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[Alps]

This thread is literally on the New Jersey Turnpike though?

most of what you cited is not?

[sprjus4]

Tolls should be reserves for bridges/tunnels only, not select highways that theybchoose.

All of the highways / bridge facilities you mentioned were built with tolls from the start… prior to existing as toll roads, there was no highway or bridge there.

Are the tolls high? Well, yes, but saying there should be no tolls isn’t the most realistic, considering they’ve always been there. It’s not like they took existing free highways and put tolls on them.

[roadman65]

Tolls should be reserves for bridges/tunnels only, not select highways that theybchoose.

All of the highways / bridge facilities you mentioned were built with tolls from the start… prior to existing as toll roads, there was no highway or bridge there.

Are the tolls high? Well, yes, but saying there should be no tolls isn’t the most realistic, considering they’ve always been there. It’s not like they took existing free highways and put tolls on them.

There has been places where tolls have been placed on an existing highway..  FL 528 in Orlando for one was free before 1982 at the Orlando Airport.  I-264 in Norfolk had a toll free tunnel reinstated.  The EB Verrazano Bridge in NY, got reinstated from free.   
US 301 in Delaware, through a new facility, still offers no free bypass( due to lack of ramp) for the toll unless you circumvent on Cecil County, MD backroads that we’re not originally part of US 301.

Then we’re expecting the HRBT to be tolled soon, that is been free since 1976, to pay for the bridge- tunnel expansion.

[MultiMillionMiler]

Jersey Turnpike should be free south of Newark/NYC at least. I am sure the maintenance costs have been paid for 10x over by now. Went from $13 to drive the entire length to $20 in less than 3 years.

[Rothman]

Jersey Turnpike should be free south of Newark/NYC at least. I am sure the maintenance costs have been paid for 10x over by now. Went from $13 to drive the entire length to $20 in less than 3 years.

Maintenance costs are always ongoing and, insofar as I remember, not ever a consideration for the removal of tolls.

[roadman65]

I think one governor running from NJ years ago wanted to make the Parkway and the Turnpike toll free.  My cousin who works for the GSP, said his job was in jeopardy, so he, being a Rush Limbaugh cult follower, voted Democrat once in his life over this.  It proved that this candidate did mean it.

However, from a NJ resident standpoint, you should be concerned at what a burden it would become on taxpayers as now with the removal of the tolls how much the state would have to finance operations of the two roads.   Also the State Police on both Parkway and Turnpike are both funded through toll revenue.  If tolls ceased to exist, the taxpayers would flip the bill.

[MultiMillionMiler]

NJ literally came in as having the worst roads in the country, so I doubt that actually use that money to make repairs. The only essential funding I can see being needed is the widening between Exit 4 and Delaware.

[sprjus4]

Then we’re expecting the HRBT to be tolled soon, that is been free since 1976, to pay for the bridge- tunnel expansion.

The expansion of the HRBT has been well under construction for over a year, and only the new capacity will consist of tolled HO/T lanes that will still be free for HOV 2+ with an E-ZPass Flex, similar to the existing reversible lanes in Norfolk. The existing general purpose lanes will not be tolled.

The widening will provide capacity of 8 lanes during peak hours, 4 free general purpose lanes (existing capacity) and 4 HO/T lanes (new capacity).

[jeffandnicole]

Jersey Turnpike should be free south of Newark/NYC at least. I am sure the maintenance costs have been paid for 10x over by now. Went from $13 to drive the entire length to $20 in less than 3 years.

I'll give you some credit here. You may be the first person to hint the NJ Turnpike should be tolled north of New York City.

[jeffandnicole]

Definitely it should be tolled next to NYC, I would say either south of 278 or 287 it should be free, but I'd even be fine with the full toll just between I-80 and I-278. I would rather split the toll though and have half of it on the Garden State Parkway since that is so much cheaper for some reason. The Delaware "turnpike" however is a huge rip off as it's not even the main road and only 12-15 miles long! $4 each way! But out of respect for the mods who want this thread to stay strictly about NJ that's the last I'll Say about any nearby out-of-state roads.

Because maintenance costs money in the NYC area, but it's free elsewhere?

If you think the Turnpike has enough money pocketed for maintenance for the next 50 years, look it up in the financial statements. No doubt that should be in there.

[roadman65]

Definitely it should be tolled next to NYC, I would say either south of 278 or 287 it should be free, but I'd even be fine with the full toll just between I-80 and I-278. I would rather split the toll though and have half of it on the Garden State Parkway since that is so much cheaper for some reason. The Delaware "turnpike" however is a huge rip off as it's not even the main road and only 12-15 miles long! $4 each way! But out of respect for the mods who want this thread to stay strictly about NJ that's the last I'll Say about any nearby out-of-state roads.

There is a Delaware thread to voice your concerns about that.

Yes, I see your point about the Turnpike tolls, but the way things are is never going to happen.  Hey I would like see groceries go back down, but  "Hey it is what it is!"

In 1989, it cost $2.70 to drive the 118 tolled miles, so us old timers here have to put up with a lot. You're not the first to notice these things.

[MultiMillionMiler]

I don't get why they wouldn't prefer that since they'd make more money. More drivers drive between I-287 and I-80 then any other stretch, and the toll through there would be even higher since the $20 would now be squeezed all into that area instead of diffused throughout the entire length.

[sprjus4]

I don't get why they wouldn't prefer that since they'd make more money. More drivers drive between I-287 and I-80 then any other stretch, and the toll through there would be even higher since the $20 would now be squeezed all into that area instead of diffused throughout the entire length.

So now double the toll or more on drivers who only use the northern part of the Turnpike? Why should they pay the same rate for the full length if they’re not taking the full length?

[MultiMillionMiler]

Because the northern part of the Turnpike has the most traffic, so obviously the toll should be entirely there. Why should drivers have to pay on the southern length?

[sprjus4]

^ Why should drivers only using the northern part of the Turnpike pay the same amount as drivers using the entire length?

[MultiMillionMiler]

Because drivers using the northern end are worsening the traffic, whereas drivers on the southern end barely affect the traffic as there rarely is any. Drivers going the entire length would have to pay the same amount through the northern stretch so how is it unfair? That's like saying drivers who go longer distances should pay more of a toll just because more of their trip happened to be on a non-toll road. The northern end is consistently black-red on the map during rush hour, whereas South of NYC, there is rarely any red on the map even on the worst Friday getaway holidays during rush hour.

[sprjus4]

Because drivers using the northern end are worsening the traffic, whereas drivers on the southern end barely affect the traffic as there rarely is any.

Since when was traffic the determiner of who gets a toll or not?

That's like saying drivers who go longer distances should pay more of a toll just because more of their trip happened to be on a non-toll road.

No, but if a driver is going a longer distance on a toll road, they should pay more. The New Jersey Turnpike is a full toll road from Delaware to New York.

[DrSmith]

Because drivers using the northern end are worsening the traffic, whereas drivers on the southern end barely affect the traffic as there rarely is any. Drivers going the entire length would have to pay the same amount through the northern stretch so how is it unfair? That's like saying drivers who go longer distances should pay more of a toll just because more of their trip happened to be on a non-toll road. The northern end is consistently black-red on the map during rush hour, whereas South of NYC, there is rarely any red on the map even on the worst Friday getaway holidays during rush hour.

Because it is commuter road in the north as compared to the south where non-toll roads are used for commuting daily. It's a sore point that the Turnpike and Parkway are tolled that commuters need to use daily.

[famartin]

This is getting tedious. The turnpike is pre-interstate, when massive projects had to be financed by tolls. While its now part of the Interstate system, the rules still don't apply since it was built before then. Get over it.

[jeffandnicole]

If there's hardly anyone on the road south of 287, why did they widen it from Interchnages 6 - 9, and preparing to widen it from 1 - 4?

Hey, don't get me wrong, I'd love a free ride every day and make the northern motorists pay for it. But it ain't going to happen.

[MultiMillionMiler]

Because drivers using the northern end are worsening the traffic, whereas drivers on the southern end barely affect the traffic as there rarely is any.

Since when was traffic the determiner of who gets a toll or not?

That's like saying drivers who go longer distances should pay more of a toll just because more of their trip happened to be on a non-toll road.

No, but if a driver is going a longer distance on a toll road, they should pay more. The New Jersey Turnpike is a full toll road from Delaware to New York.

That's the whole idea behind congestion pricing right? If the road is a full toll road, then it either should be based on distance, or how populated the areas are, not both. The Jersey Turnpike charges you more between consecutive exits in the north than in the south, while still charging you the entire route south. It should either be a linear toll rate the entire length, or charged only in the north at a slightly higher rate, not charge us twice.

[sprjus4]

^ There’s definitely no double charging that I’m aware of…

[MultiMillionMiler]

If there's hardly anyone on the road south of 287, why did they widen it from Interchnages 6 - 9, and preparing to widen it from 1 - 4?

Hey, don't get me wrong, I'd love a free ride every day and make the northern motorists pay for it. But it ain't going to happen.

Given that it is already widened, the road can now handle the traffic, but traffic is still far worse in the north with the same number of total lanes. The Turnpike literally loses 10 lanes between exits 14 and 4, yet traffic still seems to flow faster south of 4 than north of 14, interesting how that works, so what does widening it have to do with anything then?

[MultiMillionMiler]

Because drivers using the northern end are worsening the traffic, whereas drivers on the southern end barely affect the traffic as there rarely is any. Drivers going the entire length would have to pay the same amount through the northern stretch so how is it unfair? That's like saying drivers who go longer distances should pay more of a toll just because more of their trip happened to be on a non-toll road. The northern end is consistently black-red on the map during rush hour, whereas South of NYC, there is rarely any red on the map even on the worst Friday getaway holidays during rush hour.

Because it is commuter road in the north as compared to the south where non-toll roads are used for commuting daily. It's a sore point that the Turnpike and Parkway are tolled that commuters need to use daily.

What "non-toll roads"? Keep going on I-295 north and you'll find yourself heading south again and in PA. Not exactly a replacement for the turnpike. And the parkway is on the other side of the state. Between Exits 5 and 11 there are literally no alternatives.

[MultiMillionMiler]

^ There’s definitely no double charging that I’m aware of…

The double charging is when you have to pay much more to go 10 miles on the northern end, while paying less to go triple that distance on the southern end. If you support commuters getting a break, why should the northern stretch charge you more? Either do it by mile, by exit, or only in the north, but not the whole length while also more in select sections.