New York State Thruway

[Alps]

I also found a white on brown yesterday at I-90 WB @ Broadway for "Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve."

I have lived in the area for over 20 years and had never heard of this place until yesterday.

Spotted another white on brown sign that seems to be put up in tandem with the adjacent Cuomo signs.

Montezuma Natl
Wildlife Refuge
EXIT 41

What's odd about this sign, and the Green Lakes signs at Exit 34A, is that they come before the advance interchange "1 mile" sign for the same exit.

That's not odd. I frequently see blue service signs before the 1-mile advance.

[vdeane]

It's unusual for NY, but not unheard of.  Many other places do it as a matter of policy (Ontario, Virginia, etc.).

[cl94]

Prior to the new round of NYSTA signs, it was very uncommon in New York to see blue/brown signs before the first advance. If there were a bunch of attraction signs, the advance would typically be pushed back to 1.5 miles.

[kalvado]

What's wrong with their customer service and why would you need to get in touch with them?

Why: I got quite a bit of an overcharge because of their equipment malfunction. It is not amount which will send me to bankruptcy, but a insult significant enough for me to complain. 
Whats wrong: customer service don't care. Last time I had similar situation about 10 years ago,  it almost looked like customer service folks are rated by amount of money they didn't have to give out or could collect. After all, its not like shunpiking Thruway is a reasonable option, so customer is not going anywhere - why bother?

Just as a follow-up:
my issue was resolved. It took a little bit less than 3 week, but I got the credit for the overcharge. Much better than my previous experience!

[cl94]

From what I have noticed this weekend and heard from people, Cuomo signs now exist on the Thruway at the following locations. Unless indicated otherwise, signs are in both directions:

Mainline:

South of 16
North of 17 (NB only)
South of 21B (SB only)
South of 23
Between 25 and 25A
East of 31
West of 31
East of 34A
West of 39
Before 41
Between 44 and 45
West of 47
East of 49

I haven't been west of Buffalo, but I'm assuming they also exist just west of either 56 or 57 and EB at the PA border.

Berkshire Spur:
WB at Exit B3

Niagara Thruway:
SB at Exit 9

A few observations:
- They exist within a few miles of Exit 31 on either side, so you will pass 2 sets within 10 minutes if you don't exit/enter at 31
- Pairs are typically across from each other (or within a couple miles with no exit between), except for the 17/21B and 41 sets and those at borders
- 41 is the only place on the Thruway where signs are approaching one exit in both directions
- If you travel the length of the Thruway, you will pass a pair of signs no less than once an hour

[route17fan]

From what I have noticed this weekend and heard from people, Cuomo signs now exist on the Thruway at the following locations. Unless indicated otherwise, signs are in both directions:

Mainline:

South of 16
North of 17 (NB only)
South of 21B (SB only)
South of 23
Between 25 and 25A
East of 31
West of 31
East of 34A
West of 39
Before 41
Between 44 and 45
West of 47
East of 49

I haven't been west of Buffalo, but I'm assuming they also exist just west of either 56 or 57 and EB at the PA border.

Berkshire Spur:
WB at Exit B3

Niagara Thruway:
SB at Exit 9

A few observations:
- They exist within a few miles of Exit 31 on either side, so you will pass 2 sets within 10 minutes if you don't exit/enter at 31
- Pairs are typically across from each other (or within a couple miles with no exit between), except for the 17/21B and 41 sets and those at borders
- 41 is the only place on the Thruway where signs are approaching one exit in both directions
- If you travel the length of the Thruway, you will pass a pair of signs no less than once an hour

I have been on the Erie Section of the Thruway and they are indeed just at the state line. 

[machias]

The Lock 13 Living History Center on the Thruway westbound between exits 28 and 29 now has an extra set of signs leading up to the rest area.

TASTE NY (huge logo) Market 2 miles
Lock 13 Living History Center 1 mile
TASTE NY Market 1/2 mile
Lock 13 Living History Center (up arrow)
TASTE NY Market (up arrow)

The Taste NY signs are white on blue in standard FHWA lettering. I found it interesting that the word "Market" is in mixed case lettering.  The Taste NY logo on these signs in huge, probably 2 or 2 1/2 times bigger than the Taste NY logo on the Thruway Cuomo signs.

[cl94]

Those went up a couple months ago. Region 8 installed more signs for the Taconic store around the same time.

[vdeane]

Looks like AET on the Thruway ticket system could come sooner than we thought.
http://www.clarencebee.com/news/2016-10-26/Local_News/Legislature_urges_open_road_tolling_across_the_sta.html

[kalvado]

Looks like AET on the Thruway ticket system could come sooner than we thought.
http://www.clarencebee.com/news/2016-10-26/Local_News/Legislature_urges_open_road_tolling_across_the_sta.html

I am not holding my breath. County legislature sent a letter... so what?

[cl94]

I'll ask a member of the board when I get a chance.

[machias]

Looks like AET on the Thruway ticket system could come sooner than we thought.
http://www.clarencebee.com/news/2016-10-26/Local_News/Legislature_urges_open_road_tolling_across_the_sta.html

While I would love to see the Thruway modernize its facilities, I doubt that there'll be AET across the state in my lifetime. For some reason the toll takers (and ticket givers) have a great deal of clout.

[Beeper1]

I think we'll see the downstate fixed-rate toll plazas (Yonkers, New Rochelle, and possibly the fixed rate Harriman tolls)  replaced with AET in the near future. The EZ-Pass usage rates in that area are the highest (over 80%) and with the TZB and the MTA facilities making the switch it would make the most sense.

The Grand Island Bridges would be the next simplest to switch, but the EZ-Pass usage there isn't as high.   

[vdeane]

I'm surprised Spring Valley isn't in the works.  There's already ORT there, and passenger cars pay no toll, so it would just be a matter of changing the software and plopping down some jersey barriers.  It couldn't be easier!  I can't say I've ever seen more than one cash booth opened there or a line to get to the one open booth, so it's not like many people don't have E-ZPass there.  It would also fit in with the idea of converting everything south of the ticket system to AET.

[Beeper1]

I wonder if they will just get rid of the Spring Valley toll altogether when the new TZB opens with 2-way tolls.  Would seem weird to hit up commercial traffic again after they already just paid to cross the bridge.  (No real commercial traffic entering from the Palisades or GSP).

[cl94]

I wonder if they will just get rid of the Spring Valley toll altogether when the new TZB opens with 2-way tolls.  Would seem weird to hit up commercial traffic again after they already just paid to cross the bridge.  (No real commercial traffic entering from the Palisades or GSP).

Who said TZB was getting 2-way tolls?

[Alps]

I wonder if they will just get rid of the Spring Valley toll altogether when the new TZB opens with 2-way tolls.  Would seem weird to hit up commercial traffic again after they already just paid to cross the bridge.  (No real commercial traffic entering from the Palisades or GSP).

Who said TZB was getting 2-way tolls?

It's not going 2-way unless Port Authority bridges go 2-way. Just my opinion.

[PHLBOS]

I wonder if they will just get rid of the Spring Valley toll altogether when the new TZB opens with 2-way tolls.  Would seem weird to hit up commercial traffic again after they already just paid to cross the bridge.  (No real commercial traffic entering from the Palisades or GSP).

Who said TZB was getting 2-way tolls?

It's not going 2-way unless Port Authority bridges go 2-way. Just my opinion.

Agreed. 

If one is citing what recently happened in Massachusetts as a reason for such converting elsewhere; the reasons why the river crossings in Massachusetts recently converted (back) to 2-way tolls (due to AET) were due to only 3 crossings are involved and the two agencies (MassPort & MassDOT) involved coordinated the effort. only one agency (MassDOT) controls those facilities.

[roadman]

I wonder if they will just get rid of the Spring Valley toll altogether when the new TZB opens with 2-way tolls.  Would seem weird to hit up commercial traffic again after they already just paid to cross the bridge.  (No real commercial traffic entering from the Palisades or GSP).

Who said TZB was getting 2-way tolls?

It's not going 2-way unless Port Authority bridges go 2-way. Just my opinion.

Agreed. 

If one is citing what recently happened in Massachusetts as a reason for such converting elsewhere; the reasons why the river crossings in Massachusetts recently converted (back) to 2-way tolls (due to AET) were due to only 3 crossings are involved and the two agencies (MassPort & MassDOT) involved coordinated the effort.

Note that Massport no longer owns the Tobin Bridge, as it was transferred to MassDOT as part of the 2009 consolidation.  As such, no coordination between agencies was needed to implement two-way tolling.

[PHLBOS]

Note that Massport no longer owns the Tobin Bridge, as it was transferred to MassDOT as part of the 2009 consolidation.  As such, no coordination between agencies was needed to implement two-way tolling.

Thanks for the update.  My previous post has since been corrected to reflect such. 

[cl94]

Not only the PANYNJ crossings, but also the NYSBA ones. Local traffic will likely detour up to Bear Mountain or Newburgh-Beacon if there's a WB toll.

[empirestate]

Not only the PANYNJ crossings, but also the NYSBA ones. Local traffic will likely detour up to Bear Mountain or Newburgh-Beacon if there's a WB toll.

You think? Keep in mind the WB toll would be half what the EB one currently is.


iPhone

[Beeper1]

I thought I had read somewhere that the NYSTA was going to go to 2-way when the new bridge opens, but Googling around I can't find anything.  I must have mis-remembered or had this confused with someplace else. 

Which is good, because it wouldn't make sense to make that change.

[cl94]

Not only the PANYNJ crossings, but also the NYSBA ones. Local traffic will likely detour up to Bear Mountain or Newburgh-Beacon if there's a WB toll.

You think? Keep in mind the WB toll would be half what the EB one currently is.


iPhone

Bear Mountain Bridge is only 10 minutes slower than Tappan Zee as it is and, if one is going to Newburgh or north, Newburgh-Beacon is a wash. People will almost certainly take a free route if the time is comparable.

[PHLBOS]

I thought I had read somewhere that the NYSTA was going to go to 2-way when the new bridge opens, but Googling around I can't find anything.  I must have mis-remembered or had this confused with someplace else. 

Which is good, because it wouldn't make sense to make that change.

At present, only Massachusetts has done such with its tolled water crossings in Boston following a full-blown AET conversion; and that was just this past week.