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New York State Thruway

Started by Zeffy, September 22, 2014, 12:00:32 AM

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SignBridge

Really, 50%? That's quite a surprise.


jemacedo9

http://www.thruway.ny.gov/news/pressrel/2018/01/2018-01-17-toll-amnesty-pgm.html

Press release for the launch of a cashless tolling amnesty program, with new toll signage noted within the press release...

thenetwork

Quote from: SignBridge on January 18, 2018, 08:53:40 PM
Really, 50%? That's quite a surprise.

More like "double the normal tolls if you pay cash".  :meh:

webny99

Quote from: thenetwork on January 18, 2018, 11:11:00 PM
Quote from: SignBridge on January 18, 2018, 08:53:40 PM
Really, 50%? That's quite a surprise.

More like "double the normal tolls if you pay cash".  :meh:

See, here in upstate NY we tend not to think of it that way, not only because of our skimpy discount, but because there are still plenty of people that pay cash. I cannot for the life of me figure out why anyone would not get EZPass. It's not even the dollar savings so much as the convenience and the time savings.

Brandon

Quote from: SignBridge on January 18, 2018, 08:53:40 PM
Really, 50%? That's quite a surprise.

Yes, 50%: https://www.illinoistollway.com/tolling-information

And here's how easy ISTHA makes it to get: https://www.illinoistollway.com/tolling-information/about-ipass

Because of this, over 87% of tollway users use the electronic toll collection system.
"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention." - Ramsay Bolton

"Symbolic of his struggle against reality." - Reg

Rothman

Quote from: webny99 on January 19, 2018, 10:08:07 AM
Quote from: thenetwork on January 18, 2018, 11:11:00 PM
Quote from: SignBridge on January 18, 2018, 08:53:40 PM
Really, 50%? That's quite a surprise.

More like "double the normal tolls if you pay cash".  :meh:

See, here in upstate NY we tend not to think of it that way, not only because of our skimpy discount, but because there are still plenty of people that pay cash. I cannot for the life of me figure out why anyone would not get EZPass. It's not even the dollar savings so much as the convenience and the time savings.
I am befuddled by this as well, especially as you see the lines back up in the cash lanes at rush hour around here.  It is beyond me as to why commuters would not have E-ZPass. 

The only reason I can come up with is paranoia about privacy or some other kind of irrationality...of course, E-ZPass played a role in the conviction in the local Porco case, so who knows?
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

webny99

Quote from: Rothman on January 19, 2018, 11:56:51 AM
Quote from: webny99 on January 19, 2018, 10:08:07 AM
Quote from: thenetwork on January 18, 2018, 11:11:00 PM
Quote from: SignBridge on January 18, 2018, 08:53:40 PM
Really, 50%? That's quite a surprise.

More like "double the normal tolls if you pay cash".  :meh:

See, here in upstate NY we tend not to think of it that way, not only because of our skimpy discount, but because there are still plenty of people that pay cash. I cannot for the life of me figure out why anyone would not get EZPass. It's not even the dollar savings so much as the convenience and the time savings.
I am befuddled by this as well, especially as you see the lines back up in the cash lanes at rush hour around here.  It is beyond me as to why commuters would not have E-ZPass. 

The only reason I can come up with is paranoia about privacy or some other kind of irrationality...of course, E-ZPass played a role in the conviction in the local Porco case, so who knows?
I think privacy does play into it, especially in Western NY. That seems like a very old-fashioned, Rust Belt mindset to me. People should have realized by now that the benefits far, far outweigh the drawbacks.

vdeane

Plus with licence plate readers being all the rage these days, there's no privacy even without E-ZPass.

In my case, getting E-ZPass wasn't motivated by the discount at all, and only a little bit by the time savings.  The main reason was so I wouldn't have to fumble with cash and a ticket when driving myself between home and college.  I'm not sure how people manage to get their change ready before getting to the booth without a passenger to do it for them.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

webny99

Quote from: vdeane on January 19, 2018, 01:11:27 PM
In my case, getting E-ZPass wasn't motivated by the discount at all, and only a little bit by the time savings.  The main reason was so I wouldn't have to fumble with cash and a ticket when driving myself between home and college.  I'm not sure how people manage to get their change ready before getting to the booth without a passenger to do it for them.
I've never paid cash on any trip of significant distance. But, should the need arise, I would probably ensure I knew the toll amount before I even left, and have it counted out and set in a cupholder or the likes where I could grab it at the time. Doing that every day would get more than a little annoying, though.

PHLBOS

Quote from: vdeane on January 19, 2018, 01:11:27 PMI'm not sure how people manage to get their change ready before getting to the booth without a passenger to do it for them.
After-market coin-holders for cars
Plus
Quote from: webny99 on January 19, 2018, 01:49:31 PMI would probably ensure I knew the toll amount before I even left
and stock said-coin holder with the needed amount.
GPS does NOT equal GOD

kalvado

Quote from: webny99 on January 19, 2018, 01:49:31 PM
Quote from: vdeane on January 19, 2018, 01:11:27 PM
In my case, getting E-ZPass wasn't motivated by the discount at all, and only a little bit by the time savings.  The main reason was so I wouldn't have to fumble with cash and a ticket when driving myself between home and college.  I'm not sure how people manage to get their change ready before getting to the booth without a passenger to do it for them.
I've never paid cash on any trip of significant distance. But, should the need arise, I would probably ensure I knew the toll amount before I even left, and have it counted out and set in a cupholder or the likes where I could grab it at the time. Doing that every day would get more than a little annoying, though.
I didn't pay cash toll for many years - but I still have a medicine bottle full of quarters handy in a car. For tolls (nope), parking meters (still happens) , maybe payphones(if I can find any)...

SignBridge

Back in the pre-toll pass era, if you travelled thru toll facilities a lot, you developed some sort of routine for keeping the bills or change handy. I used to start with a five, ten or twenty dollar bill (depending on the number of tolls I was expecting) in my shirt pocket for easy access.

CapeCodder

Something that has bothered me for years: What purpose does the Berkshire Connector serve other than to carry I-90? 90 should be free from Albany to the MA line. I would just decommission the remaining sector between 87 and 90. Sorry to seem ignorant.

As to the cash thing, I rarely took toll roads enough to warrant the EZpass. I did however keep cash in the console.

cl94

Quote from: CapeCodder on January 19, 2018, 10:08:51 PM
Something that has bothered me for years: What purpose does the Berkshire Connector serve other than to carry I-90? 90 should be free from Albany to the MA line. I would just decommission the remaining sector between 87 and 90. Sorry to seem ignorant.

As to the cash thing, I rarely took toll roads enough to warrant the EZpass. I did however keep cash in the console.


  • Berkshire Spur predates the free section by several years. Didn't connect on the east end until the late 70s.
  • I-90 was not supposed to use the Berkshire Spur permanently. I-90 was to parallel US 20 very closely between Albany and Lee, merging onto the Mass Pike there. Feds didn't want to pay for a parallel highway, so I-90 was rerouted to use the Berkshire Spur east of Exit B1.
  • NYSTA maintains the Berkshire Spur. NYSTA maintenance = no federal funds.
  • Berkshire Spur is part of the ticket system. Where would people going between the Thruway and Massachusetts pay their toll if not east of B2? They'd have to build a new toll booth. And no, you can't just decommission the 21A-B1 stretch, as it has an AADT of nearly 14,000. Without the Castleton Bridge, most of those vehicles would be going through Albany (that stretch of I-90 can't take more traffic) and we'd have a >30-mile stretch without a bridge over the Hudson. Also much-needed redundancy in the event of an incident on the Patroon Island Bridge (which does happen every once in a while).
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

Travel Mapping (updated weekly)

webny99

Quote from: SignBridge on January 19, 2018, 09:37:54 PM
Back in the pre-toll pass era...
I cannot even comprehend such an era.

Quote from: CapeCodder on January 19, 2018, 10:08:51 PM
Something that has bothered me for years: What purpose does the Berkshire Connector serve other than to carry I-90? 90 should be free from Albany to the MA line. I would just decommission the remaining sector between 87 and 90. Sorry to seem ignorant.
Borderline fictional territory here... maybe I-90 should follow the Berkshire Spur all the way to I-87  :pan:

Besides, the Berkshire Spur makes things more consistent for long distance travelers, as they can stay on the thruway system right through the Albany area. That, and what cl94 said.

qguy

Quote from: webny99 on January 20, 2018, 12:32:39 AM
Quote from: SignBridge on January 19, 2018, 09:37:54 PM
Back in the pre-toll pass era...
I cannot even comprehend such an era.

[In an old man voice] You young-ins! Why, back in MY day, ya had to fumble with bills or change every time you drove. Both ways! And ya LIKED it!

kalvado

as for Berkshire connector... I always wondered why there is no exit on east side of Hudson. Yes, there is significant grade mismatch between 9-whatever-the-letter and thruway, but that should be resolvable. Or exit B1/12 are too close?

empirestate

Quote from: kalvado on January 20, 2018, 09:34:45 AM
as for Berkshire connector... I always wondered why there is no exit on east side of Hudson. Yes, there is significant grade mismatch between 9-whatever-the-letter and thruway, but that should be resolvable. Or exit B1/12 are too close?

Yes, by ticket system standards. Remember, the idea of the Thruway is not to have an exit at every possible crossing highway, but rather to keep them widely spaced.

kalvado

Quote from: empirestate on January 20, 2018, 10:29:48 AM
Quote from: kalvado on January 20, 2018, 09:34:45 AM
as for Berkshire connector... I always wondered why there is no exit on east side of Hudson. Yes, there is significant grade mismatch between 9-whatever-the-letter and thruway, but that should be resolvable. Or exit B1/12 are too close?

Yes, by ticket system standards. Remember, the idea of the Thruway is not to have an exit at every possible crossing highway, but rather to keep them widely spaced.
Yes, but we're talking about a bridge over relatively big river - which is a significant asset, more than a stretch of a highway.
Nearest bridges are 10 miles north in Albany or 20 miles south in Catskill. Limiting local traffic doesn't look reasonable.
And even if bridge is short mileage-wise, it got a reasonable toll associated with it, if I remember correctly it is more expensive than Albany to Schenectady dash..

empirestate

Quote from: kalvado on January 20, 2018, 10:44:58 AM
Quote from: empirestate on January 20, 2018, 10:29:48 AM
Quote from: kalvado on January 20, 2018, 09:34:45 AM
as for Berkshire connector... I always wondered why there is no exit on east side of Hudson. Yes, there is significant grade mismatch between 9-whatever-the-letter and thruway, but that should be resolvable. Or exit B1/12 are too close?

Yes, by ticket system standards. Remember, the idea of the Thruway is not to have an exit at every possible crossing highway, but rather to keep them widely spaced.
Yes, but we're talking about a bridge over relatively big river - which is a significant asset, more than a stretch of a highway.
Nearest bridges are 10 miles north in Albany or 20 miles south in Catskill. Limiting local traffic doesn't look reasonable.
And even if bridge is short mileage-wise, it got a reasonable toll associated with it, if I remember correctly it is more expensive than Albany to Schenectady dash..

I think the issue is that your observation that "there is no exit on east side of Hudson" isn't shared universally. There is an exit east of the Hudson–it's at US 9, the major highway up and down that side of the river. (Later, this became the interchange with I-90, but US 9 is still connected.) That is the exit serving local traffic.

kalvado

Quote from: empirestate on January 20, 2018, 11:03:01 AM

I think the issue is that your observation that "there is no exit on east side of Hudson" isn't shared universally. There is an exit east of the Hudson–it's at US 9, the major highway up and down that side of the river. (Later, this became the interchange with I-90, but US 9 is still connected.) That is the exit serving local traffic.
Yes, that was my second thought

Quote from: kalvado on January 20, 2018, 09:34:45 AM
Or exit B1/12 are too close?

empirestate

Quote from: kalvado on January 20, 2018, 11:25:40 AM
Quote from: empirestate on January 20, 2018, 11:03:01 AM

I think the issue is that your observation that "there is no exit on east side of Hudson" isn't shared universally. There is an exit east of the Hudson–it's at US 9, the major highway up and down that side of the river. (Later, this became the interchange with I-90, but US 9 is still connected.) That is the exit serving local traffic.
Yes, that was my second thought

Quote from: kalvado on January 20, 2018, 09:34:45 AM
Or exit B1/12 are too close?

Right, so that's all there is to it then, I think. There's no exit closer to the Hudson than B1, because B1 is the exit that adequately serves local traffic (as adequately as any other part of the toll system, at least).

vdeane

While the four miles of driving after crossing the Hudson is unusual, and the drive to get there from the Thruway even more full of back roads than usual, it's not really any bigger than the other towns the Thruway passes by without an interchange.

Regarding the Berkshire Spur, it's also worth noting that it was constructed not to toll I-90, but rather to connect the Thruway mainline with the Massachusetts Turnpike.  I-90 came later.  As for rerouting I-90, debatable if it's fictional or not, since it has actually been proposed to do just that at least once.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

webny99

Quote from: vdeaneAs for rerouting I-90, debatable if it's fictional or not, since it has actually been proposed to do just that at least once.
It has? What would current free 90 have been numbered? (I personally am very much in favor of freeing up I-390 for use there.)

cl94

Quote from: webny99 on January 20, 2018, 06:07:33 PM
Quote from: vdeaneAs for rerouting I-90, debatable if it's fictional or not, since it has actually been proposed to do just that at least once.
It has? What would current free 90 have been numbered? (I personally am very much in favor of freeing up I-390 for use there.)

I-88. There would have been a concurrency from 25A to 24.
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

Travel Mapping (updated weekly)



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