Toll Plaza Signs

Toll plazas are generally situated along highways which have limited freeway or expressway access. Some portion of a route or the entire route could be a paid highway, or it might be that there is a discrete section of the route which is subject to the fee, for instance a bridge or tunnel. The signs which are used to identify these roads will vary in accordance with the kind of access provided by the route itself. For instance, the placards will differ for expressways versus conventional roads.

The purpose of toll road indicators is to guide vehicle operators through the facility and to point out various exit points in the immediate area. It will be necessary to alert drivers to the presence of the tolling booth well in advance of the actual tolling area, as well as at various entry points on the highway. This advanced warning is necessary because not all drivers will be carrying cash at the time they’re operating a vehicle, and they may not be able to pay the associated fee. The advance warning allows them to take one of the identified exit points prior to coming upon the area and being required to pay the total amount.

Toll sign

What Are They?

There are several different types of information which can be conveyed on plaza placards, to keep vehicle operators informed about conditions or situations in effect around the area. Some signs can deliver information about lane-specific restrictions on trucks for instance, or they can inform drivers about the various types of payment which are acceptable.
Other indicators will tell drivers about speed limits which are in effect around the center, or where it is necessary to come to a complete stop somewhere in the facility. Where tolls are collected electronically, it will generally not be necessary for a vehicle to come to a complete stop, although they will be required to observe a speed limit when passing through the area. Some plaza indicators will inform drivers about these speed limits.

While many of the placards in effect around a tolling facility have either purple backgrounds or purple borders, there are other colors, e.g. green, which are allowable for conveying necessary information to motorists. The positioning of tolling plaza signs is extremely important, because there are always a number of vehicles going through the facility, and it’s important to clarify exactly which lanes the information applies to.

For this reason, the positioning of tolling indicators is often overhead, right above the lane which the information applies to. For instance, when only trucks are allowed to go through a certain lane, there will generally be an overhead sign indicating that situation, so that both truckers and automobile drivers are aware of the trucks-only designation.

Toll sign

Importance of Toll Plaza Signs

Without these placards helping to direct traffic and to inform motorists, there would be considerable confusion at any tolling center. For instance, if there were no speed limit indicators in effect around the area, there is no doubt that many drivers would move too quickly throughout, endangering themselves and others in the process.

With no signs to identify lanes for the exclusive use of truckers, there would be bottlenecks in all lanes, because there would be no distinction between truckers and automobile drivers, and that would slow the process down for everyone. With no advance warning that a paid route is up ahead, all drivers would proceed along the same route, and would then find a tolling facility which they were unprepared to pay the fee for.

Another reason that advance warning placards are put in place is so that motorists will have time to gather up the amount to be collected, or they can prepare for electronic payment of some form. Without the advance warning sign, any driver who was unaware of the presence of the tolling facility ahead would have no way of preparing for it, and that would bog down traffic going through the area.

If there were no stop signs situated around the center, drivers would be in such close proximity to each other that it might cause accidents. The whole purpose of these placards is to keep traffic moving smoothly throughout the facility, as well as to alert drivers to conditions in effect throughout the area. With all drivers being notified about requirements and conditions in the plaza, there will be a much better flow of traffic through the area, and far fewer bottlenecks.

Toll sign

Buy Toll Plaza Signs

When you need to put in place any kind of sign at collection booths in your community, we can supply you with all the best products in this category. Toll plaza placards need to be clearly visible to motorists, and should be made of long-lasting materials, so we offer placards that are extremely durable and easy to see, even from a long way off. Contact us at Worksafe Traffic Control Industries to get all the signs you might need to clearly identify your area’s booths, and inform motorists about them.