17 Mile Drive

[Max Rockatansky]

Given I had to backtrack towards the Monterey Peninsula out of Big Sur I'd figured it was high time to finally check out 17 Mile Drive and see if it lived up to the hype:

https://flic.kr/s/aHskXWxoYK

And to that I say.....I guess it does maybe?  I say that because stacking up a manicured coastal drive on a golf course that runs at 25 MPH compared a CA 1 in Big Sur is always going to lose in my book.  Regardless the route is very well though out and actually really well signed with actually shields, directional signage, and even pavement markings telling you where to go.  There are some decent views to be had for sure, but you can't really get as close to things as you can to the south on CA 1.  Really it is a pretty route....just not my cup of tea given it is oriented for tourism and it involves a resort/golf course.

Interestingly though I'm to understand that 17 Mile Drive has been around since 1892.  There was even a large side street called "Old 17 Mile Drive" that I noticed driving around.  Apparently it was also called "18 Mile" at one point which I probably is much more fitting given the surroundings.  I haven't been able to find any historical maps, but I imagine that they probably do exist given how old the roadway is.

[Max Rockatansky]

Here is a 1938 Map of the Monterey Peninsula showing the older alignment of 17 Mile Drive:

http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~248601~5515967:Thomas-Bros--Map-of-Monterey,-Carme?sort=Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No&qvq=q:pebble%2Bbeach;sort:Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No;lc:RUMSEY~8~1&mi=0&trs=5

Which is now Old 17 Mile Drive presently:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Old+17+Mile+Dr,+Pebble+Beach,+CA+93953/@36.6052269,-121.9550615,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x808de72b32679e33:0x3eb7aab1a68075c2!8m2!3d36.6047791!4d-121.9493538?hl=en

[US 89]

It better be worthwhile, since it's the most expensive toll road in the country.

[Max Rockatansky]

It better be worthwhile, since it's the most expensive toll road in the country.

What at $10.25?  You have to pay a lot more than that at some National Parks, the highest one I can think of off the top of my head would be implied AZ 64 through the Grand Canyon which is/was $30-$35 dollars.  Even roads like the Generals Highway, Mineral King Road, Tioga Pass Road, Mount Carmel Highway, Trail Ridge, and the Going-to-the-Sun I believe are all over $20 dollars on a one time payment.  Hell even the Pikes Peak Highway is $15 dollars just for one person.

For the record, I would definitely say it worth $10.25 worth of viable ocean scenery alone.

[US 89]

It better be worthwhile, since it's the most expensive toll road in the country.

What at $10.25?  You have to pay a lot more than that at some National Parks, the highest one I can think of off the top of my head would be implied AZ 64 through the Grand Canyon which is/was $30-$35 dollars.  Even roads like the Generals Highway, Mineral King Road, Tioga Pass Road, Mount Carmel Highway, Trail Ridge, and the Going-to-the-Sun I believe are all over $20 dollars on a one time payment.  Hell even the Pikes Peak Highway is $15 dollars just for one person.

For the record, I would definitely say it worth $10.25 worth of viable ocean scenery alone.

See this website: The 10 most expensive toll roads in the USA

[Max Rockatansky]

It better be worthwhile, since it's the most expensive toll road in the country.

What at $10.25?  You have to pay a lot more than that at some National Parks, the highest one I can think of off the top of my head would be implied AZ 64 through the Grand Canyon which is/was $30-$35 dollars.  Even roads like the Generals Highway, Mineral King Road, Tioga Pass Road, Mount Carmel Highway, Trail Ridge, and the Going-to-the-Sun I believe are all over $20 dollars on a one time payment.  Hell even the Pikes Peak Highway is $15 dollars just for one person.

For the record, I would definitely say it worth $10.25 worth of viable ocean scenery alone.

See this website: The 10 most expensive toll roads in the USA

Had a quick look, it's flat out wrong.  Pikes Peak is less than 20 miles and costs more, the list doesn't even include one national park road but somehow included 17 Mile drive?  It's probably semantics but it's pretty skewed for an article to pick out one private road but not others to stack up against DOT maintained highways.  Even by the criteria the article is going by Pikes Peak Highway runs $.79 cents a mile which blows 17 Mile Drive out of the water.

[US 89]

It better be worthwhile, since it's the most expensive toll road in the country.

What at $10.25?  You have to pay a lot more than that at some National Parks, the highest one I can think of off the top of my head would be implied AZ 64 through the Grand Canyon which is/was $30-$35 dollars.  Even roads like the Generals Highway, Mineral King Road, Tioga Pass Road, Mount Carmel Highway, Trail Ridge, and the Going-to-the-Sun I believe are all over $20 dollars on a one time payment.  Hell even the Pikes Peak Highway is $15 dollars just for one person.

For the record, I would definitely say it worth $10.25 worth of viable ocean scenery alone.

See this website: The 10 most expensive toll roads in the USA

Had a quick look, it's flat out wrong.  Pikes Peak is less than 20 miles and costs more, the list doesn't even include one national park road but somehow included 17 Mile drive?  It's probably semantics but it's pretty skewed for an article to pick out one private road but not others to stack up against DOT maintained highways.  Even by the criteria the article is going by Pikes Peak Highway runs $.79 cents a mile which blows 17 Mile Drive out of the water.

Yeah, that makes a lot more sense. I also noticed that the Adams Ave Parkway in UT isn't on there. They charge $1, and the road is 0.6 to 1.5 miles long, depending on how you define the road. That gives a toll rate of $.67 to $1.67 a mile.

[Max Rockatansky]

It better be worthwhile, since it's the most expensive toll road in the country.

What at $10.25?  You have to pay a lot more than that at some National Parks, the highest one I can think of off the top of my head would be implied AZ 64 through the Grand Canyon which is/was $30-$35 dollars.  Even roads like the Generals Highway, Mineral King Road, Tioga Pass Road, Mount Carmel Highway, Trail Ridge, and the Going-to-the-Sun I believe are all over $20 dollars on a one time payment.  Hell even the Pikes Peak Highway is $15 dollars just for one person.

For the record, I would definitely say it worth $10.25 worth of viable ocean scenery alone.

See this website: The 10 most expensive toll roads in the USA

Had a quick look, it's flat out wrong.  Pikes Peak is less than 20 miles and costs more, the list doesn't even include one national park road but somehow included 17 Mile drive?  It's probably semantics but it's pretty skewed for an article to pick out one private road but not others to stack up against DOT maintained highways.  Even by the criteria the article is going by Pikes Peak Highway runs $.79 cents a mile which blows 17 Mile Drive out of the water.

Yeah, that makes a lot more sense. I also noticed that the Adams Ave Parkway in UT isn't on there. They charge $1, and the road is 0.6 to 1.5 miles long, depending on how you define the road. That gives a toll rate of $.67 to $1.67 a mile.

Might make for an interesting thread; "what makes a toll road?"  I would say something that was even just a bridge that was otherwise impassable would probably qualify by wide definition.  Something like FL 293 ought to be on there for the $3 dollar 3.6 mile bay crossing. 

One thing I can say for sure CA 73 and FL 417 are worth every penny in rush hour.  I used to take 73 regularly to avoid a good chunk of I-405 and I almost never took anything but 417 so I could avoid I-4 in Orlando.