Favorite turnpike system in the Northeast?

[bluecountry]

Bottom line, if it's located in one of the 13 original colonies, then it's categorically not in the Midwest.

The 13 colonies extended farther than they do now. Kentucky was originally part of Virginia, and it's in line with Indiana and Ohio.

Pittsburgh was settled by British settlers in 1758, incorporated in 1771, and placed in Pennsylvania by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon in 1780. Stop placing it in the Midwest, where it doesn't belong. Same goes for Buffalo and Rochester, for that matter. The Northeast doesn't end at I-fucking-81.

That's why it's the mid-east.

[Interstatefan78]

NJ Turnpike due to Express Local roadways for 63 miles Florence Exit 6 to Fort Lee Exit 73. Express Roadway becomes Western Spur 18W Local Eastern Spur 18E.

[Ned Weasel]

Express Roadway becomes Western Spur 18W Local Eastern Spur 18E.

Actually, both roadways split to both the western and eastern spurs, because the spurs go to different interchanges.

[jeffandnicole]

NJ Turnpike due to Express Local roadways for 63 miles Florence Exit 6 to Fort Lee Exit 73. Express Roadway becomes Western Spur 18W Local Eastern Spur 18E.

It's not an Express roadway. They are known as inner and outer roadways, or car and truck lanes. Both roadways allow exits at all interchanges, so there's nothing "Express".

[Ned Weasel]

It's not an Express roadway. They are known as inner and outer roadways, or car and truck lanes. Both roadways allow exits at all interchanges, so there's nothing "Express".

A family member in New Jersey refers to the cars-only roadway as "the express lanes," so it's probably a common misnomer.

[Rothman]

It's not an Express roadway. They are known as inner and outer roadways, or car and truck lanes. Both roadways allow exits at all interchanges, so there's nothing "Express".

A family member in New Jersey refers to the cars-only roadway as "the express lanes," so it's probably a common misnomer.

Especially as the cars only lanes can be anything but express.

[jeffandnicole]

It's not an Express roadway. They are known as inner and outer roadways, or car and truck lanes. Both roadways allow exits at all interchanges, so there's nothing "Express".

A family member in New Jersey refers to the cars-only roadway as "the express lanes," so it's probably a common misnomer.

Especially if you're on these forums, they should know better.

And as Rothman stated...the car lanes are often more used and thus slower than the truck lanes.

[sprjus4]

There's been times I've had more success moving 75 - 80 mph in the truck lanes vs. the car lanes that may be full flowing only 70 mph.

[J3ebrules]

I'm going to jump in and say that I've heard north Jerseyans refer to the cars-only as "Express" , probably thinking analogous to I-80's express/local lanes. Yes, 80 does have legit "Express"  - as in, not all exits accessible (although God knows I've sat in them and watched the Local lanes fly by - similarly to bring in Cars only on the Turnpike), but I can see why people around there think of them as similar ideas. So just wanted to confirm  that his family member isn't a crazy one-off, even though obviously incorrect.

As a total aside, it's funny thinking of Cars Only as "Express"  given that it can be slower - my mother always got into the Truck lanes when I was a kid because she said that those lanes were the slower ones and those in the Cars lanes wanted to speed without trucks in the way!

Meanwhile, after I nearly got turned into Human-and-Metal pudding against those enormous sound barriers around exit 9 or 10 by a truck that nearly ran me off the road, I've avoided the Truck lanes.

[Alps]

I'm going to jump in and say that I've heard north Jerseyans refer to the cars-only as "Express" , probably thinking analogous to I-80's express/local lanes. Yes, 80 does have legit "Express"  - as in, not all exits accessible (although God knows I've sat in them and watched the Local lanes fly by - similarly to bring in Cars only on the Turnpike), but I can see why people around there think of them as similar ideas. So just wanted to confirm  that his family member isn't a crazy one-off, even though obviously incorrect.

As a total aside, it's funny thinking of Cars Only as "Express"  given that it can be slower - my mother always got into the Truck lanes when I was a kid because she said that those lanes were the slower ones and those in the Cars lanes wanted to speed without trucks in the way!

Meanwhile, after I nearly got turned into Human-and-Metal pudding against those enormous sound barriers around exit 9 or 10 by a truck that nearly ran me off the road, I've avoided the Truck lanes.

My dad would never take the inner roadway (the technical name, not car lanes, because sometimes trucks are let onto them) because he was worried about a ramp being closed and he couldn't get out. My response... they can also close ramps from the outer roadway...

[ixnay]

My dad would never take the inner roadway

Sounds like a Philly traffic reporter referencing the inner or outer drives of Roosevelt Boulevard.

(the technical name, not car lanes, because sometimes trucks are let onto them)

Indeed they are, but I don't worry about that minituae [sp.].  That said, they didn't have those famous flip signs all those years for nothing.

One time going up to NYC with my dad (we lived in Delaware Co., PA), coming up the Pike approaching the old split before exit 9, all traffic was shunted onto the outer drive (I don't recall a major backup; maybe maintenance on the inner drive).  The signs were flipped accordingly (the outer drive was signed ALL TRAFFIC FOR ALL EXITS).

because he was worried about a ramp being closed and he couldn't get out. My response... they can also close ramps from the outer roadway...

My mother had a similar worry: that inner drive usage prevented exiting at all, i.e. that ramps north of the split fed to and from the outer drive only.

ixnay

[Interstatefan78]

I'm going to jump in and say that I've heard north Jerseyans refer to the cars-only as "Express" , probably thinking analogous to I-80's express/local lanes. Yes, 80 does have legit "Express"  - as in, not all exits accessible (although God knows I've sat in them and watched the Local lanes fly by - similarly to bring in Cars only on the Turnpike), but I can see why people around there think of them as similar ideas. So just wanted to confirm  that his family member isn't a crazy one-off, even though obviously incorrect.

As a total aside, it's funny thinking of Cars Only as "Express"  given that it can be slower - my mother always got into the Truck lanes when I was a kid because she said that those lanes were the slower ones and those in the Cars lanes wanted to speed without trucks in the way!

Meanwhile, after I nearly got turned into Human-and-Metal pudding against those enormous sound barriers around exit 9 or 10 by a truck that nearly ran me off the road, I've avoided the Truck lanes.

Correct I-78 has them too exits 48-58. Only Exit 56 offers entry and exit from Express and Local Lanes

[bemybear]

I chose the PA turnpike.  To me, having spent most of my life on the West Coast, toll roads are often the best roads in the region. I especially like the long distances between exits which helps people more often stay right except to pass since there isn't an exit every 2 miles as is often the case on free roads.  I don't remember the CT turnpike meeting these criteria and with no toll infrastructure to build, there are likely to be even more in fill on and off ramps in the future?

The PA turnpike, especially the mainline East-West road has amazing engineering, gentle grades and those awesome tunnels.  Even the NE Extension has 1 cool tunnel.  Plus a nearly constant and lightly enforced 70 MPH speed limit.  Most of the mainline mileage in Central PA is almost never truly congested in the way the GSP or NJTP are.

Now that we live in NY near Rochester, I think the I-90 Thruway is fine also. The geography it passes through especially west of I-81 is very unimpressive so there aren't a lot of neat engineering elements to it but it is well maintained, has long gaps between exits, reasonably placed service plazas and for passenger cars, a lower toll rate than many.