Toll Roads that you have Shunpiked

[sprjus4]

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge & Tunnel would be one wherein using the toll route I believe would be more efficient than driving all over VA, potentially a sliver of DC and MD just to get back to the Delmarva part of VA.

Agreed, and mainly due to traffic. I-64 and I-95 would only be 15-20 minutes longer if they were completely free flowing, and honestly the better routes. But given it's the I-95 corridor between Richmond and DC, plus the whole greater DC / Baltimore area itself, makes it much longer unless you're traveling at midnight.

[1995hoo]

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge & Tunnel would be one wherein using the toll route I believe would be more efficient than driving all over VA, potentially a sliver of DC and MD just to get back to the Delmarva part of VA.

Even more so if you drive even further out of your way to avoid the tolls on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and the Gov. Harry Nice Bridge. (I assume someone who is dedicated enough to drive that far out of the way to avoid the Bridge-Tunnel toll would also take steps to avoid the tolls for the tunnels/Key Bridge in the Baltimore area, the toll at the Susquehanna on northbound I-95, and the Delaware Turnpike toll, but depending on where you're going to or from it would be absurd to go around the north end of the Chesapeake to avoid the Bay Bridge–say, if you were going from Norfolk to Queenstown.)

[webny99]

Another example would be during the pandemic, when my parents and I shunpiked the Thruway between Rochester and Canandaigua because they didn't yet have E-ZPass and the Thruway was in their emergency toll collection mode of the pandemic.  We ended up going NY 96->NY 444->US 20/NY 5, bypassing not only the Thruway but also NY 332 (we discovered this route decades ago when NY 332 was being widened to four lanes and the construction often caused backups).

NY 96 to NY 444 is our default route to a number of destinations - Bristol Mtn, Gannett Hill, Naples, and so on. I've probably used it more times than NY 332, and that's saying something.

My parents also regularly shunpike between Rochester and I-81 by taking NY 104/NY 104B/NY 3/NY 13, though I'm not sure that counts as the main issue is that they find NY 104 more interesting, not the tolls.  Granted, they've been going up to the 1000 Islands for a long time, so I have no idea what the original motivation was.  Maybe the extra mileage of the all-freeway route made no sense in the NMSL era.  Or maybe it started with tolls but no longer was by the time I was born.  Who knows.

Same here. Of the dozen or so times I've been on I-81 north of Syracuse, I've used some combination of NY 104/NY 3/NY 49 all but once or twice. However, I'm not sure it counts as shunpiking for a different reason - it's actually faster from where I'm at (and from most origins north of NY 441/ east of NY 590).

NY 104B>NY 3>NY 13 is interesting. Been that way to some of the east shore beaches, but never to access I-81. Google thinks its a few minutes faster to just use NY 104 all the way through (or use NY 3 between Hannibal and Mexico to bypass Oswego).

[WillWeaverRVA]

Has anyone done a cost/benefit analysis of shunpiking a given route?

VA-168 toll road.

6 miles long, saves 2-3 minutes during off peak compared to parallel route VA-168 Business, and saves $4 and up to $9 during peak weekends. There's only 3 traffic signals on the parallel route, it's mostly free-flowing rural 45-55 mph road. The toll road is only 55 mph.

Most of the 55 mph zones on VA 168 BUSINESS south of Hillcrest Parkway were lowered to 50 recently, but it's honestly still the better option unless Chesapeake increases the speed limit on VA 168 (and even then I can't see myself spending $18 to drive it both ways during a trip to the OBX). I notice there have been numerous proposals during the past few years to raise the speed limit to 65 but there's also been a lot of community opposition.

[DandyDan]

When my one college buddy was still alive and lived in Chicago and I had to get back to Omaha, I did all of IL 38 to Dixon. I believe I did IL 2 from there to Sterling and eventually got on I-88 at the US 30 westbound exit.

[ctkatz]

I shunpike the kansas turnpike by using i 65, 74, and 80.  I do it not because it's a toll road although it is a factor but because i 70 goes through missouri and I avoid missouri whenever possible.

[NWI_Irish96]

I shunpike the kansas turnpike by using i 65, 74, and 80.  I do it not because it's a toll road although it is a factor but because i 70 goes through missouri and I avoid missouri whenever possible.

If you're using I-80 to avoid the Kansas Turnpike in a trip originating from Louisville, that only makes sense if you are going to Denver or points west, and even then you're adding 150 miles to your trip just to avoid Missouri?

[1995hoo]

I shunpike the kansas turnpike by using i 65, 74, and 80.  I do it not because it's a toll road although it is a factor but because i 70 goes through missouri and I avoid missouri whenever possible.

Dare we ask why?

[SkyPesos]

I shunpike the kansas turnpike by using i 65, 74, and 80.  I do it not because it's a toll road although it is a factor but because i 70 goes through missouri and I avoid missouri whenever possible.

Dare we ask why?

I-70 between StL and KC may be a pain to drive sometimes with all the truck traffic and substandard design features, but I'm not sure if it's worth avoiding to take a far northerly detour. There's also US 36 in the state as an alternative to I-70.

[1995hoo]

I shunpike the kansas turnpike by using i 65, 74, and 80.  I do it not because it's a toll road although it is a factor but because i 70 goes through missouri and I avoid missouri whenever possible.

Dare we ask why?

I-70 between StL and KC may be a pain to drive sometimes with all the truck traffic and substandard design features, but I'm not sure if it's worth avoiding to take a far northerly detour. There's also US 36 in the state as an alternative to I-70.

I interpreted ctkatz's statement more broadly than that, though–the comment wasn't "I avoid I-70 in Missouri" but rather "I avoid Missouri whenever possible," which I assume means the state as a whole. I was curious why, recognizing that someone might not want to say (e.g., if there were a warrant for your arrest, that would be a very good reason to avoid a particular state, but I would understand not wanting to explain that reason publicly!).

[sprjus4]

Speaking of US-36, why is the speed limit only 65 mph and not 70 mph?

[hbelkins]

I shunpike the kansas turnpike by using i 65, 74, and 80.  I do it not because it's a toll road although it is a factor but because i 70 goes through missouri and I avoid missouri whenever possible.

Dare we ask why?

I-70 between StL and KC may be a pain to drive sometimes with all the truck traffic and substandard design features, but I'm not sure if it's worth avoiding to take a far northerly detour. There's also US 36 in the state as an alternative to I-70.

I interpreted ctkatz's statement more broadly than that, though–the comment wasn't "I avoid I-70 in Missouri" but rather "I avoid Missouri whenever possible," which I assume means the state as a whole. I was curious why, recognizing that someone might not want to say (e.g., if there were a warrant for your arrest, that would be a very good reason to avoid a particular state, but I would understand not wanting to explain that reason publicly!).

If there's a warrant for your arrest, you're going to be found out if you get stopped for any traffic violation in any state. I got pulled over in Kansas a few years ago and the cop (who, it turns out, was originally from a county two counties away from me) ran my name for any outstanding warrants.

[1995hoo]

I shunpike the kansas turnpike by using i 65, 74, and 80.  I do it not because it's a toll road although it is a factor but because i 70 goes through missouri and I avoid missouri whenever possible.

Dare we ask why?

I-70 between StL and KC may be a pain to drive sometimes with all the truck traffic and substandard design features, but I'm not sure if it's worth avoiding to take a far northerly detour. There's also US 36 in the state as an alternative to I-70.

I interpreted ctkatz's statement more broadly than that, though–the comment wasn't "I avoid I-70 in Missouri" but rather "I avoid Missouri whenever possible," which I assume means the state as a whole. I was curious why, recognizing that someone might not want to say (e.g., if there were a warrant for your arrest, that would be a very good reason to avoid a particular state, but I would understand not wanting to explain that reason publicly!).

If there's a warrant for your arrest, you're going to be found out if you get stopped for any traffic violation in any state. I got pulled over in Kansas a few years ago and the cop (who, it turns out, was originally from a county two counties away from me) ran my name for any outstanding warrants.

Of course. I was just using that as what I would consider an extreme example.

[sprjus4]

I shunpike the kansas turnpike by using i 65, 74, and 80.  I do it not because it's a toll road although it is a factor but because i 70 goes through missouri and I avoid missouri whenever possible.

Dare we ask why?

I-70 between StL and KC may be a pain to drive sometimes with all the truck traffic and substandard design features, but I'm not sure if it's worth avoiding to take a far northerly detour. There's also US 36 in the state as an alternative to I-70.

I interpreted ctkatz's statement more broadly than that, though–the comment wasn't "I avoid I-70 in Missouri" but rather "I avoid Missouri whenever possible," which I assume means the state as a whole. I was curious why, recognizing that someone might not want to say (e.g., if there were a warrant for your arrest, that would be a very good reason to avoid a particular state, but I would understand not wanting to explain that reason publicly!).

If there's a warrant for your arrest, you're going to be found out if you get stopped for any traffic violation in any state. I got pulled over in Kansas a few years ago and the cop (who, it turns out, was originally from a county two counties away from me) ran my name for any outstanding warrants.

I originally read this as he actually found outstanding warrants on you 

[Avalanchez71]

I shunpike the kansas turnpike by using i 65, 74, and 80.  I do it not because it's a toll road although it is a factor but because i 70 goes through missouri and I avoid missouri whenever possible.

Dare we ask why?

I-70 between StL and KC may be a pain to drive sometimes with all the truck traffic and substandard design features, but I'm not sure if it's worth avoiding to take a far northerly detour. There's also US 36 in the state as an alternative to I-70.

I interpreted ctkatz's statement more broadly than that, though–the comment wasn't "I avoid I-70 in Missouri" but rather "I avoid Missouri whenever possible," which I assume means the state as a whole. I was curious why, recognizing that someone might not want to say (e.g., if there were a warrant for your arrest, that would be a very good reason to avoid a particular state, but I would understand not wanting to explain that reason publicly!).

If there's a warrant for your arrest, you're going to be found out if you get stopped for any traffic violation in any state. I got pulled over in Kansas a few years ago and the cop (who, it turns out, was originally from a county two counties away from me) ran my name for any outstanding warrants.

Now if they extradite back to the county of origin is another story (assuming not getting stopped in the original jurisdiction.)

[dkblake]

I've never shunpiked for the purposes of avoiding tolls, but since I've lived most of my life in places where I often used the Ohio Turnpike, Mass Pike, and NY Thruway for long distance travel, I've done alternate routes a bunch. For example, I drove from Northhampton to Syracuse using MA 9, US 20, and NY 92, and I did a roundtrip from Akron to Michigan where one way I took SR 2 from I-90 in Cleveland to I-280 in Oregon, then on the way back drove I-280 to SR 420 to US 23 to SR 18 to US 224.

[NWI_Irish96]

I shunpike the kansas turnpike by using i 65, 74, and 80.  I do it not because it's a toll road although it is a factor but because i 70 goes through missouri and I avoid missouri whenever possible.

Dare we ask why?

I-70 between StL and KC may be a pain to drive sometimes with all the truck traffic and substandard design features, but I'm not sure if it's worth avoiding to take a far northerly detour. There's also US 36 in the state as an alternative to I-70.

I interpreted ctkatz's statement more broadly than that, though–the comment wasn't "I avoid I-70 in Missouri" but rather "I avoid Missouri whenever possible," which I assume means the state as a whole. I was curious why, recognizing that someone might not want to say (e.g., if there were a warrant for your arrest, that would be a very good reason to avoid a particular state, but I would understand not wanting to explain that reason publicly!).

If there's a warrant for your arrest, you're going to be found out if you get stopped for any traffic violation in any state. I got pulled over in Kansas a few years ago and the cop (who, it turns out, was originally from a county two counties away from me) ran my name for any outstanding warrants.

Now if they extradite back to the county of origin is another story (assuming not getting stopped in the original jurisdiction.)

Yeah, it really depends on what the warrant is for. If it's for failure to pay traffic tickets, they may not even extradite you from another county in the same state. If it's for failure to appear for a misdemeanor, that probably only gets statewide extradition. You have to have a felony warrant before they will get you from another state.

[CtrlAltDel]

In a revelation that will surprise no one, I've done most of my shunpiking in the Northeast. The places that come to mind are the following, all of which are from my main road trip to the area from Chicago in 2014:

Because I wanted to travel the Pennsylvania Turnpike, but not too much, I took I-79 and I-68 to cover a bit of the distance, before doubling back on US-220 and getting on there. Then, I got off at Breezewood, and shook my fist at the area while driving by.

Also, I didn't want to pay the tolls over the Susquehanna River on I-95 or US-40, and so I trekked out to US-1 and crossed there. I did not know it was a dam bridge, and so that turned out to be something of a nice surprise.

To avoid the toll on I-95 in Delaware, I continued to stay to the north, before coming back. At some point, I thought I ran a stop sign, but it turns out I was going under a one-lane bridge, and I had the right of way.

I also avoided a significant part of the New Jersey Turnpike, admittedly the cheaper part, by taking I-295 up to US-206, and getting on there. Here, I drove on the newly completed dual-dual configuration, right after it had been open. The older chunk, if I recall correctly, was closed for some kind of refurbishment.

In New York area, I made my way up to the Tappan Zee bridge to avoid the tolls on both the George Washington Bridge and the New England Thruway. So, while I had to pay some toll, it was less than it would have been if I had followed my general route of staying on I-95.

For crossing Boston, I specifically took I-93, not only to experience the tunnel and the bridge, but to avoid the various tolls.

In New Hampshire and Maine, I did not do any shunpiking, and in fact, I got caught in the extra toll for exit 44 in the Portland area.

Also, although the toll on the New York Thruway is not all that high, I avoided a bit of it by staying on NY-8 through the Adirondacks.

I also paid the toll for bridges into and out of Canada to avoid the tolls on the Indiana Toll Road, the Ohio Turnpike, and the westernmost part of the New York Thruway. So, again, I paid a bit here, but saved money overall. Plus I got to go to Canada, and see the orange lane lines that that they use in construction zones. (I don't like them.)

Then, finally, after all the tolls that I did pay on this trip, which totaled 46.13$, I had no desire to pay any more, and so when I returned to the western suburbs of Chicago, instead of taking I-294, which I had taken at the beginning, I took I-94 into the city and then I-290 out. Traffic, miraculously, was not that bad, and I really enjoyed seeing the skyline to end the trip.

[Bruce]

Avoiding the only toll road in Seattle proper (the still-unnamed SR 99 tunnel) is easy enough: just follow your choice of city streets. For me, the fastest northbound route is generally Alaskan Way, while 5th Avenue wins out for southbound trips because of its signal timing.

[zzcarp]

The only one I can think of that I've specifically chosen a different route that was slower just to avoid a toll is the extremely expensive per mile E-470.  If it were priced similar to the Kansas Turnpike, I would take it far more often.  Spend $1.50 to save 10 minutes?  Sure.  Spend $13 to save 10 minutes?  Hell no.

Chris

I'll shunpike E-470 as well. If I hit the south metro at 5pm, I'll take E-470/NW Parkway around. Otherwise, I'll avoid it, or partially shunpike via I-225 and Pena Blvd to pick up E-470 by the airport. I'll also sometimes shunpike the NW Parkway using surface streets like Midway to Sheridan Parkway to CO 7 if I'm heading north.

In 2017 I shunpiked the KS Turnpike (and I-70 in general) heading east from Colorado using I-76 to I-80 to NE 2 to I-29 to US 36 to I-72 to I-74 connecting back to I-70 in Indianapolis.

I've used OH-7 to OH-14/PA-51 to PA 60 (now I-376) to I-79 to I-68 to avoid the PA Turnpike the last time I went to DC (many years ago).

I shunpiked the Ohio Turnpike off and on for years when I lived in Ohio depending on my destination. Often it was easier to take OH 2 between Cleveland and Port Clinton or US 20. Had there been an exit fairly close (say OH 60), I would have used the Turnpike much more often.

[NoGoodNamesAvailable]

7. As mentioned nearby, the Taconic State Parkway is a way to shunpike a long section of the I-87 part of the New York State Thruway, and probably less traffic

The Taconic can be a really nice drive, but it's awful at night. The risk of a deer collision alone means I will take the thruway 100% of the time after  dark even though I live right off the Taconic. Between I-84 and Westchester the Taconic also gets pretty hairy and besides the novelty if you've never been that way, it's really not an enjoyable drive.

The Thruway is also incredibly cheap compared to neighboring states. From the former start of the ticket system to the Northway in Albany is only ~$6 for ~100 miles.  For that price you can't even get from the GWB to Elizabeth on the NJ turnpike, a distance of 12 miles.

(when will the Thruway Authority widen I-87 from Harriman to Albany?)

Probably never.

[TheGrassGuy]

I-295 and US 1 for the NJTP in many circumstances.

[ctkatz]

I shunpike the kansas turnpike by using i 65, 74, and 80.  I do it not because it's a toll road although it is a factor but because i 70 goes through missouri and I avoid missouri whenever possible.

Dare we ask why?

lots of (entertaining) theories upthread, some plausible. but the main reason I avoid missouri when possible is that this has been the only state I've driven in where the drivers don't go more than 3 mph over the limit in the left lane.  it seems that every native driver makes it a personal mission to enforce the speed limit laws and won't move right to let faster traffic pass. I don't go more than 8 over in less than 75 zones on interstates so I'm not going excessively fast but these cars pretty much refuse to move and I have to pass on the right.  it harshes a good groove when you have to cancel cruise control every time you come up to traffic and can't re-engage for 20 minutes a time.

I've seen governed semis passing cars on the left in non construction straight as an arrow areas in 70 mph zones multiple times.  this was on 70 and 44, the little bit of 55 and 57 I was on was so empty it wasn't a problem. maybe I'll reconsider missouri when they put another lane in each direction in.

when I travel, if I can be where I need to be by 10 pm local time, extra distance traveled plays no factor in my route planning.

[Avalanchez71]

I shunpike the kansas turnpike by using i 65, 74, and 80.  I do it not because it's a toll road although it is a factor but because i 70 goes through missouri and I avoid missouri whenever possible.

Dare we ask why?

lots of (entertaining) theories upthread, some plausible. but the main reason I avoid missouri when possible is that this has been the only state I've driven in where the drivers don't go more than 3 mph over the limit in the left lane.  it seems that every native driver makes it a personal mission to enforce the speed limit laws and won't move right to let faster traffic pass. I don't go more than 8 over in less than 75 zones on interstates so I'm not going excessively fast but these cars pretty much refuse to move and I have to pass on the right.  it harshes a good groove when you have to cancel cruise control every time you come up to traffic and can't re-engage for 20 minutes a time.

I've seen governed semis passing cars on the left in non construction straight as an arrow areas in 70 mph zones multiple times.  this was on 70 and 44, the little bit of 55 and 57 I was on was so empty it wasn't a problem. maybe I'll reconsider missouri when they put another lane in each direction in.

when I travel, if I can be where I need to be by 10 pm local time, extra distance traveled plays no factor in my route planning.

What is so bad about driving the speed limit?  I like to set my cruise control to the speed limit.

[Rothman]

I shunpike the kansas turnpike by using i 65, 74, and 80.  I do it not because it's a toll road although it is a factor but because i 70 goes through missouri and I avoid missouri whenever possible.

Dare we ask why?

lots of (entertaining) theories upthread, some plausible. but the main reason I avoid missouri when possible is that this has been the only state I've driven in where the drivers don't go more than 3 mph over the limit in the left lane.  it seems that every native driver makes it a personal mission to enforce the speed limit laws and won't move right to let faster traffic pass. I don't go more than 8 over in less than 75 zones on interstates so I'm not going excessively fast but these cars pretty much refuse to move and I have to pass on the right.  it harshes a good groove when you have to cancel cruise control every time you come up to traffic and can't re-engage for 20 minutes a time.

I've seen governed semis passing cars on the left in non construction straight as an arrow areas in 70 mph zones multiple times.  this was on 70 and 44, the little bit of 55 and 57 I was on was so empty it wasn't a problem. maybe I'll reconsider missouri when they put another lane in each direction in.

when I travel, if I can be where I need to be by 10 pm local time, extra distance traveled plays no factor in my route planning.

What is so bad about driving the speed limit?  I like to set my cruise control to the speed limit.

As long as you stay in the right line, that's fine.

But, getting stuck behind you on a two-lane road would be frustrating, you Nestor.