New Jersey

[jeffandnicole]

That's old news.

No. The date is brand new news.

It's still the very first toll road (ie, not a bi-state bridge) in NJ to switch to AET.

While not a single highway or bi-state agency, the Cape May County Bridge Commission went cashless earlier this year.

[roadman65]

That's old news.

No. The date is brand new news.

It's still the very first toll road (ie, not a bi-state bridge) in NJ to switch to AET.

While not a single highway or bi-state agency, the Cape May County Bridge Commission went cashless earlier this year.

Wasn't referring to the date. Just pointing out the fact another instance where tolls are AET, which is happening a lot.

[NE2]

If I had a nickel for every time a toll road switched to all electronic, I wouldn't be able to pay tolls with those nickels.

[NE2]

https://dspace.njstatelib.org/items/45045b9e-cb23-45c3-a94d-85405f993551
First time I've seen the NJ 56 freeway (Deepwater to Mays Landing via Millville). But note: "For easy identification, freeways with no designations have been given numbers of nearby major highways or temporary numbers. Permanent numbering will be established at a later date."

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112062170664&seq=42&q1=56
Another mention of a different 56, though this one is probably a typo for 58.

[Roadgeek Adam]

It is in, fact, 58.

[NJRoadfan]

News 12 NJ did a segment on NJ's 5 least favorite roads.

https://newjersey.news12.com/njs-least-favorite-roadways-no-5-i-80
https://newjersey.news12.com/njs-least-favorite-roadways-no-4-route-1
https://newjersey.news12.com/njs-least-favorite-roadways-no-3-i-287
https://newjersey.news12.com/njs-least-favorite-roadways-no-2-garden-state-parkway
https://newjersey.news12.com/njs-least-favorite-roadway-route-22

[vdeane]

News 12 NJ did a segment on NJ's 5 least favorite roads.

https://newjersey.news12.com/njs-least-favorite-roadways-no-5-i-80
https://newjersey.news12.com/njs-least-favorite-roadways-no-4-route-1
https://newjersey.news12.com/njs-least-favorite-roadways-no-3-i-287
https://newjersey.news12.com/njs-least-favorite-roadways-no-2-garden-state-parkway
https://newjersey.news12.com/njs-least-favorite-roadway-route-22

Interesting, because I-287 from exit 47 to exit 58 is one of my favorite roads.  Of course, the rest of the road is boring, and it can be congested south of there (and drivers are quite aggressive on the whole thing with lots of maneuvering between slowpokes blocking the middle and left lanes while trucks get caught on the grades).  I guess we'll see how I feel once NJDOT gets rid of all the fun concrete that makes that stretch such a treat.

[storm2k]

News 12 NJ did a segment on NJ's 5 least favorite roads.

https://newjersey.news12.com/njs-least-favorite-roadways-no-5-i-80
https://newjersey.news12.com/njs-least-favorite-roadways-no-4-route-1
https://newjersey.news12.com/njs-least-favorite-roadways-no-3-i-287
https://newjersey.news12.com/njs-least-favorite-roadways-no-2-garden-state-parkway
https://newjersey.news12.com/njs-least-favorite-roadway-route-22

Interesting, because I-287 from exit 47 to exit 58 is one of my favorite roads.  Of course, the rest of the road is boring, and it can be congested south of there (and drivers are quite aggressive on the whole thing with lots of maneuvering between slowpokes blocking the middle and left lanes while trucks get caught on the grades).  I guess we'll see how I feel once NJDOT gets rid of all the fun concrete that makes that stretch such a treat.

That northern section is aesthetically nice, basically a lot of the roadway north of Bridgewater is honestly kinda pleasing to the eye. It's just that 287 is the main interstate through a large portion of this area and all the important roadways and towns it connects. Population explosion through Middlesex, Somerset, and Morris counties in the years since it was built have also overburdened a lot of the roadway with traffic it wasn't entirely designed to handle.

[Ted$8roadFan]

I love how NJ 12 attempts to differentiate between financial toll and emotional toll when driving these roads.

[roadman65]

News 12 NJ did a segment on NJ's 5 least favorite roads.

https://newjersey.news12.com/njs-least-favorite-roadways-no-5-i-80
https://newjersey.news12.com/njs-least-favorite-roadways-no-4-route-1
https://newjersey.news12.com/njs-least-favorite-roadways-no-3-i-287
https://newjersey.news12.com/njs-least-favorite-roadways-no-2-garden-state-parkway
https://newjersey.news12.com/njs-least-favorite-roadway-route-22

Interesting, because I-287 from exit 47 to exit 58 is one of my favorite roads.  Of course, the rest of the road is boring, and it can be congested south of there (and drivers are quite aggressive on the whole thing with lots of maneuvering between slowpokes blocking the middle and left lanes while trucks get caught on the grades).  I guess we'll see how I feel once NJDOT gets rid of all the fun concrete that makes that stretch such a treat.

That northern section is aesthetically nice, basically a lot of the roadway north of Bridgewater is honestly kinda pleasing to the eye. It's just that 287 is the main interstate through a large portion of this area and all the important roadways and towns it connects. Population explosion through Middlesex, Somerset, and Morris counties in the years since it was built have also overburdened a lot of the roadway with traffic it wasn't entirely designed to handle.

Companies like AT & T and such helped fuel the traffic for that region.  I could remember when I-287 ended at North Maple Avenue and US 202 was the main route into Morristown.  It had its share of congestion, especially in Morristown at the Green, but it moved traffic at the time.  Point being I remember before the corporations built along the corridor and saw firsthand what that development has done to change the aesthetics of the road.

Florida can learn from New Jersey, but instead they copy New Jersey and build up the interstates.  I live here and see a repeat of what happened along I-287 take place along I-4 and I-75.  Its called progress and its the norm, but that is another story.

[Mr. Matté]

I love how NJ 12 attempts to differentiate between financial toll and emotional toll when driving these roads.

Got confused for a second thinking how the Hunterdon County state highway had any sort of toll (except when biking on it with the shoulder rumble strips and the shoulders being full of crud) until realizing you were talking about News 12.

[roadman65]

I see once the ACE becomes cash less the tolls for non EZ Pass users will be an automatic $13.  Even if its a short travel.

https://youtu.be/CafreV_jANI?si=LGynx0gtqauIVU_t

Don't know the validity of that, but if that's true or not please if someone knows what cash less tolls are please jump in.

[MASTERNC]

I see once the ACE becomes cash less the tolls for non EZ Pass users will be an automatic $13.  Even if its a short travel.

https://youtu.be/CafreV_jANI?si=LGynx0gtqauIVU_t

Don't know the validity of that, but if that's true or not please if someone knows what cash less tolls are please jump in.

I think you have to travel between the exits around the one main toll plaza for someone to pay $10 for one exit.  The understanding is this is distance-based tolling based on which toll zones you pass, with the maximum being the $5/$10 rate from the old toll barrier west of the GSP.

https://www.sjta.com/maps-tolls-esp

[roadman65]

Well the video states the large cash toll is to cover many expenses related to implementation of the pay by plate.

EZ Pass is half the cash rate due to direct handling mostly by automation.

What was initially killing the manned toll concept was only 12 percent were paying cash for their tolls making the former collection very cost prohibitive.  I'm sure both the Parkway and Turnpike are also operating in the red as well unless they have a higher percentage of cash users and I assume you need more than half the users to operate cost effectively.

[jeffandnicole]

Well the video states the large cash toll is to cover many expenses related to implementation of the pay by plate.

EZ Pass is half the cash rate due to direct handling mostly by automation.

What was initially killing the manned toll concept was only 12 percent were paying cash for their tolls making the former collection very cost prohibitive.  I'm sure both the Parkway and Turnpike are also operating in the red as well unless they have a higher percentage of cash users and I assume you need more than half the users to operate cost effectively.

As of November 2025, EZ Pass usage on the NJ Turnpike was 93.3%. On the Parkway, it was 92.0%.

But, there's also a lot more cash transactions on the Turnpike and Parkway, which probably makes it more cost effective to maintain toll collectors for the time being.

[NJRoadfan]

The toll-by-plate rate on the ACX is simply double the E-ZPass rate, similar to other states. Whats annoying is that the Turnpike and Parkway went Toll-by-Plate during the pandemic with no issues that I know of. Also baffling is the "cost" that is earmarked for the transition. I'm betting that is upgrading/adding ETC barriers. There are additional complications with going cashless on a closed ticket system that I can see, but that shouldn't stop at least the Parkway from going cashless.

[vdeane]

The toll-by-plate rate on the ACX is simply double the E-ZPass rate, similar to other states. Whats annoying is that the Turnpike and Parkway went Toll-by-Plate during the pandemic with no issues that I know of. Also baffling is the "cost" that is earmarked for the transition. I'm betting that is upgrading/adding ETC barriers. There are additional complications with going cashless on a closed ticket system that I can see, but that shouldn't stop at least the Parkway from going cashless.

Doesn't the Turnpike utilize tunnels under the booths so that toll collectors can get in/out without interacting with traffic?  That probably makes removing them more expensive than it would otherwise be.

[NJRoadfan]

I doubt the plazas that aren't in the mainline will be removed very quickly. Right now the E-ZPass system makes a note of where you enter/exit. Most AET conversions on ticket toll roads are doing what the ACX is doing and moving to gantries on the mainline to toll by segment.

[vdeane]

I doubt the plazas that aren't in the mainline will be removed very quickly. Right now the E-ZPass system makes a note of where you enter/exit. Most AET conversions on ticket toll roads are doing what the ACX is doing and moving to gantries on the mainline to toll by segment.

The MassPike still bills like a ticket system even though the gantries are on the mainline and have a fixed toll per segment (they add them all up for each trip) and the Thruway uses a hybrid system that maintains virtual ticket systems yet still removed the toll barriers at the exits within a year (even though the lower speed exits weren't the top priority they were still done; it's amazing how quickly the Thruway removed the booths especially comparing to the Pennsylvania Turnpike and Maryland).

[jeffandnicole]

The toll-by-plate rate on the ACX is simply double the E-ZPass rate, similar to other states. Whats annoying is that the Turnpike and Parkway went Toll-by-Plate during the pandemic with no issues that I know of. Also baffling is the "cost" that is earmarked for the transition. I'm betting that is upgrading/adding ETC barriers. There are additional complications with going cashless on a closed ticket system that I can see, but that shouldn't stop at least the Parkway from going cashless.

Doesn't the Turnpike utilize tunnels under the booths so that toll collectors can get in/out without interacting with traffic?  That probably makes removing them more expensive than it would otherwise be.

It depends on the plaza, and even plazas with tunnels or overhead walkways don't have stairways at each lane.  The original Exit 1 mainline plaza didn't have a tunnel and toll collectors had to cross each lane at ground level; the new one has an overhead walkway with a stairway every 4 lanes.  Interchanges 2, 3, 4 & 5 don't have tunnels or walkways.  Of those, 4 is the widest of those plazas at 9 lanes.  Rebuilt plazas 6 & 7, along with 7A, do have underground tunnels, but there's a stairway only every 3 lanes or so.  I think Interchanges 8 thru 18E/W all have some sort of tunnel or overhead walkway as well.

[RobbieL2415]

I doubt the plazas that aren't in the mainline will be removed very quickly. Right now the E-ZPass system makes a note of where you enter/exit. Most AET conversions on ticket toll roads are doing what the ACX is doing and moving to gantries on the mainline to toll by segment.

The MassPike still bills like a ticket system even though the gantries are on the mainline and have a fixed toll per segment (they add them all up for each trip) and the Thruway uses a hybrid system that maintains virtual ticket systems yet still removed the toll barriers at the exits within a year (even though the lower speed exits weren't the top priority they were still done; it's amazing how quickly the Thruway removed the booths especially comparing to the Pennsylvania Turnpike and Maryland).

That is most likely for compatibility for legacy data management systems.

Changing the tolling scheme would require a change in database schema and re-indexing millions and millions of entries dating back decades.

[vdeane]

I doubt the plazas that aren't in the mainline will be removed very quickly. Right now the E-ZPass system makes a note of where you enter/exit. Most AET conversions on ticket toll roads are doing what the ACX is doing and moving to gantries on the mainline to toll by segment.

The MassPike still bills like a ticket system even though the gantries are on the mainline and have a fixed toll per segment (they add them all up for each trip) and the Thruway uses a hybrid system that maintains virtual ticket systems yet still removed the toll barriers at the exits within a year (even though the lower speed exits weren't the top priority they were still done; it's amazing how quickly the Thruway removed the booths especially comparing to the Pennsylvania Turnpike and Maryland).

That is most likely for compatibility for legacy data management systems.

Changing the tolling scheme would require a change in database schema and re-indexing millions and millions of entries dating back decades.

And to think I thought they did it for user convivence.  In fact, the fact that the Thruway didn't is one of the gripes I have about their AET implementation.  Reading my E-ZPass statement shouldn't be like assembling a jigsaw puzzle.

[NJRoadfan]

The way the Thruway did it is the way I'm assuming ACX transactions will be handled as it was a barrier toll road. Its also easier from a programming prospective to just bill per transaction as opposed to implementing logic to group and bill it as a "closed ticket" style transaction.

[roadman65]

The way the Thruway did it is the way I'm assuming ACX transactions will be handled as it was a barrier toll road. Its also easier from a programming prospective to just bill per transaction as opposed to implementing logic to group and bill it as a "closed ticket" style transaction.

The Suncoast Parkway in Florida has gantries between interchanges so that tolls are collected fairly.

They could do that on the ACE being exits are spaced out.

[roadman65]

Is NJ Route 172 completely overlapped with Middlesex CR 527 in New Brunswick?

I always assumed CR 527 was in two segments on both sides of New Brunswick, but i was wondering if those two segments are really connected via NJ 18 and George Street.