Toll road service area positioning

Started by 1995hoo, July 30, 2012, 03:24:11 PM

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roadman65

For those who wonder why the trumpet ramp at the Molly Pitcher Service Area is there is cause years ago behind the Service Area was a Charter Bus Stop that provided service to bus passengers that are usually not allowed at most other service areas.  It was accessible from either direction and open at certain times of the day.  It was closed sometime in mid 1980s and yes the overpass is over a fence in the median.  That fence is to keep pedestrians from jaywalking across the busy highway.

The big question I have is why the Vince Lombardi and Alexander Hamilton areas so close to each other giving the SB direction one additional area if they use the eastern spur? I would have figured that the AH plaza would have been shut down when the Vince Lombardi opened  when the western spur opened to traffic.  The AH was the counterpart to the defunct Admiral Halsey Service Area in Elizabeth at Exit 13A.
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amroad17

Quote from: cpzilliacus on August 01, 2012, 08:05:58 PM
Quote from: formulanone on August 01, 2012, 03:55:30 PM
Quote from: NE2 on August 01, 2012, 02:43:49 PM
Apparently Florida allows U-turns: http://www.floridasturnpike.com/downloads/Indexed%20U%20Turn%20Rates.pdf I would guess that the 10 cent toll at Lake Worth is to encourage locals to use the service plaza.

Heh, reminds me of the first time I drove on the Crosstown Expressway in 1994; the Willow Avenue exit was 10 cents. They should have just asked for a dollar from every tenth car.

At least some of the ramp tolls (exact change only) on the old (now de-tolled) Norfolk-Virginia Beach Expressway (Va. Route 44 back then, I-264 now) were a dime (and there were signs warning TOLL VIOLATORS PROSECUTED - though for a dime, I wonder how many people were actually prosecuted by the Commonwealth).
There were many times that the dimes got stuck in the toll basket.  The light would stay red, but you would just drive through, listening to the bell ring when you drove over the sensor.  I didn't see anyone get caught--even seeing some drive through the toll area without dropping their dime.
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kphoger

Most toll booths in rural parts of México have bathrooms and at least a small convenience store, located along the sides of the road just past the toll booth in each direction.  A few here and there also have gas stations and restaurants in the same facility, or at least very nearby.  On the free four-lane roads, only a handful have median service areas, while most are located along the sides; sometimes there's one on each side, sometimes there's only one but you're allowed to turn left, sometimes access is via U turn, sometimes they're along the sides but a mile apart–no apparent rhyme or reason.

México doesn't seem too concerned with U-turning traffic on toll roads.  Their main concern in limiting access appears to be preventing locals from skipping the toll booth; this is mainly done using fences and hard curbs near bridges and side roads.  As has been mentioned, who cares if someone can or cannot go the other way from a service area?  It just ends up costing you more in nearly every situation.
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Brandon

^^ Interesting.  ISTHA toll plazas do have washrooms, but it's a bit of an open secret as few other than the toll collectors know they're there.  Granted, most never stop at a toll plaza anymore as they (85%) have an I-Pass or an EZ-Pass.
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Beltway

#54
Quote from: formulanone on August 01, 2012, 12:11:56 PM
Florida's Turnpike was created from scratch in the 1950s, whereas I'm guessing that many toll roads in the Northeast were created from roads that were already in existence.

All the turnpikes were built as new-location freeways.

Florida's Turnpike was originally named the Sunshine State Parkway.

Per Wiki --
From its opening in January 1957 to April 12, 1968, the road was known as the Sunshine State Parkway (SSP). On April 12, 1968, the road was renamed to its current name of Florida's Turnpike, to identify that the toll road was located in Florida and to avoid confusion from other Florida landmarks such as the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

Per Beltway --
The name Sunshine State is widely known to refer to Florida, and who while riding on the highway would not realize that it is in Florida?  The northernmost part is still about 150 miles from the next state.  The old name was perfectly fine, IMHO, and is more familiar to me as we lived there in the 1960s.
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tvketchum

Quote from: agentsteel53 on August 01, 2012, 04:04:09 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on August 01, 2012, 03:19:16 PM

Except...there are no common service plazas or other areas where one can meet up to exchange tickets.  Which could also be a reason why the service plazas are separate for Northbound and Southbound traffic.


the logical conclusion is: there's another reason.  it probably does have more to do with employee access than anything else. 

Suppliers to the facility. That gas, burgers, tacos, and cheap souviniers has to be brought in by truck. Facilities on the outside of the toll road allow the suppliers to reach the customer without having to pay the tolls.  Florida may very well have a system set up where the vendor is reimbursed (for cash) or not charged (Sunpass).

jeffandnicole

Quote from: tvketchum on September 04, 2012, 09:40:38 PM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on August 01, 2012, 04:04:09 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on August 01, 2012, 03:19:16 PM

Except...there are no common service plazas or other areas where one can meet up to exchange tickets.  Which could also be a reason why the service plazas are separate for Northbound and Southbound traffic.


the logical conclusion is: there's another reason.  it probably does have more to do with employee access than anything else. 

Suppliers to the facility. That gas, burgers, tacos, and cheap souviniers has to be brought in by truck. Facilities on the outside of the toll road allow the suppliers to reach the customer without having to pay the tolls.  Florida may very well have a system set up where the vendor is reimbursed (for cash) or not charged (Sunpass).

The NJ Turnpike uses Sunoco Fuel, and they enter and exit the turnpike at regular interchanges to reach the service plazas.

I never took notice if the food/merchandise vendors do the same however.

vdeane

Quote from: kphoger on September 04, 2012, 08:41:49 PM
México doesn't seem too concerned with U-turning traffic on toll roads.  Their main concern in limiting access appears to be preventing locals from skipping the toll booth; this is mainly done using fences and hard curbs near bridges and side roads.  As has been mentioned, who cares if someone can or cannot go the other way from a service area?  It just ends up costing you more in nearly every situation.
I can see it on ticket systems, as the rates are set based on a per-mile toll, and if you turn around, you drive more miles, but don't pay more in tolls.  The u turn paranoia also is probably done to enforce the prohibitions on u turns in northeastern states.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

agentsteel53

Quote from: jeffandnicole on September 05, 2012, 11:13:01 AM

The NJ Turnpike uses Sunoco Fuel, and they enter and exit the turnpike at regular interchanges to reach the service plazas.

I never took notice if the food/merchandise vendors do the same however.

I would imagine there are special tickets issued to vendors, suppliers, toll collectors, police, construction workers, Barzini's men, etc...
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Scott5114

Quote from: hbelkins on July 31, 2012, 10:19:49 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on July 31, 2012, 12:08:24 PM
You can't have a thread like this without mention of the Wellston McDonalds (which is sadly now gone). The WB Turner Turnpike onramp from Wellston, OK begins at OK-66, passes through a coin-op toll gate, and then actually lets out into what was the service plaza parking lot. There is/was a small parking lot off the ramp upstream of the gate so employees could park without having to go through the toll gate (presumably from there the only way out would be onto the westbound turnpike, with no exits until Oklahoma City.)

What happened to it? That was where the group photo from the OKC meet was taken.

I know, I was there ;) The McDonald's has since been demolished. Traffic getting on there is channeled through the former parking lot by Jersey barriers. The rest of the lot appears to be used for OTA storage now.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

cpzilliacus

#60
Quote from: agentsteel53 on September 05, 2012, 11:30:09 AM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on September 05, 2012, 11:13:01 AM

The NJ Turnpike uses Sunoco Fuel, and they enter and exit the turnpike at regular interchanges to reach the service plazas.

I never took notice if the food/merchandise vendors do the same however.

I would imagine there are special tickets issued to vendors, suppliers, toll collectors, police, construction workers, Barzini's men, etc...

The N.J. Turnpike Authority does not usually give free passage to its vendors (at least not any longer), though they may give special allowance to Sunoco's fuel transports, which the NJTA presumably would prefer to keep on the Turnpike instead of smaller "free" roads.

Many (most?) of the service plazas on the Turnpike have "back gates" and parking areas for employees so they do not have to drive on the Pike itself to get to work.

Examples include the two plazas near the south end of the N.J. Turnpike in Salem County here, Clara Barton on the southbound side and John Fenwick northbound.

Obviously this does not work when the plaza is on the median of the highway, as most of them are on the Garden State Parkway.  On I-95 in Delaware and Maryland, it is possible to reach the median service plazas without paying any toll, so it's a non-issue.

Police cars that patrol toll roads (and presumably other official vehicles) are issued "non-revenue" E-ZPass transponders (in Maryland they are usually colored orange).

And the Turnpike does not give Barzini's boys any special deal.  Recall the opening credits to "The Sopranos," where Tony had to get an entrance ticket like everyone else?
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.

jeffandnicole

Quote from: agentsteel53 on September 05, 2012, 11:30:09 AM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on September 05, 2012, 11:13:01 AM

The NJ Turnpike uses Sunoco Fuel, and they enter and exit the turnpike at regular interchanges to reach the service plazas.

I never took notice if the food/merchandise vendors do the same however.

I would imagine there are special tickets issued to vendors, suppliers, toll collectors, police, construction workers, Barzini's men, etc...
Way back in the pre and early EZ Pass days, Sunoco drivers used a special swipe card when entering and exiting the Turnpike.  Whether Sunoco was billed directly or this allowed them free passes, us toll collectors didn't know (nor care, really).  I think the Turnpike also had a very limited number of corporate accounts in which truckers or bus companies used swipe cards as well, rather than using the ticket system.  State Police had the swipe cards also and were supposed to use them when entering and exiting the turnpike. 

Of course, these swipe cards are a distant memory.  Everything is EZ Pass based now.

cpzilliacus

Quote from: jeffandnicole on September 06, 2012, 08:30:56 AM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on September 05, 2012, 11:30:09 AM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on September 05, 2012, 11:13:01 AM

The NJ Turnpike uses Sunoco Fuel, and they enter and exit the turnpike at regular interchanges to reach the service plazas.

I never took notice if the food/merchandise vendors do the same however.

I would imagine there are special tickets issued to vendors, suppliers, toll collectors, police, construction workers, Barzini's men, etc...
Way back in the pre and early EZ Pass days, Sunoco drivers used a special swipe card when entering and exiting the Turnpike.  Whether Sunoco was billed directly or this allowed them free passes, us toll collectors didn't know (nor care, really).  I think the Turnpike also had a very limited number of corporate accounts in which truckers or bus companies used swipe cards as well, rather than using the ticket system.  State Police had the swipe cards also and were supposed to use them when entering and exiting the turnpike. 

Of course, these swipe cards are a distant memory.  Everything is EZ Pass based now.

The Ohio Turnpike was the last (large) toll road in the East to add E-ZPass toll collection, and relatively recently was still issuing swipe cards for payment of tolls. 

Are the non-revenue E-ZPass transponders colored orange in New Jersey like they are in Maryland?
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.

kphoger

Quote from: deanej on September 05, 2012, 11:23:57 AM
Quote from: kphoger on September 04, 2012, 08:41:49 PM
México doesn't seem too concerned with U-turning traffic on toll roads.  Their main concern in limiting access appears to be preventing locals from skipping the toll booth; this is mainly done using fences and hard curbs near bridges and side roads.  As has been mentioned, who cares if someone can or cannot go the other way from a service area?  It just ends up costing you more in nearly every situation.
I can see it on ticket systems, as the rates are set based on a per-mile toll, and if you turn around, you drive more miles, but don't pay more in tolls.  The u turn paranoia also is probably done to enforce the prohibitions on u turns in northeastern states.

Toll roads in México use a simple barrier system.  Booths are located on the mainline, and all traffic stops (unless they use a pass).  There are usually small booths on entrance/exit ramps as well; many interchanges are configured so as to include exiting and/or entering traffic at the toll booth.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

cpzilliacus

Quote from: kphoger on September 06, 2012, 02:00:06 PM
Quote from: deanej on September 05, 2012, 11:23:57 AM
Quote from: kphoger on September 04, 2012, 08:41:49 PM
México doesn't seem too concerned with U-turning traffic on toll roads.  Their main concern in limiting access appears to be preventing locals from skipping the toll booth; this is mainly done using fences and hard curbs near bridges and side roads.  As has been mentioned, who cares if someone can or cannot go the other way from a service area?  It just ends up costing you more in nearly every situation.
I can see it on ticket systems, as the rates are set based on a per-mile toll, and if you turn around, you drive more miles, but don't pay more in tolls.  The u turn paranoia also is probably done to enforce the prohibitions on u turns in northeastern states.

Toll roads in México use a simple barrier system.  Booths are located on the mainline, and all traffic stops (unless they use a pass).  There are usually small booths on entrance/exit ramps as well; many interchanges are configured so as to include exiting and/or entering traffic at the toll booth.

Only toll road I have ever been on in Mexico is Baja California's Route 1D along the Pacific Coast between Tijuana and Ensenada.

All toll collection was at barrier-type toll plazas, I don't recall seeing any ramp tolls at all. 
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.

jeffandnicole

Quote from: cpzilliacus on September 06, 2012, 09:20:30 AM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on September 06, 2012, 08:30:56 AM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on September 05, 2012, 11:30:09 AM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on September 05, 2012, 11:13:01 AM

The NJ Turnpike uses Sunoco Fuel, and they enter and exit the turnpike at regular interchanges to reach the service plazas.

I never took notice if the food/merchandise vendors do the same however.

I would imagine there are special tickets issued to vendors, suppliers, toll collectors, police, construction workers, Barzini's men, etc...
Way back in the pre and early EZ Pass days, Sunoco drivers used a special swipe card when entering and exiting the Turnpike.  Whether Sunoco was billed directly or this allowed them free passes, us toll collectors didn't know (nor care, really).  I think the Turnpike also had a very limited number of corporate accounts in which truckers or bus companies used swipe cards as well, rather than using the ticket system.  State Police had the swipe cards also and were supposed to use them when entering and exiting the turnpike. 

Of course, these swipe cards are a distant memory.  Everything is EZ Pass based now.

The Ohio Turnpike was the last (large) toll road in the East to add E-ZPass toll collection, and relatively recently was still issuing swipe cards for payment of tolls. 

Are the non-revenue E-ZPass transponders colored orange in New Jersey like they are in Maryland?
As far as I have noticed, NJ (along with PA & DE) only issue white and blue EZ Passes.  White is the standard passenger car tag; Blue is for commercial, government, and everything else.

KEVIN_224

I doubt it means anything: I've noticed the Kennebunk rest area on I-95/Maine Turnpike is adjacent to Exit 25 (ME Route 35), especially the southbound one. Now I can't remember the setup there before 1986. However, I do know that it's still in the same area as then. The buildings were redone a few years ago.

Beeper1

I remember back when Fast Lane/EZ-Pass first came along, the Mass Tpk issued orange "non-revenue" transponders to residents of western MA that were useable only west of exit 6 (where there is no toll charged for passenger cars).  I think they phased those out years ago, though. 


As for weird servic area positioning, how about the official serivce areas that are actually located off the highway on a connecting road, requiring you to enter/exit at a regular interchange.  I can think of two exampes:  the new West Gardiner service area on the Maine Turnpike, and the Barnstable service area on US-6 on Cape Cod.     Any others out there like this?

Mr. Matté

Quote from: Beeper1 on September 07, 2012, 05:01:08 PM
As for weird servic area positioning, how about the official serivce areas that are actually located off the highway on a connecting road, requiring you to enter/exit at a regular interchange.  I can think of two exampes:  the new West Gardiner service area on the Maine Turnpike, and the Barnstable service area on US-6 on Cape Cod.     Any others out there like this?

The eastern Pennsylvania Welcome Center off I-80 in Del. Water Gap. On the subject of that place, it looks like the EB I-80 rest area by Camelback (just after 380) is now closed based on the new Google imagery of the area. Is this a permanent closure?

NE2

Quote from: Beeper1 on September 07, 2012, 05:01:08 PM
As for weird servic area positioning, how about the official serivce areas that are actually located off the highway on a connecting road, requiring you to enter/exit at a regular interchange.  I can think of two exampes:  the new West Gardiner service area on the Maine Turnpike, and the Barnstable service area on US-6 on Cape Cod.     Any others out there like this?
There are some on Interstates, mostly out west.
pre-1945 Florida route log

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Brandon

Quote from: NE2 on September 07, 2012, 06:15:21 PM
Quote from: Beeper1 on September 07, 2012, 05:01:08 PM
As for weird servic area positioning, how about the official serivce areas that are actually located off the highway on a connecting road, requiring you to enter/exit at a regular interchange.  I can think of two exampes:  the new West Gardiner service area on the Maine Turnpike, and the Barnstable service area on US-6 on Cape Cod.     Any others out there like this?
There are some on Interstates, mostly out west.

IIRC, Colorado does this with all of their rest areas (at least the I-76 and I-70 ones I've seen).  Wyoming has several along I-80 like that.  The Nevada ones I've seen (I-80 West Wendover, I-15) are like that as well.  Further east, Iowa has a welcome center like that at I-80 & US-67; and Wisconsin has one like that at I-94 just north of the Illinois state line.
"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention." - Ramsay Bolton

"Symbolic of his struggle against reality." - Reg

Kacie Jane

Quote from: Brandon on September 07, 2012, 06:46:52 PM
IIRC, Colorado does this with all of their rest areas (at least the I-76 and I-70 ones I've seen).  Wyoming has several along I-80 like that.  The Nevada ones I've seen (I-80 West Wendover, I-15) are like that as well.  Further east, Iowa has a welcome center like that at I-80 & US-67; and Wisconsin has one like that at I-94 just north of the Illinois state line.
Last time I was in Wyoming (June), we stopped at one at I-25 and US 26 that was like this as well.

NE2

I-84 exit 228 (Deadman Pass, just east of Emigrant Hill) is a diamond interchange with two rest areas, one on each side. Presumably they didn't combine them because the underpass under I-84 is one-lane.
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=45.600257,-118.507161&spn=0.027384,0.066047&gl=us&t=m&z=15&layer=c&cbll=45.600205,-118.507221&panoid=Nv5f6kEN-CeuYBTku6-Vzw&cbp=12,142.92,,0,4.15
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".

kphoger

Quote from: Kacie Jane on September 07, 2012, 11:14:05 PM
Quote from: Brandon on September 07, 2012, 06:46:52 PM
IIRC, Colorado does this with all of their rest areas (at least the I-76 and I-70 ones I've seen).  Wyoming has several along I-80 like that.  The Nevada ones I've seen (I-80 West Wendover, I-15) are like that as well.  Further east, Iowa has a welcome center like that at I-80 & US-67; and Wisconsin has one like that at I-94 just north of the Illinois state line.
Last time I was in Wyoming (June), we stopped at one at I-25 and US 26 that was like this as well.

But these aren't toll roads, right?  A setup like this on a toll road would require a person to pay an exit toll and an entrance toll.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

vdeane

Quote from: Mr. Matté on September 07, 2012, 05:30:41 PM
Quote from: Beeper1 on September 07, 2012, 05:01:08 PM
As for weird servic area positioning, how about the official serivce areas that are actually located off the highway on a connecting road, requiring you to enter/exit at a regular interchange.  I can think of two exampes:  the new West Gardiner service area on the Maine Turnpike, and the Barnstable service area on US-6 on Cape Cod.     Any others out there like this?

The eastern Pennsylvania Welcome Center off I-80 in Del. Water Gap. On the subject of that place, it looks like the EB I-80 rest area by Camelback (just after 380) is now closed based on the new Google imagery of the area. Is this a permanent closure?
A few welcome centers seem to require exiting; the I-84 one entering PA does as well.  Northbound access to the I-81 NY welcome center in the 1000 Islands has to exit at exit 50S (NY 12 south) and then turn onto a local road even!
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.



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