New Jersey Turnpike

[storm2k]

Just a quick update on the reassurance markers that have been popping up. Most of them now have had the temporary supports for the sign posts removed and are freestanding. South of 13A in the outer roadway, they mounted the reassurance markers to one of the VMS install bridges.

[Mr. Matté]

I noticed with two of the new reassurance NJTP shields (at least SB past 13A and 10), they're of the "sucked on a lemon" variety. It's one thing for a contractor installing such a vile piece of metal back in 2005 but for its own authority to be installing them...

[Alps]

I noticed with two of the new reassurance NJTP shields (at least SB past 13A and 10), they're of the "sucked on a lemon" variety. It's one thing for a contractor installing such a vile piece of metal back in 2005 but for its own authority to be installing them...

I find it interesting that every shield does not follow the Standard Drawings, where it is fully dimensioned. https://www.njta.com/media/2074/sd-njta-sl12.pdf

[odditude]

I noticed with two of the new reassurance NJTP shields (at least SB past 13A and 10), they're of the "sucked on a lemon" variety. It's one thing for a contractor installing such a vile piece of metal back in 2005 but for its own authority to be installing them...

I find it interesting that every shield does not follow the Standard Drawings, where it is fully dimensioned. https://www.njta.com/media/2074/sd-njta-sl12.pdf

there's an error in the drawing. dimension W on the turnpike shield is incorrect; the values listed are too small. the correct value W' would be W' = W + L.

i discovered this empirically while testing out my Inkscape knowledge yesterday.

[roadman65]

I noticed over the years little by little the Turnpike signs are all used with arrows inside circles instead of the long rectangles that once were.  I do not see anyplace else in the country with arrows inside circles like the NJTA uses now.   

Not being critical but I find it quite cool to see them even though they do look strange.

[storm2k]

I noticed over the years little by little the Turnpike signs are all used with arrows inside circles instead of the long rectangles that once were.  I do not see anyplace else in the country with arrows inside circles like the NJTA uses now.   

Not being critical but I find it quite cool to see them even though they do look strange.

Are you talking about the arrows on their trailblazer shields, like this? If so, how did they look in the past. They've been using the circular arrow for as long as I can can think of. Even some of the newer assemblies with the 95 shields on them still are using the circular arrow.

[roadman65]

Another neat old road-related photo from the annals of Reddit:


source

So that was a weird circle like thing the predates the northern part of Rt 18 that was built in the late 50s looking at historic aerials. Very interesting.

The arrow that you see in this old New Brunswick photo below the NJ Turnpike shield.

[storm2k]

Another neat old road-related photo from the annals of Reddit:


source

So that was a weird circle like thing the predates the northern part of Rt 18 that was built in the late 50s looking at historic aerials. Very interesting.

The arrow that you see in this old New Brunswick photo below the NJ Turnpike shield.

Ah. They've been using the arrows in circles since the late 80s if I'm not mistaken. Haven't seen it done otherwise in many moons. Also, they're not the only ones who do it. The AC Expressway is known to use circle arrows and put them above their shields, not below. Also, they didn't always used to use cardinal directions either, favoring either Camden or Atlantic City/Shore Points as its directional wayfinding instead.

[1995hoo]

Found this YouTube video by accident while searching for something else:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlZAgxBrz08

[PHLBOS]

Nice find.
@3:01; I don't believe I ever saw or heard the term MILK BAR as it pertains to road/service area signage.

[akotchi]

I noticed with two of the new reassurance NJTP shields (at least SB past 13A and 10), they're of the "sucked on a lemon" variety. It's one thing for a contractor installing such a vile piece of metal back in 2005 but for its own authority to be installing them...

I had previously seen a few northbound ones of the same variety, north of 10 and north of 11.  Did anyone get any pictures of them and the temporary wooden supports?  I was up there earlier today for another reason (and to get pictures), and the installs look to have different Turnpike markers more like the standard appearance.

[storm2k]

I noticed with two of the new reassurance NJTP shields (at least SB past 13A and 10), they're of the "sucked on a lemon" variety. It's one thing for a contractor installing such a vile piece of metal back in 2005 but for its own authority to be installing them...

I had previously seen a few northbound ones of the same variety, north of 10 and north of 11.  Did anyone get any pictures of them and the temporary wooden supports?  I was up there earlier today for another reason (and to get pictures), and the installs look to have different Turnpike markers more like the standard appearance.

Yes, they seem to have replaced the Turnpike shields with ones that are done correctly to spec. Has to have happened in the past week. They look much better than the ones that were there before.

[jeffandnicole]

https://www.nj.com/traffic/2020/02/toll-hike-proposed-for-turnpike-garden-state-parkway-but-they-wont-tell-us-how-much.html

Appears the NJ Turnpike and GS Parkway will be seeing a toll hike in the future.  The writer is a little aggravating though...other than the 'last minute addition' comment to the agenda (I've never seen an agenda posted more than a few days in advance of the meeting anyway, so I don't know if this is true or not), he writes the article in a manner where we should see the proposed projects NOW, at the same time as the announcement rather than at the public meetings, then goes on to seemingly say the PANYNJ's method of proposing a toll increase was better, even though I can't for the life of me figure out how it was.

[PHLBOS]

From your linked-article, towards the end:

If approved, toll hikes would also help finance a proposal by State Senate President Steve Sweeney to provide dedicated funds for NJ Transit.

That proposal, that Sweeney announced Friday, would constitutionally dedicate $500 million annually for NJ Transit's operating budget that would include $125 million from the Turnpike Authority and $75 million from a Clean Energy Fund to transit operations. It would also use a 1 percent tax on corporate income in New Jersey from an existing tax. That plan would require voter approval.

Sounds like The NJ Turnpike Authority's taking a page from the neighboring PTC's Act 44 playbook.  If such is the case; I'm hoping the voters shoot this initiative down.  It's another robbing Peter to pay Paul scenario.

If NJ.com's article is true & accurate; expect NJ 101.5 FM to raise a major stink over it once the station received wind of the story.

[jeffandnicole]

From your linked-article, towards the end:

If approved, toll hikes would also help finance a proposal by State Senate President Steve Sweeney to provide dedicated funds for NJ Transit.

That proposal, that Sweeney announced Friday, would constitutionally dedicate $500 million annually for NJ Transit's operating budget that would include $125 million from the Turnpike Authority and $75 million from a Clean Energy Fund to transit operations. It would also use a 1 percent tax on corporate income in New Jersey from an existing tax. That plan would require voter approval.

Sounds like The NJ Turnpike Authority's taking a page from the neighboring PTC's Act 44 playbook.  If such is the case; I'm hoping the voters shoot this initiative down.  It's another robbing Peter to pay Paul scenario.

If NJ.com's article is true & accurate; expect NJ 101.5 FM to raise a major stink over it once the station received wind of the story.

Depends on the exact proposal, but often these aren't public forum questions.  Voters will have to vote their elected politicians out of they are unhappy with the additional spending,  which they often won't do.

I've mentioned numerous times the Turnpike is already contributing a few hundred million to the state's general budget, so this proposal could be a part of that, or an additional payment.

[Alps]

From your linked-article, towards the end:

If approved, toll hikes would also help finance a proposal by State Senate President Steve Sweeney to provide dedicated funds for NJ Transit.

That proposal, that Sweeney announced Friday, would constitutionally dedicate $500 million annually for NJ Transit's operating budget that would include $125 million from the Turnpike Authority and $75 million from a Clean Energy Fund to transit operations. It would also use a 1 percent tax on corporate income in New Jersey from an existing tax. That plan would require voter approval.

Sounds like The NJ Turnpike Authority's taking a page from the neighboring PTC's Act 44 playbook.  If such is the case; I'm hoping the voters shoot this initiative down.  It's another robbing Peter to pay Paul scenario.

If NJ.com's article is true & accurate; expect NJ 101.5 FM to raise a major stink over it once the station received wind of the story.

Depends on the exact proposal, but often these aren't public forum questions.  Voters will have to vote their elected politicians out of they are unhappy with the additional spending,  which they often won't do.

I've mentioned numerous times the Turnpike is already contributing a few hundred million to the state's general budget, so this proposal could be a part of that, or an additional payment.

The article says voter approval, so there you have it. I haven't heard anything about a toll hike, but it's been quite awhile since the last one.

[jeffandnicole]

Looks like Express EZ Pass lanes are finally coming to Interchange 16E/18E.

Last month's board minutes:  https://www.njta.com/media/5109/minutes-board-meeting-01-28-2020-ain-001-through-037.pdf (Page 9 of the PDF).

If I were to guess:  They're adding Express EZ Pass lanes to both entry and exit of 18E only, which is in the center side of the plaza. The minutes also mention modifications to the XBL Bus lanes and ramp as part of this contract.

[storm2k]

Looks like Express EZ Pass lanes are finally coming to Interchange 16E/18E.

Last month's board minutes:  https://www.njta.com/media/5109/minutes-board-meeting-01-28-2020-ain-001-through-037.pdf (Page 9 of the PDF).

If I were to guess:  They're adding Express EZ Pass lanes to both entry and exit of 18E only, which is in the center side of the plaza. The minutes also mention modifications to the XBL Bus lanes and ramp as part of this contract.

It stood out to me that they called it the Eastern Spur in this document. The Authority generally tries to discourage the "spur" nominclature and calls them the Easterly and Westerly alignments IIRC. The Spur thing I always thought was one of those traffic reporter shorthands that stuck.

[Alps]

Looks like Express EZ Pass lanes are finally coming to Interchange 16E/18E.

Last month's board minutes:  https://www.njta.com/media/5109/minutes-board-meeting-01-28-2020-ain-001-through-037.pdf (Page 9 of the PDF).

If I were to guess:  They're adding Express EZ Pass lanes to both entry and exit of 18E only, which is in the center side of the plaza. The minutes also mention modifications to the XBL Bus lanes and ramp as part of this contract.

I would also think that they'd only be 18E. I must disclaim that I have no knowledge of the actual plans, but I can't imagine high-speed E-ZPass for NJ 495 given the low-speed curves and that it is often backed up to the plaza anyway. Not to mention the title is Interchange 18 E-ZPass and 16 Improvements.

[jeffandnicole]

Looks like Express EZ Pass lanes are finally coming to Interchange 16E/18E.

Last month's board minutes:  https://www.njta.com/media/5109/minutes-board-meeting-01-28-2020-ain-001-through-037.pdf (Page 9 of the PDF).

If I were to guess:  They're adding Express EZ Pass lanes to both entry and exit of 18E only, which is in the center side of the plaza. The minutes also mention modifications to the XBL Bus lanes and ramp as part of this contract.

I would also think that they'd only be 18E. I must disclaim that I have no knowledge of the actual plans, but I can't imagine high-speed E-ZPass for NJ 495 given the low-speed curves and that it is often backed up to the plaza anyway. Not to mention the title is Interchange 18 E-ZPass and 16 Improvements.

It's the little details I miss! 😛

[bzakharin]

Looks like Express EZ Pass lanes are finally coming to Interchange 16E/18E.

Last month's board minutes:  https://www.njta.com/media/5109/minutes-board-meeting-01-28-2020-ain-001-through-037.pdf (Page 9 of the PDF).

If I were to guess:  They're adding Express EZ Pass lanes to both entry and exit of 18E only, which is in the center side of the plaza. The minutes also mention modifications to the XBL Bus lanes and ramp as part of this contract.

It stood out to me that they called it the Eastern Spur in this document. The Authority generally tries to discourage the "spur" nominclature and calls them the Easterly and Westerly alignments IIRC. The Spur thing I always thought was one of those traffic reporter shorthands that stuck.

I'm pretty sure that back in the days of highway advisory radio (does that still exist? I mean before Google traffic and 511), they used it all the time.

[jeffandnicole]

Looks like Express EZ Pass lanes are finally coming to Interchange 16E/18E.

Last month's board minutes:  https://www.njta.com/media/5109/minutes-board-meeting-01-28-2020-ain-001-through-037.pdf (Page 9 of the PDF).

If I were to guess:  They're adding Express EZ Pass lanes to both entry and exit of 18E only, which is in the center side of the plaza. The minutes also mention modifications to the XBL Bus lanes and ramp as part of this contract.

It stood out to me that they called it the Eastern Spur in this document. The Authority generally tries to discourage the "spur" nominclature and calls them the Easterly and Westerly alignments IIRC. The Spur thing I always thought was one of those traffic reporter shorthands that stuck.

I'm pretty sure that back in the days of highway advisory radio (does that still exist? I mean before Google traffic and 511), they used it all the time.

HAR is long gone.

NJDOT tried it on 295 in the Camden County area many years ago too. I don't think it ever worked!

[Beltway]

I'm pretty sure that back in the days of highway advisory radio (does that still exist? I mean before Google traffic and 511), they used it all the time.

Yes ... VDOT utilizes HAR as well as 511.

https://www.virginiadot.org/travel/highway_advisory_radio.asp
Transmitters are strategically located along interstate highways or near major construction projects.

I have seen a few in the last few years but off the top of my head I don't remember specifically where.

[vdeane]

It's still used on the Thruway (and I think a few other places in NY too) as well.

[jp the roadgeek]

It's still used on the Thruway (and I think a few other places in NY too) as well.

HAR is widely used in CT (I see it all the time on I-84), but we don't have 511.