Orange County is famous for its “firsts” when it comes to Toll Roads. Orange County’s Transportation

Corridor Agencies (TCA) opened the first toll roads in the state a quarter century ago. TCA created FasTrak, the first to offer electronic transponders so drivers could pay without having to stop at a toll booth. And now, TCA is first again – this time with the sticker transponder.

TRANSPORTATION CORRIDOR AGENCIESOC Toll Roads Introduce New Sticker Transponder Technology

If you are a FasTrak accountholder with TCA, you should have already received your sticker transponder(s) in the mail. There are many benefits to the sticker transponder:

• Sticker transponders are smaller, sleeker and less obtrusive than the hardcase transponder.

• Sticker transponders are not transferable from car to car and you don’t need to transfer them. Accountholders get one sticker transponder for each vehicle listed on their account.

• No more “beep” –sticker transponders use radio frequency identification (RFID) and there is no battery – which means no beep.

• Sticker transponders, like

the hardcase transponders, are interoperable on every tolled bridge, lane and road in California.

• Finally, sticker transponders may save you money!

Frequent Toll Road users with a pre-paid FasTrak account will still receive $1 off at every tolling location if they spend $40 or more in tolls during their previous statement period. Even infrequent FasTrak accountholders benefit from the sticker transponder because they will no longer have to pay the $2 monthly account maintenance fee.

“While many FasTrak accountholders may see a financial benefit using the sticker transponder compared to using the hardcase transponder,” said Christina Shea, Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency Chairwoman and Irvine Mayor, “the biggest benefit of The Toll Road system continues to be the traffic relief option these roads provide to commuters.”

What about the carpool discounts I can get in LA with the “switchable” hardcase transponder?

Some commuters may use California’s express lanes that offer a discount when there are two or more occupants in

the vehicle. If you use those express lanes, you may want to keep your hardcase transponder if it has the switch to indicate the number of passengers in the vehicle.

If you have the hardcase transponder and the sticker transponder, the system will only read the hardcase transponder. You will not be billed twice.

How do I install the new sticker transponder?

It’s pretty simple. Clean the inside of your windshield, then peel the sticker transponder from its backing and stick it on your windshield’s lower left corner, lower right corner or up near your rear-view mirror. Once the sticker transponder has been adhered, don’t adjust it because it could break and become unusable. If that happens, you can get a replacement at thetollroads.com or via the Toll Road app. Follow the instructions on the sticker packaging or go tothetollroads.com/sticker.

“The biggest benefit of The Toll Road system continues to be the traffic relief option these roads provide to commuters.”

- Christina Shea, Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency Chairwoman and Irvine Mayor

“It’s pretty simple. Clean the inside of your windshield, then peel the sticker transponder from its backing and stick it on your windshield’s lower left corner, lower right corner or up near your rear-view mirror.”

How can I pay tolls?

There are three ways to pay. If you’re a frequent user of the Toll Roads, you may consider a prepaid account in order to be eligible for discounted rates. For infrequent users, you can “pay-as-you-go” by having your tolls charged to a credit card at the end of each day you use The Toll Roads. If you prefer to pay monthly, you can sign up for an account that invoices you once a month. There is a $2 monthly administration fee to set up an invoice account. Finally, you can use The Toll Roads without an account. Simply get your license plate number and go to thetollroads.com or The Toll Roads App to pay online using the “Pay Toll Now” payment option.

“The new sticker transponders are smaller, sleeker and don’t require batteries to operate and our customers seem really excited about the sticker,” said Fred Minagar, Chairman of the San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor Agency Board and Laguna Niguel City Council Member. “We want to make transitioning to the sticker transponder as easy as driving The Toll Roads.”

“We want to make transitioning to the sticker transponder as easy as driving The Toll Roads.”- Fred Minagar, Chairman of the San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor Agency Board and Laguna Niguel City Council Member