as they are not made of glass.[1]
The Sunpass Mini or EPass sticker can be used as a portable device, provided it is affixed to a small square of glass instead of a windshield. According to the patent for the device, the sticker was specifically designed such that if removed, among other things capacitor 66 is decoupled from 64, preventing the use of the sticker if it is torn from the glass.[2] It would also appear the sticker can be simply taped to the windshield for temporary use.[3]
SunPass, like the other related ETC systems in Florida, is currently not compatible with E-ZPass or other ETC systems outside of Florida.
History
SunPass was introduced on April 24, 1999, and by October 1 of the same year, more than 100,000 SunPass transponders had been sold.[4]
The Mini, introduced on July 1, 2008, was initially unavailable in the Orlando Metro area due to the lack of RFID readers on E-Pass on Orlando area tollways.[5] On September 1, 2008, the Mini became usable in all E-Pass lanes in Orlando, and the SunPass Mini is now sold at retail locations statewide.
In early 2009, all Easy Pay customers automatically became SunPass Plus customers and have the privilege of using their transponders to pay for airport parking at Tampa, Orlando, Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami airports. Customers can opt out of the SunPass Plus program.[6]
Florida's Turnpike recently completed a project to convert the 47 mile Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike to open road tolling, allowing free-flowing movement throughout this segment of the toll road. Motorists must have a SunPass or be billed with the "Toll-by-Plate" program. There is no cash option to pay on these roads.
Toll-by-Plate uses cameras and sends a bill to the registered owner of the vehicle. Bills are more than the actual charge for the toll. For example a $1.50 toll charge is assessed a $2.00 "administrative fee" when the bill is sent in the mail bringing the total to $3.50. And consumers who do not pay their fees on time are quickly assessed an additional $2.50 (now bringing the total to $6.00).
The Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority's version of Toll-by-Plate is known as "We Bill You."[7][8]
On September 17, 2010, cash collection on the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway ended in favor of open road tolling. The original toll plazas were removed and replaced with toll gantries similar to the ones installed on the express lanes. The tollway takes either SunPass or "Toll-by-Plate".[9][10][11]
Accepted locations
- Florida's Turnpike
- Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike
- Alligator Alley
- Sawgrass Expressway
- Airport Expressway, Miami
- Dolphin Expressway, Miami
- Don Shula Expressway, Miami
- Gratigny Parkway, Miami
- Garcon Point Bridge, Gulf Breeze
- Mid-Bay Bridge, Destin
- Cape Coral Bridge, Fort Myers
- Midpoint Memorial Bridge, Fort Myers
- Sanibel Causeway, Sanibel Island
- Veterans Expressway, Tampa
- Suncoast Parkway, Tampa
- Lee Roy Selmon Expressway, Tampa
- Sunshine Skyway Bridge, St. Petersburg
- Polk Parkway, Lakeland
- Spessard L. Holland east–west Expressway, Orlando
- Apopka Bypass, Orlando
- Central Florida Greeneway, Southern Connector, or Seminole Expressway, Orlando
- Daniel Webster Western Beltway or Western Expressway, Orlando
- Martin Andersen Beachline Expressway, Orlando
- Osceola Parkway, Kissimmee
- Orlando International Airport
- Tampa International Airport
- Palm Beach International Airport
- Fort Lauderdale International Airport
- Miami International Airport
See also
References
- ^ "South Florida". Topic Galleries. Sun-sentinel.com. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbsunpass0811sbaug11,0,4121039.story. Retrieved 2010-02-19.[dead link]
- ^ "US Patent 6121880". http://www.google.com/patents?hl=en&lr=&vid=USPAT6121880&id=TjgGAAAAEBAJ&oi=fnd&dq=windshield+sticker+tag+rfid&printsec=abstract#v=onepage&q&f=false.
- ^ "Discussion". http://www.city-data.com/forum/tampa-bay/378728-sun-pass-vs-sun-pass-mini-2.html.
- ^ "Florida's Turnpike 50 Year Celebration" (PDF). Florida Department of Transportation. 2007. http://www.floridasturnpike.com/downloads/50thBookFinal.pdf. Retrieved 2009-07-31.
- ^ "Sun Pass vs Sun Pass Mini". City-Data.com. 2008-07-20. http://www.city-data.com/forum/tampa-bay/378728-sun-pass-vs-sun-pass-mini.html. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
- ^ "SunPass Plus Airport Parking". SunPass.com. 2009-04-02. http://www.sunpass.com/airportparking.cfm. Retrieved 2009-04-02.
- ^ St. Petersburg Times: "Tolls go electronic on 47-mile stretch of Florida Turnpike", November 19, 2009.
- ^ Sun-Sentinel: "Florida's Turnpike to go cashless as it switches to electronic tolling", October 26, 2009.
- ^ Selmon Expressway Converts to All-Electronic Tolling Sept. 17
- ^ Selmon Expressway Prepares for September 2010 Conversion to All-Electronic Tolling
- ^ Kamm, Grayson (January 14, 2009). "Bye bye, toll booths: Selmon Expressway to stop taking cash". WTSP. http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=98077.
External links
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