On a trip from Newark DE to Maine in 2006, my father chose to use the Commodore Barry over the Delaware Memorial Bridge; I believe the rationale was shunpiking. Not being familiar with how tolls work in the area, I just kinda shrugged and said Sure Whatever.
Apparently both bridges have one-way (the same way) tolls, so that doesn't make much sense, so maybe this is just sticking with a habit formed decades before.
Phillyroads.com doesn't say so directly, but implies NB/EB tolls were in place before 1992. So this still doesn't make much sense, unless the Barry was cheaper.
Was there ever a time when, from a penny pinching perspective, it made more sense to use the Commodore Barry than the Delaware Memorial Bridge?
Well, Wikipedia seems to think that one-way tolling only went into effect in 1992, so it's very possible. I'm pretty sure that DRPA had gone to one way tolling a good long while before that (The CommBarry opened in 1974 and you can tell from the GSV (https://goo.gl/maps/YpMSQ87CPaXgC4aQ6) that the toll plaza originally extended across both directions of roadway) so it would be toll free to return to NJ with the trade of some time to get thru Wilmington, over the CBB into NJ and onto the Turnpike or 295 to head northward.
From the Philly area and South, all Delaware River bridges with the DRPA, BCBC and DRBA went to one way tolling on 10/1/92, to prevent the situation you mentioned. Going into NJ, there was never an advantage using one over another in regards to completely avoiding a toll. http://www.drpa.org/about/history.html
Going into PA or DE, the DRPA bridges always had a higher fare, or a fare same as the Del Mem Bridge. Today, the toll on the DRPA bridges is $5, DRBA is $5 Cash/$4.75 EZ Pass, and BCBC is $4 Cash/$3 EZ Pass. In 1992, the DRPA fare was $2 (was 90 cents when the toll was a two way toll); I don't recall the exact toll on the Del. Mem. Bridge.
Tolls aside, is there another advantage for using Commodore Barry over the Delaware Memorial? That stretch of 95 is not the best.
Quote from: yakra on January 23, 2022, 01:38:55 AM
On a trip from Newark DE to Maine in 2006, my father chose to use the Commodore Barry over the Delaware Memorial Bridge; I believe the rationale was shunpiking. Not being familiar with how tolls work in the area, I just kinda shrugged and said Sure Whatever.
Apparently both bridges have one-way (the same way) tolls, so that doesn't make much sense, so maybe this is just sticking with a habit formed decades before.
Phillyroads.com doesn't say so directly, but implies NB/EB tolls were in place before 1992. So this still doesn't make much sense, unless the Barry was cheaper.
Was there ever a time when, from a penny pinching perspective, it made more sense to use the Commodore Barry than the Delaware Memorial Bridge?
Back then the Delaware Memorial was a couple dollars cheaper than the Commodore ($3 vs $5 respectively) so I'm not sure why he'd choose the Commodore (I assume this was coming back from Maine).
Quote from: Ted$8roadFan on January 23, 2022, 01:15:09 PM
Tolls aside, is there another advantage for using Commodore Barry over the Delaware Memorial? That stretch of 95 is not the best.
Nope lol
Quote from: jeffandnicole on January 23, 2022, 09:33:23 AM
From the Philly area and South, all Delaware River bridges with the DRPA, BCBC and DRBA went to one way tolling on 10/1/92, to prevent the situation you mentioned. Going into NJ, there was never an advantage using one over another in regards to completely avoiding a toll. http://www.drpa.org/about/history.html
Going into PA or DE, the DRPA bridges always had a higher fare, or a fare same as the Del Mem Bridge. Today, the toll on the DRPA bridges is $5, DRBA is $5 Cash/$4.75 EZ Pass, and BCBC is $4 Cash/$3 EZ Pass. In 1992, the DRPA fare was $2 (was 90 cents when the toll was a two way toll); I don't recall the exact toll on the Del. Mem. Bridge.
Huh. I remember going to see my grandmother who was at a place in Pennsauken in early 1992 and we sometimes took 206 -> 95 -> Betsy Ross Br -> 130) and I do not remember paying a toll coming back into NJ (I do remember all the "NO TOLL THIS DIRECTION" signs).
Quote from: Ted$8roadFan on January 23, 2022, 01:15:09 PM
Tolls aside, is there another advantage for using Commodore Barry over the Delaware Memorial? That stretch of 95 is not the best.
Unless there's construction or congestion on 295 approaching the Delaware Memorial (which DE will absolutely refuse to mention on the VMSs on 95), there's no advantage.
DERP!
I was assuming our trip began in Newark, but that's surely incorrect.
It's much more likely we started at the south end of the DE3 corridor, whence the Delaware Memorial Bridge would add about 10 mi to our trip.
https://travelmapping.net//user/mapview.php?u=yakra&rg=DE
So the "habit formed decades before" bit checks out, being a sensible route between Pennyhill/Carrcroft & New England.
Quote from: yakra on January 29, 2022, 02:03:01 PM
DERP!
I was assuming our trip began in Newark, but that's surely incorrect.
It's much more likely we started at the south end of the DE3 corridor, whence the Delaware Memorial Bridge would add about 10 mi to our trip.
https://travelmapping.net//user/mapview.php?u=yakra&rg=DE
So the "habit formed decades before" bit checks out, being a sensible route between Pennyhill/Carrcroft & New England.
Especially when the Delaware Memorial Bridge toll was $4, I figured DE 52 was the break point for me. Anything from there and North, I would usually take the Commodore Barry. If it was south of there, I frequently went down to the Delaware Memorial. Even though it was longer in mileage, it was usually faster and the cheaper toll compensated for the distance.
Up until 2008 or so, you could go eastbound into Jersey on the Walt Whitman and then westbound back on the Ben Franklin and paid no toll-did it every time I visited fam in Philly...and then they got smart and made Benny two way to close the loophole.
Quote from: DeaconG on February 03, 2022, 02:19:02 PM
Up until 2008 or so, you could go eastbound into Jersey on the Walt Whitman and then westbound back on the Ben Franklin and paid no toll-did it every time I visited fam in Philly...and then they got smart and made Benny two way to close the loophole.
I thought that the Ben Franklin was always a one-way toll westbound...
Quote from: 74/171FAN on February 03, 2022, 02:28:55 PM
Quote from: DeaconG on February 03, 2022, 02:19:02 PM
Up until 2008 or so, you could go eastbound into Jersey on the Walt Whitman and then westbound back on the Ben Franklin and paid no toll-did it every time I visited fam in Philly...and then they got smart and made Benny two way to close the loophole.
I thought that the Ben Franklin was always a one-way toll westbound...
IIRC, Benny went two way until the 90's, but the inbound to Philly was free...until the late oughts, when they slapped the two-way back on.
Quote from: DeaconG on February 03, 2022, 02:34:07 PM
Quote from: 74/171FAN on February 03, 2022, 02:28:55 PM
Quote from: DeaconG on February 03, 2022, 02:19:02 PM
Up until 2008 or so, you could go eastbound into Jersey on the Walt Whitman and then westbound back on the Ben Franklin and paid no toll-did it every time I visited fam in Philly...and then they got smart and made Benny two way to close the loophole.
I thought that the Ben Franklin was always a one-way toll westbound...
IIRC, Benny went two way until the 90's, but the inbound to Philly was free...until the late oughts, when they slapped the two-way back on.
I'm gonna agree with Mark on this one. There was never a hole that would let you cross both ways for free. One-way tolling was always inbound only.
Quote from: Alps on February 03, 2022, 05:44:44 PM
Quote from: DeaconG on February 03, 2022, 02:34:07 PM
Quote from: 74/171FAN on February 03, 2022, 02:28:55 PM
Quote from: DeaconG on February 03, 2022, 02:19:02 PM
Up until 2008 or so, you could go eastbound into Jersey on the Walt Whitman and then westbound back on the Ben Franklin and paid no toll-did it every time I visited fam in Philly...and then they got smart and made Benny two way to close the loophole.
I thought that the Ben Franklin was always a one-way toll westbound...
IIRC, Benny went two way until the 90's, but the inbound to Philly was free...until the late oughts, when they slapped the two-way back on.
I'm gonna agree with Mark on this one. There was never a hole that would let you cross both ways for free. One-way tolling was always inbound only.
Correct. As I linked upthread, all the toll plazas switched over at the same time to one way tolling leaving Jersey into PA back in 1992. The DRPA operates both the Walt and Ben. No way would they set up their own bridges to allow continuous free passage.
And they never went back to two way tolling in 2008.
Here's the toll schedule for the DRPA bridges. The rates have been in place since 7/1/11.
http://www.drpa.org/travel/toll-schedule.html
QuoteTolls are paid by vehicles traveling westbound from New Jersey to Pennsylvania. The westbound-only collection was implemented in 1992 and reduces traffic congestion on the bridges and approach roadways.
I was going the other way once on 295 and thought, since we lived in Wilmington, that taking the Commodore Barry would be shorter. It may have been a shorter route, but it was very congested on 95 in Pennsylvania. There on out, I've stuck with Delaware Memorial.
Quote from: elsmere241 on May 20, 2022, 12:41:35 PM
I was going the other way once on 295 and thought, since we lived in Wilmington, that taking the Commodore Barry would be shorter. It may have been a shorter route, but it was very congested on 95 in Pennsylvania. There on out, I've stuck with Delaware Memorial.
There is a GPS factor here, and it's ultimately where you need to wind up. All things being equal, DE 52 in Wilmington is the dividing point for me which way I go. But if the GPS indicates a significant savings of time, I'll follow that to wherever my destination may be.
back before they added tolls to it, I used to get off the turnpike at 195 then go up 295 north to 95 south over the scudders falls bridge and go 95 south thru philly and wilmington to get around the turnpike and DRBA tolls
Quote from: mariethefoxy on May 20, 2022, 08:32:25 PM
back before they added tolls to it, I used to get off the turnpike at 195 then go up 295 north to 95 south over the scudders falls bridge and go 95 south thru philly and wilmington to get around the turnpike and DRBA tolls
Should have taken exit 9 or 10 to 1 South! Save a few more bucks and shorter distance.
Quote from: Alps on May 20, 2022, 08:40:05 PM
Quote from: mariethefoxy on May 20, 2022, 08:32:25 PM
back before they added tolls to it, I used to get off the turnpike at 195 then go up 295 north to 95 south over the scudders falls bridge and go 95 south thru philly and wilmington to get around the turnpike and DRBA tolls
Should have taken exit 9 or 10 to 1 South! Save a few more bucks and shorter distance.
Definitely Exit 9. That little stretch of US 1 between I-287 and NJ 18 has always been a pain in the ass.
Quote from: plain on May 20, 2022, 09:13:24 PM
Quote from: Alps on May 20, 2022, 08:40:05 PM
Quote from: mariethefoxy on May 20, 2022, 08:32:25 PM
back before they added tolls to it, I used to get off the turnpike at 195 then go up 295 north to 95 south over the scudders falls bridge and go 95 south thru philly and wilmington to get around the turnpike and DRBA tolls
Should have taken exit 9 or 10 to 1 South! Save a few more bucks and shorter distance.
Definitely Exit 9. That little stretch of US 1 between I-287 and NJ 18 has always been a pain in the ass.
I mean, I could also have vouched for 11 - I've done GSP south to 1 south many a time.
Quote from: Alps on May 20, 2022, 10:01:03 PM
Quote from: plain on May 20, 2022, 09:13:24 PM
Quote from: Alps on May 20, 2022, 08:40:05 PM
Quote from: mariethefoxy on May 20, 2022, 08:32:25 PM
back before they added tolls to it, I used to get off the turnpike at 195 then go up 295 north to 95 south over the scudders falls bridge and go 95 south thru philly and wilmington to get around the turnpike and DRBA tolls
Should have taken exit 9 or 10 to 1 South! Save a few more bucks and shorter distance.
Definitely Exit 9. That little stretch of US 1 between I-287 and NJ 18 has always been a pain in the ass.
I mean, I could also have vouched for 11 - I've done GSP south to 1 south many a time.
Do you mean Exit 130 GSP South US-1 Newark New Brunswick