vade

Hi,

I am flying into BOS for a week on Nov 7, and intend to pick up a rental from Logan. I just read that All Electronic Tolling will be introduced from Oct 28. Does that mean that I will now need to get the transponder together with my rental car?

On a separate note, I am staying at Back Bay, and for a few days of the week, I will need to drive to Burlington (MA, not VT) in the mornings (around 7+) and return in the evenings (around 5+). Which is the best route for me to take?

Thanks!

Yahtzee

You'll want to take I-93 north to Burlington. I'd probably plan on taking Berkeley Street to Storrow Drive to the interstate.

As to the tolling, I know that when I'm in San Francisco and have a rental car, I usually just get a bill for tolls from the rental car company a few weeks after I went over the bridge. Imagine it will be the same in Boston. You can probably save a few bucks by renting a car downtown and then you wouldn't face any tolls going to Burlington.

Cloudship

Yes, you either need to get the toll pass or pay the excess fee (which can be quite pricey depending upon which company) when they eventually bill you for it.

If you are staying in Back Bay, I would HIGHLY recommend not renting a car the whole time - parking around there is a pain in the neck and very, very pricey. If you absolutely need a car, rent it from a local place around the hotel, and only for the days you absolutely need it. The best route depends on where you are going. Easiest would be the pike out to 128 (er, 95) and then north on 95.

Yahtzee

People in greater Boston love to disagree on directions.

Cloudship

It's because in Boston there is no direct line between any two points.

Out of my Element

I'd get an EZ Pass from MA now. You can get one online. There have been reports of large convenience fees from the rental car companies for their handling of the toll charges on your behalf.

Efrem

I agree, but part of the problem here is that "Back Bay" covers a good-sized area and it can take a while to get from one side to the other during rush hour. Personally, if I'm near Storrow Drive, I'd take Yahtzee's directions in post #2, but if I'm near the turnpike entrance off Huntington just west of Dartmouth St., I'd take Cloudship's in post #3. Part of it is that I prefer highway to city driving, so I like to get on the nearest highway, plus I have an EZ-Pass transponder. YMMV.

gfunkdave

As a data point, Enterprise charged me $17 for a $5 toll across the Tobin Bridge.

vade

Thanks for all the responses. I'm actually staying at the Westin Copley Place, and I think there's an entrance to the pike just in front? So I guess getting onto the pike and then north on 95 is the way to go?

As for the EZ-Pass transponder, I assume I have to get it together with the car from the rental company? Or is there another way? I'm planning to rent from National, and I see they want to charge me $3.95 / Day for the transponder.

Cloudship

What state are you coming from? EZ Pass is available throughout much of the northeast.

As an aside, and to hijack the thread, does anyone else see that this may be a big disaster? This is going to have a big impact on tourism for the rest of the state.

Out of my Element

Here is where to get it

https://www.massdot.state.ma.us/high...MAProgram.aspx

What kind of disaster, Cloudship? Other locales have gone cash-free already

Cloudship

I didn't realize they were going ot have kiosks. That is great! unfortunately, looking at the list none of them are any places I would dare go, but at east they have kiosks.

As for the disaster, Unlike most locations, we will not have a cash lane where a traveler without a pass can pay, or even a way to prepay (ala California). And here, you HAVE to use the toll to even get out of the airport via either tunnel or the bridge. And to go west of Boston, again unless you know the back roads and are willing to drive city streets, you end up having to go through tolls. The disaster is that now anyone either visiting someone, tourists venturing out of the city, or business people visiting customers or offices out of the city, now add a $5 a day to their trip across the board, because you have to pay for the toll pass for every day, not just when you use it. And, for those tourists who don't know this or how toll passes work, and we know how great a job the rental agencies do about telling people information up front, they are going to get hit with high penalties. Dollar and Thrifty charge $15 a day if you don't sign up ahead of time! Then again, most people forget there is life outside of 128.

lo2e

There is one way to get out of the airport without paying a toll, but it's only useful if you're headed North, as it's a huge pain to go anywhere else: Route 1A North toward Revere does not have tolls.

Efrem

That's the entrance off Huntington Avenue that I referred to in post 7. On that basis, I vote for Cloudship's directions in post 3.

It didn't seem to affect Florida tourism much, and their transponders aren't useful anywhere else.

vade

I'm not local, will be flying in from Singapore. Looking at this, I guess I have no choice other than to rent the transponder from the rental company, or pay them the convenience fee.