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Garden State Parkway

Started by Roadrunner75, July 30, 2014, 09:53:00 PM

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NJRoadfan

NJDOT does APLs: https://goo.gl/maps/PfAL6YReTQs

Note the back plate shields and lack of a control city on the GSP (should be Atlantic City). Also, local/express median exit signs have appears on the GSP northbound for Exit 125. A bit of the Turnpike on the Parkway.


jeffandnicole

Quote from: NJRoadfan on November 08, 2016, 08:35:44 PM
NJDOT does APLs: https://goo.gl/maps/PfAL6YReTQs

Note the back plate shields and lack of a control city on the GSP (should be Atlantic City). Also, local/express median exit signs have appears on the GSP northbound for Exit 125. A bit of the Turnpike on the Parkway.

Actually, it's not a NJDOT APL, it's a NJTA APL!

NJDOT has used APLs since at least early 2014, as they installed 2 as part of the 295/42/76 interchange project (https://goo.gl/maps/ou654173Esx).


NJRoadfan

On the topic of control cities, someone took my advice.... the pull thru at Exit 145 uses Paramus: https://goo.gl/maps/YLT17wW2axy

Odd considering Paterson is used northbound at Exit 140. NJ-3/Exit 153 also gained control cities, Wayne and Secaucus.

SignBridge

That APL sign at the 295/42 interchange is horrible. Maybe if they moved the dividing line a little to the right so the format looked more balanced it would work better. But I don't like APL to begin with.

I'm surprised they added CR-508 to that Exit-145 sign. That's new I think. And I agree with Paramus as a good destination for GSP North once you pass Newark.

jeffandnicole

Quote from: SignBridge on November 08, 2016, 09:43:48 PM
That APL sign at the 295/42 interchange is horrible. Maybe if they moved the dividing line a little to the right so the format looked more balanced it would work better. But I don't like APL to begin with.

I'm surprised they added CR-508 to that Exit-145 sign. That's new I think. And I agree with Paramus as a good destination for GSP North once you pass Newark.

They can't move the dividing line to the right. By doing so, the left option arrows would appear that you can get to 76 both by going straight and to the right. And you see how tight the space is that they have to work with, preventing them from giving more room to the Camden/Philly portion of the sign.

SignBridge

#805
J&N, how would you improve that sign then? Do you agree it looks horrible the way it is? Totally unbalanced. Maybe reduce the amount of legend on the left by taking out the "to 130, 676" and the "500 ft", so it would just read "676, Camden, Phila". Then enlarge the legend on the right, that looks ridiculously small. 

jeffandnicole

Quote from: SignBridge on November 08, 2016, 10:28:33 PM
J&N, how would you improve that sign then? Do you agree it looks horrible the way it is? Totally unbalanced. Maybe reduce the amount of legend on the left by taking out the "to 130, 676" and the "500 ft", so it would just read "676, Camden, Phila". Then enlarge the legend on the right, that looks ridiculously small. 

Well, first, that would indicate I think the sign needs improving.  It doesn't.  If you were to force me to make a change, it would be to remove US 130.  But there's more to it than that.  There's a continuity issue as well.

Also, it can't just read 676/Camden/Phila, because the highway is 76.  So you would have meant for it to be 76/Camden/Phila.  But all the signs from all directions approaching this area (295 North, 295 South, 42 North) place an important on 676, so they all say 76 to 676.  So you need both highway shields at minimum.

Prior to this sign, on 295 North near Exit 26, there's a "Exit 27, 76 to 676/130, 1/2 Mile" sign.  So for continuity reasons, you need to sign 130 on the APL as well.

The 500 Ft label is applied a little sloppy, but kinda needed to show the short distance.

As far as balance goes, it's just the nature of the interchange.  A lot goes on for that single exit.

If there's anything that'll make you more comfortable, the sign is only temporary.  Once the interchange is fully reworked, this exact configuration won't exist anymore, and the APLs that'll be on 295 North and South will be much larger, with much more room for full destination and control cities.

As far as I can tell driving thru here though, motorists understand the signs.  The worst of it used to be is traffic on 295 North never had a good indication that to merge onto 76 West, they needed to be in the left lane.  That has now been fixed with the advanced signage and this APL.  And that's the most important thing...if the motorists understand the signage...then it's good.

SignBridge

Thanks J&N. You're right, I did mix up I-76 and 676. And I agree with you re: the continuity issue. The legend should be consistent thru the series of signs for an exit; no additions or deletions as per the Manual. But if like you say the lane configuration will be changed soon, then I guess it's moot, if a new sign will be needed.

roadman65

Quote from: NJRoadfan on November 08, 2016, 09:33:31 PM
On the topic of control cities, someone took my advice.... the pull thru at Exit 145 uses Paramus: https://goo.gl/maps/YLT17wW2axy

Odd considering Paterson is used northbound at Exit 140. NJ-3/Exit 153 also gained control cities, Wayne and Secaucus.
This is much better than the old Black on Yellow THRU TRAFFIC sign that was there previously.

And yes, why not Paterson?  Its used at 140 and  has not been reached.  Plus the only significance that Paramus has is that it is the retail capital of state. Otherwise its useless. 

It should be Paterson, and then Albany afterwards. 

BTW, there is a thread for the NJ 42/ I-76/ I-295 project.  It is not anywhere near nor connected to The Parkway. :bigass:
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

NJRoadfan

The old THRU TRAFFIC sign is still up at the actual exit. They have only done spot replacements on that stretch.

jeffandnicole

It appears the New Gretna toll plaza will be reconstructed to allow for Express EZ Pass lanes.

See pages 10/11 of the pdf (it will show as page 8 & 9 on the paper itself): http://www.state.nj.us/turnpike/documents/BM_Minutes_10-25-2016.pdf

This should've been done in the first place many years ago, as they did with nearly every other toll plaza.

NJRoadfan

Finally.....

Perhaps the biggest news in those minutes is Murray Bodin saying that he is going to retire!

jeffandnicole

Quote from: NJRoadfan on November 15, 2016, 04:38:08 PM
Finally.....

Perhaps the biggest news in those minutes is Murray Bodin saying that he is going to retire!

Lol. Go to the previous month's meeting minutes. He said that he was never going to return because the Turnpike won't listen to his suggestions. He didnt even miss a meeting!

NJRoadfan

Some new signing changes on the GSP

-Southbound at the Cheesequake Service Area, a new distance sign went in. Mileage points are I-195 West (with shield), Toms River, and Atlantic City
-Exit 117A has been officially changed to Exit 118
-Northbound pull-thrus at the Driscoll Bridge have been altered to include "TO I-95/NJTP". The big arrow diagram depicting the split before the bridge is gone.
-Eventually Exit 100 will have new exit numbers. Southbound is going from Exit 100A/100 to 100B/A. Northbound is going from Exit 100/100A/100B to 100A/B/C.

roadman65

That will create confusion at NJ 33 with WB being B for SB and C for NB.

The mileage signs at the Service Area are a surprise, but Exit 118 for Lloyd Road is odd.  Its part of the same interchange and should get 117B while the NJ 35 & 36 ramp gets the A suffix.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

NJRoadfan

They wanted to avoid changing Exit 117's number. Its a major interchange and would have resulted in different numbers north and south since there is only one exit going north. Also one has to keep in mind the express lanes going south since they only have access to 117 and not the new 118.

Note, the mileage sign is on the parkway itself in the median between the local and express lanes, it just happens to be near the on/off ramps for the service area.

roadman65

I wonder why I-195 alone is used and not all the routes that Exit 98 services?  Or why cannot Belmar be used or even Asbury Park.  Toms River and Atlantic City, I can see.

Also I wonder what the placement intervals will be, or is this another stand alone like the LBI and AC south of Exit 80.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

storm2k

Quote from: NJRoadfan on November 25, 2016, 01:52:37 PM
They wanted to avoid changing Exit 117's number. Its a major interchange and would have resulted in different numbers north and south since there is only one exit going north. Also one has to keep in mind the express lanes going south since they only have access to 117 and not the new 118.

Note, the mileage sign is on the parkway itself in the median between the local and express lanes, it just happens to be near the on/off ramps for the service area.

It's not unheard of, though. They did that at 131A (it's now 131A NB and just 131 SB), but I guess that's not considered a "major" interchange. I think it's more about the inner and outer roadways and having the outer be 117A while the inner was 117 would be even more confusing? Or having 117A on the inner with no corresponding B?

NJRoadfan

Exit 132 was kind of a hard one to avoid. It didn't help they added 131 south of the NJ-27 interchange and they couldn't use Exit 130 without confusing more people. Either way, its a done deal :P

02 Park Ave

When one is motoring north of the Bergen toll plaza, there is a toll collected at Exit 165A&B.  However, if one continues further to Exit 168, 171, 172, or onto the New York State Thruway, there is no further toll collected.  What is the reason/justification for this illogical toll at Exit 165A&B?
C-o-H

SignBridge

#820
02 Park Ave, I'll take a guess that the Pascack Valley Toll Plaza used to collect both south and north-bound and that these ramp tolls were to collect that same toll even if you exited or entered just south of the toll plaza. A lot of the GSP tolls are/were set up that way.  But maybe someone from that area would know more about it.

Roadgeek Adam

Quote from: SignBridge on November 28, 2016, 08:47:17 PM
02 Park Ave, I'l take a guess that the Pascack Valley Toll Plaza used to collect both south and north-bound and that these ramp tolls were to collect that same toll even if you exited or entered just south of the toll plaza. A lot of the GSP tolls are/were set up that way.  But maybe someone from that area would know more about it.

Until about 2012 there was a northbound toll as it was the end of the line. However, the decision was made that the paying the toll at a barrier twice in the span of 9 miles was not worth it and demolished the northbound.

That said, there's no tolls north of 165 at this point. The 165 toll was to prevent shunpiking.
Adam Seth Moss
M.A. History, Western Illinois University 2015-17
B.A. History, Montclair State University 2013-15
A.A. History & Education - Middlesex (County) College 2009-13

roadman65

Quote from: storm2k on November 28, 2016, 03:59:27 PM
Quote from: NJRoadfan on November 25, 2016, 01:52:37 PM
They wanted to avoid changing Exit 117's number. Its a major interchange and would have resulted in different numbers north and south since there is only one exit going north. Also one has to keep in mind the express lanes going south since they only have access to 117 and not the new 118.

Note, the mileage sign is on the parkway itself in the median between the local and express lanes, it just happens to be near the on/off ramps for the service area.

It's not unheard of, though. They did that at 131A (it's now 131A NB and just 131 SB), but I guess that's not considered a "major" interchange. I think it's more about the inner and outer roadways and having the outer be 117A while the inner was 117 would be even more confusing? Or having 117A on the inner with no corresponding B?
What are you talking about FDOT has EB I-4 signed Exit 74A without a 74B.  As 74B is a WB only ramp for Universal Studios.  To keep the same numbers in both directions for Sand Lake Road they used the lone suffix in the other way.

Also talk about confusion, the Universal Studios exit EB is Exit 75A, only because the same exit for the theme park is that of FL 435 S Bound that is also Exit 75A going W Bound.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

OracleUsr

I-40 in Asheville has that, too.  I-26 East from i-40 West is numbered Exit 46A, but there is no 46B westbound.  Eastbound has both 46A and 46B for I-26/240
Anti-center-tabbing, anti-sequential-numbering, anti-Clearview BGS FAN

jeffandnicole

Quote from: 02 Park Ave on November 28, 2016, 08:29:08 PM
When one is motoring north of the Bergen toll plaza, there is a toll collected at Exit 165A&B.  However, if one continues further to Exit 168, 171, 172, or onto the New York State Thruway, there is no further toll collected.  What is the reason/justification for this illogical toll at Exit 165A&B?

Because Parkway.

There are numerous places where you can enter and exit without paying a toll, and other numerous places where you could be on the road for a mile or two and get stuck with a toll.  On the Southern end, one can enter the Turnpike at Interchange 0, exit at Interchange 4 and pay a toll, or continue on to 9, 10, 11, 13 or make the U-turn at the service plaza to exit at 17, and never pay a toll.



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