Florida abandons velcro attachment for suction caps for transponders

Florida Turnpike Enterprise has abandoned velcro attachment for transponders in favor of suction cups. There was too high an incidence of the velcro adhesive "melting in the fierce Florida sun," according to spokesman Christa Deason. The problem came to notice starting about two years ago when customers who'd had SunPass transponders a while complained they were falling off the windshield with both parts of the velcro left on the transponder.

Another source of annoyance was the "goopie" messy layer of failed adhesive left behind on the windshield.

We haven't heard of velcro failures elsewhere, even places where the sun is just as fierce as Florida - like Texas, Georgia and California - so maybe there are adhesives for velcro of different tenacity and sun resistance?

Regardless, Florida's SunPass transponders are now attached by rubbery suction cups (see picture nearby), firmly attached, they hope.

Sticker tags coming

Once the swap out of single mode with Encompass-6 dual mode readers is complete on Florida's tollroads - by July they hope - FTE will begin issuing "SunPass Minis" the brandname for the sticker tags which in industry branding are eGo Plus tags from TransCore's Albuquerque NM factory. They are constructed for permanent adhesion to the windshield using plastic film and adhesives from 3M.

Sticker tags have been in use for one to three years now in Puerto Rico, Georgia and Texas without reports of them detaching in the sun.

The SunPass Mini sticker tags will be supplied to customers free of charge - they cost FTE $8.50 each from TransCore.

Hardcases to be retained as option

However for the foreable future FTE plan to continue to offer the hardcased transponders as an option on the basis that some customers like the feedback they provide - the green light and tones indicating a good read, or problems.

So suction cups will continue as an attachment.

Hardcases continue to sell despite announcement

In the period since the announcement of free sticker tags mid-summer, FTE reports demand for the hard-cased transponders continues strong. This leads them to conclude that many customers will pay the $20+ for the hardcased transponder because of its 'feedback' features and its easy removability.

TOLLROADSnews 2008-05-06