New Jersey Turnpike

[roadman65]

Between the Turnpike's Vince Lombardi Service Plaza and the GWB, they would need to figure out the whole roadway situation as it's currently set up for an Express/Local figuration that wouldn't work too well with how the rest of the 6 - 14 Car/Truck roadway configuration works, along with the GWB Truck restrictions.

Lombardi Service Plaza to the I-80 junction is NOT Express/Local. Rather, it and the Turnpike south of it to Newark Airport is designed to keep the two dominant traffic flows at the north end separated. Those two flows are Newark Airport - West Spur - GWB and Lincoln Tunnel - East Spur - I-80. Look carefully at the roadways between the Lombardi Service Plaza and I-80 and you'll see that traffic from the West Spur to the GWB and from the East Spur to I-80 (and vice versa) do not share any roadway.

I-95 between I-80 and the GWB is Express/Local but both are reached from the same Turnpike roadway. Heading north, you choose whether you're going on I-95 to the GWB or on I-80 at the east spur/west spur merge after the service plaza and before US 46. After that, you are committed.

Points taken. 

Overall though, the current setup doesn't lend itself to a good way to do a Car/Truck roadway division without some serious modifications.

I do remember talk at one time adding truck lanes on the Western Spur to Exit 16W along with another proposed interchange to connect to the never built Route 17 extension to I-280 was reported in the Star Ledger.

So it might of been studied.

I would like to know why the western spur is only four lanes north of 16W. Yet the other spur is six lanes with a smaller traffic count than its counterpart.  Should also be six lanes.

[jeffandnicole]

Between the Turnpike's Vince Lombardi Service Plaza and the GWB, they would need to figure out the whole roadway situation as it's currently set up for an Express/Local figuration that wouldn't work too well with how the rest of the 6 - 14 Car/Truck roadway configuration works, along with the GWB Truck restrictions.

Lombardi Service Plaza to the I-80 junction is NOT Express/Local. Rather, it and the Turnpike south of it to Newark Airport is designed to keep the two dominant traffic flows at the north end separated. Those two flows are Newark Airport - West Spur - GWB and Lincoln Tunnel - East Spur - I-80. Look carefully at the roadways between the Lombardi Service Plaza and I-80 and you'll see that traffic from the West Spur to the GWB and from the East Spur to I-80 (and vice versa) do not share any roadway.

I-95 between I-80 and the GWB is Express/Local but both are reached from the same Turnpike roadway. Heading north, you choose whether you're going on I-95 to the GWB or on I-80 at the east spur/west spur merge after the service plaza and before US 46. After that, you are committed.

Points taken. 

Overall though, the current setup doesn't lend itself to a good way to do a Car/Truck roadway division without some serious modifications.

I do remember talk at one time adding truck lanes on the Western Spur to Exit 16W along with another proposed interchange to connect to the never built Route 17 extension to I-280 was reported in the Star Ledger.

So it might of been studied.

I would like to know why the western spur is only four lanes north of 16W. Yet the other spur is six lanes with a smaller traffic count than its counterpart.  Should also be six lanes.

I believe that will be addressed within the next 20 years or so as part of the new Capital Plan.

[fmendes]

Points taken. 

Thanks. I don't think the Turnpike gets enough credit regarding the north end configuration and the thought that went into it. Most of the general public doesn't even realize that the major flows are kept separated and that there is actually a good reason the Turnpike normally advises GWB traffic use the west spur.

Overall though, the current setup doesn't lend itself to a good way to do a Car/Truck roadway division without some serious modifications.

I agree, the current arrangement does not lend itself to car/truck. Couple that with the Express being upper deck and Local being lower deck (except for the crossover for those vehicles that must go to the upper deck) and it's a mess. Multiple goals and it can't do everything without more roadways.

I live in the Chicago area now so am rarely there but from growing up in NJ, have always known lower deck requires being in the local lanes after I-80. One year, I was coming up on the express/local split intending to go to the express lanes and upper deck when about five seconds from being committed, heard a traffic report mentioning a crash on the upper deck. Immediate hard right (safely) to the local lanes!

I compleetely agree but on both sides of the gwb there is alot of weaving one place is over the alex ham bridge ik its not jersey tpke realated and on the jersey side its bad

[roadman65]

Points taken. 

Thanks. I don't think the Turnpike gets enough credit regarding the north end configuration and the thought that went into it. Most of the general public doesn't even realize that the major flows are kept separated and that there is actually a good reason the Turnpike normally advises GWB traffic use the west spur.

Overall though, the current setup doesn't lend itself to a good way to do a Car/Truck roadway division without some serious modifications.

I agree, the current arrangement does not lend itself to car/truck. Couple that with the Express being upper deck and Local being lower deck (except for the crossover for those vehicles that must go to the upper deck) and it's a mess. Multiple goals and it can't do everything without more roadways.

I live in the Chicago area now so am rarely there but from growing up in NJ, have always known lower deck requires being in the local lanes after I-80. One year, I was coming up on the express/local split intending to go to the express lanes and upper deck when about five seconds from being committed, heard a traffic report mentioning a crash on the upper deck. Immediate hard right (safely) to the local lanes!

I compleetely agree but on both sides of the gwb there is alot of weaving one place is over the alex ham bridge ik its not jersey tpke realated and on the jersey side its bad

The NJ Turnpike does address that particular weaving issue though. Guide signs for I-87 and the Deegan Expressway are directed to use local lanes to the lower level.

[famartin]

Points taken. 

Thanks. I don't think the Turnpike gets enough credit regarding the north end configuration and the thought that went into it. Most of the general public doesn't even realize that the major flows are kept separated and that there is actually a good reason the Turnpike normally advises GWB traffic use the west spur.

Overall though, the current setup doesn't lend itself to a good way to do a Car/Truck roadway division without some serious modifications.

I agree, the current arrangement does not lend itself to car/truck. Couple that with the Express being upper deck and Local being lower deck (except for the crossover for those vehicles that must go to the upper deck) and it's a mess. Multiple goals and it can't do everything without more roadways.

I live in the Chicago area now so am rarely there but from growing up in NJ, have always known lower deck requires being in the local lanes after I-80. One year, I was coming up on the express/local split intending to go to the express lanes and upper deck when about five seconds from being committed, heard a traffic report mentioning a crash on the upper deck. Immediate hard right (safely) to the local lanes!

I compleetely agree but on both sides of the gwb there is alot of weaving one place is over the alex ham bridge ik its not jersey tpke realated and on the jersey side its bad

The NJ Turnpike does address that particular weaving issue though. Guide signs for I-87 and the Deegan Expressway are directed to use local lanes to the lower level.

That's fine... unless you are a truck.

[fmendes]

Points taken. 

Thanks. I don't think the Turnpike gets enough credit regarding the north end configuration and the thought that went into it. Most of the general public doesn't even realize that the major flows are kept separated and that there is actually a good reason the Turnpike normally advises GWB traffic use the west spur.

Overall though, the current setup doesn't lend itself to a good way to do a Car/Truck roadway division without some serious modifications.

I agree, the current arrangement does not lend itself to car/truck. Couple that with the Express being upper deck and Local being lower deck (except for the crossover for those vehicles that must go to the upper deck) and it's a mess. Multiple goals and it can't do everything without more roadways.

I live in the Chicago area now so am rarely there but from growing up in NJ, have always known lower deck requires being in the local lanes after I-80. One year, I was coming up on the express/local split intending to go to the express lanes and upper deck when about five seconds from being committed, heard a traffic report mentioning a crash on the upper deck. Immediate hard right (safely) to the local lanes!

I compleetely agree but on both sides of the gwb there is alot of weaving one place is over the alex ham bridge ik its not jersey tpke realated and on the jersey side its bad

The NJ Turnpike does address that particular weaving issue though. Guide signs for I-87 and the Deegan Expressway are directed to use local lanes to the lower level.

That's fine... unless you are a truck.

ik this from personal expierience i am a truck driver my self and having to shoot across almost 4 lanes of traffic like a j**k*ss and every time i go over this bridge i have guys flipping me off screaming and cursing at me i had a guy cut me off one time and i hit the air horns and the jumped out of his car trying to pick a fight with me and i hopped out and lets just say he said oh my bad have a good day man lmao

[1995hoo]

^^^^



Punctuation is your friend!

[fmendes]

^^^^



Punctuation is your friend!

I know lol i was in a rush to do something lol

[theroadwayone]

^^^^



Punctuation is your friend!

I know lol i was in a rush to do something lol

It happens to all of us.

[bluecountry]

They really do need to update the signage on the SB NJTP.
There is just ONE Philadelphia sign and that is at Exit 6.
Having Trenton/Camden as the control cities is really absurd for so many reasons.

[famartin]

They really do need to update the signage on the SB NJTP.
There is just ONE Philadelphia sign and that is at Exit 6.
Having Trenton/Camden as the control cities is really absurd for so many reasons.

At least the new pull-throughs southbound at Exits 8/7A/7 (and the old one at 8A) are wide enough to replace "Camden" with "Philadelphia" fairly easily, like with the Exit 129 signs on the southbound parkway. The pull-throughs further north may be too narrow to fit "Philadelphia" without full replacement, and they aren't that old to begin with.

[MaddogMicharski]

The stretch from Exit 6 to Exit 9 should have a speed limit set to 75 in the car lane.

[famartin]

The stretch from Exit 6 to Exit 9 should have a speed limit set to 75 in the car lane.

No roads in NJ have a speed limit higher than 65.

[jeffandnicole]

The stretch from Exit 6 to Exit 9 should have a speed limit set to 75 in the car lane.

Quite often even if one entrance ramp is closed, trucks can be in that car lanes. So there's often more than just cars in those lanes.

[sprjus4]

^

If the speed limit is ever increased beyond 65 mph, it should apply for both trucks and cars. There's no need for split limits.

I agree the speed limit should be 70 mph, if not greater, but that would be more realistic staying aligned with nearby states.

[jeffandnicole]

^

If the speed limit is ever increased beyond 65 mph, it should apply for both trucks and cars. There's no need for split limits.

I agree the speed limit should be 70 mph, if not greater, but that would be more realistic staying aligned with nearby states.

Except NY and DE are 65, so it already is aligned with the 2 of 3 states it borders. And PA roads near NJ max out at 65, and often are lower.

[famartin]

^

If the speed limit is ever increased beyond 65 mph, it should apply for both trucks and cars. There's no need for split limits.

I agree the speed limit should be 70 mph, if not greater, but that would be more realistic staying aligned with nearby states.

Except NY and DE are 65, so it already is aligned with the 2 of 3 states it borders. And PA roads near NJ max out at 65, and often are lower.

Often lower than they should be... like I-295 in Bucks County's ridiculous 55... (sorry, going OT here... back to NJ Turnpike)

[odditude]

^

If the speed limit is ever increased beyond 65 mph, it should apply for both trucks and cars. There's no need for split limits.

I agree the speed limit should be 70 mph, if not greater, but that would be more realistic staying aligned with nearby states.

Except NY and DE are 65, so it already is aligned with the 2 of 3 states it borders. And PA roads near NJ max out at 65, and often are lower.

...except for the PA Turnpike, which is 70 MPH over the majority of the highway and connects directly to the NJ Turnpike.

[jeffandnicole]

^

If the speed limit is ever increased beyond 65 mph, it should apply for both trucks and cars. There's no need for split limits.

I agree the speed limit should be 70 mph, if not greater, but that would be more realistic staying aligned with nearby states.

Except NY and DE are 65, so it already is aligned with the 2 of 3 states it borders. And PA roads near NJ max out at 65, and often are lower.

...except for the PA Turnpike, which is 70 MPH over the majority of the highway and connects directly to the NJ Turnpike.

While the PA Turnpike is 70 mph, that's only true west of the US 1 Interchange. East of the Interchange, it's 55 mph. If motorists only use I-95, its fully 55 in PA, and those motorists would never see the 70 limit. The NJ Turnpike Extension is 65 mph. Since were talking about alignment of speed limits, NJ is the faster highway than what one encounters near the NJ/PA border for several miles in PA.  It would make more sense for PA to raise their 55 limit to 65 to align with NJ.

(And I'm ignoring the bridge speed limit, which i believe is only 50 mph)

[noelbotevera]

Was on the Turnpike 2 weeks ago, travelling between 14 - GWB. Stuff I noticed:

-Vince Lombardi plaza got a facelift. No longer feels and smells like a 1970s basement.
-I discovered the free turnaround there. Kinda wonder why they make it possible, probably because it's in the center and they have to serve both directions.
-Also, any reason why there's a park and ride in the plaza? No reason why you'd use it when you could take a bus or train from nearby Secaucus.
-Wonder why the I-80 split for I-95 NB starts early, preventing access to US 46. Is it because there would be a weaving problem if the 46 and 80 exits are close together?

[lstone19]

Was on the Turnpike 2 weeks ago, travelling between 14 - GWB. Stuff I noticed:

-I discovered the free turnaround there. Kinda wonder why they make it possible, probably because it's in the center and they have to serve both directions.

How about because to try to keep the directions separate would add complexity for no benefit. The service plaza is north of the toll booths so there's no toll advantage gained by turning around there. Plus, as you bring up next, there is the Park and Ride lot there and those people would want to turn around (several hours later).

-Also, any reason why there's a park and ride in the plaza? No reason why you'd use it when you could take a bus or train from nearby Secaucus.

The Park and Ride lot at the Lombardi Service Plaza predates the Secaucus rail station by tens of years.

-Wonder why the I-80 split for I-95 NB starts early, preventing access to US 46. Is it because there would be a weaving problem if the 46 and 80 exits are close together?

How does it prevent access to US46? You just need to be on the correct roadway to get there. As far as I can tell looking at it with Google Earth, US 46 is accessible to and from all four directions (Turnpike west leg, Turnpike east leg, I-80, and I-95 to/from GWB). As I've posted before, the ramp design in that area is designed to keep the two major flows in each direction (I-95 by Newark Airport to/from the GWB and Lincoln Tunnel to/from I-80) completely separated (under normal routings with I-95 to/from GWB traffic using the west leg, they do not share even an inch of roadway). OTOH, traffic to/from US46 is a very minor flow compared to those two major flows.

[odditude]

^

If the speed limit is ever increased beyond 65 mph, it should apply for both trucks and cars. There's no need for split limits.

I agree the speed limit should be 70 mph, if not greater, but that would be more realistic staying aligned with nearby states.

Except NY and DE are 65, so it already is aligned with the 2 of 3 states it borders. And PA roads near NJ max out at 65, and often are lower.

...except for the PA Turnpike, which is 70 MPH over the majority of the highway and connects directly to the NJ Turnpike.

While the PA Turnpike is 70 mph, that's only true west of the US 1 Interchange. East of the Interchange, it's 55 mph. If motorists only use I-95, its fully 55 in PA, and those motorists would never see the 70 limit. The NJ Turnpike Extension is 65 mph. Since were talking about alignment of speed limits, NJ is the faster highway than what one encounters near the NJ/PA border for several miles in PA.  It would make more sense for PA to raise their 55 limit to 65 to align with NJ.

(And I'm ignoring the bridge speed limit, which i believe is only 50 mph)

good callout. i always used to get on the PA Turnpike *from* US 1 (since I'd be heading there from Ewing), so I never noticed that the speed limit was lower east of that interchange.

[Alps]

The Lombardi park and ride is for buses, Secaucus is for trains

[roadman65]

Was on the Turnpike 2 weeks ago, travelling between 14 - GWB. Stuff I noticed:

-Vince Lombardi plaza got a facelift. No longer feels and smells like a 1970s basement.
-I discovered the free turnaround there. Kinda wonder why they make it possible, probably because it's in the center and they have to serve both directions.
-Also, any reason why there's a park and ride in the plaza? No reason why you'd use it when you could take a bus or train from nearby Secaucus.
-Wonder why the I-80 split for I-95 NB starts early, preventing access to US 46. Is it because there would be a weaving problem if the 46 and 80 exits are close together?

There is no rule to say how many park and rides can be stationed in a small area.

[storm2k]

Was on the Turnpike 2 weeks ago, travelling between 14 - GWB. Stuff I noticed:

-Vince Lombardi plaza got a facelift. No longer feels and smells like a 1970s basement.
-I discovered the free turnaround there. Kinda wonder why they make it possible, probably because it's in the center and they have to serve both directions.
-Also, any reason why there's a park and ride in the plaza? No reason why you'd use it when you could take a bus or train from nearby Secaucus.
-Wonder why the I-80 split for I-95 NB starts early, preventing access to US 46. Is it because there would be a weaving problem if the 46 and 80 exits are close together?

The turnaround is free because you're on the free part of the Turnpike. The Lombardi is north of both 18E and 18W plazas.
The Park & Ride for the bus was built there decades before Secaucus Junction was a thought in anyone's mind.
And both spurs of the Turnpike have ramp access to 80, so there's no loss of movement. Just follow the signs if you want to get to 46, which is the original Exit 18 before there were Eastern and Western spurs.