Garden State Parkway

[NJRoadfan]

The Raritan plaza still permits full access to the express lanes from the standard toll lanes. The change was due to the construction just north of there that has some of the southbound lanes shifted to the northbound roadway for bridge work and expanding Exit 125.

[roadman65]

Signage note: this overhead has been replaced recently. No more diagramatic for the lane configration. Now 2 signs. for the Express EZ-Pass, it now calls it toll plaza bypass, I think. I need to go past again to get the exact verbage and a picture. Very different from what we've had in the past.

Is not the info for Exits 123 & 124 non MUTCD now?  To me personally we used the exit numbers more than the route and destinations so its not so odd, even though not set up like most road agencies would do so.

Anyway, someone told me that there is a big development going up that is the real reason for the Exit 125 being converted to full movement instead of NB off and SB on like it was for centuries.   

[storm2k]

Signage note: this overhead has been replaced recently. No more diagramatic for the lane configration. Now 2 signs. for the Express EZ-Pass, it now calls it toll plaza bypass, I think. I need to go past again to get the exact verbage and a picture. Very different from what we've had in the past.

Is not the info for Exits 123 & 124 non MUTCD now?  To me personally we used the exit numbers more than the route and destinations so its not so odd, even though not set up like most road agencies would do so.

Anyway, someone told me that there is a big development going up that is the real reason for the Exit 125 being converted to full movement instead of NB off and SB on like it was for centuries.   

They were pretty clear in saying that the reason they were doing this was for development along the river-front down there.

[storm2k]

Short article on NJ.Com today about the GEH bridge: Huge new Garden State Parkway bridge includes walkway spanning 2 counties.

Nothing ground-breaking to report from the article, but it does mention that there will be a walkway on the new span.

[NE2]

Centuries eh.

[shadyjay]

Centuries eh.

20th and 21st

[Roadrunner75]

Signage note: this overhead has been replaced recently. No more diagramatic for the lane configration. Now 2 signs. for the Express EZ-Pass, it now calls it toll plaza bypass, I think. I need to go past again to get the exact verbage and a picture. Very different from what we've had in the past.

I noticed the "Toll Plaza Bypass" signage too recently.  I think that's kind of bad wording.  Just "Express Only EZ-Pass" was fine.  It's not like the toll is optional here.

[SignBridge]

I agree. Toll Plaza Bypass might cause some drivers to think they can bypass paying the toll. NJTA is usually a little smarter than this.

[storm2k]

I agree. Toll Plaza Bypass might cause some drivers to think they can bypass paying the toll. NJTA is usually a little smarter than this.

Agreed. If anything, they should follow the MUTCD guidelines for open road tolling and used signs that said EZ-Pass only. Which is actually more like what they had than what they have now.

[Don'tKnowYet]

I agree. Toll Plaza Bypass might cause some drivers to think they can bypass paying the toll. NJTA is usually a little smarter than this.

Agreed. If anything, they should follow the MUTCD guidelines for open road tolling and used signs that said EZ-Pass only. Which is actually more like what they had than what they have now.

They did. Paragrapgh 6 of Section 2G.16.

And the signs do say E-ZPass only, and rather largely.

And the signs do say Pay Toll across the top so no one thinks its a free ride.

[roadman65]

I agree. Toll Plaza Bypass might cause some drivers to think they can bypass paying the toll. NJTA is usually a little smarter than this.

Agreed. If anything, they should follow the MUTCD guidelines for open road tolling and used signs that said EZ-Pass only. Which is actually more like what they had than what they have now.

They did. Paragrapgh 6 of Section 2G.16.

And the signs do say E-ZPass only, and rather largely.

And the signs do say Pay Toll across the top so no one thinks its a free ride.

Become a toll collector and you will see  differently . I already had that one man who came to me who thought "Prepaid Tolls Only" meant exemption due to just paying a toll on the previous road at my location in Orlando.

[SignBridge]

There you go! I rest my case

[jeffandnicole]

There you go! I rest my case

Yeah...there's also the guy that after he passes the "Pay Toll Ahead" sign, then enters the booth with the "Stop Pay Toll", then proceeds to say "can I go now" without actually attempting to pay anything...It really doesn't matter what the signs say.  There's always going to be someone that'll have no idea what the big building in the middle of the road that they are driving thru is for.

[SignBridge]

I'm sure you're right, J&N.

[roadman65]

I love the one "What is this toll for?" 

[storm2k]

Parkway reconsidering cash ban at new exit

New Jersey Turnpike Authority officials may add an exact change lane to a toll plaza at new Exit 125, which was originally planned E-ZPass-only exit on the Garden State Parkway in Sayreville.

Honestly, I hope they don't and just use this as the first move to cashless tolling.

[vdeane]

Is there anything wrong with bill by mail?

[Alps]

Is there anything wrong with bill by mail?

Needs to be done systemwide. That is a policy and procedural change on the back end. So they can't just do it at one exit.

[jeffandnicole]

The current policy at unmanned exits are you must have exact change or EZ Pass...otherwise it's a toll violation.

[Alps]

The current policy at unmanned exits are you must have exact change or EZ Pass...otherwise it's a toll violation.

They no longer let you take an envelope?

[jeffandnicole]

The current policy at unmanned exits are you must have exact change or EZ Pass...otherwise it's a toll violation.

They no longer let you take an envelope?

That was discountinued in October, 2011!

[roadman65]

The problem is nobody is even scared anymore of the term violation anymore as I get business men and truckers who collect them on a regular basis as some just do not carry cash and are not about to.  They will gladly pay the money to the state, toll agency, whatever so they can leave their wallets empty and the rest of the world eliminate all cash transactions as long as they can mail it in.  Their egos think that toll roads are the bad guys and despite popular belief we have many who never heard of a toll road still after centuries who travel Florida roads as that has never gotten to them.

Also reading road signs is for us road geeks as well, as all FL 528 shields have TOLL on them, plus going EB on an overhead (a sign that is hard to miss) says LAST EXIT BEFORE TOLL and yet they will be surprised there is a toll still.  Some who even read signs say "Oh I am not from this area, what am I supposed to do" where I don't want to even answer that one as its obvious to the fact if you have no money and the sign says toll you find another route!

I wish every person gets a big fat ticket for showing up without money on a well marked facility as I hear it from the motorists behind the broke individual saying that we let people not ready for a common toll road get away with murder which we (and obviously NJ and probably now NYC) get off with a get out of jail free card for not being a responsible driver!  Plus that damned GPS, that tells people to bypass tolls is another instigator among the ignorant, and the fact the old timers forgot to tell the young how we lived before those stupid devices were norm, and the older crowd not teaching their young how to drive period!

[SignBridge]

Say what you think Roadman65; don't hold back! LOL

[jeffandnicole]

Say what you think Roadman65; don't hold back! LOL

But he makes a great point about GPSs (and any online mapping program).  They are still atrociously bad when it comes to toll plazas.  They rarely (if ever) indicate which way to go if you have EZ Pass and express lanes are available, or if they should go towards the cash lanes and pay a toll.  While the GPSs don't know if you have an EZ Pass, it could say "Toll Plaza in 1 mile. Stay Left if you have EZ Pass, Stay Right to pay cash".

Sure, the motorist should be able to read the signs and figure that out themselves.  Then again, you're dealing with people that should also be able to drive the majority of their trip without needing the GPS to begin with. 

[SignBridge]

Completely agree with your last paragraph J&N. I do not own a GPS. Paper road maps and overhead signs still work very well for me, as they have going back to the pre E-Z Pass era.