CRESTVIEW — The next time resident Clyde Locke heads to Destin, his journey will be more direct now that he has a SunPass.
"Trying to get down to Destin, you don't want to go through Fort Walton," Locke said.
He was first in line Wednesday morning when Mid-Bay Bridge representative Jamie Green and Orlando-based SunPass staffer Amanda Babiasz opened an informational table at the Okaloosa County Tax Collector's Crestview office.
The passes — which make paying tolls easier and, in some cases, offer discounts — never expire and they lack hidden administrative fees or charges. The entire amount a passholder puts in his account, whether online or by phone, is available for paying tolls, Green said.
Both attributes made buying a pass seem like a good idea to Ken Curring. The Crestview resident occasionally goes to Destin for shopping or entertainment.
"We cross the Mid-Bay Bridge enough during the year to make it worthwhile to get a $5 sticker," Curring said.
Two types of pass
The mini-transponder Curring mentioned applies to a passholder's windshield. A $25 portable transponder, though bulkier, attaches with suction cups and can be removed and used in different vehicles.
Because the mini transponder sticks to the windshield, where the glass acts as an antenna, it cannot be transferred between vehicles, SunPass spokesperson Kim Poulton said.
"When you peel the sticker off, it breaks everything inside the sticker," she said.
Passholder discounts vary by road or bridge. At the Mid-Bay Bridge, a two-axle vehicle pays a $2 toll — instead of the regular $3 toll — using the pass.
For passholders, the Mid-Bay Bridge Connector toll is $1 instead of $1.50. However, there is no passholder discount off the Garçn Point Bridge's $3.75 toll.
SunPass Facts
•Works for the Mid-Bay Bridge, Mid-Bay Bridge Connector and Garçn Point Bridge
•Choose between a $5 mini pass sticker or a $25 portable pass
•Transponders are available at the SunPass booth during today's Triple B Festival, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Main Street in Crestview. They're regularly available at Public and CVS Pharmacy
•Activate or access accounts at www.sunpass.com or call 888-865-5352
Source: www.sunpass.com
Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: SunPass explained: Passes streamline NWF tollbooth process