New York State Thruway

[kalvado]

That's only about 15 years behind what we did in Illinois.  ORT is very nice, and makes for a very easy trip along a tollway.

I still believe that ORT needs to come with an option of settling transaction on a spot, preferably with multiple payment methods - including cash. So both IL and FL - places where I experienced ORT - didn't quite managed the task.
I am pretty sure whatever Thruway can do under the guidance of Cuomo II,  would be worse than those two attempts.
Since I have EZpass tags in both cars, Thruway toll doesn't matter that much for me - but I know how things (don't) work for out of area drivers

In Illinois, it's pay online within 7 days.  It's merely the cash rate (2x the I-Pass/EZ Pass rate), and it's posted after every toll plaza.  If you're going to a mainline toll plaza (except the Elgin-O'Hare), then use the cash lanes to pay on-the-spot.

Correct me if I am wrong, but you have to remember each toll collection point to pay exact toll.
IL approach is much better than FL, but may also get a few tweaks with cash payment being accepted at rest areas (oasis) and a bit more friendly way of determining the toll.

My personal experience is limited, though, since I was driving a rental car with CA plates and NY EZpass in IL. Lucky me, there were no problems...

[Brandon]

That's only about 15 years behind what we did in Illinois.  ORT is very nice, and makes for a very easy trip along a tollway.

I still believe that ORT needs to come with an option of settling transaction on a spot, preferably with multiple payment methods - including cash. So both IL and FL - places where I experienced ORT - didn't quite managed the task.
I am pretty sure whatever Thruway can do under the guidance of Cuomo II,  would be worse than those two attempts.
Since I have EZpass tags in both cars, Thruway toll doesn't matter that much for me - but I know how things (don't) work for out of area drivers

In Illinois, it's pay online within 7 days.  It's merely the cash rate (2x the I-Pass/EZ Pass rate), and it's posted after every toll plaza.  If you're going to a mainline toll plaza (except the Elgin-O'Hare), then use the cash lanes to pay on-the-spot.

Correct me if I am wrong, but you have to remember each toll collection point to pay exact toll.
IL approach is much better than FL, but may also get a few tweaks with cash payment being accepted at rest areas (oasis) and a bit more friendly way of determining the toll.

My personal experience is limited, though, since I was driving a rental car with CA plates and NY EZpass in IL. Lucky me, there were no problems...

Yes, but remembering where you entered and exited is much easier.  https://www.getipass.com/trip-calculator  That calculator shows you every plaza you went through on your trip as well as the toll for each.

[empirestate]

That's only about 15 years behind what we did in Illinois.  ORT is very nice, and makes for a very easy trip along a tollway.

Not that most trips along the Thruway aren't already very easy...

[kalvado]

Yes, but remembering where you entered and exited is much easier.  https://www.getipass.com/trip-calculator  That calculator shows you every plaza you went through on your trip as well as the toll for each.

I believe that wasn't the feature when I checked it last time. But this is close to being done the way I want it to be. Adding cash-accepting kiosks on the rest area and designing entire thing a bit  better are not show stoppers.

[kalvado]

That's only about 15 years behind what we did in Illinois.  ORT is very nice, and makes for a very easy trip along a tollway.

Not that most trips along the Thruway aren't already very easy...

Except if you're stuck in backup at exit 50 toll barrier on Memorial day weekend...

[route17fan]

Speaking of open road tolling, more toll barriers to come down on I-190 for the Grand Island bridges per D214649.

Link: http://www.thruway.ny.gov/netdata/contractors/documents/d214649_tan18-8_plans-volume-1of-1.pdf

[empirestate]

That's only about 15 years behind what we did in Illinois.  ORT is very nice, and makes for a very easy trip along a tollway.

Not that most trips along the Thruway aren't already very easy...

Except if you're stuck in backup at exit 50 toll barrier on Memorial day weekend...

Right. Most trips on the Thruway aren't that, and so converting to ORT won't be a factor in making most trips substantially easier. In other times and places, such as Williamsville on Memorial Day, it would.

[cl94]

That's only about 15 years behind what we did in Illinois.  ORT is very nice, and makes for a very easy trip along a tollway.

Not that most trips along the Thruway aren't already very easy...

Except if you're stuck in backup at exit 50 toll barrier on Memorial day weekend...

Right. Most trips on the Thruway aren't that, and so converting to ORT won't be a factor in making most trips substantially easier. In other times and places, such as Williamsville on Memorial Day, it would.

Exit 50 backs up almost every day, especially during tourist season. I used to live 5 minutes from it. It was not uncommon for the backup to extend nearly to Exit 49. That area will be MUCH better once ORT is in place. Won't have the people getting off at 49 to avoid the backup (and worsening the NY 33/78 mess), either. Exits 23 and 24 are also very prone to daily backups.

[Duke87]

Exit 50 backs up almost every day, especially during tourist season. I used to live 5 minutes from it. It was not uncommon for the backup to extend nearly to Exit 49. That area will be MUCH better once ORT is in place. Won't have the people getting off at 49 to avoid the backup (and worsening the NY 33/78 mess), either.

Isn't a large part of the issue though that E-Zpass adoption rates in WNY are fairly low?

NYSTA is going to have to really push people to get E-Zpass if they don't want to be processing tons of bill-by-mail transactions out there.

[kalvado]

Exit 50 backs up almost every day, especially during tourist season. I used to live 5 minutes from it. It was not uncommon for the backup to extend nearly to Exit 49. That area will be MUCH better once ORT is in place. Won't have the people getting off at 49 to avoid the backup (and worsening the NY 33/78 mess), either.

Isn't a large part of the issue though that E-Zpass adoption rates in WNY are fairly low?

NYSTA is going to have to really push people to get E-Zpass if they don't want to be processing tons of bill-by-mail transactions out there.

I remember finding statistics, and "low" is not low per se, it is lower than for example in Albany - only something like 60% of transactions were EZpass around Buffalo. There will be more bills in the mail than in Albany, but not a factor of 10 more.  And all-electronic itself is a good way to push people towards EZpass...
Since many people believe westernmost stretch is the first all-electronic area, things may well even out by the time mainline is AET

[cl94]

Exit 50 backs up almost every day, especially during tourist season. I used to live 5 minutes from it. It was not uncommon for the backup to extend nearly to Exit 49. That area will be MUCH better once ORT is in place. Won't have the people getting off at 49 to avoid the backup (and worsening the NY 33/78 mess), either.

Isn't a large part of the issue though that E-Zpass adoption rates in WNY are fairly low?

NYSTA is going to have to really push people to get E-Zpass if they don't want to be processing tons of bill-by-mail transactions out there.

It is. Large contingent is afraid of government surveillance. Of course, NYSTA will get a trial run now that Grand Island is going AET. Wonder how long it'll be until a politician from out there tries to make rental car "toll processing fees" illegal. Those two bridges have the lowest E-ZPass usage rate in the state (other than the Canada bridges).

Exit 50 backs up almost every day, especially during tourist season. I used to live 5 minutes from it. It was not uncommon for the backup to extend nearly to Exit 49. That area will be MUCH better once ORT is in place. Won't have the people getting off at 49 to avoid the backup (and worsening the NY 33/78 mess), either.

Isn't a large part of the issue though that E-Zpass adoption rates in WNY are fairly low?

NYSTA is going to have to really push people to get E-Zpass if they don't want to be processing tons of bill-by-mail transactions out there.

I remember finding statistics, and "low" is not low per se, it is lower than for example in Albany - only something like 60% of transactions were EZpass around Buffalo. There will be more bills in the mail than in Albany, but not a factor of 10 more.  And all-electronic itself is a good way to push people towards EZpass...
Since many people believe westernmost stretch is the first all-electronic area, things may well even out by the time mainline is AET

Some of the plazas are under 50%. I know Grand Island is in the 40s, if not lower.

[Brandon]

Exit 50 backs up almost every day, especially during tourist season. I used to live 5 minutes from it. It was not uncommon for the backup to extend nearly to Exit 49. That area will be MUCH better once ORT is in place. Won't have the people getting off at 49 to avoid the backup (and worsening the NY 33/78 mess), either.

Isn't a large part of the issue though that E-Zpass adoption rates in WNY are fairly low?

NYSTA is going to have to really push people to get E-Zpass if they don't want to be processing tons of bill-by-mail transactions out there.

NYSTA could follow ISTHA's lead here and offer a significant discount for using EZ Pass over cash or pay-by-mail.  As an example, ISTHA's tolls for I-Pass (EZ Pass) are half the cash rate.  That's helped them get over 87% of tollway users to adopt electronic toll collection.

[cl94]

Exit 50 backs up almost every day, especially during tourist season. I used to live 5 minutes from it. It was not uncommon for the backup to extend nearly to Exit 49. That area will be MUCH better once ORT is in place. Won't have the people getting off at 49 to avoid the backup (and worsening the NY 33/78 mess), either.

Isn't a large part of the issue though that E-Zpass adoption rates in WNY are fairly low?

NYSTA is going to have to really push people to get E-Zpass if they don't want to be processing tons of bill-by-mail transactions out there.

NYSTA could follow ISTHA's lead here and offer a significant discount for using EZ Pass over cash or pay-by-mail.  As an example, ISTHA's tolls for I-Pass (EZ Pass) are half the cash rate.  That's helped them get over 87% of tollway users to adopt electronic toll collection.

I've been saying that for years and, frankly, NYSTA would love to do that. MassDOT did a similar thing when they went to open road tolling. In-state E-ZPass went way down and pay-by-mail is well more than the former cash rate. Problem is the toll freeze that has been in effect for 10 years. They'd have to double the cash rate and keep E-ZPass the same at this point, and good luck with that because politics. Of course, that toll freeze is why most of the other necessary improvements haven't occurred (and why tolls here are still mid-2000s prices), but raising Thruway tolls is political suicide.

As far as why it's political suicide, some idiot Western New York politicians convinced everyone that all the toll revenue is going to fund downstate improvements. Oh, yeah, gotta love New York politics.

[vdeane]

It is. Large contingent is afraid of government surveillance. Of course, NYSTA will get a trial run now that Grand Island is going AET. Wonder how long it'll be until a politician from out there tries to make rental car "toll processing fees" illegal. Those two bridges have the lowest E-ZPass usage rate in the state (other than the Canada bridges).

To be fair, Cuomo's push for AET is motivated more by anti-terrorism surveillance than driver convenience or cost.  That's event he part of his speech where he talked about AET (he also wants to convince the Port Authority to go AET).

As far as why it's political suicide, some idiot Western New York politicians convinced everyone that all the toll revenue is going to fund downstate improvements. Oh, yeah, gotta love New York politics.

Doesn't help that everyone still remembers news articles claiming the tolls would be removed in the 90s and are mad that never happened.  And why didn't that happen?  Because the Thruway took over I-84 and I-287, so it's not entirely unjustified.  And I recall reading a proposal to raise tolls system-wide to pay for the Tappan Zee.

Exits 23 and 24 are also very prone to daily backups.

I wonder about those exits.  Those weave areas are going to be rather short when traffic doesn't have to slow down for toll booths.  Particularly exit 23, where I suspect a large part of the backup is the result of the short ramp to US 9W.

[empirestate]

That's only about 15 years behind what we did in Illinois.  ORT is very nice, and makes for a very easy trip along a tollway.

Not that most trips along the Thruway aren't already very easy...

Except if you're stuck in backup at exit 50 toll barrier on Memorial day weekend...

Right. Most trips on the Thruway aren't that, and so converting to ORT won't be a factor in making most trips substantially easier. In other times and places, such as Williamsville on Memorial Day, it would.

Exit 50 backs up almost every day, especially during tourist season. I used to live 5 minutes from it. It was not uncommon for the backup to extend nearly to Exit 49. That area will be MUCH better once ORT is in place. Won't have the people getting off at 49 to avoid the backup (and worsening the NY 33/78 mess), either. Exits 23 and 24 are also very prone to daily backups.

Right. Other exits, such as 29, 32, 57A, B2, yada yada yada, are not prone to backups. Those trips are already easy.

[Duke87]

To be fair, Cuomo's push for AET is motivated more by anti-terrorism surveillance than driver convenience or cost.  That's event he part of his speech where he talked about AET (he also wants to convince the Port Authority to go AET).

That'll go over REAL well with the folks in Buffalo who won't get E-Zpass because they're paranoid about being tracked. Wait until someone tells them there's gonna be facial recognition software scanning everyone who drives through one of the Thruway tolls.

[Buffaboy]

How the hell did I miss this discussion?

People don't use EZPass in the Buffalo area because the need isn't there unless you live past the toll barriers and need to commute through them every day. If another toll road existed in the area, or I-190 still has barrier tolls in the city, then maybe more people would use it.

I agree about the surveillance thing as well.

I wonder, if they actually do this AET thing will there be interchange reconfiguration such as the concept ones vdeane made?

[Buffaboy]

To be fair, Cuomo's push for AET is motivated more by anti-terrorism surveillance than driver convenience or cost.  That's event he part of his speech where he talked about AET (he also wants to convince the Port Authority to go AET).

That'll go over REAL well with the folks in Buffalo who won't get E-Zpass because they're paranoid about being tracked. Wait until someone tells them there's gonna be facial recognition software scanning everyone who drives through one of the Thruway tolls.

They already take pictures at the EZ Pass Lanes I think. And Walmart has facial recognition too, but they make it creepy by showing the faces in yellow boxes on a monitor near the checkout.

[kalvado]

How the hell did I miss this discussion?

People don't use EZPass in the Buffalo area because the need isn't there unless you live past the toll barriers and need to commute through them every day. If another toll road existed in the area, or I-190 still has barrier tolls in the city, then maybe more people would use it.

I agree about the surveillance thing as well.

I wonder, if they actually do this AET thing will there be interchange reconfiguration such as the concept ones vdeane made?

I have EZpass for past 15 years, despite using it not that often. Saving 10 minutes once, on a holiday weekend trip, justifies carrying that thing for me.
As for ramp reconfigurations.. Withing next 20 years, maybe? Same for extra exits...

[webny99]

Should note the 5% toll savings of EzPass can add up after a while too.

I'm genuinely excited for the conversion. It has been way too long in coming. Now if we could get more lanes, more exits and higher speed limits 
The only drawback is that I will no longer be able to pay cash. I liked that only because I could inconspicuously add a thruway segment to my commute here and there with no one ever knowing 

[Brandon]

Should note the 5% toll savings of EzPass can add up after a while too.

Only 5%?  That's a pretty lame discount.

[cl94]

Should note the 5% toll savings of EzPass can add up after a while too.

Only 5%?  That's a pretty lame discount.

I think NYSTA has the smallest discount. Of course, that's because they aren't allowed to raise cash tolls and all rates are from 2007.

[storm2k]

Should note the 5% toll savings of EzPass can add up after a while too.

Only 5%?  That's a pretty lame discount.

Feh, at least they have one. NJ Turnpike Authority hasn't had one in more than a decade because they needed the extra revenue to pay off Christie Whitman's innovative "solution" for paying for EZ-Pass implementation in NJ.

[webny99]

Should note the 5% toll savings of EzPass can add up after a while too.

Only 5%?  That's a pretty lame discount.

I never thought it was low, but then again, I have no idea what great savings other toll authorities around the country have to offer. 

[JREwing78]

Should note the 5% toll savings of EzPass can add up after a while too.

Only 5%?  That's a pretty lame discount.

I never thought it was low, but then again, I have no idea what great savings other toll authorities around the country have to offer. 

The Illinois tollways give you a 50% discount for using EZ-Pass (rebranded I-Pass in Illinois).