Field guide to toll road service plazas

[briantroutman]

One side, ramp from other side
Rare.  At least two are on the PATP, including on the NE Extension.

The PA Turnpike has three: Allentown and Hickory Run on the NE Ext. and Sideling Hill on the mainline. All three were built in the roughly '55-'70 time frame after the mainline was completed but before the more recent era of plaza renovation and expansion.

Both sides (back-to-back)
Same as simple one-side, but on both sides.  The PA Turnpike has some, and rumor has it that there's a "secret"  service tunnel connecting the two plazas.

The under-highway tunnel is at the Midway Service Plaza, and it's no rumor–you can see pictures of it here. Originally, the Pennsylvania Turnpike had no true "both sides"  plaza pairs. At Midway, the plaza was on the south side of the turnpike (eastbound lanes), and the westbound lanes had only a gas station and a parking area. To get to the restaurant, westbound travelers would use the tunnel to walk under the roadway and up a staircase into the Howard Johnson's on the south side. In those early days, the South Midway Service Plaza had a dormitory for truckers on its second floor.

Then in the postwar expansion years, the PTC constructed a true North Midway plaza with its own restaurant, as well as a South Somerset, making that a twin pair, and then the North and South Neshaminy pair on the Delaware River Extension (now demolished).

The word "Cheesequake" always makes me hungry.

Is it actually pronounced "cheese-quake" ? I hoped the pronunciation might be more something more interesting, like "chees-a-KWA-kay"

[empirestate]

One side, ramp from other side
Rare.  At least two are on the PATP, including on the NE Extension.  Instead of using a conventional trumpet, a diverging diamond setup is used, with no need to realign the traffic from the "wrong-way"  arrangement.  There was also one on the NJTP for a special plaza for charter buses only, which did use a trumpet.

I misinterpreted this at first. I read it as a one-way service plaza, only accessible from one direction, but located across the highway from that direction's travel lanes. Now I see that you mean located on one side of the highway, but accessible from both sides using ramps. New Baltimore on the NYS Thruway is one of this type.

Are there any examples of what I first imagined?

One side, crosswalk from other side
Only one I know of is the Ramapo plaza on the NYS Thruway.  However, the SB side has had some minimal services added, at least compared to the NB side, but the overhead crosswalk remains.

Both sides (back-to-back)
Same as simple one-side, but on both sides.  The PA Turnpike has some, and rumor has it that there's a "secret"  service tunnel connecting the two plazas.

The Iroquois/Indian Castle pair on the NYS Thruway used to be the first type, now it's the second.

How often do pairs (of either type) have different names for each direction?

In the median, simple
With this arrangement, the plaza is within a wide or widened median, and is accessed by left-hand on-and-off ramps.  I personally dislike these, as merging into the fast lane can be intimidating, along with aggressive tailgating before exiting.

This type is found on a few of the NYC-area parkways (former toll roads, some of them) and do indeed suffer from the traffic issued you describe.

In the median, ramps
This setup would have both the plaza and the parking in the median, but accessed via right-hand exit ramps.  The closest example I know of is the Vince Lombardi Service Area on the NJTP.  However, this one is not in the median per se, but between two spurs of the same highway!  Nonetheless, it is accessible from right-hand ramps from all directions with a rather labyrinthine ramp network.

This is actually located on a free section of the Turnpike, because you can use the ramp system to change direction.

Names
Many toll road authorities name their service plazas, as opposed to numbering them like exits.   Typically, plazas are named geographically.  One notable exception is NJ, which names the plazas after people native to the state.  The JFK Expressway in MD has "Maryland House"  and "Chesapeake House" .

NYS Thruway's are geographic (New Baltimore, Sloatsburg, Pembroke, Junius Ponds...) or ethnographic (Iroquois, Mohawk, Oneida, Ramapo...), although most of the second category could arguably fall into the first as well (except Iroquois).

[route17fan]

Oh come to think of it, NY Thruway's Angola service area is in the median, right? Accessible by the crosswalks on either side.

[jeffandnicole]

I believe that all Massachusetts' service plazas were HoJos due to the chain originating in this state.

However, HoJo, when they were big, had some on the Garden State Parkway.  The Vauxhall Plaza did have one back in the 70's I remember seeing before Holiday House took them over later on in the late 70's.

I believe that all Massachusetts' service plazas were HoJo's due to HoJo's winning the contract.   This was the case in state after state that HoJo's did not originate in. 

Actually they put the names of all Massachusetts restaurant chains in a hat. Friendlys was PISSED when they lost that one.

We're all better off.  It takes them 45 minutes just to cook a grilled cheese.  And they'll still forget the cheese.

[lepidopteran]

Oh come to think of it, NY Thruway's Angola service area is in the median, right? Accessible by the crosswalks on either side.

Correct.  In fact, as far as I know that's the only such instance of that configuration.

[spooky]

I believe that all Massachusetts' service plazas were HoJos due to the chain originating in this state.

However, HoJo, when they were big, had some on the Garden State Parkway.  The Vauxhall Plaza did have one back in the 70's I remember seeing before Holiday House took them over later on in the late 70's.

I believe that all Massachusetts' service plazas were HoJo's due to HoJo's winning the contract.   This was the case in state after state that HoJo's did not originate in. 

Actually they put the names of all Massachusetts restaurant chains in a hat. Friendlys was PISSED when they lost that one.

We're all better off.  It takes them 45 minutes just to cook a grilled cheese.  And they'll still forget the cheese.

The one constant through Friendly's recent history of bankruptcy and corporate restructuring is the terrible, terrible service. oh any maybe the ice cream.

[Pete from Boston]

Is there no room in this classification system to organize by services offered? Like, for example, food, fuel, convenience store, full-service discount wine and liquor supermarket?

[Beeper1]

Is there no room in this classification system to organize by services offered? Like, for example, food, fuel, convenience store, full-service discount wine and liquor supermarket?

I already like the new Hooksett Service Areas in I-93 in NH.  They aren't fully open yet, but came in handy on my way to the north country last weekend.

[cpzilliacus]

In the median, simple
With this arrangement, the plaza is within a wide or widened median, and is accessed by left-hand on-and-off ramps.  I personally dislike these, as merging into the fast lane can be intimidating, along with aggressive tailgating before exiting.  But these are efficient from the standpoint of the highway authority, as you only need one plaza to serve both directions at that location.  Examples include:

• FL's Turnpike, complete with "authorized"  U-turn ramps if ticket is stamped inside
• DE Turnpike's lone plaza
• MD's JFK Expressway Highway has 2, grandfathered from back when it was a toll road.  There is still a one-way toll on the Tydings Bridge, though, if that counts.
• At least two on the Garden State Parkway
• Kansas Turnpike's Lawrence Service Area.

FTFY.

Maryland's JFK Highway is still considered a toll road by the state DOT (as it is owned and operated by the Maryland Transportation Authority), even though there is only one toll collection point and only for northbound traffic.

Curiously, the Kansas Turnpike's Lawrence Service Area seems to allow U-turns (at least there is nothing in the way to prevent same), even though it is a "ticket" or "closed" toll system, though I am not sure if patrons get banged with "toll charged from most distant entry point" for making such a turn in the plaza.  Similarly, the Topeka Service Area, even though everything is on the westbound/southbound side, has flyovers to allow access from eastbound/northbound drivers, also appears to allow U-turns within the plaza.

Names
Many toll road authorities name their service plazas, as opposed to numbering them like exits.   Typically, plazas are named geographically.  One notable exception is NJ, which names the plazas after people native to the state.  The JFK Expressway Highway in MD has "Maryland House"  and "Chesapeake House" .

I suggest that service areas on freeways that were formerly toll roads (such as the Connecticut Turnpike) and perhaps service plazas on freeways in Canadian provinces be included, such as Ontario's Highway Service Centres and Quebec's Aire de service service plazas.

[Ned Weasel]

In the median, simple
With this arrangement, the plaza is within a wide or widened median, and is accessed by left-hand on-and-off ramps.  I personally dislike these, as merging into the fast lane can be intimidating, along with aggressive tailgating before exiting.  But these are efficient from the standpoint of the highway authority, as you only need one plaza to serve both directions at that location.  Examples include:

• FL's Turnpike, complete with "authorized"  U-turn ramps if ticket is stamped inside
• DE Turnpike's lone plaza
• MD's JFK Expressway Highway has 2, grandfathered from back when it was a toll road.  There is still a one-way toll on the Tydings Bridge, though, if that counts.
• At least two on the Garden State Parkway
• Kansas Turnpike's Lawrence Service Area.

FTFY.

Maryland's JFK Highway is still considered a toll road by the state DOT (as it is owned and operated by the Maryland Transportation Authority), even though there is only one toll collection point and only for northbound traffic.

Curiously, the Kansas Turnpike's Lawrence Service Area seems to allow U-turns (at least there is nothing in the way to prevent same), even though it is a "ticket" or "closed" toll system, though I am not sure if patrons get banged with "toll charged from most distant entry point" for making such a turn in the plaza.  Similarly, the Topeka Service Area, even though everything is on the westbound/southbound side, has flyovers to allow access from eastbound/northbound drivers, also appears to allow U-turns within the plaza.

Actually, all of the Kansas Turnpike's service areas except the Topeka Service Area are of the "in the median, simple" type.

Frankly, I don't see much logic to prohibiting U-turns in service areas on a closed/ticket toll system.  Consider this example on the Kansas Turnpike: You enter at Exit 50 (US 54/400/Kellogg Ave./Wichita), stop at the Towanda Service Area (milepost 65), turn around, and exit at Exit 57 (Andover/21st St.).  How far have you advanced?  My intuition is that U-turns are allowed with the assumption that most people won't want to go out of their way to access a service area and that those who do aren't using enough resources to go through the trouble of finding a way to charge them extra.  I haven't personally found out what happens if one makes a U-turn at a service area, but I don't see how anything but the printed amount on the ticket could be charged.  However, I have heard that exiting at same interchange at which you entered results in being charged for time rather than distance (otherwise, advanced distance would be 0, and maybe there just aren't any free rides).

I know other closed/ticket toll systems prohibit U-turns, though.  This was discussed in more depth on this thread: https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=7359.0

[roadman]

Is there no room in this classification system to organize by services offered? Like, for example, food, fuel, convenience store, full-service discount wine and liquor supermarket?

I already like the new Hooksett Service Areas in I-93 in NH.  They aren't fully open yet, but came in handy on my way to the north country last weekend.

The new Hooksett Service Areas, although still incomplete, are nice.  However, I'm going to miss the mixed messages on the old buildings, which read "Safety Rest Area" and "State Liquor Store" side by side.  And, as one who grew up seeing "State Liquor Store" everywhere in New Hampshire (my father used to call the stores "Dr. Greens" - referring to the NH state colors), "Discount Liquor and Wine Outlet" is just a little too pompous sounding for my tastes.

[cl94]

This raises a question: besides these NY parkways, and the JFK Memorial Hwy. in MD, how many instances are there of service plazas as we know them on non-tolled highways?

Two examples I can think of from formerly-tolled highways:

- the service areas on the Connecticut Turnpike, which has been toll-free for 31 years

- the one remaining service area on the Western Kentucky Parkway, near Beaver Dam:
http://goo.gl/maps/B5VK1

Grand Central Parkway Between Northern Boulevard & 94th St -- Fuel Only
Hutchinson River Parkway between Bruckner Boulevard & East Tremont Avenue -- Fuel & Food

There's a pair on the Deegan within Exit 13. Gulf gas and a Dunkin' Donuts at each.

[briantroutman]

Frankly, I don't see much logic to prohibiting U-turns in service areas on a closed/ticket toll system.

While the amount of money lost probably wouldn't amount to more than a rounding error on a toll road agency's balance sheet, I imagine it's an attempt to prevent anyone from paying less than they otherwise would be obligated to pay based on the milage driven. It seems a bit petty, though, because all of the examples I can imagine involve odd circumstances such as people doing a passenger exchange or roadgeeks racking up miles for the fun of it.

For example, imagine that you live in Philadelphia, your friend lives in Pittsburgh, and your parents are going to take you halfway to meet him. Your parents get on the Turnpike at Norristown and drive west to Sideling Hill; your friend gets on at Irwin and heads east. You meet your friend at Sideling Hill, get into his car, and make U turn heading west. Approaching Pittsburgh, he exits not at Irwin but at the next exit (Pittsburgh), where he pays a $1.60 cash toll for traveling what the PTC thinks is about eleven miles. Likewise, your parents make a U turn heading east and exit at Valley Forge, paying $2.05 for what the PTC assumes has been a seven-mile trip. In reality, your parents have traveled 320 miles roundtrip, and your friend 224. Their total cash tolls would have been $36.35 and $26.70, respectively.

Provided you're not caught, you could also make a U turn just before the toll plaza at an interchange, meaning you could start at Wilkes-Barre, drive south and east to Bristol, west to Butler Valley, then east and north to Wyoming Valley–just 10 miles from where you started–for just $1.60, even though in reality you had driven over 820 miles (about 87% of the entire system, twice) and had legitimately incurred $92.10 in cash tolls. Of course only a roadgeek would do this.

The PTC has some kind of "max-time formula"  under which you could be challenged (and perhaps fined) if your travel time is excessive in relation to the distance  you should have traveled between interchanges. But considering all of the meal breaks, naps, and breakdowns that could eat up hours on the road, the formula must be fairly loose.

[roadman]

The PTC has some kind of "max-time formula"  under which you could be challenged (and perhaps fined) if your travel time is excessive in relation to the distance  you should have traveled between interchanges. But considering all of the meal breaks, naps, and breakdowns that could eat up hours on the road, the formula must be fairly loose.

The max-time formula is true.  On the Turnpike, taking excessive time to get between any interchange pair is considered "Evasion of Fare".  From the PTC Traffic Rules and Regulations:

601.13 Evasion of fare

(a) Evasion of fare or attempted evasion of fare is prohibited and constitutes a summary offense. Fines for evasion of fare or attempted evasion of fare are imposed by 75 Pa. C.S. § 6110(b) (relating to regulation of traffic on Pennsylvania Turnpike).

(b) Evasion of fare or attempted evasion of fare includes the following:

(1) Entering or exiting the Turnpike System except through an interchange, unless directed to do so by the State Police or a Commission employee.

(2) The presentation to a State Trooper or toll collector of a toll ticket which indicates that the patron has exceeded the travel time allotted based on the max-time formula, where the patron cannot produce satisfactory physical evidence, including the driver's record of duty status, demonstrating that the age of the ticket was the result of actual excess time spent legitimately on the Turnpike system by the patron and was not the result of fare evasion or attempted fare evasion. (emphasis added)

(3) Possession by the patron of more than one toll ticket.

(4) Possession by the patron of a toll ticket which was issued from an interchange located in the direction in which the patron is traveling.

(5) Possession or presentation by a patron of a toll ticket which has been intentionally altered or mutilated.

(6) The failure by the patron to pay the appropriate toll upon exiting the Turnpike System.

(7) Appropriation or attempted appropriation by a patron of more than one toll ticket at an interchange.

Any idea if this concept is unique to the PTC, or do other toll authorities have similar regulations?

[cl94]

The PTC has some kind of "max-time formula"  under which you could be challenged (and perhaps fined) if your travel time is excessive in relation to the distance  you should have traveled between interchanges. But considering all of the meal breaks, naps, and breakdowns that could eat up hours on the road, the formula must be fairly loose.

The max-time formula is true.  On the Turnpike, taking excessive time to get between any interchange pair is considered "Evasion of Fare".  From the PTC Traffic Rules and Regulations:

601.13 Evasion of fare

(a) Evasion of fare or attempted evasion of fare is prohibited and constitutes a summary offense. Fines for evasion of fare or attempted evasion of fare are imposed by 75 Pa. C.S. § 6110(b) (relating to regulation of traffic on Pennsylvania Turnpike).

(b) Evasion of fare or attempted evasion of fare includes the following:

(1) Entering or exiting the Turnpike System except through an interchange, unless directed to do so by the State Police or a Commission employee.

(2) The presentation to a State Trooper or toll collector of a toll ticket which indicates that the patron has exceeded the travel time allotted based on the max-time formula, where the patron cannot produce satisfactory physical evidence, including the driver's record of duty status, demonstrating that the age of the ticket was the result of actual excess time spent legitimately on the Turnpike system by the patron and was not the result of fare evasion or attempted fare evasion. (emphasis added)

(3) Possession by the patron of more than one toll ticket.

(4) Possession by the patron of a toll ticket which was issued from an interchange located in the direction in which the patron is traveling.

(5) Possession or presentation by a patron of a toll ticket which has been intentionally altered or mutilated.

(6) The failure by the patron to pay the appropriate toll upon exiting the Turnpike System.

(7) Appropriation or attempted appropriation by a patron of more than one toll ticket at an interchange.

Any idea if this concept is unique to the PTC, or do other toll authorities have similar regulations?

Unless it's hidden somewhere, the NYSTA has no such rule

[RoadWarrior56]

Two defunct service areas:
On the old Kentucky Turnpike (I-65 between Elizabethtown and Louisville), from the late 1950's until the mid 1980's, there was a service area in the median near Lebanon Junction, and another median service area near Shepardsville.  Each service area had a restaurant and two gas stations.  As a little kid, I remember the restaurant initially being a "Glass House", and eventually changing to other establishments past the mid 1960's. Those service areas were my first memory of pay toilets.  I would crawl under them to save the money.

Unfortunately, both service areas were demolished in the 1980's, as that section of I-65 was widened to six lanes and totally rebuilt to modern standards.

[Roadrunner75]

The max-time formula is true.  On the Turnpike, taking excessive time to get between any interchange pair is considered "Evasion of Fare". 

Any idea if this concept is unique to the PTC, or do other toll authorities have similar regulations?

I don't think the NJ Turnpike has this, unless it's for at least 12+ hours:  I have a friend who, a number of years ago, used to live in his pickup truck for awhile.  He would park every night in the same rest area on the NJTP to sleep, and he wasn't alone in that regard as he would often have the same "neighbors".  I'm sure there are plenty of truckers who do the same.

[PurdueBill]

Any idea if this concept is unique to the PTC, or do other toll authorities have similar regulations?

ITR tickets (some, anyway) say that tickets over 14 hours old are charged max fare.  (I only had these tickets because the reader was "broken" at an entry and thus you had to take a ticket--of course, this entailed being charged the E-ZPass rate from the furthest away point from the exit because it read the transponder even if hidden...sigh)

[GCrites]

Two defunct service areas:
On the old Kentucky Turnpike (I-65 between Elizabethtown and Louisville), from the late 1950's until the mid 1980's, there was a service area in the median near Lebanon Junction, and another median service area near Shepardsville.  Each service area had a restaurant and two gas stations.  As a little kid, I remember the restaurant initially being a "Glass House", and eventually changing to other establishments past the mid 1960's. Those service areas were my first memory of pay toilets.  I would crawl under them to save the money.

Unfortunately, both service areas were demolished in the 1980's, as that section of I-65 was widened to six lanes and totally rebuilt to modern standards.

All of that sounds like it would be really cool to me, like the old WV turnpike plazas that I really dug.

[theline]

Any idea if this concept is unique to the PTC, or do other toll authorities have similar regulations?

ITR tickets (some, anyway) say that tickets over 14 hours old are charged max fare.  (I only had these tickets because the reader was "broken" at an entry and thus you had to take a ticket--of course, this entailed being charged the E-ZPass rate from the furthest away point from the exit because it read the transponder even if hidden...sigh)

Image removed.

Bill, I recall a time on the ITR a few years back when I couldn't get the reader to accept my I-Pass transponder when I entered the road, for whatever reason. I took a ticket. When I left the road, I handled the transponder and ticket to the attendant and he charged the proper amount to my account. Sorry that you had to pay the full amount.

[Dr Frankenstein]

The Porte du Nord service area on A-15 north of Montreal has a one-side w/ ramps from both sides configuration which is neither a diverging diamond nor a trumpet. Instead, it is encompassed by a large traffic circle that goes over the highway and provides ramps on either side. A-15 was never a closed system so U-turns were fine, and the tolls were removed in 1985 anyway.

https://maps.google.ca/maps?ll=45.84061,-74.066241&spn=0.012856,0.01929&safe=strict&t=m&z=16

[jeffandnicole]

Any idea if this concept is unique to the PTC, or do other toll authorities have similar regulations?

On the NJ Turnpike, the machine would beep and display a message if the ticket was older than 24 hours.  I believe they're supposed to charge the max rate in those cases. 

On at least one occasion, I had someone hand me the 'wrong' ticket...in other words, he had a few tickets from various points on the Turnpike, and he intended on giving me one from a nearby interchange; not the one from a far-away point.  He even pulled out the toll tickets saying that he gave me the wrong one.  From what I recall, even after my 'look' I gave him, he still complained about it even though he knew he had been caught.  He eventually did pay the fare for the ticket he gave me.