NJ Tpk - trucks in cars-only lanes?

[empirestate]

On a recent trip over the New Jersey Turnpike, I noticed an awfully high concentration of trucks using the cars-only lanes. A lot of them were smaller delivery-size or box trucks, but there were a few semis to be found as well. There were enough of them that I began to wonder if was something other than just the usual errant vehicles or scofflaw drivers.

Is there some condition that occasionally arises which allows trucks to use the cars-only lanes? I didn't see anything mentioned on a VMS or other signage. Is there a definition of "cars-only" that actually includes several grades of smaller trucks like rental trucks (that still doesn't explain the semis)? Or is enforcement just lax enough that many drivers go ahead and take the chance?

[froggie]

Might have been an incident upstream whereby they were putting all traffic in the "car-only" lanes.

In my occasional Turnpike forays (including 2 weeks ago), pretty much all drivers obey the normal truck prohibition in the car-only lanes.

[1995hoo]

The only times I've ever seen trucks, other than small things like pickups, in the carriageway normally called "Cars Only" is when the outer carriageway is closed or for some other reason they want to deny access. The old flip-style VMS units would say "All Traffic for All Exits" on the sign for the open carriageway and the other sign would state why the outer (or inner) carriageway was closed (I recall one time seeing "Roadway Congested/Do Not Enter" on one sign). I'm not sure what they say now because I don't use the Turnpike as often these days, don't have as much reason to go to New York as I once did. But I recall a trip up the Turnpike en route to Montreal sometime in the past ten years when the "Cars Only" carriageway was signed as being closed but wasn't blocked off. After a few moments' hesitation I drove in there anyway, as did maybe two other cars.....that may have been the most fun I've ever had on the New Jersey Turnpike since we were FLYING.

I normally always opt for the "Cars-Trucks-Buses" lanes because over the years I've found that the "Cars Only" carriageway tends to have more frequent and more severe accidents that botch up the traffic.

[empirestate]

Might have been an incident upstream whereby they were putting all traffic in the "car-only" lanes.

Plausible, although in this case I entered the cars-only lanes from their start at the southern split, and the truck lanes were plenty open (and packed with trucks). It's possible that something on the eastern spur (I was on the western) was causing traffic to enter the cars-only lanes; it did seem that all of the wayward truck traffic was new coming through the split.

In my occasional Turnpike forays (including 2 weeks ago), pretty much all drivers obey the normal truck prohibition in the car-only lanes.

I've noticed that too, another reason that it struck me perhaps.

[Alps]

Car lanes are better SB at the merge because they have 3 lanes instead of 2. Until widening construction is complete, at least. Anyway, yes, if there is an incident somewhere upstream of where you got on, you may see trucks in the car lanes even though your exit told you they're for cars only. The NJTA maintains that system to help balance traffic as needed. And all lanes are maintained to the same standards, so there's no downside to allowing trucks in the inner lanes - it's all just traffic management to allow cars the opportunity to see past each other and flow a little more smoothly. Right now, exits all have the flip signs so there are only 3 messages per flipper. You have:
ROADWAY / CLOSED / DO NOT ENTER
ALL / TRAFFIC / (arrow)
CARS / ONLY / (arrow) or CARS - TRUCKS / BUSES / (arrow)

Because the bottom seems to only have two messages, there could be something else down there, perhaps that FOR ALL EXITS that you mention. Never seen it, though. Soon enough, these will be replaced by Hybrid VMS that have a 2-line VMS and a 1-line flipper.

[empirestate]

Is it possible that there would be an incident that would divert trucks from the eastern spur but not the western? Otherwise there was no upstream from where I entered.

[1995hoo]

Car lanes are better SB at the merge because they have 3 lanes instead of 2. Until widening construction is complete, at least. Anyway, yes, if there is an incident somewhere upstream of where you got on, you may see trucks in the car lanes even though your exit told you they're for cars only. The NJTA maintains that system to help balance traffic as needed. And all lanes are maintained to the same standards, so there's no downside to allowing trucks in the inner lanes - it's all just traffic management to allow cars the opportunity to see past each other and flow a little more smoothly. Right now, exits all have the flip signs so there are only 3 messages per flipper. You have:
ROADWAY / CLOSED / DO NOT ENTER
ALL / TRAFFIC / (arrow)
CARS / ONLY / (arrow) or CARS - TRUCKS / BUSES / (arrow)

Because the bottom seems to only have two messages, there could be something else down there, perhaps that FOR ALL EXITS that you mention. Never seen it, though. Soon enough, these will be replaced by Hybrid VMS that have a 2-line VMS and a 1-line flipper.

I haven't seen the "All Traffic for All Exits" in a long time and it's probable that they've replaced the signs, either in whole or in part, and that they modified some of the wording during that period. I seem to remember that wording being used most often at the carriageway split at Exit 9 when I was a kid. I suppose it makes sense that they could have a longer message there due to the larger signs with four lines of text (instead of three) and the diagonal arrow being off to one side. Perhaps when they extended the setup south to Exit 8A they put up new signs instead of just moving the old ones to the south. I'm certain they've replaced some of them because I recall that during the 1980s when you approached the split for the Eastern and Western Spurs the flippable-VMS signs said "Road Divides" (compare to the ones down at Exit 8A, previously Exit 9, that say "Turnpike Divides"). That "Road Divides" usage has been consigned to history in favor of signs listing the exit numbers and destinations for each spur.

Quite frankly it's been long enough since I've seen that message that I just don't recall. But I have a hazy recollection from childhood days of my brother and I playing with either Lego or Brio trains and one of us putting up a "road sign" and then taping a piece of paper over it saying "All Traffic for All Exits." When we were kids, we always liked reaching the Exit 9 split on the Turnpike on the way north because it meant we were almost to our grandparents' house (they lived in Bay Ridge).

I'm 100% certain I've seen "Roadway Congested" on one of the signs at the Exit 10 onramp heading south as the reason for closing one of the carriageways. Don't have a picture, though. The background was red and the text was white.

Nowadays I suppose one might argue that roadway congestion on the Turnpike is the normal state of affairs, at least at certain points on the Turnpike..... !

[Alps]

Is it possible that there would be an incident that would divert trucks from the eastern spur but not the western? Otherwise there was no upstream from where I entered.

Absolutely could be. Turnpike can definitely shunt all Eastern traffic into one roadway if they feel that will best balance traffic volumes.

[newyorker478]

i always find the Trucks and Cars roadway to be preferable for the southbound merge past Exit 8A.

[Alps]

i always find the Trucks and Cars roadway to be preferable for the southbound merge past Exit 8A.

Opposite for me. Because you have three lanes instead of two, car lanes seem to flow much farther (miles) before the queues start. I think once you get into the queue, the truck lanes can move faster because you have longer vehicles, but last time I was down at the split in traffic, the two sets of lanes pretty much kept up with each other. Of course, if I'm on my own, US 130 is preferable. (:

[agentsteel53]

really?  I never would have guessed an arterial would be faster than the turnpike ... but I've never driven US-130 in full.  at what hours is it faster than the turnpike?  and keep in mind that I hate traffic lights ... I'd rather average 68 on a good rural expressway with no traffic lights, than 73 on an arterial with two or three in 60 miles (see: AZ-87, for example).  when traffic lights are that rare, they are that jarring.

[Alex]

i always find the Trucks and Cars roadway to be preferable for the southbound merge past Exit 8A.

During all of our road trips to North Jersey in the 1990s, we almost exclusively used the cars/trucks roadway. Seemed to us to be the better bet back then, but not so much since 2000. Turnpike driving in 1993 was so much better than Turnpike driving in 2007...

[Alps]

US 130 will be better than the Turnpike during any summer Friday, Thanksgiving Wednesday, Xmas eve, etc. At least from US 1 down to wherever - I-195 is a convenient hopover point, but at that stage you may as well get on I-295. Northbound is a bit iffier because the Tpk keeps moving from Ints 6-9, but I'd still use 130 anyway. I'd rather a few traffic lights (you tend to get a fair number of greens) and keep moving between them than a constant 20-30 mph crawl.