Who has traveled on I-94?

[NWI_Irish96]

IL/IN border area; like driving in a video game.  Trucks in lanes they're not allowed in, people weaving in and out, random backups...
Southeast suburbs (IN); stay in the left lane anywhere west of I-65 if you hope to actually get anywhere
Rest of IN; smooth ride
New Buffalo, MI; last time by, this really needed a repaving

Unfortunately, I-94 is a terrible experience between the north side of Chicago and Lake Station, IN.  The rest has its flaws, but it isn't nearly as bad.

I drove I-94 from the Tri-State to the I-196 split last night and it was traffic hell from the Tri-State to around Cline Ave. I almost got cut off by a truck coming out of the Southside oasis. There were constant slowdowns and that doesn't even mention the trucks running in the two left lanes (which is illegal through that stretch). At least I missed the honey spill from earlier yesterday. Despite the toll road being one lane through East Chicago due to construction and the Skyway being very expensive, I much prefer I-90 over I-80/I-94 through NW Indiana and the south side of Chicago.

Without looking I think it's 5 extra miles from Lake Station to 63rd Street in Chicago by taking I-80/94 and then just I-94 vs. taking I-90 The Skyway. I don't know anyone that would want to add on 5 extra miles when you don't have to with Chicago's traffic. I think the $9 to cross the bridge (I think that's the toll) is worth it but it sucks that they have to charge a toll just to cross a bridge.

So if you were watching helicopter coverage of that honey spill you could see my house, so I feel I have some pretty good insight on I-94.  It is 4 miles longer to go from the I-90/94 junction in Lake Station to the Skyway/Ryan junction in Chicago.  The 2 axle toll for the Skyway is $5 with an additional $1 toll for the ITR in Hammond.

There are two reasons why 94 gets so much more traffic.  The first is that a lot of the traffic is through traffic going to/from I-80, so the Skyway isn't an option, or the traffic is local to towns along 94, in which case the Skyway is longer and slower, unless there is a major accident on 94.  The second is that while a $6 toll isn't so bad if you are only traveling to the city occasionally, if you are a daily commuter, that adds up to $60/week, and taking the longer and more congested route may be a necessity.

[rawmustard]

So if you were watching helicopter coverage of that honey spill you could see my house, so I feel I have some pretty good insight on I-94.  It is 4 miles longer to go from the I-90/94 junction in Lake Station to the Skyway/Ryan junction in Chicago.  The 2 axle toll for the Skyway is $5 with an additional $1 toll for the ITR in Hammond.

Don't forget there's an approximate $2.40 for Westpoint in addition to the toll at Lake Station. The total two-axle tolls for someone using an I-PASS (including the three cent surcharges at each plaza) for that stretch one-way would total $8.74.

[NWI_Irish96]

So if you were watching helicopter coverage of that honey spill you could see my house, so I feel I have some pretty good insight on I-94.  It is 4 miles longer to go from the I-90/94 junction in Lake Station to the Skyway/Ryan junction in Chicago.  The 2 axle toll for the Skyway is $5 with an additional $1 toll for the ITR in Hammond.

Don't forget there's an approximate $2.40 for Westpoint in addition to the toll at Lake Station. The total two-axle tolls for someone using an I-PASS (including the three cent surcharges at each plaza) for that stretch one-way would total $8.74.

The toll at Lake Station is only for travel east of Lake Station.  If you are going from Chicago to Lake Station, it's just the $5 at the Skyway and the $1 at Westpoint. 

[rawmustard]

So if you were watching helicopter coverage of that honey spill you could see my house, so I feel I have some pretty good insight on I-94.  It is 4 miles longer to go from the I-90/94 junction in Lake Station to the Skyway/Ryan junction in Chicago.  The 2 axle toll for the Skyway is $5 with an additional $1 toll for the ITR in Hammond.

Don't forget there's an approximate $2.40 for Westpoint in addition to the toll at Lake Station. The total two-axle tolls for someone using an I-PASS (including the three cent surcharges at each plaza) for that stretch one-way would total $8.74.

The toll at Lake Station is only for travel east of Lake Station.  If you are going from Chicago to Lake Station, it's just the $5 at the Skyway and the $1 at Westpoint.

But it isn't $1 at Westpoint. And the toll at Lake Station is paid by those entering westbound and exiting eastbound. My own I-PASS log can confirm that. So if a commuter uses the ITR and Skyway consistently as a route from Lake Station, given a five-day workweek, that person will be out just about $85 each week. EZPass users no longer pay the ITR rates which dated back to 1985, and it seems like the Skyway toll will only ever go up (currently it's $5.30 for two-axles). The financial incentive is there for using the Bishop Ford.

SM-G950U