New York State Thruway

[cl94]

I think the closest thing to formal interchange names would be what was printed on the old full-size tickets.  I would not be surprised that one of our members has an old ticket from the days when the controlled system began in Spring Valley in their collection of road memorabilia.

You'd have to go really far back for that one. Ticket system was moved north decades ago.

[route17fan]

There is a vintage NY Thruway ticket at the Guilderland Service Area inside at the "History Happened Here" display. It is from Harriman - exit 16 - and very early.

yes, some of us "accidentally lost" their tickets 

[empirestate]

I think the closest thing to formal interchange names would be what was printed on the old full-size tickets.  I would not be surprised that one of our members has an old ticket from the days when the controlled system began in Spring Valley in their collection of road memorabilia.

Yeah, unfortunately that is the closest I've seen. But it doesn't show names like "State Fair" and "Duanesburg", nor even more pedestrian ones like "Schenectady East" and "Schenectady West". It's the source of those names that I'd like to see.

[xcellntbuy]

I think the closest thing to formal interchange names would be what was printed on the old full-size tickets.  I would not be surprised that one of our members has an old ticket from the days when the controlled system began in Spring Valley in their collection of road memorabilia.

You'd have to go really far back for that one. Ticket system was moved north decades ago.

Yes indeed.  When I was little, the signs were blue.

[02 Park Ave]

Once the Thruway was completed, the ticket system always started at Harriman.  There was an across the road cash toll booth at Spring Valley.

[cl94]

Once the Thruway was completed, the ticket system always started at Harriman.  There was an across the road cash toll booth at Spring Valley.

Nope. Woodbury barrier wasn't built until 1974.

[machias]

From the official Thruway timeline documents distributed at the New York State Fair in 2002. Interestingly, Interchange 25A is not named. 

November 25, 1963   With completion of the 16-mile northern end of the Taconic State Parkway, the Thruway opened its Taconic Interchange B2 on the Berkshire Section, a direct link between the two highways.
October 29, 1971   Coxsackie Interchange 21B was opened at Milepost 124.5. The $2,400,000 interchange was financed with State funds.
May 25, 1973   Collamer Interchange 34A, built by the State at Milepost 276.6 in Syracuse, opened.
May 28, 1982   Interchange 25A, which connects I-88 with the Thruway near Schenectady, opened.
November 1, 1987   A new State Fair Interchange 39 opened in Syracuse. The new interchange is located at milepost 289.53, approximately 1 mile west of the old Interchange 39.

[Sam]

Yeah, unfortunately that is the closest I've seen. But it doesn't show names like "State Fair" and "Duanesburg", nor even more pedestrian ones like "Schenectady East" and "Schenectady West". It's the source of those names that I'd like to see.

I don't know where (or if) you could  find a document with those names, but ... I've gathered an informal list of my own from listening to the Thruway radio system over the years.  These are the names the dispatchers and radio units use to identify the interchanges. I'm sure they're based on some official names.


New Rochelle Barrier
Yonkers Barrier
Tarrytown Barrier
Spring Valley Barrier
Woodbury Barrier
16-Harriman
17-Newburgh
18-New Paltz
19-Kingston
20-Saugerties East, Saugerties West
21-Catskill
21B-Coxsackie
B1-Post Road
B2-Taconic
Canaan Barrier
22-Selkirk
23-Boulevard
24-Washington Ave.
25-Schenectady
25A-Duanesburg
26-Rotterdam
27-Amsterdam
28-Fultonville
29-Canajoharie
29A-Little Falls
30-Herkimer
31-Utica
32-Westmoreland
33-Verona
34-Canastota
34A-Collamer
35-Thompson Road
36-Mattydale
37-Electronics
38-Liverpool
39-State Fair
40-Weedsport
41-Waterloo
42-Geneva
43-Manchester
44-Canandaigua
45-Victor
46-Henrietta
47-Le Roy
48-Batavia
48A-Pembroke
49-Depew
Williamsville Barrier
City Line Barrier
Black Rock Barrier
South Bridge
North Bridge
Lackawanna Barrier
56-Blasdell
57-Hamburg
57A-Eden
58-Silver Creek
59-Dunkirk
60-Westfield
Ripley Barrier

[Sam]

Somewhere I once found a list of the official names of each segment of the Thruway system. In addition to the Niagara and Berkshire sections, there is a Mohawk Trail, Iroquois Path, etc. I'd love to be able to find that again.

"From a point on the mainline intersecting United States Highway Number 20 at or in the vicinity of Westmere to a point on the mainline intersecting United States Highway Number 11..."

[mrsman]

I've had XM service since 2004 and I am also satisfied, but I seldom listen to the traffic reports except when I'm in another city. If I'm driving near, say, Orlando, I'll tune in the XM traffic report rather than searching around for an FM report when I don't know which FM station I need. Also, when I'm in a different city it's the one time I find the XM reporters' sometimes odd wording to be helpful–they're less likely to use solely local jargon like road names out-of-area drivers may not know. (Of course, this is part of what can make it annoying to locals!) If I were driving in Chicago, for example, I wouldn't know any of the little names they use instead of Interstate numbers.

I just use the Inrix app on my Android tablet for out-of-town, unless I am in a city with a CBS all-news radio station (those tend to have good traffic reports, even though the traffic reports are often provided by a third party traffic reporting firm).

When I first got XM in 2004, each city had its own traffic channel on a recorded loop. That was useful if I missed the FM report because with FM, I'd have to wait ten minutes for the next report. Those ten minutes were crucial because I'd have to commit to a route by then, so the XM reports' continuous loop was useful. Nowadays, the XM channels are shared: DC and Baltimore being on the same channel makes a lot of sense, but the third city on that channel is Atlanta and that makes no sense at all. So you have a ten-minute wait now. I just opt for FM instead.

Baltimore and Washington together are fine, given how close together they are.  But Atlanta on the same channel makes no sense at all.

I could even see New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington together on the same channel.

I don't pay for this service, but I remember having this on a recent rental car.  A quick check of their website:

132 Boston/Philly/Pittsburgh
133 NYC
134 DC/Balt/Atl
135 Chicago/Detroit
136 Miami/Orlando/St Pete
137 DFW/Houston/Phoenix
138 St Louis/Minneapolis
139 SF/Seattle
140 LA/San Diego

What I remember was that they grouped 3 cities together on each channel, but allowed LA and NYC to be on its own channel.  Based on the current list, they are still following that model to some degree.  NYC all by itself.  Chicago and LA with one other city.  And then group the rest.  Also, they decided not to open more channels to traffic, so like it or not there may be some odd groupings.

Atlanta had to go somewhere.  One option could have been grouping Boston with NYC.  Pittsburgh with Chicago and Detroit.  Philly with Baltimore and DC.  That would leave one channel open to put Atlanta with some new markets in the South (Raleigh, Nashville, Memphis ???).  Maybe as they expand their offerings.

[thenetwork]

132 Boston/Philly/Pittsburgh
133 NYC
Put Boston and NYC on the same channel as the Northeast Channel, and include major traffic/weather issues from points in-between when warranted.


134 DC/Balt/Atl
Switch out Philadelphia with Atlanta and call it the Mid-Atlantic Corridor channel.  Atlanta would either be on it's own channel or paired up with other "isolated" Southern cities (New Orleans, Charlotte??)

135 Chicago/Detroit
136 Miami/Orlando/St Pete
No Problems with these channels, they make sense.

137 DFW/Houston/Phoenix
Switch out San Antonio for Phoenix and put Phoenix on it's own channel with Las Vegas.


138 St Louis/Minneapolis
St. Louis/KC/I-70 corridor would make a better stand alone channel.  Perhaps you could add Indianapolis.


139 SF/Seattle
Spin off Seattle onto a new channel pairing with Portland.  Rename the SFO Channel as the Bay Area Channel, including San Jose, Sacramento & Oakland.


140 LA/San Diego
Another perfect channel.   You could arguably put Vegas on this channel too for the I-15 corridor, but SoCal is a big enough monster on it's own already.


As for the remaining cities:

Minneapolis -- this is such an isolated major city with no real good large city neighbor, unless you add Milwaukee (which should really be part of the CHI/DET Channel) or maybe even Denver (another isolated major city which merits a satellite traffic channel).


Pittsburgh -- Sports fans may not like it, but put Pittsburgh on a channel with Cleveland, Buffalo and/or Columbus (all are large enough cities to warrant satellite traffic reports).

Not sure if a Nashville/Memphis channel is warranted, but would make for a logical pairing.

[cl94]

Actually, if satellite radio covers Canada, put Buffalo with Toronto and Hamilton and include border times. People in Buffalo don't like to admit it, but it's basically one giant metro area.

[Alex]

There is a vintage NY Thruway ticket at the Guilderland Service Area inside at the "History Happened Here" display. It is from Harriman - exit 16 - and very early.

yes, some of us "accidentally lost" their tickets 

We videotaped our ticket on my first ride on the Thruway leading north from Newburgh (October 18, 1993):

[machias]

Yeah, unfortunately that is the closest I've seen. But it doesn't show names like "State Fair" and "Duanesburg", nor even more pedestrian ones like "Schenectady East" and "Schenectady West". It's the source of those names that I'd like to see.

I don't know where (or if) you could  find a document with those names, but ... I've gathered an informal list of my own from listening to the Thruway radio system over the years.  These are the names the dispatchers and radio units use to identify the interchanges. I'm sure they're based on some official names.


New Rochelle Barrier
Yonkers Barrier
Tarrytown Barrier
Spring Valley Barrier
Woodbury Barrier
16-Harriman
17-Newburgh
18-New Paltz
19-Kingston
20-Saugerties East, Saugerties West
21-Catskill
21B-Coxsackie
B1-Post Road
B2-Taconic
Canaan Barrier
22-Selkirk
23-Boulevard
24-Washington Ave.
25-Schenectady
25A-Duanesburg
26-Rotterdam
27-Amsterdam
28-Fultonville
29-Canajoharie
29A-Little Falls
30-Herkimer
31-Utica
32-Westmoreland
33-Verona
34-Canastota
34A-Collamer
35-Thompson Road
36-Mattydale
37-Electronics
38-Liverpool
39-State Fair
40-Weedsport
41-Waterloo
42-Geneva
43-Manchester
44-Canandaigua
45-Victor
46-Henrietta
47-Le Roy
48-Batavia
48A-Pembroke
49-Depew
Williamsville Barrier
City Line Barrier
Black Rock Barrier
South Bridge
North Bridge
Lackawanna Barrier
56-Blasdell
57-Hamburg
57A-Eden
58-Silver Creek
59-Dunkirk
60-Westfield
Ripley Barrier

Those names you have listed are the ones that I've heard quite a few Thruway employees use over the years.

[Buffaboy]

Actually, if satellite radio covers Canada, put Buffalo with Toronto and Hamilton and include border times. People in Buffalo don't like to admit it, but it's basically one giant metro area.

They call it the "Golden Horseshoe..."

Too bad crossing the border couldn't be like going through EZPass.

[vdeane]

Get Nexus and cross at the Peace Bridge.  They're so used to locals crossing that way that they only ask one question (to check for goods coming in).  It's like the tail end of the car chase in the James Bond movie "The Living Daylights".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QZuOQZ1HC4

[cl94]

I only cross at the Peace Bridge unless it's backed up, I'm coming back from Toronto late at night (take 405), or I'm doing something in Niagara Falls (take 420/Rainbow). I don't have Nexus, but I typically get nothing more than "anything to declare?" and "where you going?" at any crossing going in and the US people ask where I live. If you've got New York or Ontario plates, they typically don't give you much of a problem at the Buffalo crossings.

[PurdueBill]

I'll contribute pics of my ticket from May 1998 iIrc--just before I got my Mass Pike FastLane tag.  It slid under the seat and I was paying $10.05 anyway so no biggie.  I'd rather have the ticket for memorabilia anyway.

[WNYroadgeek]

Exit 57A (Eden/Angola) to be temporarily closed starting Tuesday:

The Thruway Authority announced today a multi-phase, $3 million pavement rehabilitation project that will temporarily close the on and off ramps of I-90 exit 57A (Eden-Angola) beginning Tuesday, April 7.

The project, to be completed by Oakgrove Construction, will include:

• Re-paving of the east and westbound on and off ramps
• Re-paving of the roadway in the immediate vicinity of the toll plaza
• Rehabilitation of the exit overpass structure
• Guide rail replacement
• Shoulder excavation
• Drainage system improvements

The initial phase of the work will close the westbound off and on ramps and the exit overpass structure from April 7 through April 28.

The eastbound exit ramp will be closed from April 28 through May 6.

Work in the immediate vicinity of the toll plaza will be completed between May 7 and May 22.

The eastbound on ramp will be closed May 26 through June 8.

The final phase of the project includes a rehabilitation of the exit overpass beginning June 9 through mid-September. The overpass will be reduced to one lane during the work and temporary traffic lights will be installed on both sides of the overpass to facilitate traffic.

Motorists should follow the posted detours throughout the duration of the project.

http://www.thruway.ny.gov/news/pressrel/2015/04/2015-04-07-temp-closures.html

[cl94]

Exit 57A (Eden/Angola) to be temporarily closed starting Tuesday:

The Thruway Authority announced today a multi-phase, $3 million pavement rehabilitation project that will temporarily close the on and off ramps of I-90 exit 57A (Eden-Angola) beginning Tuesday, April 7.

The project, to be completed by Oakgrove Construction, will include:

• Re-paving of the east and westbound on and off ramps
• Re-paving of the roadway in the immediate vicinity of the toll plaza
• Rehabilitation of the exit overpass structure
• Guide rail replacement
• Shoulder excavation
• Drainage system improvements

The initial phase of the work will close the westbound off and on ramps and the exit overpass structure from April 7 through April 28.

The eastbound exit ramp will be closed from April 28 through May 6.

Work in the immediate vicinity of the toll plaza will be completed between May 7 and May 22.

The eastbound on ramp will be closed May 26 through June 8.

The final phase of the project includes a rehabilitation of the exit overpass beginning June 9 through mid-September. The overpass will be reduced to one lane during the work and temporary traffic lights will be installed on both sides of the overpass to facilitate traffic.

Motorists should follow the posted detours throughout the duration of the project.

http://www.thruway.ny.gov/news/pressrel/2015/04/2015-04-07-temp-closures.html

Good. Those ramps haven't been touched since the exit was built.

[The Nature Boy]

My favorite border crossing story was from the Lewiston crossing. I ended up discussing college football with the Canadian border agent. No idea how it came up but it was a fun discussion.

[amroad17]

My grandparents had a 1971 Rand McNally that did list the interchange names of the Thruway in a box on the New York state map.  IIRC, Interchange 35 was named Carrier Circle, 39 was Syracuse-West (although I would have preferred State Fair), and 45 was either Rochester-East or Victor.  Of course, 25A and 34A were not listed.  I am not sure when 29A opened.

[cl94]

My grandparents had a 1971 Rand McNally that did list the interchange names of the Thruway in a box on the New York state map.  IIRC, Interchange 35 was named Carrier Circle, 39 was Syracuse-West (although I would have preferred State Fair), and 45 was either Rochester-East or Victor.  Of course, 25A and 34A were not listed.  I am not sure when 29A opened.

29A and 34A opened in 1973

[machias]

My grandparents had a 1971 Rand McNally that did list the interchange names of the Thruway in a box on the New York state map.  IIRC, Interchange 35 was named Carrier Circle, 39 was Syracuse-West (although I would have preferred State Fair), and 45 was either Rochester-East or Victor.  Of course, 25A and 34A were not listed.  I am not sure when 29A opened.

29A and 34A opened in 1973

I wish I had gotten a photo of the original 1 mile sign for Exit 34A, because it was a unique format, even for the Thruway.

(481)
Syracuse
Chittenango
EXIT 34A
1 MILE


The "tabbed" version wasn't put up until 1986 or so when the section of 481 between I-90 and Northern Blvd. was opened.

[jemacedo9]

Does anyone know the history behind this overpass design?  This is the NY 64 overpass just west of Exit 45 near Rochester.  https://goo.gl/maps/FQ5hT