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New York State Thruway

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

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empirestate

Quote from: Rothman on July 08, 2021, 11:43:07 PM
I've yet to have a problem with E-ZPass billing.  I am confused by the difficulty vdeane's finding in her statements.

On the other hand, I have had the same problem on my bills, so I understand it fully. That's a weird quirk of humans, that we can be baffled by something unless we've observed it personally (And usually it seems I'm on the other side of that equation!)


Rothman

Quote from: empirestate on July 09, 2021, 05:47:40 PM
Quote from: Rothman on July 08, 2021, 11:43:07 PM
I've yet to have a problem with E-ZPass billing.  I am confused by the difficulty vdeane's finding in her statements.

On the other hand, I have had the same problem on my bills, so I understand it fully. That's a weird quirk of humans, that we can be baffled by something unless we've observed it personally (And usually it seems I'm on the other side of that equation!)
The "problem" seems to be the segmentation of long trips?  I think this is a case where such segmentation bothers some people and not others, rather than an unobserved issue.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

Sam

Maybe I missed the discussion earlier (or more likely didn't understand it) but why segments? Why not continue to pay between the entry and exit points like with the ticket system? If they want to define segments internally to allow free sections or directional tolls on bridges that's fine, but why do I need to pay 5 tolls for 5 segments between two exits?

storm2k

Quote from: kalvado on July 09, 2021, 11:08:08 AM
Quote from: Jim on July 09, 2021, 10:12:53 AM
Quote from: Rothman on July 08, 2021, 11:43:07 PM
I've yet to have a problem with E-ZPass billing.  I am confused by the difficulty vdeane's finding in her statements.

For myself, the initial glitches with lengthy delays in things showing up after the conversion were a little annoying but that seems to have cleared up.  My statements are longer with some trips that were previously a single entry still being split.  Commuter plan trips between 27 and 24 show up as single $0.00 entries, but trips on our tag not on a plan break that trip down into what is charged in each segment, 27-25A, 25A-25, and 25-24.  Since I'm not getting these in hard copy or printing them, if the statement spills onto an extra page or two, it doesn't bother me.
Taking not bothering to a whole new level:
I am not using Thruway too much (despite driving through I-87 - I-90 interchange on a daily basis). My personal EZpass accounting is pretty much limited to occasional "Account replenished" text. As long as it doesn't happen too often (which it doesn't), it just goes into  "general cost of living" category. 

I'm like this, too. I'll peek at my statements online to make sure nothing squirrely has happened (esp because the NJ Turnpike likes to give me "GO TOLL UNPAID" messages at exit points sometimes but they'll show up on my statement properly deducted and tied to my tag number so it's not like they did a LP match) but otherwise, EZ-Pass is just one of those things that gets filled up once and a while and that's about the extent of my care.

vdeane

Quote from: Sam on July 10, 2021, 09:00:52 AM
Maybe I missed the discussion earlier (or more likely didn't understand it) but why segments? Why not continue to pay between the entry and exit points like with the ticket system? If they want to define segments internally to allow free sections or directional tolls on bridges that's fine, but why do I need to pay 5 tolls for 5 segments between two exits?
Physically, it's because they didn't want to erect ramp gantries at the higher volume interchanges, I presume so that traffic wouldn't have to be constricted funneling though the gantry prior to the system being implemented.  In terms of billing, I have no idea, but I presume it's some variant of lack of imagination.  They've always billed based on what toll points people pass through, and they've always billed the ticket system as between two interchanges, so nobody really sat down to determine if such was still relevant in the era of AET.

My big problem is that I have a hard time holding all that information in my head.  If they treated the mainline gantries the way they treated barrier tolls, it would be easier, as they would naturally break up the statement a bit, and I wouldn't have to keep track of as much stuff in my brain.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

empirestate

Quote from: Rothman on July 09, 2021, 10:53:25 PM
Quote from: empirestate on July 09, 2021, 05:47:40 PM
Quote from: Rothman on July 08, 2021, 11:43:07 PM
I've yet to have a problem with E-ZPass billing.  I am confused by the difficulty vdeane's finding in her statements.

On the other hand, I have had the same problem on my bills, so I understand it fully. That's a weird quirk of humans, that we can be baffled by something unless we've observed it personally (And usually it seems I'm on the other side of that equation!)
The "problem" seems to be the segmentation of long trips?  I think this is a case where such segmentation bothers some people and not others, rather than an unobserved issue.

Well, it's just that you mentioned being confused by it, rather than unbothered. And again, I know that feeling well myself, so it's not a criticism–it's a reaction we probably all have at one time or another!

But yes, that's what it is–what used to be a single-line entry on the bill is now split into multiple segments listed non-consecutively. It's much more confusing and complex to read, and thus the billing has gotten worse, rather than better, in this respect.

Rothman

Quote from: empirestate on July 11, 2021, 11:55:45 PM
Quote from: Rothman on July 09, 2021, 10:53:25 PM
Quote from: empirestate on July 09, 2021, 05:47:40 PM
Quote from: Rothman on July 08, 2021, 11:43:07 PM
I've yet to have a problem with E-ZPass billing.  I am confused by the difficulty vdeane's finding in her statements.

On the other hand, I have had the same problem on my bills, so I understand it fully. That's a weird quirk of humans, that we can be baffled by something unless we've observed it personally (And usually it seems I'm on the other side of that equation!)
The "problem" seems to be the segmentation of long trips?  I think this is a case where such segmentation bothers some people and not others, rather than an unobserved issue.

Well, it's just that you mentioned being confused by it, rather than unbothered. And again, I know that feeling well myself, so it's not a criticism–it's a reaction we probably all have at one time or another!

But yes, that's what it is–what used to be a single-line entry on the bill is now split into multiple segments listed non-consecutively. It's much more confusing and complex to read, and thus the billing has gotten worse, rather than better, in this respect.
Confused by the difficulty people are havimg with their statements, not the statements themselves.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

seicer

It does make it a little more confusing to calculate how much I've spent on tolls for business expenses, but it's not impossible to calculate.

Rothman

Quote from: seicer on July 12, 2021, 09:53:50 AM
It does make it a little more confusing to calculate how much I've spent on tolls for business expenses, but it's not impossible to calculate.
Ah, this I can see.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

seicer

I use Quickbooks and it runs in the background. I mark whether or not a trip (from point A to point B) is business-related or not. Based on that, I can then use the NY Ez-Pass site to determine costs but it gets messy if the dates aren't aligned up or if there are tolling errors. Thankfully, it doesn't have to be perfect - the IRS is pretty lenient in these types of cases.

Roadgeek Adam

Just a couple updates: 56 came down 10 days ago. 57A is also down and repaved. 57 still stands.
Adam Seth Moss
M.A. History, Western Illinois University 2015-17
B.A. History, Montclair State University 2013-15
A.A. History & Education - Middlesex (County) College 2009-13

MASTERNC

Just for those keeping score, I traveled from Buffalo to Amsterdam on the way to Vermont, and had the transactions post in this order:

Day 1 (next business day after travel):
35-34A
36-35
45-44
46-45
47-46

Day 2 (third business day after travel):
50-47
44-39
39-36
34A-27

So it looks like the fixed "barrier" tolls post first, followed by any "closed loop" segment tolls.

Alps


vdeane

One thing I do still find interesting is how, despite trying to shift to more upscale options like Shake Shack and Panera Bread, the majority of new service areas when I looked last night will have Burger King as their primary restaurant.  How is Burger King "upscale"?  In fact, many service areas had only Burger King and Starbuck's/Dunkin Donuts around (in fact, there were even a few that didn't even have Burger King).
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

SignBridge

I agree with you Vdeane. Burger King can hardly be called upscale. But neither are Shake Shack and Panera Bread. In fact I don't think there is much upscale anything at highway rest areas in the Northeast, though Starbucks might qualify.

Roadgeekteen

Quote from: SignBridge on July 13, 2021, 09:30:39 PM
I agree with you Vdeane. Burger King can hardly be called upscale. But neither are Shake Shack and Panera Bread. In fact I don't think there is much upscale anything at highway rest areas in the Northeast, though Starbucks might qualify.
Starbucks isn't upscale.
God-emperor of Alanland, king of all the goats and goat-like creatures

Current Interstate map I am making:

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froggie

It's more upscale than Dunkin.  By a good bit.

Roadgeekteen

Quote from: froggie on July 13, 2021, 10:24:48 PM
It's more upscale than Dunkin.  By a good bit.
And shake shack is more upscale than Mcdonalds, but I wouldn't call either upscale.
God-emperor of Alanland, king of all the goats and goat-like creatures

Current Interstate map I am making:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?hl=en&mid=1PEDVyNb1skhnkPkgXi8JMaaudM2zI-Y&ll=29.05778059819179%2C-82.48856825&z=5

froggie

This may not be the case chain-wide, but of the occasional Starbucks' I've walked into, they have at least approached the upscale line if not had a toe across it.

Dunkin, meanwhile, feels like the McDonalds of the coffee world...

Alps

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on July 13, 2021, 10:23:33 PM
Quote from: SignBridge on July 13, 2021, 09:30:39 PM
I agree with you Vdeane. Burger King can hardly be called upscale. But neither are Shake Shack and Panera Bread. In fact I don't think there is much upscale anything at highway rest areas in the Northeast, though Starbucks might qualify.
Starbucks isn't upscale.
On a price and experience basis, they are.

Jim

Finally some new signs starting to appear at Exit 24.  Here's what's right where the I-90 EB and I-87 NB ramps merge before the stretch where the toll booths used to be:



Then approaching the split for I-90 EB and I-87 NB there are new signs behind the old that look to be the same except an "Exit Only" banner across the bottom of the Exit 1N panel.



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machias

Quote from: Jim on July 14, 2021, 01:43:57 PM
Finally some new signs starting to appear at Exit 24.  Here's what's right where the I-90 EB and I-87 NB ramps merge before the stretch where the toll booths used to be:



Then approaching the split for I-90 EB and I-87 NB there are new signs behind the old that look to be the same except an "Exit Only" banner across the bottom of the Exit 1N panel.





Decent looks signs, though the "1/4 MILE" on the pull thru gets my attention, technically you're still on 90 EAST at that point and the 1/4 MILE is redundant. Also, and this is a tiny nitpick that makes no difference whatsoever, I thought the NYSDOT standard was no border on the bottom edge of the exit number panel. Otherwise, they look good, do what they're suppose to do, and will probably do well for the next two decades.

seicer

Now if they can repave the lanes because it can be incredibly confusing to drive on in certain conditions...

vdeane

Quote from: machias on July 14, 2021, 01:58:14 PM
Also, and this is a tiny nitpick that makes no difference whatsoever, I thought the NYSDOT standard was no border on the bottom edge of the exit number panel.
I believe the cashless tolling contract was design-build, so neither NYSDOT nor NYSTA would have designed the signs.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

shadyjay

Quote from: machias on July 14, 2021, 01:58:14 PM
Decent looks signs, though the "1/4 MILE" on the pull thru gets my attention, technically you're still on 90 EAST at that point and the 1/4 MILE is redundant.

Also, don't forget at this point, you're technically on I-90 East  *AND*  I-87 North.  But I get what you're saying.... I-87 North exits from itself, while I-90 East takes the thru lanes, hence why the "1/4 MILE" seems redundant. 



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