SunPass

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 Enterprise. 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. SunPass Plus may also be used at the Orlando International Airport and Tampa International Airport to pay for parking. Palm Beach International is scheduled to come online in January 2010 and Miami International later next year.

General

SunPass-Only toll lanes on most toll roads in Florida allow a vehicle to proceed through the tollbooth at speeds of up to 25mph (40km/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. E-Pass-Only lanes in the OOCEA system have a speed limit of 35 mph (60 km/h), though the mainline toll barriers will all have dedicated lanes capable of full-speed automatic toll collection at up to 65 mph (105 km/h) by 2009. Most toll booths in the Orlando area have already upgraded to this open road tolling technology.

SunPass portable (hard case) 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. SunPass hard-case transponders are sold at $25 US plus sales tax to customers who prefer the light and audible tone options and the portability offered by the existing transponder. Customers must establish a minimum opening account of $10 US 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 1st, 2008 at $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 it. It will not work on motorcycle windshields as they are not made of glass, and there have been reports of damaged motorcycle windshields after the stickers were removed.

The Mini was initially unavailable in the Orlando Metro area due to the lack of RFID readers on E-Pass on Orlando area tollways.^[1] On September 1st, 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 become SunPass Plus customers and have the privilege of using their transponders to pay for airport parking at Tampa, Orlando and soon Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Palm Beach airports. Customers can opt out of the SunPass Plus program.^[2]

The SunPass electronic toll-collection system as well as the other related ETC systems in Florida are currently not compatible with E-ZPass or other ETC systems outside of Florida. Non-Florida ETC transponders (including E-ZPass) will not work in Florida tollbooths.

Florida's Turnpike recently began a project to convert the southern 50 miles of road, known as the Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike, to all-electronic tolling. When the first phase is complete in 2011, motorists must have a SunPass or enroll in the "Toll-by-Plate" program. Toll-by-Plate will use cameras and send a bill to the the registered owner of the vehicle. Rates will be higher that SunPass rates.

Where SunPass is Accepted

• 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 Crosstown Expressway, Tampa
• Sunshine Skyway Bridge, St. Petersburg
• Polk Parkway, Lakeland, Florida
• 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

References

See also

• Electronic toll collection
• Toll road

External links

• SunPass
• Florida's Turnpike
• Florida Department of Transportation
• Orlando Orange County Expressway Authority
• Osceola Parkway
• LeeWay
• Miami-Dade Expressway Authority
• I-95 H.O.T. Lane Project
• City-Data forum: Sunpass Mini-Sticker vs. Portable Transponder
• Ft. Lauderdale News/Sun-Sentinel: Not so fast: SunPass Mini Does Not Work On Motorcycles
• Warning: SunPass Mini-Sticker for glass windshields only, no motorcycles