Toll Roads Control Cities or lack of in the Mid Atlantic Region

[roadman65]

Does anyone here think that the Garden State Parkway, NY Thruway, and PA Turnpike that have many places that do not post control cities at entrances should have them posted?

I know past toll plazas the entrance ramps on the PAT and NYT do have them, but some places they do not feature them at all.  The Garden State Parkway has them only on NJ 37 at Toms River and in Woodbridge area and north of the Asbury Park Plaza. Also, the GSP has no mileage signs, does anyone else think that they should be added considering the NJ Shore is a popular place during Summer months?

[cpzilliacus]

Does anyone here think that the Garden State Parkway, NY Thruway, and PA Turnpike that have many places that do not post control cities at entrances should have them posted?

Yes.

I know past toll plazas the entrance ramps on the PAT and NYT do have them, but some places they do not feature them at all.  The Garden State Parkway has them only on NJ 37 at Toms River and in Woodbridge area and north of the Asbury Park Plaza. Also, the GSP has no mileage signs, does anyone else think that they should be added considering the NJ Shore is a popular place during Summer months?

Just because these highways are toll roads does not mean that they should not have control cities and mileage signs, because they should.  I've only driven the "shore" section of the Parkway a few times, but the section between the Turnpike and the N.Y.S. Thruway much more frequently.  Not sure what the mileage signs on the northbound Parkway should read (I don't like the practice of putting an intersecting road as the "control city" as is sometimes done). 

[roadman65]

Yeah true north of the NJ Turnpike it is hard to determine what to use as control cities and I-78, I-280, Etc. would be crazy.  You might use Union, The Oranges, Clifton, Paramus, and then Spring Valley, NY.

Southbound you would have no problems.  Newark, Woodbidge, Asbury Park, Toms River, etc.

I think that the NB Exit 129 for I-95 should have New York as control city as that is the best way to get from the Parkway to any place in NYC except for Staten Island that uses Exit 127 right before.
Newark could work on the pull through for the through NB Lanes and then go from there to Union, Oranges, etc.

[NJRoadfan]

The Garden State Parkway has them only on NJ 37 at Toms River and in Woodbridge area and north of the Asbury Park Plaza. Also, the GSP has no mileage signs, does anyone else think that they should be added considering the NJ Shore is a popular place during Summer months?

This recently changed. There is a southbound control city of "Toms River" posted at Exit 89 on a pull through. There is also a mileage sign after Exit 80 listing LBI and Atlantic City. There has been a pull through at Exit 129 southbound with "Shore Points/Cape May Ferry" for a long time as well.

The Turnpike has begun to use control cities on the mainline signs south of Exit 6 (New York northbound and Wilmington Southbound). The onramps have always had control cities.

Signing policies are changing on both roads, so expect to see more in the future.

[Mr_Northside]

Does anyone here think that the Garden State Parkway, NY Thruway, and PA Turnpike that have many places that do not post control cities at entrances should have them posted?

Not sure exactly what you mean.... But the PA Turnpike seems like it has them at all it's entrances.... I've always seen signs in between the toll plaza and where the ramps split for eastbound or westbound traffic.
Sometimes they're overhead, & sometimes ground-level.

Though once you get between Monroeville & Ohio, westbound signage does use "Ohio & West" instead of actual cities.

*Not personally very familiar with the TPK east of Carlisle.

[roadman65]

Does anyone here think that the Garden State Parkway, NY Thruway, and PA Turnpike that have many places that do not post control cities at entrances should have them posted?

Not sure exactly what you mean.... But the PA Turnpike seems like it has them at all it's entrances.... I've always seen signs in between the toll plaza and where the ramps split for eastbound or westbound traffic.
Sometimes they're overhead, & sometimes ground-level.

Though once you get between Monroeville & Ohio, westbound signage does use "Ohio & West" instead of actual cities.

*Not personally very familiar with the TPK east of Carlisle.

I am talking before the toll plaza.  I-83, for one, US 22 at Lehigh Valley and I-80 at Pocono.

[PHLBOS]

Does anyone here think that the Garden State Parkway, NY Thruway, and PA Turnpike that have many places that do not post control cities at entrances should have them posted?

Not sure exactly what you mean.... But the PA Turnpike seems like it has them at all it's entrances.... I've always seen signs in between the toll plaza and where the ramps split for eastbound or westbound traffic.
Sometimes they're overhead, & sometimes ground-level.

Though once you get between Monroeville & Ohio, westbound signage does use "Ohio & West" instead of actual cities.

*Not personally very familiar with the TPK east of Carlisle.

I am talking before the toll plaza.  I-83, for one, US 22 at Lehigh Valley and I-80 at Pocono.

Along major highways, the majority of the approach BGS' for the PA Turnpike have control destinations listed on them.  It's only along the "smaller" roads that the only PA Turnpike signage greeting motorists prior to the toll plaza are the large green keystone signs.

[vdeane]

With regards to the Thruway, it's often a control city in and of itself.  It's ingrained into our culture like MA 128 is to Boston or the expressway names are in NYC.

[machias]

With regards to the Thruway, it's often a control city in and of itself.  It's ingrained into our culture like MA 128 is to Boston or the expressway names are in NYC.

I spoke with NYSDOT regarding this a few years ago regarding the interstate-to-Thruway interchange signs that would simply say (90) Thruway or (87) Thruway.  After a lengthy debate regarding what constitutes a control destination, Region 3 (Syracuse) started posting signs that would include Albany-Buffalo as control destinations for the exits.  I-81, I-481 SB and NY 690 SB have these new signs, the older signs are slated to be replaced in the same fashion in the next couple of years.  In Region 8, I-84 to the Thruway is now Albany / New York City.  Unfortunately, Region 4 still posted (90) Thruway (or worse yet, just the 90 marker and the Thruway trailblazer) on the new signs from I-390 to the Thruway.  The signs at both I-490/Thruway interchanges have been there for a while. Region 2 still has button copy signs at the I-790 to Thruway ramps, I assume that the new signs will say To 90 / To Thruway / To Albany - To Buffalo if they even post the control cities.

[dgolub]

Along major highways, the majority of the approach BGS' for the PA Turnpike have control destinations listed on them.  It's only along the "smaller" roads that the only PA Turnpike signage greeting motorists prior to the toll plaza are the large green keystone signs.

For a long time, there was a similar situation with the parkways on Long Island.  On most roads that weren't highways or state routes, interchanges with parkways were simply marked with route shields, and there were no control cities given.  In fact, some of the signs just said "PARKWAY EAST" or "PARKWAY WEST" without even indicating which parkway, and there are about ten different parkways on Long Island!  Back in late 2005 and early 2006, they replaced just about all of these signs with big green signs that do give control cities.  I for one think it has definitely been an improvement.

[roadman65]

Well the NJDOT doesn't have them on the interstates or NJ 3 signage for the GSP.  In fact some places have "G.S Parkway and no one in NJ calls it that.  It is usually "The Parkway" and being NJs main street it should be signed with destinations.

The Exit 11 ramp from the NJ Turnpike has none and most people traveling from I-95 NB to I-87 NB use the GSP as a connector so the "NY Thruway' or "Albany" signs should be posted post toll plaza  for NB and also being that it is the gateway to the shore region of the state "Shore Points" should be used for the SB Parkway.

Only NJ 37 and the ACE have them only cause US 9 is multiplexed with the GSP at NJ 37 and the signs are a requirement to route to route junctions, and the Expressway does not even believe in cardinal directions for themselves hence "PHILA" and "ATLANTIC CITY" beneath the entrance ramp shields and area trailblazers.

Even many interstates in NJ have no control cities from local roads and spite that NJDOT uses mileage signs along its state road network of NJ and US routes, interstates did not have them except in a couple of places along I-78, I-80, and I-287.  Now they have them, but only for locals to understand as they use township names with some that are not even on the map like Bedminster on I-78 that has no exit signed for it and to get to it you must use I-287.
Post Merge: January 27, 2013, 04:39:01 PM
I was viewing someone's road site, and saw that NYCDOT removed "Jersey City" for NB NY 440 on I-278 in Staten Island.  It is now back to the "Bayonne Bridge" that it was years ago.  I am guessing that did not go well with Staten Islanders and were forced to put it back like MDSHA did with the 495 removed then replaced designation on the Capital Beltway.