$0.00 tolls

[GaryV]

That makes me wonder–and I guess it would be pertinent to this thread: Have there been any other occasions where either a construction project on a nearby free road–or perhaps an incident like a major vehicle crash or significant winter weather event–necessitated a detour onto the Turnpike, and the PTC similarly waived tolls for detoured vehicles?

A version of this happens occasionally on the I-95 HOT lanes in Northern Virginia when a major mishap on the main lanes will cause VDOT to open the HOT lanes to all traffic without charge.

I believe there is getting ready to be a nighttime construction detour from mainline I-395 onto its HOV/HOT lanes...

People will drive in the HOV lanes on I-84 and I-91 if there's enough snow to hide the lane markings. They will even drive in the divider area!

When it snows, the lanes aren't painted on the road; they're where the cars in front of you have gone.

In snowy conditions, most drivers will follow the tracks from previous drivers right off a cliff, or into a tree or other obstruction, because they are STUPID! Even on roads they drive on almost every day and thus should instinctively know where the lanes are without any guidance from pavement markings. As such, this is one of the very few situations where I believe that automated driving or driver assistance might be useful.

How is the self-driving car going to know where the lanes are if they can't be seen under the snow?

[roadman]

You get a toll ticket, but you don't have to pay.

Two examples that I know of:

A trip from I-88 to I-87 north, or the reverse trip, has a $0.00 toll on the Thruway.

Previously, the Mass Pike had a $0.00 toll if your starting and ending destinations were both west of Exit 6, at least for standard cars (I believe trucks still had to pay).

That is correct.  Passenger cars were free, but commercial vehicles were charged a toll.  With the current AET system, it's free if starting and ending destinations are anywhere between Exit 4 (West Springfield) and Exit 7 (Ludlow), or anywhere between Exit 10 (Auburn) and Exit 11 (Millbury).  I've never entered or exited within either of the "free" zones, so I'm not sure if the transaction shows up as $0.00 on your statement.

[Jim]

I know it's not in the spirit of the OP, but as a Thurway commuter plan holder, my E-ZPass statement is packed with $0.00 tolls all the time.  My regular 27-24-27 commute is short enough to be covered by the plan.  Regarding the formerly free portion of the Mass Pike, I also used to see lots of $0.00 tolls when I commuted from Pittsfield to South Hadley and took the Mass Pike between 2 and 4 or 5 regularly.  The most impressive for that was when I was commuting a couple times a week from Amsterdam to South Hadley.  Each ride had 3 $0.00 tolls: between 27 and 24, between B1 and B3, and Mass Pike 1 to 4 or 5.

[bzakharin]

If we eliminate the requirement of a toll ticket:

NJ's Garden State Parkway has numerous toll-free possibilities.

On the Atlantic City Expressway, the only real way to travel it toll free is by entering eastbound between Rt. 42 and the Frank Farley toll plaza and making a U-turn at the Frank Farley toll plaza, although there's little reason to do so unless you want some overpriced rest stop food.  If you did this to avoid a ramp toll, even the closest interchange (NJ 50) would take you 12 miles out of your way roundtrip, so the distance to make the U-turn to avoid the 75 cent toll negates any savings.

One could also enter westbound from Atlantic City, make a U-turn at the Welcome Center/Bus Intercept Lot/Sunoco, and then travel back east to pick up the exit for Rt. 322, but again no real reason to do that.

I have been told that if you exit the ACE and re-enter it quickly enough, where there's a toll to both exit and re-enter (i.e. Exit 9 or U-Turn at any other exit), you don't get charged again. I'm not sure how true that is, as I've experienced that exactly once, but was charged twice all other times. In any case, aside from the U-Turns at service plazas you will always pay *something* to travel the ACE (except maybe between exit 1 and eastern terminus; I've never done that)

Also, I believe you don't have to pay the toll on the NJ turnpike if your destination is the Meadowlands sports complex during a game. I don't know what happens to your ticket if you were using one, though.

[SSR_317]

That makes me wonder–and I guess it would be pertinent to this thread: Have there been any other occasions where either a construction project on a nearby free road–or perhaps an incident like a major vehicle crash or significant winter weather event–necessitated a detour onto the Turnpike, and the PTC similarly waived tolls for detoured vehicles?

A version of this happens occasionally on the I-95 HOT lanes in Northern Virginia when a major mishap on the main lanes will cause VDOT to open the HOT lanes to all traffic without charge.

I believe there is getting ready to be a nighttime construction detour from mainline I-395 onto its HOV/HOT lanes...

People will drive in the HOV lanes on I-84 and I-91 if there's enough snow to hide the lane markings. They will even drive in the divider area!

When it snows, the lanes aren't painted on the road; they're where the cars in front of you have gone.

In snowy conditions, most drivers will follow the tracks from previous drivers right off a cliff, or into a tree or other obstruction, because they are STUPID! Even on roads they drive on almost every day and thus should instinctively know where the lanes are without any guidance from pavement markings. As such, this is one of the very few situations where I believe that automated driving or driver assistance might be useful.

How is the self-driving car going to know where the lanes are if they can't be seen under the snow?

Great point! Unless they use some sort of in-pavement or roadside sensor. If they rely only on the visual spotting of lane lines, they would be totally worthless in showy conditions. Just another reason I believe so-called "self driving vehicles" should not be allowed on public roadways. Just because we have the technology to do something, it doesn't mean we should.

[bugo]

Tge

Cherokee Turnpike in Oklahioma. if you're EB and stop at the service area, you can exit WB and turn off the the next exit (Alt 412 Rose/Leach) because it's assumed you paid at the toll plaza one mile east.

The concessions (the OTA's term for service areas) has been closed for a few years now.

Nexus 5X

[hotdogPi]

The concessions (the OTA's term for service areas) has been closed for a few years now.

You mean CONCeSSioNs? (It looks worse on the actual sign than here.)

[bugo]

I took this in 2009:

[jeffandnicole]

That makes me wonder–and I guess it would be pertinent to this thread: Have there been any other occasions where either a construction project on a nearby free road–or perhaps an incident like a major vehicle crash or significant winter weather event–necessitated a detour onto the Turnpike, and the PTC similarly waived tolls for detoured vehicles?

A version of this happens occasionally on the I-95 HOT lanes in Northern Virginia when a major mishap on the main lanes will cause VDOT to open the HOT lanes to all traffic without charge.

I believe there is getting ready to be a nighttime construction detour from mainline I-395 onto its HOV/HOT lanes...

People will drive in the HOV lanes on I-84 and I-91 if there's enough snow to hide the lane markings. They will even drive in the divider area!

When it snows, the lanes aren't painted on the road; they're where the cars in front of you have gone.

In snowy conditions, most drivers will follow the tracks from previous drivers right off a cliff, or into a tree or other obstruction, because they are STUPID! Even on roads they drive on almost every day and thus should instinctively know where the lanes are without any guidance from pavement markings. As such, this is one of the very few situations where I believe that automated driving or driver assistance might be useful.

How is the self-driving car going to know where the lanes are if they can't be seen under the snow?

Great point! Unless they use some sort of in-pavement or roadside sensor. If they rely only on the visual spotting of lane lines, they would be totally worthless in showy conditions. Just another reason I believe so-called "self driving vehicles" should not be allowed on public roadways. Just because we have the technology to do something, it doesn't mean we should.

Being that self-driving cars have been tested for many miles and many months/years on side roads, parking lots and other areas without lane lines, your worries have been proven unfounded a long time ago.

[SSR_317]

That makes me wonder–and I guess it would be pertinent to this thread: Have there been any other occasions where either a construction project on a nearby free road–or perhaps an incident like a major vehicle crash or significant winter weather event–necessitated a detour onto the Turnpike, and the PTC similarly waived tolls for detoured vehicles?

A version of this happens occasionally on the I-95 HOT lanes in Northern Virginia when a major mishap on the main lanes will cause VDOT to open the HOT lanes to all traffic without charge.

I believe there is getting ready to be a nighttime construction detour from mainline I-395 onto its HOV/HOT lanes...

People will drive in the HOV lanes on I-84 and I-91 if there's enough snow to hide the lane markings. They will even drive in the divider area!

When it snows, the lanes aren't painted on the road; they're where the cars in front of you have gone.

In snowy conditions, most drivers will follow the tracks from previous drivers right off a cliff, or into a tree or other obstruction, because they are STUPID! Even on roads they drive on almost every day and thus should instinctively know where the lanes are without any guidance from pavement markings. As such, this is one of the very few situations where I believe that automated driving or driver assistance might be useful.

How is the self-driving car going to know where the lanes are if they can't be seen under the snow?

Great point! Unless they use some sort of in-pavement or roadside sensor. If they rely only on the visual spotting of lane lines, they would be totally worthless in showy conditions. Just another reason I believe so-called "self driving vehicles" should not be allowed on public roadways. Just because we have the technology to do something, it doesn't mean we should.

Being that self-driving cars have been tested for many miles and many months/years on side roads, parking lots and other areas without lane lines, your worries have been proven unfounded a long time ago.

Until the self-driving vehicle kills someone... oh wait, it HAS! Of course, you are entitled to your opinion. But at this point in their development I just don't want to share the road with, or be driven around by them.