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New Jersey Turnpike

Started by hotdogPi, December 22, 2013, 09:04:24 PM

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qguy

Quote from: Beltway on May 11, 2018, 11:05:48 AM
Quote from: qguy on May 11, 2018, 08:53:12 AM
I once drove–and only because I had to–the PA Turnpike from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
Never. Again. Ever.  :ded:

How congested was it?  Any actual slowdowns below the speed limit?

Slowdowns? Yeah, you could say that. It was bumper-to-bumper, stop-and-go along the entire I-70 concurrency. I crawled. It was actually worse than rush hour on the Schuylkill Expressway.

I thought for sure there was an accident somewhere that I would come up to that was causing the congestion but no. Shear volume.

This was 1992 or thereabout.


02 Park Ave

I know some people who were driving from Chicago to South Jersey on the Sunday after Thanksgiving in 2016.  They made good time until they hit PA.  The traffic was so slow on the Turnpike that they gave up and stayed overnight in, of all places, Breezewood.  They finished their journey the next morning.
C-o-H

Beltway

Quote from: qguy on May 12, 2018, 09:02:02 PM
Quote from: Beltway on May 11, 2018, 11:05:48 AM
Quote from: qguy on May 11, 2018, 08:53:12 AM
I once drove–and only because I had to–the PA Turnpike from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
Never. Again. Ever.  :ded:
How congested was it?  Any actual slowdowns below the speed limit?
Slowdowns? Yeah, you could say that. It was bumper-to-bumper, stop-and-go along the entire I-70 concurrency. I crawled. It was actually worse than rush hour on the Schuylkill Expressway.
I thought for sure there was an accident somewhere that I would come up to that was causing the congestion but no. Shear volume.
This was 1992 or thereabout.

There could have been a congestion aftermath of an accident that had been cleared away by the time you got there (I have wondered in similar situations I have been in), but that is 86 miles of highway, so as you say the prime culprit would have been sheer volume.

PA deserves credit for having the vision to build I-80 the way that they did, as in the beginning there was no assurance that any east-west Interstate would be built in upstate PA.  A shorter route in the NYC-Chicago corridor that handles a lot of traffic that would otherwise have to use the PA Turnpike.
http://www.roadstothefuture.com
http://www.capital-beltway.com

Baloney is a reserved word on the Internet
    (Robert Coté, 2002)

qguy

Quote from: Beltway on May 12, 2018, 09:11:10 PM
Quote from: qguy on May 12, 2018, 09:02:02 PM
Quote from: Beltway on May 11, 2018, 11:05:48 AM
Quote from: qguy on May 11, 2018, 08:53:12 AM
I once drove–and only because I had to–the PA Turnpike from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
Never. Again. Ever.  :ded:
How congested was it?  Any actual slowdowns below the speed limit?
Slowdowns? Yeah, you could say that. It was bumper-to-bumper, stop-and-go along the entire I-70 concurrency. I crawled. It was actually worse than rush hour on the Schuylkill Expressway.
I thought for sure there was an accident somewhere that I would come up to that was causing the congestion but no. Shear volume.
This was 1992 or thereabout.

There could have been a congestion aftermath of an accident that had been cleared away by the time you got there (I have wondered in similar situations I have been in), but that is 86 miles of highway, so as you say the prime culprit would have been sheer volume.

I checked later. No accident, just volume. There was no mention of an accident on the Turnpike radio system either.

jemacedo9

I did that drive from Pgh to Phila the Sunday after Thanksgiving, I think in 2010, and it was very slow along the I-70 concurrency.  I wouldn't say bumper-to-bumper, but going the Speed Limit (65 at the time) wasn't possible.  Traffic fluctuated between 30 and 55 that entire length...no accidents that I can recall.

NE2

pre-1945 Florida route log

I accept and respect your identity as long as it's not dumb shit like "identifying as a vaccinated attack helicopter".

qguy


jeffandnicole

Quote from: Pete from Boston on September 17, 2015, 05:37:01 AM
American Dream is still neither finished nor open.  This month marks eleven years since the project was begun.

Waking this post up from Page 47...

NJ.com reports on the work going on at the American Dream project, which used to be the Xanadu project, seen from the NJ Turnpike in the Meadowlands.

http://www.nj.com/bergen/index.ssf/2018/05/american_dream_megamall_opening_next_year.html

Much of the project should be completed by Spring of 2019, after first proposed in 2003 (the retail landscape has changed dramatically since then).  An indoor waterpark probably won't open until Fall of 2019.

As for traffic, East Rutherford's Mayor James Cassella has said "he's not too concerned about traffic from the megamall clogging his streets -- even out-of-towners who use GPS to avoid slow downs. 'Being between New York City and Philadelphia, I think there are very few spots in New Jersey you could (drive to) without having a major traffic jam somewhere,' Cassella said.". 

The statement is typical NJ: Drivers are gonna be stuck in congestion, and they're not going to build a road network that'll completely eliminate it.

roadman65

Quote from: jeffandnicole on May 23, 2018, 12:56:16 PM
Quote from: Pete from Boston on September 17, 2015, 05:37:01 AM
American Dream is still neither finished nor open.  This month marks eleven years since the project was begun.

Waking this post up from Page 47...

NJ.com reports on the work going on at the American Dream project, which used to be the Xanadu project, seen from the NJ Turnpike in the Meadowlands.

http://www.nj.com/bergen/index.ssf/2018/05/american_dream_megamall_opening_next_year.html

Much of the project should be completed by Spring of 2019, after first proposed in 2003 (the retail landscape has changed dramatically since then).  An indoor waterpark probably won't open until Fall of 2019.

As for traffic, East Rutherford's Mayor James Cassella has said "he's not too concerned about traffic from the megamall clogging his streets -- even out-of-towners who use GPS to avoid slow downs. 'Being between New York City and Philadelphia, I think there are very few spots in New Jersey you could (drive to) without having a major traffic jam somewhere,' Cassella said.". 

The statement is typical NJ: Drivers are gonna be stuck in congestion, and they're not going to build a road network that'll completely eliminate it.

Florida is the same. We deal with sprawl over an outdated network constantly.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

Roadsguy

Does the NJTA host traffic count data anywhere? I can't seem to find it from a simple Google search. NJDOT's traffic count data only shows NJDOT roads and so excludes the Turnpike, GSP, etc.
Mileage-based exit numbering implies the existence of mileage-cringe exit numbering.

jeffandnicole

Quote from: Roadsguy on June 02, 2018, 08:06:38 PM
Does the NJTA host traffic count data anywhere? I can't seem to find it from a simple Google search. NJDOT's traffic count data only shows NJDOT roads and so excludes the Turnpike, GSP, etc.

They have data in their annual reports, but it's in regards to toll transactions. I've never seen any data on any particular point along the highway, unlike NJDOT.

jeffandnicole

In the minutes to their last monthly meeting, an item on page 6 was a bit interesting: http://www.njta.com/media/3886/bm_minutes_5-22-2018.pdf

The Turnpike Authority is looking to build a grade separated U-turn at around MP 29 for maintenance vehicles.   MP 29 is between Interchanges 3 & 4, and *just* south of where I-295's Exit 31 is located, which provides access to the nearby PATCO Woodcrest train station.  Looking underneath the NJ Turnpike overpass, it appears it's fairly tight, although possibly feasible, to squeeze a maintenance lane in between the Turnpike bridge's support wall and the existing ramp.  Likewise, building a bridge over the Turnpike is tight as well due to a UPS Depot that borders the Turnpike property.

What's a bit unusual is that grade separated maintenance crossings are usually found either adjacent to maintenance/State Police buildings or in the dual-dual section, usually about 1-2 miles in either direction from an interchange.  There are none strictly for u-turns south of Exit 6.

TXtoNJ


02 Park Ave

I have three questions:

1.  Are the truck lane restrictions in the outer roadway ever enforced, particularly between Exits 11 and 14?

2.  Are the HOV lane restrictions ever enforced?

3.  Is "Keep Right Except To Pass" ever enforced anywhere on the Turnpike?
C-o-H

jeffandnicole

Quote from: 02 Park Ave on June 14, 2018, 01:13:57 PM
I have three questions:

1.  Are the truck lane restrictions in the outer roadway ever enforced, particularly between Exits 11 and 14?

2.  Are the HOV lane restrictions ever enforced?

3.  Is "Keep Right Except To Pass" ever enforced anywhere on the Turnpike?

1. Do you mean no trucks in the left lane, or trucks just using the outer roadway?  While no trucks should be in the left lane at any time (other than when it's the only lane available due to other lane closures), trucks may be on the inner roadway due to a closure of an outer roadway entrance ramp.

2. This is a nationwide issue, where SOVs tend to play the game that even if they're caught, the hundreds of times they've taken the HOV lane is worth the one time ticket.  It's probably minorly enforced.

3. It is, but again with limited police out there and everyone wanting everyone pulled over for everything under the sun, it's tough to have the police available to pull most of them over.

02 Park Ave

I meant for trucks usuing the outer roadway.  It seems to be more of a problem between Exits 11 and 14 where there is that fourth, HOV, lane.

Regarding the HOV lane restrictions themselves, I assume that the exemptions for alternatively fueled cars and EVs make enforcement more difficult.
C-o-H

jeffandnicole

Quote from: 02 Park Ave on June 14, 2018, 02:01:21 PM
I meant for trucks usuing the outer roadway.  It seems to be more of a problem between Exits 11 and 14 where there is that fourth, HOV, lane.

Regarding the HOV lane restrictions themselves, I assume that the exemptions for alternatively fueled cars and EVs make enforcement more difficult.

Trucks are only supposed to use the 2 right lanes in that section.  As long as they're not in the HOV lane, I doubt there's much care that they're using the left-center lane, even though they really shouldn't be in that lane.

storm2k

Quote from: 02 Park Ave on June 14, 2018, 01:13:57 PM
I have three questions:

1.  Are the truck lane restrictions in the outer roadway ever enforced, particularly between Exits 11 and 14?

2.  Are the HOV lane restrictions ever enforced?

3.  Is "Keep Right Except To Pass" ever enforced anywhere on the Turnpike?

If the staties ever wanted to pad the treasury, they could just pull over every NY or PA driver who sits in the left lane doing 65 or less. It would put quite a dent into NJ's budgetary needs.

storm2k

So I drove through the toll plaza at Exit 10, and they added the signs above each booth which can be changed from EZ-Pass only to cash/EZ-Pass (instead of having the EZ-Pass only signs over the booths which originally had it, back in the days when you HAD to use an EZ-Pass lane). This has happened at other places, especially places with booths that were recently rebuilt, such as Exit 12 and Exit 8. Recently, they changed the cash lanes signs. Instead of saying CASH/EZ-Pass (top in white on green, bottom in white on purple), it instead is a green sign with the M4-17 symbol from the MUTCD (to indicate an "attended" lane) and the words Full Service. I also noticed the approach signage to the Raritan tolls on the Parkway is using the wording "Full Service" as well. I feel like someone at the NJTA thinks people will know what that means even though many will likely NOT know what that means. The proper MUTCD way of signing those lanes is "Cash-Change-Receipts", so I feel like the previous signs made more sense.

Mergingtraffic

I haven't been on the NJ Tpke recently as I had to cut down on my roadgeeking adventures due to $.....I remember 3 button copy signs that survived the sign replacement project,

one was the I-280 "The Oranges" BGS just past the toll plaza of Exit 15W

at the same interchange past the toll plaza going towards the NJ Tpke was a "Speed Checked by Radar" sign

and lastly, there was a "you have left the NJ Tpke obey speed laws" at the US-46 northbound exit

Are those still around?

It seems like button copy in general is being replaced in NJ as a whole.

I only take pics of good looking signs. Long live non-reflective button copy!
MergingTraffic https://www.flickr.com/photos/98731835@N05/

Alps

Quote from: Mergingtraffic on July 15, 2018, 08:11:53 PM
I haven't been on the NJ Tpke recently as I had to cut down on my roadgeeking adventures due to $.....I remember 3 button copy signs that survived the sign replacement project,

one was the I-280 "The Oranges" BGS just past the toll plaza of Exit 15W

at the same interchange past the toll plaza going towards the NJ Tpke was a "Speed Checked by Radar" sign

and lastly, there was a "you have left the NJ Tpke obey speed laws" at the US-46 northbound exit

Are those still around?

It seems like button copy in general is being replaced in NJ as a whole.


You're only going to see the Rules and Regulations type signs in button copy on the Turnpike. Anything overhead is dead.

storm2k

Quote from: storm2k on June 18, 2018, 03:08:44 AM
So I drove through the toll plaza at Exit 10, and they added the signs above each booth which can be changed from EZ-Pass only to cash/EZ-Pass (instead of having the EZ-Pass only signs over the booths which originally had it, back in the days when you HAD to use an EZ-Pass lane). This has happened at other places, especially places with booths that were recently rebuilt, such as Exit 12 and Exit 8. Recently, they changed the cash lanes signs. Instead of saying CASH/EZ-Pass (top in white on green, bottom in white on purple), it instead is a green sign with the M4-17 symbol from the MUTCD (to indicate an "attended" lane) and the words Full Service. I also noticed the approach signage to the Raritan tolls on the Parkway is using the wording "Full Service" as well. I feel like someone at the NJTA thinks people will know what that means even though many will likely NOT know what that means. The proper MUTCD way of signing those lanes is "Cash-Change-Receipts", so I feel like the previous signs made more sense.

Finally had a chance to grab a picture of this:



Exit 13 has the same signs. I'm assuming we'll start seeing them in more toll plazas as time goes on.

jeffandnicole

Quote from: storm2k on July 16, 2018, 09:38:15 PM
Quote from: storm2k on June 18, 2018, 03:08:44 AM
So I drove through the toll plaza at Exit 10, and they added the signs above each booth which can be changed from EZ-Pass only to cash/EZ-Pass (instead of having the EZ-Pass only signs over the booths which originally had it, back in the days when you HAD to use an EZ-Pass lane). This has happened at other places, especially places with booths that were recently rebuilt, such as Exit 12 and Exit 8. Recently, they changed the cash lanes signs. Instead of saying CASH/EZ-Pass (top in white on green, bottom in white on purple), it instead is a green sign with the M4-17 symbol from the MUTCD (to indicate an "attended" lane) and the words Full Service. I also noticed the approach signage to the Raritan tolls on the Parkway is using the wording "Full Service" as well. I feel like someone at the NJTA thinks people will know what that means even though many will likely NOT know what that means. The proper MUTCD way of signing those lanes is "Cash-Change-Receipts", so I feel like the previous signs made more sense.

Finally had a chance to grab a picture of this:



Exit 13 has the same signs. I'm assuming we'll start seeing them in more toll plazas as time goes on.

Exit 7 has then as well.

roadman65

Just like the state's gas stations LOL!
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

storm2k

Quote from: jeffandnicole on July 16, 2018, 09:55:03 PM
Quote from: storm2k on July 16, 2018, 09:38:15 PM
Quote from: storm2k on June 18, 2018, 03:08:44 AM
So I drove through the toll plaza at Exit 10, and they added the signs above each booth which can be changed from EZ-Pass only to cash/EZ-Pass (instead of having the EZ-Pass only signs over the booths which originally had it, back in the days when you HAD to use an EZ-Pass lane). This has happened at other places, especially places with booths that were recently rebuilt, such as Exit 12 and Exit 8. Recently, they changed the cash lanes signs. Instead of saying CASH/EZ-Pass (top in white on green, bottom in white on purple), it instead is a green sign with the M4-17 symbol from the MUTCD (to indicate an "attended" lane) and the words Full Service. I also noticed the approach signage to the Raritan tolls on the Parkway is using the wording "Full Service" as well. I feel like someone at the NJTA thinks people will know what that means even though many will likely NOT know what that means. The proper MUTCD way of signing those lanes is "Cash-Change-Receipts", so I feel like the previous signs made more sense.

Finally had a chance to grab a picture of this:



Exit 13 has the same signs. I'm assuming we'll start seeing them in more toll plazas as time goes on.

Exit 7 has then as well.

Also at 15W.



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