States that purposely use erronious signs for traffic control.

[NE2]

I was too until I actually went that way.  I'm not sure why they did that.

I think it was so the federally-funded I-88 could end at the Thruway (instead of the original plan for a parallel I-88).

[vdeane]

The western I-890 junction is to the west of that corridor.  Since I-88 enters the Thruway between the I-890 exits, shouldn't only one of them be toll free?

[NE2]

The western I-890 junction is to the west of that corridor.  Since I-88 enters the Thruway between the I-890 exits, shouldn't only one of them be toll free?

Perhaps federal funding was used to build all the ramps at the end, so they had to include a free movement to use them.

[xcellntbuy]

Senator Daniel Patrick Moynahan was instrumental is having Interstate 88 end at a new Thruway Exit 25A.  As part of the Federal funding used for the end of Interstate 88, the 10 miles of Thruway was widened with Federal funds from Exits 24 to 25A from four to six lanes by 1989.  The justification for the use of Federal money to widen the toll road was that New York was never "paid" for incorporating Interstate highways and their signage onto toll roads like the Thruway.  The "price" for Thruway Authority acceptance of Federal funds was no tolls imposed if entering or exiting the Thruway at Exits 24 and 25A only, nominally it would have been a 35-cent toll.

The widening and upgrade of this particular 10-mile section of the Thruway was way, way overdue.  The Thruway had remained an overburdened four-lane badly worn section of original concrete roadbed from the mid 1950's.  The six miles between Exits 24 and 25 (then, just a 20-cent toll) were often clogged with traffic.  Exit 24, in particular, has long been the busiest interchange outside of the City of New York.

[thenetwork]

Prior to completion of the missing link of SR-2 around Huron, OH, ODOT had signed westbound traffic in Elyria to Cedar Point Amusement Park to stay on I-90 and use the Ohio Turnpike (for then one exit) to US-250, rather than stay on SR-2 to the "East Entrance" to Cedar Point.  

Despite the drive through Huron with 6 or 7 traffic lights -- and usually one or two speed traps -- staying on SR 2 was still shorter time-wise by about 10 minutes and at least $1.00 cheaper in round-trip tolls.

What they still do to westbound Cedar Point traffic coming via SR-2 is suggest taking either US-250 or US-6 to the Cedar Point Causeway (the "official" entrance to Cedar Point), but ODOT has since taken away all of the signage denoting the East Entrance to the park even though the East Entrance is still a noticeable intersection

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Huron,+OH&hl=en&ll=41.416398,-82.625685&spn=0.004747,0.011448&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=40.681389,93.779297&vpsrc=6&hnear=Huron,+Erie,+Ohio&t=h&z=17

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

Prior to completion of the missing link of SR-2 around Huron, OH, ODOT had signed westbound traffic in Elyria to Cedar Point Amusement Park to stay on I-90 and use the Ohio Turnpike (for then one exit) to US-250, rather than stay on SR-2 to the "East Entrance" to Cedar Point.  

Despite the drive through Huron with 6 or 7 traffic lights -- and usually one or two speed traps -- staying on SR 2 was still shorter time-wise by about 10 minutes and at least $1.00 cheaper in round-trip tolls.

What they still do to westbound Cedar Point traffic coming via SR-2 is suggest taking either US-250 or US-6 to the Cedar Point Causeway (the "official" entrance to Cedar Point), but ODOT has since taken away all of the signage denoting the East Entrance to the park even though the East Entrance is still a noticeable intersection

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Huron,+OH&hl=en&ll=41.416398,-82.625685&spn=0.004747,0.011448&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=40.681389,93.779297&vpsrc=6&hnear=Huron,+Erie,+Ohio&t=h&z=17

From the begining of the decade :


The entire collection of phootos dealing with Cedar Point that Marc (Fannin) and I took in 2002/03.
http://www.roadfan.com/cepoint.html

[Mr. Matté]

If you're traveling north on Hoes Lane in Piscataway, NJ (the road that will be Route 18), approaching a main E-W road, Centennial Ave., that will take you to I-287 north, intuition dictates that you should make a left onto Centennial and a right on Possumtown Rd. to get to 287 NB (at exit 8 ). However, on Hoes Lane, there is a sign directing all 287 travelers to the right, eventually onto S. Randolphville Rd. (at exit 7). (see map below) This signed detour adds about 2 miles to your journey, but since 287 seems to always be backed up, getting on it further up will save you some time.



This is only interesting to me because I've spoken with the mayor and he acknowledged this signing and it's that way because Exit 7 is a "cloverleaf" but I think it's intended more for truck traffic and the fact that it may be hard to make some of those tight turns. He said that once the Route 18 project is complete, it will be signed correctly.


Also discussed with the mayor is the possibility of renaming "Hoes Lane" after that whole Don Imus/Rutgers incident.

[empirestate]

Huh?

I just drove through Albany last weekend and passed through a toll booth when I went from I-87 southbound to I-90 westbound.

Definitely, as you entered from the Adirondack Northway onto the Thruway at Interchange 24 (the same toll barrier where the traffic backups you describe occur).

A few weeks ago, I drove I-88 east and after passing through the toll booth, I went west on I-90 and then exited onto I-890. Passed through a toll booth, then passed through another toll booth when I got back on I-90. I stayed on the Thruway because I then wanted to clinch I-787, but I noticed a huge backup at the toll booth where you exit the Thruway to either stay on I-90 west or take I-87 north.

You entered at 25A, exited at 26, re-entered at 25 and headed for 23 (while noticing the backup at that same 24 from your first paragraph). Just translating into interchange numbers for those playing along at home. :-)

You have to pass through two toll booths if you stay on I-90 in the Albany area. You don't pass through any toll booths if you stay on the Thruway and then take the Berkshire instead of taking I-90 through Albany.

In times of heavy traffic with long backups at the Albany toll booth, it would be worth it to me to stay on the Thruway to the Berkshire rather than get held up in the Albany toll plaza and then go through the toll plaza again where I-90 rejoins the Thruway.

Yes, unless of course your aim is to clinch I-90. That said, only on one or two occasions have I ever noticed serious traffic backups at Exit 24, and so I frequently opt for free I-90 because it has more "action" (i.e., is less boring). If there isn't traffic (which in my experience is usually the case) and if you have E-ZPass, it's pretty much an even trade whether you go through or around.

It's interesting that I rarely run across that Exit 24 traffic, having passed that way regularly all my life, whereas I hear and read that it's a frequent problem, and people who only visit the area once or twice, like H.B., always seem to encounter it. It must be the same situation as I-590's Exit 1, which apparently experiences such horrendous traffic so regularly that they're building a brand-new diverging diamond there; despite which, in over thirty years living just up the road, I have never once seen anything close to bad traffic there!

[vdeane]

This signed detour adds about 2 miles to your journey, but since 287 seems to always be backed up, getting on it further up will save you some time.

How does being in a backup longer save time?

It's interesting that I rarely run across that Exit 24 traffic, having passed that way regularly all my life, whereas I hear and read that it's a frequent problem, and people who only visit the area once or twice, like H.B., always seem to encounter it. It must be the same situation as I-590's Exit 1, which apparently experiences such horrendous traffic so regularly that they're building a brand-new diverging diamond there; despite which, in over thirty years living just up the road, I have never once seen anything close to bad traffic there!

I think it's a rush hour thing.

[ftballfan]

Speaking of Cedar Point, one time I had to use the Chausee to get back to the hotel I was staying at (as the Causeway was jammed).

[yakra]

This signed detour adds about 2 miles to your journey, but since 287 seems to always be backed up, getting on it further up will save you some time.

How does being in a backup longer save time?

As I read that, You get on the backed up road later, thus avoiding part of the backup & saving time.

[mightyace]

Speaking of Cedar Point, one time I had to use the Chausee to get back to the hotel I was staying at (as the Causeway was jammed).

When going to Cedar Point with my church youth group back in the late 80s and early 90s, we always took the "back" entrance to Cedar point.  It was still signed at that point.  I guess all those people with vacation homes along the road got tired of people on it.

[vdeane]

This signed detour adds about 2 miles to your journey, but since 287 seems to always be backed up, getting on it further up will save you some time.

How does being in a backup longer save time?

As I read that, You get on the backed up road later, thus avoiding part of the backup & saving time.

But if it's "wrong" that means you must be heading west (wound't you go that way east anyways?  Exits 7 and 8 are equally far away from the decision point, and that puts you on the freeway *earlier*, and in the backup longer.  Why would the backup magically disappear if you took a minute or two longer to get on the freeway?).  Am I thinking of the wrong area? (nope, I'm not, judging by the picture posted earlier).

[kphoger]

Oh gosh, how many STOP signs have I seen in México that just mean "watch out, slow down maybe if you need to".  Like at pedestrian crossings, or at merge lanes, or directly below a stoplight (what do you do if it's green??) or in advance of the real stop sign, or....the list goes on....

[agentsteel53]

Oh gosh, how many STOP signs have I seen in México that just mean "watch out, slow down maybe if you need to".  Like at pedestrian crossings, or at merge lanes, or directly below a stoplight (what do you do if it's green??) or in advance of the real stop sign, or....the list goes on....

I saw the 'stop and green light' in some European country (Italy?) and was baffled as to what it meant.  I just drove through, figuring green was correct and the stop sign was only for when the light was out.

[elsmere241]

That's e

Oh gosh, how many STOP signs have I seen in México that just mean "watch out, slow down maybe if you need to".  Like at pedestrian crossings, or at merge lanes, or directly below a stoplight (what do you do if it's green??) or in advance of the real stop sign, or....the list goes on....

I saw the 'stop and green light' in some European country (Italy?) and was baffled as to what it meant.  I just drove through, figuring green was correct and the stop sign was only for when the light was out.

That's exactly what it means.  There's a sign below it which says "A semaforo spento or lampeggiante", meaning "If signal out or flashing".  (In NATO areas there will be a sign in English below it, "When traffic light off or yellow blinker on.")  Instead of putting one street on flashing red and the other on flashing yellow, they put both streets on flashing yellow.

[kphoger]

Here are the realistic meanings of signs in México:
STOP = There may or may not be something nearby you need to yield to, so just be careful.
YIELD (Ceda el paso) = Hit the gas and beat the other guy, no sense in slowing down when you don't need to.

Here are the realistic meanings of signs in the United States:
STOP = No one is coming, but we don't use YIELD signs anymore because, well, no one really remembers.
YIELD = This sign will soon be replaced with a STOP sign for no apparent reason.