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SunPass
IndustryElectronic toll collection
FoundedApril 24, 1999; 25 years ago (1999-04-24)
Area served
  • Delaware
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Kentucky
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Minnesota
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • Ohio
  • Ontario
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • Virginia
  • West Virginia
ProductsTransponders
OwnerFlorida's Turnpike Enterprise
Websitesunpass.com

SunPass is an electronic toll collection system within the state of Florida, United States. It was created in 1999 by the Florida Department of Transportation's (FDOT's) Office of Toll Operations, operating now as a division of Florida's Turnpike Enterprise (FTE). The system utilizes windshield-mounted RFID transponders manufactured by TransCore and lane equipment designed by companies including TransCore, SAIC, and Raytheon.

History

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SunPass was introduced on April 24, 1999, and by October 1 of the same year, more than 100,000 SunPass transponders had been sold.[1][2]

In early 2009, all Easy Pay customers automatically became SunPass Plus customers if they opt-in 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.[3]

Functionality

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The Mini was introduced on July 1, 2008, and became available at retail locations. The Mini is a RFID passive transponder, about the size of a credit card, and requires no batteries. The transponder 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. The SunPass Mini sticker will not work on motorcycle windshields as they are not made of glass.[4][5]

SunPass Portable (or SunPass Pro) transponders can be transferred between vehicles. The Sunpass Pro portable transporter offers E-ZPass interoperability, unlike the Mini. Customers must establish an opening account of at least $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.

Technology

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A road with a sign with text "Orchard Pond Parkway: SunPass or toll-by-plate"
Signs on Orchard Pond Parkway near Tallahassee indicate payment is only by SunPass or toll-by-plate.

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) as a safety precaution. The Turnpike utilizes all-electronic tolling (AET) and toll by plate which handles highway speeds. The mainline toll barriers have dedicated lanes capable of full-speed automatic toll collection at up to 65 mph (105 km/h).

Florida's Turnpike Enterprise converted the Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike, the Sawgrass Expressway, and the Veterans Expressway to open road tolling, utilizing the SunPass transponders, in September 2010, February 2011, April 2014, and June 2014 respectively, ceasing cash collection. This allows free-flowing movement on both toll roads, moving through toll gantries at the former toll plazas. Motorists without a SunPass are billed through toll by plate.[6][7][8] Toll-by-Plate uses cameras and sends a bill to the registered owner of the vehicle. The bill consists of the toll and an administrative fee.[9] If the person fails to pay the toll and accompanying fees at all, the person would be fined $100 plus the tolls owed; in some cases, court costs, points against the driver's license, and the suspension of the license and registration would also be levied.[10]

Interoperability

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Compatibility of the SunPass throughout the US.
  SunPass Pro transponders only
  SunPass Mini and Pro transponders
*Works in parts of Texas

SunPass is fully interoperable with E-Pass (from the Central Florida Expressway Authority), O-Pass (from Osceola County, which has been folded into E-Pass), LeeWay (from Lee County toll bridges) and the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority (MDX) toll roads.

SunPass, like other electronic toll collection (ETC) systems in Florida, was not initially compatible with systems outside of Florida. The federal MAP-21 transportation bill passed in July 2012 required all toll facilities to have interoperable road tolling systems by October 1, 2016, but it was not met.[11] SunPass announced in 2012 for plans to eventually become interoperable with E-ZPass.[12] As a step towards this, the older battery-powered SunPass transponders were phased out by the end of 2015; new batteryless models can work with tolling equipment in other states.[13][14]

On July 29, 2013, Florida's Turnpike Enterprise made an interoperability agreement with North Carolina Turnpike Authority and its NC Quick Pass, allowing SunPass holders to utilize North Carolina's toll roads and lanes.[15][16]

On November 12, 2014, an interoperability agreement was made with Georgia's Peach Pass, allowing SunPass holders to utilize the I-85 Express lanes and any future toll roads or lanes in the state.[17][18]

The C-Pass system operated by Miami-Dade County Public Works on the Rickenbacker and Venetian Causeways was replaced by SunPass and pay-by-plate on September 23, 2014.[19]

In July 2020, E-ZPass announced that SunPass would be compatible with E-ZPass by the end of that year, along with Peach Pass in 2021. On May 28, 2021, the Florida's Turnpike Enterprise announced that its SunPass facilities would begin accepting E-ZPass. In addition, E-ZPass facilities began accepting SunPass Pro transponders (but not earlier SunPass transponders such as the SunPass Portable and SunPass Mini).[20][21]

On February 27, 2023, it was announced that SunPass was now compatible with the toll roads in Kansas and Oklahoma, as well as on certain toll roads in Texas.[22][23] Both the SunPass Mini and SunPass Pro transponders are supported. Certain transponders from these three states can be used on all roads maintained by the Florida Turnpike Enterprise. But Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas transponders currently cannot be used on any roads or portions of roads maintained by the Central Florida Expressway Authority.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Florida's Turnpike 50 Year Celebration (PDF). Florida Department of Transportation. 2007. Retrieved July 31, 2009.
  2. ^ "Florida's Turnpike History: 1990s". Florida's Turnpike. Florida Department of Transportation. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  3. ^ "SunPass Plus Airport Parking". Florida Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on April 22, 2012. Retrieved March 9, 2012.
  4. ^ "South Florida". Topic Galleries. Sun Sentinel. Fort Lauderdale, FL. Archived from the original on September 11, 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2010.
  5. ^ "SunPass". Florida's Turnpike. Florida Department of Transportation. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  6. ^ "Selmon Expressway Converts to All-Electronic Tolling Sept. 17" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 16, 2011.
  7. ^ "Selmon Expressway Prepares for September 2010 Conversion to All-Electronic Tolling" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 16, 2011.
  8. ^ Kamm, Grayson (January 13, 2009). "Bye bye, toll booths: Selmon Expressway to stop taking cash". WTSP. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  9. ^ Turnbell, Michael (February 14, 2011). "Turnpike to stop taking cash on Homestead Extension Feb. 19". Sun Sentinel. Fort Lauderdale, FL. Archived from the original on February 17, 2011.
  10. ^ "SunPass: "Violations - SunPass Customer"". Archived from the original on January 27, 2013.
  11. ^ Elliott, Christopher (September 27, 2018). "When will we have a nationwide toll transponder system?". USA Today. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  12. ^ Aten, Tim (June 4, 2012). "In the Know: Florida's SunPass soon to be interoperable with E-ZPass in 14 states". Naples News. Retrieved July 28, 2012.
  13. ^ Turnbell, Michael (August 1, 2013). "SunPass to replace oldest transponders". Sun Sentinel. Fort Lauderdale, FL. Archived from the original on August 23, 2013. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  14. ^ "Battery operated transponders no longer accepted after December 31, 2015" (PDF). Florida's Turnpike (Press release). Florida Department of Transportation. April 24, 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 7, 2015. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
  15. ^ "North Carolina's Quick Pass and Florida's SunPass Now Function as One" (Press release). Raleigh, NC: North Carolina Department of Transportation. July 29, 2013. Archived from the original on August 5, 2013. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  16. ^ "SunPass Welcomes North Carolina Quick Pass Motorists to Florida Toll Roads" (PDF). Florida's Turnpike (Press release). Florida Department of Transportation. July 29, 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 5, 2013. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  17. ^ Huppertz, Karen (November 12, 2014). "Peach Pass now works on Florida and North Carolina toll roads". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved November 13, 2014.
  18. ^ Turnbell, Michael (November 12, 2014). "SunPass now good in both Georgia, N.C." Sun-Sentinel. Fort Lauderdale, FL. Retrieved November 13, 2014.
  19. ^ "Rickenbacker & Venetian Causeway Tolls Convert To SunPass". September 17, 2014.
  20. ^ "Newest SunPass Transponders Will Work with Other States' E-ZPass Toll Readers". FOX 13 Tampa Bay. Tampa: WTVT-TV. News Service of Florida. May 28, 2021. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  21. ^ "Florida Turnpike Teams Up with Multi-State E-ZPass System". CBS Miami. Miami: WFOR-TV. May 28, 2021. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  22. ^ "Kansas Turnpike compatible with Florida". February 27, 2023.
  23. ^ "SunPass: About SunPass".
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