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Tappan Zee Bridge replacement moving at a snail's pace

Started by SidS1045, June 27, 2012, 11:38:49 AM

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agentsteel53

Quote from: kkt on October 03, 2012, 07:22:17 PM

It used to.  But the British government was about the last holdout, and they changed billion to 1000 million about 30 or 40 years ago for financial reports.

when I was learning numbers in Hungary in the 1980s, I learned that 1000 million was a number called a "milliard", and 1000 times that was a billion.

not sure how they are treating it these days.
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Alps

Quote from: agentsteel53 on October 03, 2012, 08:40:48 PM
Quote from: kkt on October 03, 2012, 07:22:17 PM

It used to.  But the British government was about the last holdout, and they changed billion to 1000 million about 30 or 40 years ago for financial reports.

when I was learning numbers in Hungary in the 1980s, I learned that 1000 million was a number called a "milliard", and 1000 times that was a billion.

not sure how they are treating it these days.
Same when I learned French.

Roadsguy

I learned 999,999,998, 999,999,999, 1,000,000,000, 1,000,000,001, etc. Never heard of a "thousand million" or something like that. :/
Mileage-based exit numbering implies the existence of mileage-cringe exit numbering.

cpzilliacus

TOLLROADSnews: New York State Thruway to go cashless at three major barrier plazas - savings at TZ Bridge

QuoteThe New York State Thruway is converting two mainline and one side toll plaza to all electronic or cashless toll collection. The board of directors of the Thruway Authority at their last monthly meeting authorized Thruway staff to develop detailed plans for conversion of the Yonkers, Tappan Zee Bridge and Harriman barrier toll plazas to all-electronic toll collection (AET).
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

MrDisco99

Quote from: cpzilliacus on February 18, 2013, 08:43:47 PM
TOLLROADSnews: New York State Thruway to go cashless at three major barrier plazas - savings at TZ Bridge

QuoteThe New York State Thruway is converting two mainline and one side toll plaza to all electronic or cashless toll collection. The board of directors of the Thruway Authority at their last monthly meeting authorized Thruway staff to develop detailed plans for conversion of the Yonkers, Tappan Zee Bridge and Harriman barrier toll plazas to all-electronic toll collection (AET).

So what does this mean for long distance drivers without EZpass?  I'm guessing there will be some kind of photo option?  I can't imagine the Thruway mainline would become transponder-only.

cpzilliacus

Quote from: MrDisco99 on February 19, 2013, 01:21:36 AM
Quote from: cpzilliacus on February 18, 2013, 08:43:47 PM
TOLLROADSnews: New York State Thruway to go cashless at three major barrier plazas - savings at TZ Bridge

QuoteThe New York State Thruway is converting two mainline and one side toll plaza to all electronic or cashless toll collection. The board of directors of the Thruway Authority at their last monthly meeting authorized Thruway staff to develop detailed plans for conversion of the Yonkers, Tappan Zee Bridge and Harriman barrier toll plazas to all-electronic toll collection (AET).

So what does this mean for long distance drivers without EZpass?  I'm guessing there will be some kind of photo option?  I can't imagine the Thruway mainline would become transponder-only.

Most cashless toll roads offer video tolling, though usually at a higher charge than having a transponder.

I am aware of at least one in Texas (Fort Bend Parkway) that requires a transponder, and the toll lanes on Ca. 91 (Riverside Freeway) and Virginia's part of I-495 (Capital Beltway) both require drivers to have the appropriate transponder.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

vdeane

Quote from: cpzilliacus on February 18, 2013, 08:43:47 PM
TOLLROADSnews: New York State Thruway to go cashless at three major barrier plazas - savings at TZ Bridge

QuoteThe New York State Thruway is converting two mainline and one side toll plaza to all electronic or cashless toll collection. The board of directors of the Thruway Authority at their last monthly meeting authorized Thruway staff to develop detailed plans for conversion of the Yonkers, Tappan Zee Bridge and Harriman barrier toll plazas to all-electronic toll collection (AET).
Did Hell freeze over?  That said, I can understand converting Tappan Zee and Yonkers, but Harriman makes no sense considering that it serves some ticket system traffic.  I'd rather they convert the other non-ticket mainline barriers (New Rochelle, Tonawanda, and Niagara) first.  If personnel are the issue, they could also replace the people handing out tickets with machines, especially since they stopped issuing separate tickets for different vehicle classes recently.

I wonder if this is why there has been no movement on the Williamsville barrier replacement project in over a decade.

Quote from: cpzilliacus on February 19, 2013, 01:33:37 AM
Quote from: MrDisco99 on February 19, 2013, 01:21:36 AM
Quote from: cpzilliacus on February 18, 2013, 08:43:47 PM
TOLLROADSnews: New York State Thruway to go cashless at three major barrier plazas - savings at TZ Bridge

QuoteThe New York State Thruway is converting two mainline and one side toll plaza to all electronic or cashless toll collection. The board of directors of the Thruway Authority at their last monthly meeting authorized Thruway staff to develop detailed plans for conversion of the Yonkers, Tappan Zee Bridge and Harriman barrier toll plazas to all-electronic toll collection (AET).

So what does this mean for long distance drivers without EZpass?  I'm guessing there will be some kind of photo option?  I can't imagine the Thruway mainline would become transponder-only.

Most cashless toll roads offer video tolling, though usually at a higher charge than having a transponder.

I am aware of at least one in Texas (Fort Bend Parkway) that requires a transponder, and the toll lanes on Ca. 91 (Riverside Freeway) and Virginia's part of I-495 (Capital Beltway) both require drivers to have the appropriate transponder.
The Thruway already has cameras in EZ-Pass lanes to handle violations, so it shouldn't be hard to make them handle bill by mail.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

1995hoo

#107
 
Quote from: cpzilliacus on February 18, 2013, 08:43:47 PM
TOLLROADSnews: New York State Thruway to go cashless at three major barrier plazas - savings at TZ Bridge

QuoteThe New York State Thruway is converting two mainline and one side toll plaza to all electronic or cashless toll collection. The board of directors of the Thruway Authority at their last monthly meeting authorized Thruway staff to develop detailed plans for conversion of the Yonkers, Tappan Zee Bridge and Harriman barrier toll plazas to all-electronic toll collection (AET).

As deanej notes, Harriman doesn't make sense unless they reconfigure it to use AET for northbound traffic while maintaining a cash option for southbound traffic coming off the ticket system. If instead the idea were that there would be cameras on all toll lanes and the system would locate where that vehicle entered the Thruway system, then why have toll tickets at all?


(Edited to fix messed-up quote)
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

NE2

Since the southbound exit has separate lanes at the toll booth, there's no reason they couldn't just leave those alone. Chances are it's just CP's favorite blog playing silly buggers.
pre-1945 Florida route log

I accept and respect your identity as long as it's not dumb shit like "identifying as a vaccinated attack helicopter".

vdeane

It would still be silly for the people getting on to head north... they'd have to go through the all-electronic barrier, and then the traditional booth and pick up a ticket.  I assume they won't be demolishing the Woodbury barrier so soon after reconstruction.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

Alps

Quote from: deanej on February 19, 2013, 05:09:22 PM
It would still be silly for the people getting on to head north... they'd have to go through the all-electronic barrier, and then the traditional booth and pick up a ticket.  I assume they won't be demolishing the Woodbury barrier so soon after reconstruction.
I had the same questions early in the process - it's going to be set up to make sure that there is a cash option for SB offramp and "grab-ticket" option for NB onramp from 17.

vdeane

And that interchange gets more and more interesting with each modification... I still think they would get much more bang for their buck elsewhere, especially since whatever they do they'll have to scrap if/when the ticket system goes all-electronic.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

Alps

Quote from: deanej on February 19, 2013, 10:31:53 PM
And that interchange gets more and more interesting with each modification... I still think they would get much more bang for their buck elsewhere, especially since whatever they do they'll have to scrap if/when the ticket system goes all-electronic.
This is a trial installation - before they would dream of implementing something systemwide, they want to make sure they are familiar with its operation and get the institutions in place to deal with it. That's common sense. So you could do that at Yonkers and Tappan Zee easily enough. As for Harriman... there were a couple of reasons there, but yeah, it would have been easier not to. *shrug*

vdeane

Maybe it has something to do with NYSDOT's plans to reconstruct the NY 17/NY 32 interchange.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

cpzilliacus

Quote from: Steve on February 20, 2013, 07:05:38 PM
This is a trial installation - before they would dream of implementing something systemwide, they want to make sure they are familiar with its operation and get the institutions in place to deal with it.

Isn't that essentially what the Florida's Turnpike is doing?

They flipped the entire Homestead Extension to cashless, even though they apparently still take cash (for now) on  the rest of the system.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

Alps

Quote from: cpzilliacus on February 21, 2013, 12:45:07 PM
Quote from: Steve on February 20, 2013, 07:05:38 PM
This is a trial installation - before they would dream of implementing something systemwide, they want to make sure they are familiar with its operation and get the institutions in place to deal with it.

Isn't that essentially what the Florida's Turnpike is doing?

They flipped the entire Homestead Extension to cashless, even though they apparently still take cash (for now) on  the rest of the system.
Yep, and we actually looked at Florida's experience in doing the research for NYSTA.



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