New York State Thruway

[webny99]

Exit 1 is too close, but I think 29 is just far enough away for it to work. The bigger obstacle would be the simple fact that only one lane exists for EB through movements.

Yeah, that is definitely the biggest issue there, which is why I think the EB ramp should be widened regardless, but especially once the booths come down.

Yeah, it doesn't look like they have plans to.  I don't believe those gantries are wide enough, and page 10 of their terminus concept plans actually has the westbound approach reduced in width from the existing three lanes to two (even though there is probably enough room to strip in a third WB lane under NY 277; the span of the bridge over the EB lanes doesn't look like it's wider than the span over the WB lanes, anyways, and the WB lanes look a little wide on street view).

At the very least, it would make sense to keep it three lanes westbound from where the current third lane begins to Exit 50. Unless I'm missing something, I don't see any reason why you couldn't fit a third lane under NY 277. After all, they already did just that on the eastbound side. The current two westbound lanes have always struck me as extra-wide, too.

[Jim]

To continue the play-by-play of the Exit 24 toll plaza demolition, as of this afternoon, all traffic in both directions was going through the middle 7 lanes, which are the only ones still standing.  They've been working from both ends.

[vdeane]

Interesting.  When I went through there, WB traffic was being routed around the booths.  It was nice to not go through them.

Meanwhile at exit 45, the booths are gone and traffic is in the final lane configuration, though paving hasn't been done yet.  It's really nice (especially since I nearly always had to deal with some slowpoke at these two interchanges), but it does make entering and exiting the Thruway anti-climatic.  The experience is more like the Buffalo and downstate portions, where it's just another road that happens to be maintained by a different organization.

[Jim]

To continue the play-by-play of the Exit 24 toll plaza demolition, as of this afternoon, all traffic in both directions was going through the middle 7 lanes, which are the only ones still standing.  They've been working from both ends.

I either didn't observe the situation correctly earlier or it changed by the time I went back through getting on the Thruway, because I went around the remaining booths.  I'm guessing I just didn't notice where the oncoming traffic was going earlier.

[cl94]

I was going to post about how NYSTA is handling the barrier arrangement in the Albany area...but it's taking them forever to post tolls. My trip from the 14th has yet to post to my E-ZPass account and the pay by plate lookup also has nothing.

[hotdogPi]

I was going to post about how NYSTA is handling the barrier arrangement in the Albany area...but it's taking them forever to post tolls. My trip from the 14th has yet to post to my E-ZPass account and the pay by plate lookup also has nothing.

Some places (particularly thinking of the 10¢ tolls in Rhode Island that have since been removed) don't charge you until you reach a certain amount of money owed.

[cl94]

Some places (particularly thinking of the 10¢ tolls in Rhode Island that have since been removed) don't charge you until you reach a certain amount of money owed.

NYSTA posts everything to the account. Even the $0 toll for 24-25A.

[Jim]

More play-by-play for those interested.  As of early afternoon today.  I entered at 25 for the first time since the switchover.  There are just two toll booth lanes remaining, the far rightmost for exiting traffic.  Completely free flowing for entering.  Nice!

Exiting at 24, all traffic was funneled to two lanes in the middle of the portion of the plaza that remains standing.  Looks like it's close to being ready to shift exiting traffic around the remaining plaza lanes.

This seems to me to be really impressive progress.  Maybe it's easier than the Mass Pike plaza removals because they had tunnels under the plazas there, if I am remembering correctly.  States/agencies that take forever to remove plazas after an AET switchover should hang their heads in shame...

[cl94]

Maybe it's easier than the Mass Pike plaza removals because they had tunnels under the plazas there, if I am remembering correctly.  States/agencies that take forever to remove plazas after an AET switchover should hang their heads in shame...

24 at least has a utility tunnel underneath, but they seem to just be abandoning that in place for the time being. A utility tunnel with no surface access other than from the admin building is certainly easier to cover up and built around than something workers use to access the booths.

[02 Park Ave]

Here is an update on 16:  The right hand lanes remain Exit 16 only with the former E-ZPass lanes being for all through traffic with no signage indicating that for them.  Surprisingly there is a VMS in the vicinity which could readily be used to provide this information.  However, it only displays still another COVID message.

How many motorists heading for Albany have found themselves on the Quickway?  That's anyone's guess.

[NoGoodNamesAvailable]

Here is an update on 16:  The right hand lanes remain Exit 16 only with the former E-ZPass lanes being for all through traffic with no signage indicating that for them.  Surprisingly there is a VMS in the vicinity which could readily be used to provide this information.  However, it only displays still another COVID message.

How many motorists heading for Albany have found themselves on the Quickway?  That's anyone's guess.

When I drove by last night there was a portable VMS reading (I-87 THRUWAY/2 LEFT LANES) or something along those lines. Still not enough notice in my opinion, but there was one sign.

[Jim]

Maybe there's more happening at 24 than I thought.  Today and tonight there was some major digging going on where the booths were removed closest to to the building.  Maybe the utility tunnel mentioned upthread is being removed?  On the opposite end they quickly patched and paved and moved entering traffic to go around the remaining part of the plaza.

[astralentity]

Ok, now that we're cashless, can we PLEASE get the mileposts and exit numbers on I-90 and I-87 fixed once and for all?

[cl94]

Drove through 24 today and it looked a little different...

Approaching from 87 SB


Oh look, something is missing...


Entering traffic was routed around the remaining booths and is free-flowing. Exiting traffic went through the remaining booths.

[Jim]

My November NYSTA E-ZPass statement was just posted, and I was interested to see how the new tolling would show up.  And... no transactions show up since November 13, the day of the conversion.  I made over a dozen trips on the Thruway since, and figured at least some would make the cut for this one, which says it covers activity up to November 24.  This doesn't look like the result of a smooth conversion...

[SignBridge]

Not surprising during a period of transition. The charges will probably show up on your next statement.

[cl94]

As of tonight, I have three charges since the transition:

- 24-23, dated November 14, posted yesterday
- 23-B2, dated November 14, posted today
- B1-B3, dated November 14, posted today

The trips that made these tolls were 24-B2 and B1-B3. So, at least right now, the system is listing the "barrier tolls" separately from the virtual ticket sections (of which there are now 5).

[Jim]

I made my first ride to Albany in over a week.  No more toll plaza at 24 this morning.  There's still a ton of construction and debris in the middle of the road, but all traffic is now free flowing.  They really need to straighten out the lane configurations soon, though.  The lanes at least for exiting curve around the remaining construction, and as soon as those get covered by a little snow it will be impossible for anyone to know where they're suppose to be driving.

[vdeane]

Some transactions from around Thanksgiving have finally posted to my account in the past two days.  Only some, though.  Just the mainline tolls around Syracuse and west - none of the virtual ticket systems or the mainline tolls around the Capital District have posted.  Looks like they might be having issues, and like they may be processing everything manually for some reason.

[kalvado]

Some transactions from around Thanksgiving have finally posted to my account in the past two days.  Only some, though.  Just the mainline tolls around Syracuse and west - none of the virtual ticket systems or the mainline tolls around the Capital District have posted.  Looks like they might be having issues, and like they may be processing everything manually for some reason.

In case you wondered why everything is delayed:

New York State Thruway Authority says it instituted a delay in posting toll transactions to ensure a smooth transition to the new cashless tolling system.

https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Getting-There-E-ZPass-charges-shouldn-t-take-too-15777579.php
There are no technical issues, they just care about drivers! [ /sarcasm]
My 11/21 charges were posted 05/12; still no pre-thanksgiving ones.
An interesting line in activity view is

11/16/2020 01:30:30
REBILLNOCHANGE
Qeval processed from 08/10/2020 to 11/07/2020 and toll usage is 10.18

Apparently refers to my trip to Syracuse on 11/10; however actual old system toll was $10.55 

[kramie13]

I can think of another complication there: the gantry between 25 and 24 is east of the Guilderland (eastbound) Service Area. Consider this scenario:

- Alice enters at 25A, exits at 25, does some business in Schenectady, re-enters at 25, and exits at 24.

- Bob enters at 25A, has a leisurely lunch at the Service Area, and exits at 24.

As I understand it, Alice should not be charged for the 25A to 25 trip, and should be charged for the separate 25 to 24 trip; while Bob's trip should be completely free no matter how slowly he ate his McNuggets. But how would the mainline gantries tell them apart?

Why would the driver driving from exit 25A to exit 24 have a free ride, but the driver from exit 25 to 24 still has to pay a toll?  The first driver is driving a longer distance!  This sounds completely backwards!

[cl94]

Why would the driver driving from exit 25A to exit 24 have a free ride, but the driver from exit 25 to 24 still has to pay a toll?  The first driver is driving a longer distance!  This sounds completely backwards!

The compromise for cancelling I-88 east of the Thruway was free passage from I-88 to one of Exit 24, 25, or 26. Basically put in place to avoid a toll trap and discourage people from shunpiking along US 20 or NY 7. Why they kept the toll in place for 24-25 after the conversion is beyond me, as is the reason for placing toll gantries between 25 and 26.

[Jim]

Why would the driver driving from exit 25A to exit 24 have a free ride, but the driver from exit 25 to 24 still has to pay a toll?  The first driver is driving a longer distance!  This sounds completely backwards!

The reason as I recall it (minimal searching has not dug up any verification of this) is that I-88 was planned to proceed along I-890 and NY 7 to Troy.  When it was switched to end at new Thruway exit 25A, I-88 funding was used to add the third lane between 25A and 24 in exchange for traffic between 25A and any of but only 26, 25, or 24 having a toll-free ride, essentially taking an unsigned I-88 extension instead of the Thruway in those cases.

[lstone19]

The compromise for cancelling I-88 east of the Thruway was free passage from I-88 to one of Exit 24, 25, or 26. Basically put in place to avoid a toll trap and discourage people from shunpiking along US 20 or NY 7. Why they kept the toll in place for 24-25 after the conversion is beyond me, as is the reason for placing toll gantries between 25 and 26.

Only travel to/from 25A gets the free trip east of 24 or west of 26. Travel between 24 and 25 and between 25 and 26 still pays. If you travel between a point south or east of 24 to 25A, the toll to/from 24 and 25A is the same which is less than the toll to 25.

So my question would be why didn't they put a gantry at 25A to give them accurate information as to who entered or exited there rather than having to derive it from reads and lack of reads at the neighboring gantries.

[empirestate]

Some transactions from around Thanksgiving have finally posted to my account in the past two days.  Only some, though.  Just the mainline tolls around Syracuse and west - none of the virtual ticket systems or the mainline tolls around the Capital District have posted.  Looks like they might be having issues, and like they may be processing everything manually for some reason.

Same here; even within a single trip, some but not all of the transactions have posted. And even one trip from before the conversion, when the E-ZPass was read at a booth, has not posted.