AARoads Forum

A field guide to toll road service plazas.  Please add or correct as needed.

Highway configurations

One side, simple
This is the most common, with ez-off, ez-on ramps to access the plaza.  Amazingly enough, some of the ones on the NJTP require flyover ramps at both the egress and ingress to allow the inner car lanes access.
At least one location on the NJTP has an extra-tall median in the vicinity of the plaza, presumably to prevent motorists proceeding the opposite direction from stopping and climbing over to access the plaza.  The NYS Thruway sought to avoid this by posting signs that read something like "Service Area, this side, XX miles" ; today there's merely a grid of brand logos with XX miles below.

One side, ramp from other side
Rare.  At least two are on the PATP, including on the NE Extension.  Instead of using a conventional trumpet, a diverging diamond setup is used, with no need to realign the traffic from the "wrong-way"  arrangement.  There was also one on the NJTP for a special plaza for charter buses only, which did use a trumpet.

One side, crosswalk from other side
Only one I know of is the Ramapo plaza on the NYS Thruway.  However, the SB side has had some minimal services added, at least compared to the NB side, but the overhead crosswalk remains.

Both sides (back-to-back)
Same as simple one-side, but on both sides.  The PA Turnpike has some, and rumor has it that there's a "secret"  service tunnel connecting the two plazas.

In the median, simple
With this arrangement, the plaza is within a wide or widened median, and is accessed by left-hand on-and-off ramps.  I personally dislike these, as merging into the fast lane can be intimidating, along with aggressive tailgating before exiting.  But these are efficient from the standpoint of the highway authority, as you only need one plaza to serve both directions at that location.  Examples include:

• FL's Turnpike, complete with "authorized"  U-turn ramps if ticket is stamped inside
• DE Turnpike's lone plaza
• MD's JFK Expressway has 2, grandfathered from back when it was a toll road.  There is still a one-way toll on the Tydings Bridge, though, if that counts.
• At least two on the Garden State Parkway

In the median, crosswalk
Only example I know of is the Angola Travel Plaza on the NYS Thruway. Here, the plaza is in the median, but motorists park in lots outside the median on their respective sides.  Two overhead crosswalks provide access to the facility.  Of course, two separate gas stations are needed, since vehicles cannot access the median.

In the median, ramps
This setup would have both the plaza and the parking in the median, but accessed via right-hand exit ramps.  The closest example I know of is the Vince Lombardi Service Area on the NJTP.  However, this one is not in the median per se, but between two spurs of the same highway!  Nonetheless, it is accessible from right-hand ramps from all directions with a rather labyrinthine ramp network.

Over the highway
In this arrangement, vehicles exit via right-hand ramps, while the plaza itself is literally up over the highway, on an overpass-like structure.  Perhaps the most well-known of these is on Oklahoma's Will Rogers Turnpike.  Several others, under the name "Oasis" , may be found on the Illinois Tollway.
See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridge_restaurant (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridge_restaurant)
--
Building structures
Early service plazas were often a colonial-looking stone building with a single vendor, namely a sit-down restaurant.  Howard Johnson's was famously the chosen vendor in NJ, PA, and OH.  Today, a multi-vendor "food court"  is the preferred arrangement (for particularly busy plazas, food items are merchandised in a "cafeteria"  setup).  As such, many plazas have been reconstructed with modern exterior finishes and "open"  interiors.  But at least one plaza on the PATP was converted to an open court while preserving the exterior stone facade.

Most plazas have one building for food service and one for fuel (or two, if they have two fuel vendors).  Some locations on the NJTP have a separate "snack bar"  structure for lighter fare like ice cream.  The Clara Barton plaza used to have a separate plaza building for charter buses, and the Vince Lombardi plaza appears to have a separate building for tractor-trailers (is this correct?)

Some non-tolled parkways in and around New York City have miniature fuel-only plazas.  These have minimal, hut-like brick (or concrete block?) structures.  Mobil is a frequent (if not the only) vendor; note that it was formerly known as Standard Oil of New York.

Signs
Formerly, advance signage for service plaza tended to merely mention "Food"  and "Fuel"  (one sign on the NJTP, possibly still standing, opted for the polysyllabic "Restaurant, Gasoline" ).  Today, a grid of brand names of the vendors found at the plaza are usually displayed on the approach signs.

Names
Many toll road authorities name their service plazas, as opposed to numbering them like exits.   Typically, plazas are named geographically.  One notable exception is NJ, which names the plazas after people native to the state.  The JFK Expressway in MD has "Maryland House"  and "Chesapeake House" .

The Indiana Toll Road, like the New Jersey Turnpike, names its service areas after people from the state (Knute Rockne, George Craig, Ernie Pyle).  All of them were named this way, including the defunct snack bars (plazas #2, 4, & 6).

The Ohio Turnpike uses geographical names (Eire Islands), battles (Fallen Timbers), and people (Commodore Perry) for its service area names.

Both the Ohio Turnpike and the Indiana Toll Road use paired service areas exclusively.

The Chicago Skyway has a median service area next to the toll plaza.  It is not named.

One side, simple, is not the most common with the exception of a few eastern tollways (NJTP, Penna Tpk, NYS Thruway).  Paired or median seems far more common (Kansas Tpk, OK Tpks, FL Tpk, OH Tpk, IN Toll Rd, Western Ky Pkwy).

As for over the highway, the Illinois Tollway had them before the Will Rogers Turnpike, and I'd say they're probably more famous for this configuration as 5 out of 6 remaining ones are of this configuration, and most of them are near a major city.  They have one that is one side, ramp from the other side (DeKalb).  They use geographical names for the oases (Belvidere, Lake Forest, O'Hare, Hinsdale, and DeKalb; and formerly Des Plaines) with one person from the state (Lincoln).

Signage for the Illinois Tollway, Indiana Toll Road, and Ohio Turnpike is done as logo signage.

Quote from: lepidopteran on October 12, 2014, 12:34:55 AM
A field guide to toll road service plazas.  Please add or correct as needed.

One side, crosswalk from other side
Only one I know of is the Ramapo plaza on the NYS Thruway.  However, the SB side has had some minimal services added, at least compared to the NB side, but the overhead crosswalk remains.

The Angola Service Area has a crosswalk over I-90 in western NY. :)

The New Baltimore plaza on the Thruway would fall within "one side, ramp from other side." The plaza is on the west side of the highway (southbound lanes) and northbound traffic reaches it via a trumpet-style ramp that crosses above the highway. If my memory is accurate, I believe the parking area is divided by curbs to prevent use of the service area for U-turns per the usual northeastern paranoia about such things.

I think it might be a good idea to give some examples of the different types of travel plazas. So, I've given the lat and long of one of each.


One side, simple
Darien Service Plaza, Connecticut
41.080758,-73.461233

One side, ramp from other side
Trumpet
DeKalb Oasis, Illinois
41.900704,-88.739224

Diverging Diamond
Hickory Run Service Plaza, Pennsylvania
40.970372,-75.631388

One side, crosswalk from other side
Ramapo Travel Plaza, New York
41.152251,-74.189173

Both sides, back-to-back
Commodore Perry Service Plaza, Ohio
Erie Islands Service Plaza, Ohio
41.368508,-82.957594

In the median, simple
Delaware Welcome Center Travel Plaza, Delaware
39.662023,-75.691363

In the median, crosswalk
Angola Travel Plaza, New York
42.635687,-78.989137

In the median, ramps
Vince Lombardi Service Area, New Jersey
40.823013,-74.029613

Over the highway
O'Hare Tollway Oasis, Illinois
41.950506,-87.882839

What would be a better name for

New York Parkway Minimalist
Belt Parkway
40.5927238,-73.9084827

There is also the Just off-highway, access via regular interchange category.  The best (and possibly only) example of this is the new West Gardiner Service Area on the Maine Turnpike.

Quote from: lepidopteran on October 12, 2014, 09:49:42 PM
What would be a better name for

New York Parkway Minimalist
Belt Parkway
40.5927238,-73.9084827

Not a toll road.  I'm not sure if the OP intended all state-leased commercial areas for this.  The Palisades, Grand Central, Hutch, Merritt, and Wilbur Cross all have candidates for what you describe. 

Quote from: Beeper1 on October 12, 2014, 11:25:27 PM
There is also the Just off-highway, access via regular interchange category.  The best (and possibly only) example of this is the new West Gardiner Service Area on the Maine Turnpike.

Funny, I expected to be there this weekend.  I recall actually leaving the rest area onto a local street thrn entering a ramp to complete some movements.

Quote from: Pete from Boston on October 13, 2014, 01:21:04 AM

Quote from: lepidopteran on October 12, 2014, 09:49:42 PM
New York Parkway Minimalist
Belt Parkway
40.5927238,-73.9084827

Not a toll road.  I'm not sure if the OP intended all state-leased commercial areas for this.  The Palisades, Grand Central, Hutch, Merritt, and Wilbur Cross all have candidates for what you describe.

I distinctly remember seeing some on the Jackie Robinson as well, over 30 years ago back in the Interborough days.  They seemed abandoned even then, but this looks like the remains of one.  40.6904814,-73.8886972

This raises a question: besides these NY parkways, and the JFK Memorial Hwy. in MD, how many instances are there of service plazas as we know them on non-tolled highways?

Quote from: lepidopteran on October 14, 2014, 02:07:05 PM


This raises a question: besides these NY parkways, and the JFK Memorial Hwy. in MD, how many instances are there of service plazas as we know them on non-tolled highways?

Two examples I can think of from formerly-tolled highways:

- the service areas on the Connecticut Turnpike, which has been toll-free for 31 years

- the one remaining service area on the Western Kentucky Parkway, near Beaver Dam:
http://goo.gl/maps/B5VK1

Massachusetts has some on older never-tolled freeways:
-Bridgewater NB/SB on MA-24
-Barnstable at Exit 6 off US-6
-Beverly on NB MA-128
-Newton and Lexington on I-95/MA-128

There used to be a few others that have since been closed, including:
-Georgetown NB/SB on I-95 (now just weigh stations)*
-Sturbridge WB on the old alignment of I-86/MA-15 (now just a vacant lot)
-Lancaster on MA-2 WB (now a regular rest area/info center)

*This was allowed as the roadway was just US-1 when originally opened.

Quote from: route17fan on October 12, 2014, 08:34:07 AM
The Angola Service Area has a crosswalk over I-90 in western NY. :)

I think the Angola one is an "in the median, crosswalk" variety.

Is the smiley face in crack sealant still present in the eastbound lanes visible from the overpass?  It's been five years since I was in there.

Quote from: Brandon on October 12, 2014, 07:56:27 AM
The Chicago Skyway has a median service area next to the toll plaza.  It is not named.

I believe that at least one sign refers to it as the "Skyway Oasis" from what I recall passing through there several times.  Could be misremembering though...

Quote from: Beeper1 on October 14, 2014, 04:10:47 PM
Massachusetts has some on older never-tolled freeways:
-Bridgewater NB/SB on MA-24
-Barnstable at Exit 6 off US-6
-Beverly on NB MA-128
-Newton and Lexington on I-95/MA-128

There used to be a few others that have since been closed, including:
-Georgetown NB/SB on I-95 (now just weigh stations)*
-Sturbridge WB on the old alignment of I-86/MA-15 (now just a vacant lot)
-Lancaster on MA-2 WB (now a regular rest area/info center)

*This was allowed as the roadway was just US-1 when originally opened.

I think I remember one on Route 3 SB just north of the Braintree Split once upon a time as well, now just a cleared area. 

Quote from: PurdueBill on October 14, 2014, 04:31:55 PM

Quote from: Brandon on October 12, 2014, 07:56:27 AM
The Chicago Skyway has a median service area next to the toll plaza.  It is not named.

I believe that at least one sign refers to it as the "Skyway Oasis" from what I recall passing through there several times.  Could be misremembering though...

That's the only "name" it has.  It's like saying "Toll Road Travel Plaza" or "Tollway Oasis".  It's not named for anyone or anything in particular (surprisingly, this being Chicago where even an interchange is named after former Mayor Jayne Byrne now).

Quote from: TheStranger on October 14, 2014, 02:24:06 PM

Quote from: lepidopteran on October 14, 2014, 02:07:05 PM


This raises a question: besides these NY parkways, and the JFK Memorial Hwy. in MD, how many instances are there of service plazas as we know them on non-tolled highways?

Two examples I can think of from formerly-tolled highways:

- the service areas on the Connecticut Turnpike, which has been toll-free for 31 years

- the one remaining service area on the Western Kentucky Parkway, near Beaver Dam:
http://goo.gl/maps/B5VK1

Grand Central Parkway Between Northern Boulevard & 94th St -- Fuel Only
Hutchinson River Parkway between Bruckner Boulevard & East Tremont Avenue -- Fuel & Food

Quote from: Brandon on October 14, 2014, 05:51:41 PM

Quote from: PurdueBill on October 14, 2014, 04:31:55 PM

Quote from: Brandon on October 12, 2014, 07:56:27 AM
The Chicago Skyway has a median service area next to the toll plaza.  It is not named.

I believe that at least one sign refers to it as the "Skyway Oasis" from what I recall passing through there several times.  Could be misremembering though...

That's the only "name" it has.  It's like saying "Toll Road Travel Plaza" or "Tollway Oasis".  It's not named for anyone or anything in particular (surprisingly, this being Chicago where even an interchange is named after former Mayor Jayne Byrne now).

True, but at least it's a unique name versus something like "FOOD-FUEL" or something.

Was the 86/15/84 WB area mentioned above as Sturbridge meant to refer to the one in Holland?  Was this a public rest area or simply a private restaurant along a state highway?  The last time I was at a Howard Johnson's in that area was probably 1978, and was more likely than not on the Mass Pike rather than 86, and I wouldn't remember anyway.

I recall from a recent discussion here that there was indeed a rest area on 93 near the Split in the location mentioned. 

The 84/15/86 area is near the Holland town line but is actually in Sturbridge.  It was indeed a Howard Johnsons, though it was probably already closed by 1978.  The new alignment of I-84 opened in that area 1975-ish, which is when it closed. 

This was indeed a public rest area (the state still owned the land until as recently as 2007 when they finally sold the lot at auction). When you look at it on HistorcAreals from when it was open, it has that unmistakable service plaza shape.

When the area closed when the new highway opened, Howard Johnson's simply rebuilt a few miles up the road to a private lot just off Exit 1. Later this became a Roy Rogers/Sbarro, which itself went out of business last year and now the building is just empty.     

The one on I-93/MA-3 in Quincy was also a Howard Johnsons.  I think that closed sometime in the early 80s.  The ones in Georgetown were closed when the highway was widened in the 70s.

I also forgot to mention there is a service area still open on MA-3 SB in Plymouth.  Has a McDonalds, if I recall.

Quote from: lepidopteran on October 12, 2014, 12:34:55 AM
One side, ramp from other side
Rare.  At least two are on the PATP, including on the NE Extension.  Instead of using a conventional trumpet, a diverging diamond setup is used, with no need to realign the traffic from the "wrong-way"  arrangement.  There was also one on the NJTP for a special plaza for charter buses only, which did use a trumpet.

Would a service plaza on one side with multiple overpasses serving the other side belong to a subset of this type, or would it belong to its own type?

The only example of which I know is the Kansas Turnpike's Topeka Service Area:
https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=39.018817,-95.508914&spn=0.019005,0.042272&t=k&z=15

Edit: I knew I was neglecting something significant:

QuoteIn the median, ramps
This setup would have both the plaza and the parking in the median, but accessed via right-hand exit ramps.  The closest example I know of is the Vince Lombardi Service Area on the NJTP.  However, this one is not in the median per se, but between two spurs of the same highway!  Nonetheless, it is accessible from right-hand ramps from all directions with a rather labyrinthine ramp network.

The Garden State Parkway's Cheesequake Service Area!
https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=40.465038,-74.287105&spn=0.009371,0.021136&t=k&z=16

Not only is it truly in the median, but it also uses both left-hand and right-hand entrance and exit ramps.

The word "Cheesequake" always makes me hungry.

Quote from: Beeper1 on October 14, 2014, 04:10:47 PM
Massachusetts has some on older never-tolled freeways:
-Bridgewater NB/SB on MA-24
-Barnstable at Exit 6 off US-6
-Beverly on NB MA-128
-Newton and Lexington on I-95/MA-128

There used to be a few others that have since been closed, including:
-Georgetown NB/SB on I-95 (now just weigh stations)*
-Sturbridge WB on the old alignment of I-86/MA-15 (now just a vacant lot)
-Lancaster on MA-2 WB (now a regular rest area/info center)

*This was allowed as the roadway was just US-1 when originally opened.

In the "now closed" category, don't forget I-93/Southeast Expressway southbound at the MA 3 split in Braintree.  Drivers exiting this service plaza, which had a Mobil gas station and a Howard Johnson's restaurant, and wanting to access MA 3 southbound had to do a harrowing weave across five lanes of traffic.  The plaza was closed in 1985 as a condition of MassDPW receiving Federal funds for the 1984-1985 reconstruction of the Southeast Expressway.

I will also add that all service plazas in Massachusetts, including those on the Massachusetts Turnpike, originally had Howard Johnson's restaurants.

I believe that all Massachusetts' service plazas were HoJos due to the chain originating in this state.

However, HoJo, when they were big, had some on the Garden State Parkway.  The Vauxhall Plaza did have one back in the 70's I remember seeing before Holiday House took them over later on in the late 70's.

Quote from: roadman65 on October 15, 2014, 02:00:35 PM
I believe that all Massachusetts' service plazas were HoJos due to the chain originating in this state.

However, HoJo, when they were big, had some on the Garden State Parkway.  The Vauxhall Plaza did have one back in the 70's I remember seeing before Holiday House took them over later on in the late 70's.

I believe that all Massachusetts' service plazas were HoJo's due to HoJo's winning the contract.   This was the case in state after state that HoJo's did not originate in. 

Quote from: Pete from Boston on October 15, 2014, 03:01:57 PM

Quote from: roadman65 on October 15, 2014, 02:00:35 PM
I believe that all Massachusetts' service plazas were HoJos due to the chain originating in this state.

However, HoJo, when they were big, had some on the Garden State Parkway.  The Vauxhall Plaza did have one back in the 70's I remember seeing before Holiday House took them over later on in the late 70's.

I believe that all Massachusetts' service plazas were HoJo's due to HoJo's winning the contract.   This was the case in state after state that HoJo's did not originate in. 

Actually they put the names of all Massachusetts restaurant chains in a hat. Friendlys was PISSED when they lost that one.

Does WV's beloved "Scamarack" count as a one side, ramp from other side?

Quote from: lepidopteran on October 12, 2014, 12:34:55 AM
One side, ramp from other side
Rare.  At least two are on the PATP, including on the NE Extension.

The PA Turnpike has three: Allentown and Hickory Run on the NE Ext. and Sideling Hill on the mainline. All three were built in the roughly '55-'70 time frame after the mainline was completed but before the more recent era of plaza renovation and expansion.

Quote from: lepidopteran on October 12, 2014, 12:34:55 AM
Both sides (back-to-back)
Same as simple one-side, but on both sides.  The PA Turnpike has some, and rumor has it that there's a "secret"  service tunnel connecting the two plazas.

The under-highway tunnel is at the Midway Service Plaza, and it's no rumor–you can see pictures of it here (http://www.gribblenation.com/breezewood/midway.html). Originally, the Pennsylvania Turnpike had no true "both sides"  plaza pairs. At Midway, the plaza was on the south side of the turnpike (eastbound lanes), and the westbound lanes had only a gas station and a parking area. To get to the restaurant, westbound travelers would use the tunnel to walk under the roadway and up a staircase into the Howard Johnson's on the south side. In those early days, the South Midway Service Plaza had a dormitory for truckers on its second floor.

Then in the postwar expansion years, the PTC constructed a true North Midway plaza with its own restaurant, as well as a South Somerset, making that a twin pair, and then the North and South Neshaminy pair on the Delaware River Extension (now demolished).

Quote from: Pete from Boston on October 15, 2014, 11:04:26 AM
The word "Cheesequake" always makes me hungry.

Is it actually pronounced "cheese-quake" ? I hoped the pronunciation might be more something more interesting, like "chees-a-KWA-kay"

Quote from: lepidopteran on October 12, 2014, 12:34:55 AM
One side, ramp from other side
Rare.  At least two are on the PATP, including on the NE Extension.  Instead of using a conventional trumpet, a diverging diamond setup is used, with no need to realign the traffic from the "wrong-way"  arrangement.  There was also one on the NJTP for a special plaza for charter buses only, which did use a trumpet.

I misinterpreted this at first. I read it as a one-way service plaza, only accessible from one direction, but located across the highway from that direction's travel lanes. Now I see that you mean located on one side of the highway, but accessible from both sides using ramps. New Baltimore on the NYS Thruway is one of this type.

Are there any examples of what I first imagined?

Quote
One side, crosswalk from other side
Only one I know of is the Ramapo plaza on the NYS Thruway.  However, the SB side has had some minimal services added, at least compared to the NB side, but the overhead crosswalk remains.

Both sides (back-to-back)
Same as simple one-side, but on both sides.  The PA Turnpike has some, and rumor has it that there's a "secret"  service tunnel connecting the two plazas.

The Iroquois/Indian Castle pair on the NYS Thruway used to be the first type, now it's the second.

How often do pairs (of either type) have different names for each direction?

QuoteIn the median, simple
With this arrangement, the plaza is within a wide or widened median, and is accessed by left-hand on-and-off ramps.  I personally dislike these, as merging into the fast lane can be intimidating, along with aggressive tailgating before exiting.

This type is found on a few of the NYC-area parkways (former toll roads, some of them) and do indeed suffer from the traffic issued you describe.

QuoteIn the median, ramps
This setup would have both the plaza and the parking in the median, but accessed via right-hand exit ramps.  The closest example I know of is the Vince Lombardi Service Area on the NJTP.  However, this one is not in the median per se, but between two spurs of the same highway!  Nonetheless, it is accessible from right-hand ramps from all directions with a rather labyrinthine ramp network.

This is actually located on a free section of the Turnpike, because you can use the ramp system to change direction.

QuoteNames
Many toll road authorities name their service plazas, as opposed to numbering them like exits.   Typically, plazas are named geographically.  One notable exception is NJ, which names the plazas after people native to the state.  The JFK Expressway in MD has "Maryland House"  and "Chesapeake House" .

NYS Thruway's are geographic (New Baltimore, Sloatsburg, Pembroke, Junius Ponds...) or ethnographic (Iroquois, Mohawk, Oneida, Ramapo...), although most of the second category could arguably fall into the first as well (except Iroquois).

Oh come to think of it, NY Thruway's Angola service area is in the median, right? Accessible by the crosswalks on either side.

Quote from: spooky on October 15, 2014, 03:54:27 PM

Quote from: Pete from Boston on October 15, 2014, 03:01:57 PM

Quote from: roadman65 on October 15, 2014, 02:00:35 PM
I believe that all Massachusetts' service plazas were HoJos due to the chain originating in this state.

However, HoJo, when they were big, had some on the Garden State Parkway.  The Vauxhall Plaza did have one back in the 70's I remember seeing before Holiday House took them over later on in the late 70's.

I believe that all Massachusetts' service plazas were HoJo's due to HoJo's winning the contract.   This was the case in state after state that HoJo's did not originate in. 

Actually they put the names of all Massachusetts restaurant chains in a hat. Friendlys was PISSED when they lost that one.

We're all better off.  It takes them 45 minutes just to cook a grilled cheese.  And they'll still forget the cheese.

Quote from: route17fan on October 16, 2014, 10:30:34 AM
Oh come to think of it, NY Thruway's Angola service area is in the median, right? Accessible by the crosswalks on either side.

Correct.  In fact, as far as I know that's the only such instance of that configuration.

Quote from: jeffandnicole on October 16, 2014, 01:49:49 PM

Quote from: spooky on October 15, 2014, 03:54:27 PM

Quote from: Pete from Boston on October 15, 2014, 03:01:57 PM

Quote from: roadman65 on October 15, 2014, 02:00:35 PM
I believe that all Massachusetts' service plazas were HoJos due to the chain originating in this state.

However, HoJo, when they were big, had some on the Garden State Parkway.  The Vauxhall Plaza did have one back in the 70's I remember seeing before Holiday House took them over later on in the late 70's.

I believe that all Massachusetts' service plazas were HoJo's due to HoJo's winning the contract.   This was the case in state after state that HoJo's did not originate in. 

Actually they put the names of all Massachusetts restaurant chains in a hat. Friendlys was PISSED when they lost that one.

We're all better off.  It takes them 45 minutes just to cook a grilled cheese.  And they'll still forget the cheese.

The one constant through Friendly's recent history of bankruptcy and corporate restructuring is the terrible, terrible service. oh any maybe the ice cream.

Is there no room in this classification system to organize by services offered? Like, for example, food, fuel, convenience store, full-service discount wine and liquor supermarket?

Quote from: Pete from Boston on October 16, 2014, 06:54:24 PM
Is there no room in this classification system to organize by services offered? Like, for example, food, fuel, convenience store, full-service discount wine and liquor supermarket?

I already like the new Hooksett Service Areas in I-93 in NH.  They aren't fully open yet, but came in handy on my way to the north country last weekend.

Quote from: lepidopteran on October 12, 2014, 12:34:55 AM
In the median, simple
With this arrangement, the plaza is within a wide or widened median, and is accessed by left-hand on-and-off ramps.  I personally dislike these, as merging into the fast lane can be intimidating, along with aggressive tailgating before exiting.  But these are efficient from the standpoint of the highway authority, as you only need one plaza to serve both directions at that location.  Examples include:

• FL's Turnpike, complete with "authorized"  U-turn ramps if ticket is stamped inside
• DE Turnpike's lone plaza
• MD's JFK Expressway Highway has 2, grandfathered from back when it was a toll road.  There is still a one-way toll on the Tydings Bridge, though, if that counts.
• At least two on the Garden State Parkway
• Kansas Turnpike's Lawrence Service Area.

FTFY.

Maryland's JFK Highway is still considered a toll road by the state DOT (as it is owned and operated by the Maryland Transportation Authority), even though there is only one toll collection point and only for northbound traffic.

Curiously, the Kansas Turnpike's Lawrence Service Area seems to allow U-turns (at least there is nothing in the way to prevent same), even though it is a "ticket" or "closed" toll system, though I am not sure if patrons get banged with "toll charged from most distant entry point" for making such a turn in the plaza.  Similarly, the Topeka Service Area, even though everything is on the westbound/southbound side, has flyovers to allow access from eastbound/northbound drivers, also appears to allow U-turns within the plaza.

Quote from: lepidopteran on October 12, 2014, 12:34:55 AM

Names
Many toll road authorities name their service plazas, as opposed to numbering them like exits.   Typically, plazas are named geographically.  One notable exception is NJ, which names the plazas after people native to the state.  The JFK Expressway Highway in MD has "Maryland House"  and "Chesapeake House" .

I suggest that service areas on freeways that were formerly toll roads (such as the Connecticut Turnpike) and perhaps service plazas on freeways in Canadian provinces be included, such as Ontario's Highway Service Centres (http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/traveller/service-centres/) and Quebec's Aire de service service plazas.

Quote from: cpzilliacus on October 16, 2014, 09:08:23 PM

Quote from: lepidopteran on October 12, 2014, 12:34:55 AM
In the median, simple
With this arrangement, the plaza is within a wide or widened median, and is accessed by left-hand on-and-off ramps.  I personally dislike these, as merging into the fast lane can be intimidating, along with aggressive tailgating before exiting.  But these are efficient from the standpoint of the highway authority, as you only need one plaza to serve both directions at that location.  Examples include:

• FL's Turnpike, complete with "authorized"  U-turn ramps if ticket is stamped inside
• DE Turnpike's lone plaza
• MD's JFK Expressway Highway has 2, grandfathered from back when it was a toll road.  There is still a one-way toll on the Tydings Bridge, though, if that counts.
• At least two on the Garden State Parkway
• Kansas Turnpike's Lawrence Service Area.

FTFY.

Maryland's JFK Highway is still considered a toll road by the state DOT (as it is owned and operated by the Maryland Transportation Authority), even though there is only one toll collection point and only for northbound traffic.

Curiously, the Kansas Turnpike's Lawrence Service Area seems to allow U-turns (at least there is nothing in the way to prevent same), even though it is a "ticket" or "closed" toll system, though I am not sure if patrons get banged with "toll charged from most distant entry point" for making such a turn in the plaza.  Similarly, the Topeka Service Area, even though everything is on the westbound/southbound side, has flyovers to allow access from eastbound/northbound drivers, also appears to allow U-turns within the plaza.

Actually, all of the Kansas Turnpike's service areas except the Topeka Service Area are of the "in the median, simple" type.

Frankly, I don't see much logic to prohibiting U-turns in service areas on a closed/ticket toll system.  Consider this example on the Kansas Turnpike: You enter at Exit 50 (US 54/400/Kellogg Ave./Wichita), stop at the Towanda Service Area (milepost 65), turn around, and exit at Exit 57 (Andover/21st St.).  How far have you advanced?  My intuition is that U-turns are allowed with the assumption that most people won't want to go out of their way to access a service area and that those who do aren't using enough resources to go through the trouble of finding a way to charge them extra.  I haven't personally found out what happens if one makes a U-turn at a service area, but I don't see how anything but the printed amount on the ticket could be charged.  However, I have heard that exiting at same interchange at which you entered results in being charged for time rather than distance (otherwise, advanced distance would be 0, and maybe there just aren't any free rides).

I know other closed/ticket toll systems prohibit U-turns, though.  This was discussed in more depth on this thread: https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=7359.0

Quote from: Beeper1 on October 16, 2014, 08:15:12 PM

Quote from: Pete from Boston on October 16, 2014, 06:54:24 PM
Is there no room in this classification system to organize by services offered? Like, for example, food, fuel, convenience store, full-service discount wine and liquor supermarket?

I already like the new Hooksett Service Areas in I-93 in NH.  They aren't fully open yet, but came in handy on my way to the north country last weekend.

The new Hooksett Service Areas, although still incomplete, are nice.  However, I'm going to miss the mixed messages on the old buildings, which read "Safety Rest Area" and "State Liquor Store" side by side.  And, as one who grew up seeing "State Liquor Store" everywhere in New Hampshire (my father used to call the stores "Dr. Greens" - referring to the NH state colors), "Discount Liquor and Wine Outlet" is just a little too pompous sounding for my tastes.

Quote from: mapman1071 on October 14, 2014, 07:47:16 PM

Quote from: TheStranger on October 14, 2014, 02:24:06 PM

Quote from: lepidopteran on October 14, 2014, 02:07:05 PM


This raises a question: besides these NY parkways, and the JFK Memorial Hwy. in MD, how many instances are there of service plazas as we know them on non-tolled highways?

Two examples I can think of from formerly-tolled highways:

- the service areas on the Connecticut Turnpike, which has been toll-free for 31 years

- the one remaining service area on the Western Kentucky Parkway, near Beaver Dam:
http://goo.gl/maps/B5VK1

Grand Central Parkway Between Northern Boulevard & 94th St -- Fuel Only
Hutchinson River Parkway between Bruckner Boulevard & East Tremont Avenue -- Fuel & Food

There's a pair on the Deegan within Exit 13. Gulf gas and a Dunkin' Donuts at each.

Quote from: stridentweasel on October 17, 2014, 03:42:21 AM
Frankly, I don't see much logic to prohibiting U-turns in service areas on a closed/ticket toll system.

While the amount of money lost probably wouldn't amount to more than a rounding error on a toll road agency's balance sheet, I imagine it's an attempt to prevent anyone from paying less than they otherwise would be obligated to pay based on the milage driven. It seems a bit petty, though, because all of the examples I can imagine involve odd circumstances such as people doing a passenger exchange or roadgeeks racking up miles for the fun of it.

For example, imagine that you live in Philadelphia, your friend lives in Pittsburgh, and your parents are going to take you halfway to meet him. Your parents get on the Turnpike at Norristown and drive west to Sideling Hill; your friend gets on at Irwin and heads east. You meet your friend at Sideling Hill, get into his car, and make U turn heading west. Approaching Pittsburgh, he exits not at Irwin but at the next exit (Pittsburgh), where he pays a $1.60 cash toll for traveling what the PTC thinks is about eleven miles. Likewise, your parents make a U turn heading east and exit at Valley Forge, paying $2.05 for what the PTC assumes has been a seven-mile trip. In reality, your parents have traveled 320 miles roundtrip, and your friend 224. Their total cash tolls would have been $36.35 and $26.70, respectively.

Provided you're not caught, you could also make a U turn just before the toll plaza at an interchange, meaning you could start at Wilkes-Barre, drive south and east to Bristol, west to Butler Valley, then east and north to Wyoming Valley–just 10 miles from where you started–for just $1.60, even though in reality you had driven over 820 miles (about 87% of the entire system, twice) and had legitimately incurred $92.10 in cash tolls. Of course only a roadgeek would do this.

The PTC has some kind of "max-time formula"  under which you could be challenged (and perhaps fined) if your travel time is excessive in relation to the distance  you should have traveled between interchanges. But considering all of the meal breaks, naps, and breakdowns that could eat up hours on the road, the formula must be fairly loose.

Quote from: briantroutman on October 17, 2014, 07:16:09 PM
The PTC has some kind of "max-time formula"  under which you could be challenged (and perhaps fined) if your travel time is excessive in relation to the distance  you should have traveled between interchanges. But considering all of the meal breaks, naps, and breakdowns that could eat up hours on the road, the formula must be fairly loose.

The max-time formula is true.  On the Turnpike, taking excessive time to get between any interchange pair is considered "Evasion of Fare".  From the PTC Traffic Rules and Regulations:

Quote601.13 Evasion of fare

(a) Evasion of fare or attempted evasion of fare is prohibited and constitutes a summary offense. Fines for evasion of fare or attempted evasion of fare are imposed by 75 Pa. C.S. § 6110(b) (relating to regulation of traffic on Pennsylvania Turnpike).

(b) Evasion of fare or attempted evasion of fare includes the following:

(1) Entering or exiting the Turnpike System except through an interchange, unless directed to do so by the State Police or a Commission employee.

(2) The presentation to a State Trooper or toll collector of a toll ticket which indicates that the patron has exceeded the travel time allotted based on the max-time formula, where the patron cannot produce satisfactory physical evidence, including the driver's record of duty status, demonstrating that the age of the ticket was the result of actual excess time spent legitimately on the Turnpike system by the patron and was not the result of fare evasion or attempted fare evasion. (emphasis added)

(3) Possession by the patron of more than one toll ticket.

(4) Possession by the patron of a toll ticket which was issued from an interchange located in the direction in which the patron is traveling.

(5) Possession or presentation by a patron of a toll ticket which has been intentionally altered or mutilated.

(6) The failure by the patron to pay the appropriate toll upon exiting the Turnpike System.

(7) Appropriation or attempted appropriation by a patron of more than one toll ticket at an interchange.

Any idea if this concept is unique to the PTC, or do other toll authorities have similar regulations?

Quote from: roadman on October 17, 2014, 07:43:41 PM

Quote from: briantroutman on October 17, 2014, 07:16:09 PM
The PTC has some kind of "max-time formula"  under which you could be challenged (and perhaps fined) if your travel time is excessive in relation to the distance  you should have traveled between interchanges. But considering all of the meal breaks, naps, and breakdowns that could eat up hours on the road, the formula must be fairly loose.

The max-time formula is true.  On the Turnpike, taking excessive time to get between any interchange pair is considered "Evasion of Fare".  From the PTC Traffic Rules and Regulations:

Quote601.13 Evasion of fare

(a) Evasion of fare or attempted evasion of fare is prohibited and constitutes a summary offense. Fines for evasion of fare or attempted evasion of fare are imposed by 75 Pa. C.S. § 6110(b) (relating to regulation of traffic on Pennsylvania Turnpike).

(b) Evasion of fare or attempted evasion of fare includes the following:

(1) Entering or exiting the Turnpike System except through an interchange, unless directed to do so by the State Police or a Commission employee.

(2) The presentation to a State Trooper or toll collector of a toll ticket which indicates that the patron has exceeded the travel time allotted based on the max-time formula, where the patron cannot produce satisfactory physical evidence, including the driver's record of duty status, demonstrating that the age of the ticket was the result of actual excess time spent legitimately on the Turnpike system by the patron and was not the result of fare evasion or attempted fare evasion. (emphasis added)

(3) Possession by the patron of more than one toll ticket.

(4) Possession by the patron of a toll ticket which was issued from an interchange located in the direction in which the patron is traveling.

(5) Possession or presentation by a patron of a toll ticket which has been intentionally altered or mutilated.

(6) The failure by the patron to pay the appropriate toll upon exiting the Turnpike System.

(7) Appropriation or attempted appropriation by a patron of more than one toll ticket at an interchange.

Any idea if this concept is unique to the PTC, or do other toll authorities have similar regulations?

Unless it's hidden somewhere, the NYSTA has no such rule (https://govt.westlaw.com/nycrr/Document/I50f7ec77cd1711dda432a117e6e0f345?viewType=FullText&originationContext=documenttoc&transitionType=CategoryPageItem&contextData=%28sc.Default%29)

Two defunct service areas:
On the old Kentucky Turnpike (I-65 between Elizabethtown and Louisville), from the late 1950's until the mid 1980's, there was a service area in the median near Lebanon Junction, and another median service area near Shepardsville.  Each service area had a restaurant and two gas stations.  As a little kid, I remember the restaurant initially being a "Glass House", and eventually changing to other establishments past the mid 1960's. Those service areas were my first memory of pay toilets.  I would crawl under them to save the money.

Unfortunately, both service areas were demolished in the 1980's, as that section of I-65 was widened to six lanes and totally rebuilt to modern standards.

Quote from: roadman on October 17, 2014, 07:43:41 PM
The max-time formula is true.  On the Turnpike, taking excessive time to get between any interchange pair is considered "Evasion of Fare". 

Any idea if this concept is unique to the PTC, or do other toll authorities have similar regulations?

I don't think the NJ Turnpike has this, unless it's for at least 12+ hours:  I have a friend who, a number of years ago, used to live in his pickup truck for awhile.  He would park every night in the same rest area on the NJTP to sleep, and he wasn't alone in that regard as he would often have the same "neighbors".  I'm sure there are plenty of truckers who do the same.

Quote from: roadman on October 17, 2014, 07:43:41 PM
Any idea if this concept is unique to the PTC, or do other toll authorities have similar regulations?

ITR tickets (some, anyway) say that tickets over 14 hours old are charged max fare.  (I only had these tickets because the reader was "broken" at an entry and thus you had to take a ticket--of course, this entailed being charged the E-ZPass rate from the furthest away point from the exit because it read the transponder even if hidden...sigh)

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww2.uakron.edu%2Fgenchem%2FITR2.jpg&hash=2235e73fb844f023aab4f717e04640eae8cddd11)

Quote from: RoadWarrior56 on October 17, 2014, 08:51:06 PM
Two defunct service areas:
On the old Kentucky Turnpike (I-65 between Elizabethtown and Louisville), from the late 1950's until the mid 1980's, there was a service area in the median near Lebanon Junction, and another median service area near Shepardsville.  Each service area had a restaurant and two gas stations.  As a little kid, I remember the restaurant initially being a "Glass House", and eventually changing to other establishments past the mid 1960's. Those service areas were my first memory of pay toilets.  I would crawl under them to save the money.

Unfortunately, both service areas were demolished in the 1980's, as that section of I-65 was widened to six lanes and totally rebuilt to modern standards.

All of that sounds like it would be really cool to me, like the old WV turnpike plazas that I really dug.

Quote from: PurdueBill on October 17, 2014, 09:50:08 PM

Quote from: roadman on October 17, 2014, 07:43:41 PM
Any idea if this concept is unique to the PTC, or do other toll authorities have similar regulations?

ITR tickets (some, anyway) say that tickets over 14 hours old are charged max fare.  (I only had these tickets because the reader was "broken" at an entry and thus you had to take a ticket--of course, this entailed being charged the E-ZPass rate from the furthest away point from the exit because it read the transponder even if hidden...sigh)

Image removed.

Bill, I recall a time on the ITR a few years back when I couldn't get the reader to accept my I-Pass transponder when I entered the road, for whatever reason. I took a ticket. When I left the road, I handled the transponder and ticket to the attendant and he charged the proper amount to my account. Sorry that you had to pay the full amount.

The Porte du Nord service area on A-15 north of Montreal has a one-side w/ ramps from both sides configuration which is neither a diverging diamond nor a trumpet. Instead, it is encompassed by a large traffic circle that goes over the highway and provides ramps on either side. A-15 was never a closed system so U-turns were fine, and the tolls were removed in 1985 anyway.

https://maps.google.ca/maps?ll=45.84061,-74.066241&spn=0.012856,0.01929&safe=strict&t=m&z=16

Quote from: roadman on October 17, 2014, 07:43:41 PM
Any idea if this concept is unique to the PTC, or do other toll authorities have similar regulations?

On the NJ Turnpike, the machine would beep and display a message if the ticket was older than 24 hours.  I believe they're supposed to charge the max rate in those cases. 

On at least one occasion, I had someone hand me the 'wrong' ticket...in other words, he had a few tickets from various points on the Turnpike, and he intended on giving me one from a nearby interchange; not the one from a far-away point.  He even pulled out the toll tickets saying that he gave me the wrong one.  From what I recall, even after my 'look' I gave him, he still complained about it even though he knew he had been caught.  He eventually did pay the fare for the ticket he gave me.