Don't waste money on a wall, when our roads and bridges are crumbling

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

45 minutes ago, Il Mango Dulce said:

In the West you really have no idea...almost every significant highway is a toll road West of the Mississippi

Enjoy their that or a hov highway. But seriously they are trying to do this to "help free up congestion" when all the studies show a toll lane causes more congestion. 

[IAMX 3,055]

Roads and bridges don't crumble in 7 months.. if they're crumbling now its because they weren't worked on in the 8 years of Obama.

Edited August 28, 2017 by IAMX

[spookyturtle 9,466]

3 hours ago, cyberfx1024 said:

Enjoy their that or a hov highway. But seriously they are trying to do this to "help free up congestion" when all the studies show a toll lane causes more congestion. 

They removed all toll plazas on the Mass Pike and have a camera system that records your plate number. You can pre pay or pay by plate-they send you a bill. This has helped with the flow of traffic as you no longer stop for a toll both when entering or exiting the highway. 

[Dashinka 24,864]

6 hours ago, Il Mango Dulce said:

In the West you really have no idea...almost every significant highway is a toll road West of the Mississippi

Not sure of the definition of significant, but I have been on a lot of major roads West of the Mississippi that were not tolled.  That being said, i agree with a few of the above responses, it is hard to pin crumbling roads and bridges on any president or even the federal government as a whole.  Sure, they provide funding for the Interstate system, but many of these roads and bridges in bad shape are not related to the Interstate system and need local planning and funding.  Infrastructure requires constant maintenance, heck, from what I am hearing the NYC subway system is currently a mess, should the Feds or any president be blamed for that as well?

[Teddy B 17,252]

2 hours ago, spookyturtle said:

They removed all toll plazas on the Mass Pike and have a camera system that records your plate number. You can pre pay or pay by plate-they send you a bill. This has helped with the flow of traffic as you no longer stop for a toll both when entering or exiting the highway. 

Or use EZ-Pass.

 

For the most part these electronic tolls have worked wonders at relieving the congestion during peak travel times. There are times however that nothing will help. 4th of July weekend 2016, Wifey, the dogs and I spent over 1.5 hrs in a traffic jam to go about 2 miles at the Hampton NH tolls on Rte. 95 heading north up to Maine. That's the worst I've ever seen at that toll booth and they have a large electronic tolling area and a separate cash area. I think a lot of the problems start when people get in the wrong lanes and then try to shift over to where they think they need to be, it causes everything to back up. Would be better if they just stayed where they are and went with the toll payment lane they're in.

[Dashinka 24,864]

Just now, Teddy B said:

Or use EZ-Pass.

 

For the most part these electronic tolls have worked wonders at relieving the congestion during peak travel times. There are times however that nothing will help. 4th of July weekend 2016, Wifey, the dogs and I spent over 1.5 hrs in a traffic jam to go about 2 miles at the Hampton NH tolls on Rte. 95 heading north up to Maine. That's the worst I've ever seen at that toll booth and they have a large electronic tolling area and a separate cash area. I think a lot of the problems start when people get in the wrong lanes and then try to shift over to where they think they need to be, it causes everything to back up. Would be better if they just stayed where they are and went with the toll payment lane they're in.

I always like to ask those with experience in the Great White North what they feel about the 407?  I have driven it a few times while on business, so I didn't have to personally pay the tolls, but most of my Canadian colleagues avoid it like the plague.

[Teddy B 17,252]

4 minutes ago, Bill & Katya said:

I always like to ask those with experience in the Great White North what they feel about the 407?  I have driven it a few times while on business, so I didn't have to personally pay the tolls, but most of my Canadian colleagues avoid it like the plague.

I have limited travel time on the 407, I've only driven on it a handful times and mostly in off peak times. Most of my travels on Canadian highways is on the QEW, 401 & 403. The 401 can get really congested at peak times, kind of reminds of me downtown Boston. I've never taken a liking to how the Canadian highways drop and add right lanes at exits, if you haven't driven the roads a few times to get used to where they do this, it can really screw you up, especially in heavy traffic and you can't maneuver quickly.

[IAMX 3,055]

16 minutes ago, Bill & Katya said:

I always like to ask those with experience in the Great White North what they feel about the 407?  I have driven it a few times while on business, so I didn't have to personally pay the tolls, but most of my Canadian colleagues avoid it like the plague.

We drove the 407 with the stupid transponder when in Ontario, the cost of driving the 407 was still egregious. Without the transponder it's even more ridiculous.

 

Consider a simple calculation for a one way drive (as in, single way trip) from the 403-407 exchange to the 407-400 exchange:

 

https://www.407etr.com/en/tolls/tolls/toll-calculator.html

 

 

To call it a ripoff is to put it nicely.

Where they benefit from is people who are running desperately late to work and need to jump on the 407 to make it on time.

 

The decision to privatize this road was just one of many of the infinitely stupid choices the province has made (this one under PC leadership -- made worse by Liberal governments) -- the GTA in particular would have benefited immensely from having this remain public.

Edited August 28, 2017 by IAMX

[Dashinka 24,864]

19 minutes ago, Teddy B said:

I have limited travel time on the 407, I've only driven on it a handful times and mostly in off peak times. Most of my travels on Canadian highways is on the QEW, 401 & 403. The 401 can get really congested at peak times, kind of reminds of me downtown Boston. I've never taken a liking to how the Canadian highways drop and add right lanes at exits, if you haven't driven the roads a few times to get used to where they do this, it can really screw you up, especially in heavy traffic and you can't maneuver quickly.

We now try to avoid the 407 even if on business.  Of course we do not have transponders and we used to run it from Markham Rd. To the connection with the 401 West of Toronto.  I think it goes further East now. When we do business meetings in Oshawa now we do an afternoon, morning schedule with an overnight in Ajax or Whitby so we can head out around noon and make it across Toronto on the 401 before it gets messy.  Even though I know the way very well, I still use Waze as it will put me in the local or express lanes depending on the congestion and one time saved me at least a half and hour routing me on local roads around a crash near the 404.

[Teddy B 17,252]

18 minutes ago, Bill & Katya said:

We now try to avoid the 407 even if on business.  Of course we do not have transponders and we used to run it from Markham Rd. To the connection with the 401 West of Toronto.  I think it goes further East now. When we do business meetings in Oshawa now we do an afternoon, morning schedule with an overnight in Ajax or Whitby so we can head out around noon and make it across Toronto on the 401 before it gets messy.  Even though I know the way very well, I still use Waze as it will put me in the local or express lanes depending on the congestion and one time saved me at least a half and hour routing me on local roads around a crash near the 404.

My brother-in-law is a big wig with TD Bank in Toronto, he keeps a condo there and stays in Toronto during the week and only commutes back n forth to his home in Burlington on the weekends. He's been doing this for about 20+ years. His son now works at the bank with him and stays at the condo during the week as well.

Edited August 28, 2017 by Teddy B

[Amica Nostra 4,803]

5 hours ago, spookyturtle said:

They removed all toll plazas on the Mass Pike and have a camera system that records your plate number. You can pre pay or pay by plate-they send you a bill. This has helped with the flow of traffic as you no longer stop for a toll both when entering or exiting the highway. 

The worst kind of Marxist government...efficient and innovative while improving the bottom line

[Teddy B 17,252]

14 minutes ago, Il Mango Dulce said:

The worst kind of Marxist government...efficient and innovative while improving the bottom line

You sound like a fascist.

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

5 hours ago, spookyturtle said:

They removed all toll plazas on the Mass Pike and have a camera system that records your plate number. You can pre pay or pay by plate-they send you a bill. This has helped with the flow of traffic as you no longer stop for a toll both when entering or exiting the highway. 

Yeah but takes away a lane from the highway to put it as a toll lane. I understand in some places it could be a good thing but in a far number of cases it isn't a good thing. I live here in the Los Angeles Metro area and I have seen a fully congested freeway next to an empty toll lane. How does that make sense? 

[Dashinka 24,864]

26 minutes ago, Il Mango Dulce said:

The worst kind of Marxist government...efficient and innovative while improving the bottom line

Toll roads are efficient?

[Teddy B 17,252]

2 minutes ago, cyberfx1024 said:

Yeah but takes away a lane from the highway to put it as a toll lane. I understand in some places it could be a good thing but in a far number of cases it isn't a good thing. I live here in the Los Angeles Metro area and I have seen a fully congested freeway next to an empty toll lane. How does that make sense? 

No, they took all of the toll booths out on the Mass Pike, everything is done by overhead sensors and cameras, no stopping at all and all lanes flowing.