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keekeeree · May 1, 2003, 12:06 PM

Hey folks...gotta question. I'm driving from South Dakota to Cleveland, OH, for a friend's wedding. This takes me through toll booths (I'm assuming). Needless to say, we don't have a whole lot of those here in South Dakota. (insert your own joke about cows or tractors here_________

)

So, how much is the toll? Do they charge 24/7 or if I'm cruising through at 3am (most likely), do they still charge? I'm planning on taking I-80 straight across to Cleveland, which looks like it'll skirt me past Chicago. How many of these booths can I expect? Do I need to carry a couple rolls of quarters with me?

marusin · May 1, 2003, 12:22 PM

Most tollbooths should have both automated lanes (throw your change into the basket) as well as a couple manual lanes (where someone actually takes your money)... You usually run into "automated only" lanes when you're taking an exit ramp...

As far as how much they cost, there is no set amount... The ones in the Chicago area for example range from anywhere between $0.30 and $2.00 (the Skyway's toll into Indiana)... I think your average toll is about $0.50

My advice, bring some change but don't worry too much about it.

keekeeree · May 1, 2003, 12:30 PM

Originally posted by marusin:
Most tollbooths should have both automated lanes (throw your change into the basket) as well as a couple manual lanes (where someone actually takes your money)... You usually run into "automated only" lanes when you're taking an exit ramp...

As far as how much they cost, there is no set amount... The ones in the Chicago area for example range from anywhere between $0.30 and $2.00 (the Skyway's toll into Indiana)... I think your average toll is about $0.50

My advice, bring some change but don't worry too much about it.

Hey, thanks for the info marusin! My plan was to bring along some change and not worry, but my mom (and brother) are riding along with, and if I don't have some details about it, she'll be fretting all the way there about how we're gonna get through the toll booths. You know how mothers can be

typoon · May 1, 2003, 12:32 PM

You should Visit NJ, YOu could get a lot of practice with tolls. We are the Toll booth capital of the US.

starman · May 1, 2003, 12:59 PM

Originally posted by typoon:
You should Visit NJ, YOu could get a lot of practice with tolls. We are the Toll booth capital of the US.

Ain't that the truth.

Mike

typoon · May 1, 2003, 02:05 PM

Originally posted by starman:
Ain't that the truth.

Mike

LOL. You've got that right. What better place to practice paying tolls. Then again if you use the Garde State Parkway you might need new breaks when you get off it. Tolls every exit just about.

starman · May 1, 2003, 02:35 PM

Originally posted by typoon:
LOL. You've got that right. What better place to practice paying tolls. Then again if you use the Garde State Parkway you might need new breaks when you get off it. Tolls every exit just about.

It's really very north and very south. In central Jersey, you don't get that many.

Mike

typoon · May 1, 2003, 02:53 PM

Originally posted by starman:
It's really very north and very south. In central Jersey, you don't get that many.

Mike

You still have them they are just further apart.

Timo · May 1, 2003, 03:15 PM

If you're rolling along i-80 in Illinois it's toll-free until past Joliet, maybe all the way to the Indiana line.
Otherwise (if you come from the northwest), the tolls around Chicago are little stuff every bunch of miles. Not too much to worry about.

At the Indy line (and at the Ohio line), you get a ticket and pay at a 24 hour booth on exiting. Simple really.

Just look out for the Lake Effect snow.

Ozmodiar · May 1, 2003, 03:29 PM

If you are taking I-80 across Iowa, I recommend a stop into Whitey's Ice Cream in Davenport. You won't regret it.

keekeeree · May 1, 2003, 03:36 PM

Originally posted by Timo:
If you're rolling along i-80 in Illinois it's toll-free until past Joliet, maybe all the way to the Indiana line.
Otherwise (if you come from the northwest), the tolls around Chicago are little stuff every bunch of miles. Not too much to worry about.

At the Indy line (and at the Ohio line), you get a ticket and pay at a 24 hour booth on exiting. Simple really.

Just look out for the Lake Effect snow.

Yup...I-80 all the way across. Trying to avoid as much of Chicago as possible. Nothing against Chicago, but I'm trying to make this trip as fast and hassle free as possible.

keekeeree · May 1, 2003, 03:40 PM

Originally posted by Ozmodiar:
If you are taking I-80 across Iowa, I recommend a stop into Whitey's Ice Cream in Davenport. You won't regret it.

Thanks for the tip Ozmodiar. We are taking I-80 across Iowa. Only thing is we'll going through Davenport probably around 4am. I don't suppose Whitey's Ice Cream is open 24-hrs.

Will make a note of it and stop through on the way back home on Sunday though

Anyone else have any "must stops" along or near my route they want to share? (traveling south on I-29 from South Dakota, then east on I-80 to Cleveland).

wdlove · May 1, 2003, 03:45 PM

Originally posted by typoon:
You should Visit NJ, YOu could get a lot of practice with tolls. We are the Toll booth capital of the US.

We have the Massachusetts Turnpike!

The Godfather · May 1, 2003, 03:46 PM

How do you get a South Dakotan inside a bath tub?

Throw a penny inside the bath tub.

maxelson · May 1, 2003, 03:50 PM

Originally posted by wdlove:
We have the Massachusetts Turnpike!

And I thank the government of our fair state EVERY time I pay $1.30 to see my 50 mile stretch as sloooooowly as possible. Don't want to miss a detail, you know.

keekeeree · May 1, 2003, 03:53 PM

Originally posted by The Godfather:
How do you get a South Dakotan inside a bath tub?

Throw a penny inside the bath tub.

Florida: Where your vote counts...and counts...and counts...

wdlove · May 1, 2003, 03:56 PM

Originally posted by keekeeree:
Hey, thanks for the info marusin! My plan was to bring along some change and not worry, but my mom (and brother) are riding along with, and if I don't have some details about it, she'll be fretting all the way there about how we're gonna get through the toll booths. You know how mothers can be

Yes mothers like to plan ahead!

I'm sure that if you explain to her ahead of time that there will be some toll booths during the trip, that will give her advance notice. Explain to her, that we have to make some momentary stops to pay a toll, and then we will be on our way. The previous advice to bring some change is a good idea!

typoon · May 1, 2003, 04:10 PM

Originally posted by maxelson:
And I thank the government of our fair state EVERY time I pay $1.30 to see my 50 mile stretch as sloooooowly as possible. Don't want to miss a detail, you know.

Not as bad as Garden State Parkway epecially up north and down south Jersey, Toll about every 27 feet. (exaggeration of course but close.)

NJ must be one of the only states you pay get out of but not get into.

macvillage.net · May 1, 2003, 07:02 PM

Originally posted by typoon:
You should Visit NJ, YOu could get a lot of practice with tolls. We are the Toll booth capital of the US.

Yep. EZ-Pass makes it a little easier (at least the wait is less).

But it still sucks.

There was a report a few years ago that said if the Turnpike put up billboards (currently the only ones that exist are off the turnpike property, and privately owned)... they would be able to have avoided a rate hike. I think it only took a few.

Stupid, stupid... what's wrong with another few billboards to save some cash?

daimoni · 11:19 AM

.

driven · May 2, 2003, 02:52 AM

I think the NJ tolls (grew up there, went back recently, and left again) are a safety hazard. Every time traffic just starts to get moving in anything resembling a normal fashion you come up on a huge toll barrier requiring (for most non EZ-pass drivers) two coins.

So ... folks start removing their seatbelts, reaching into their pockets, all while simultaneously crossing multiple lanes of traffic to get to the lane appropriate for the currency they hold. (Paper, coin, exact or not, etc.)

Immediately after the tolls folks are scrambling to re-attach their seatbelts while gaining speed and fighting to get in front of "that slow friggin' moron" before the lanes narrow back down.

If you can get past the obvious traffic safety issues then you can't ignore the environmental ones. (Making each car stop and go and stop and go and stop and go all the way down the GSP is a collosal waste of fuel!) NJ could stop using the headache producing gas-additives if they'd cut the crap with the tolls. (Or at least use a Turnpike model where you pay once ... when you get off based on distance driven.)

Can't tell I'm bitter about the NJ tolls, now can you?

As far as I can tell I've only seen one single toll in the entire state of Georgia, and it's EZ-pass allows you to barrel through it at 55+ MPH.

typoon · May 2, 2003, 09:03 AM

Originally posted by driven:
I think the NJ tolls (grew up there, went back recently, and left again) are a safety hazard. Every time traffic just starts to get moving in anything resembling a normal fashion you come up on a huge toll barrier requiring (for most non EZ-pass drivers) two coins.

So ... folks start removing their seatbelts, reaching into their pockets, all while simultaneously crossing multiple lanes of traffic to get to the lane appropriate for the currency they hold. (Paper, coin, exact or not, etc.)

Immediately after the tolls folks are scrambling to re-attach their seatbelts while gaining speed and fighting to get in front of "that slow friggin' moron" before the lanes narrow back down.

If you can get past the obvious traffic safety issues then you can't ignore the environmental ones. (Making each car stop and go and stop and go and stop and go all the way down the GSP is a collosal waste of fuel!) NJ could stop using the headache producing gas-additives if they'd cut the crap with the tolls. (Or at least use a Turnpike model where you pay once ... when you get off based on distance driven.)

Can't tell I'm bitter about the NJ tolls, now can you?

As far as I can tell I've only seen one single toll in the entire state of Georgia, and it's EZ-pass allows you to barrel through it at 55+ MPH.

Well the stupid thing here in NJ is the EZ-Pass is only 15 MPH. DUH!!! WTF were they thinking? It's supposed to lessen traffice but slowing down doesn't do so. Don't worry you are not the only one who is bitter about NJ tolls.

Like George Carlin Says NJ The Tollbooth capital of the United States. You stop every 27 feet and by the time you get to Pennsylvania (SP) You need a

break job. How true those words are. LOL

LeftWingLock · May 2, 2003, 10:10 AM

Originally posted by keekeeree:
Thanks for the tip Ozmodiar. We are taking I-80 across Iowa. Only thing is we'll going through Davenport probably around 4am. I don't suppose Whitey's Ice Cream is open 24-hrs.

Will make a note of it and stop through on the way back home on Sunday though

Do stop, you really won't regret it. There are two locations really easy to get to off of I-80. Let me know if you need directions.

wdlove · May 2, 2003, 05:59 PM

Originally posted by macvillage.net:
Yep. EZ-Pass makes it a little easier (at least the wait is less).

But it still sucks.

There was a report a few years ago that said if the Turnpike put up billboards (currently the only ones that exist are off the turnpike property, and privately owned)... they would be able to have avoided a rate hike. I think it only took a few.

Stupid, stupid... what's wrong with another few billboards to save some cash?

EZ-Pass is popular on the Mass Turnpike also.

sideus · Jul 1, 2003, 07:19 AM

I've never been through a toll. What happens if someone doesn't have money on them?

starman · Jul 1, 2003, 08:23 AM

Originally posted by sideus:
I've never been through a toll. What happens if someone doesn't have money on them?

How in the world did this thread get resurrected?

Mike

Ozmodiar · Jul 1, 2003, 08:44 AM

keekeeree, how was your trip?

Gene Jockey · Jul 1, 2003, 08:45 AM

Originally posted by sideus:
I've never been through a toll. What happens if someone doesn't have money on them?

keekeeree · Jul 1, 2003, 10:18 AM

Originally posted by Ozmodiar:
keekeeree, how was your trip?

It was a great trip Ozmodiar, although I didn't get to stop at a Whitey's Ice Cream.

The trip out was loooooong. It took us almost 20 hours to drive straight out (me driving the entire way). It took so long 'cause I kept having to stop to get out of the car to wake myself up. The trip back wasn't as bad. Made it in 15 hours (I had a good night's sleep under my belt before taking off).

Toll booths? Not a problem. My mom got a kick out of them. She'd never seen one before and had to snap pictures of them as we pulled up to them

The wedding was hit. It took place in this beautiful litte park. And the reception/dance was at the Cleveland Zoo in the Tropical Rainforest area. Very, very cool.

And I was impressed with Cleveland. It was my first trip there, and had all sorts of negative preconceived ideas (dirty, ugly, factory town). It turned out to be a nice clean city with a beautiful downtown area.

On an interesting note, the trip made me sypathize with Ca$h's plight with stupid drivers in Wisconsin. I covered a lot of ground that weekend (roughly 2000 miles in three days) and dealt with a lot of drivers, the vast majority of which were courteous, and if not courteous, then at least considerate. That is until we hit Wisconsin, specifically around the Madison area. The Madison area drivers were by far the worst lot of drivers I came across.

One other interesting observation. I believe it was in Indiana. It seemed like everyone had vanity plates. And I mean everyone. Does Indiana have a super easy/cheap procedure for ordering vanity plates? Or are vanity plates just that big a deal in Indiana?

Oh, and I saw some interesting graffitti in Illinois. Was in a bathroom at a Wal-Mart and the bathroom wall graffitti was nothing like we have around here. There were a few swastikas, some "white power" comments, plus some other crap. Made me slightly uncomfortable, not only because the message it conveyed, but because the management at the Wal-Mart seemed to be in no hurry to remove it or cover it up. But then a scene from the Blues Brothers movie flashed in my brain and made me chuckle:

Elwood, "Illinois Nazis." Jake,"I hate Illinois Nazis."

And I was on a mission from God

ringo · Jul 1, 2003, 10:31 AM

Originally posted by typoon:
Well the stupid thing here in NJ is the EZ-Pass is only 15 MPH. DUH!!! WTF were they thinking? It's supposed to lessen traffice but slowing down doesn't do so.

It's still a lot faster than paying cash. I can't speak for the GSP, but I'm on the NJ Turnpike everyday and can usually breeze right through the EZ-Pass Booths while everybody else waits in line.

I personally don't want high-speed EZ-Pass lanes, just because it would make the "massive merge" more dangerous as slow and fast traffic jockey for the same lanes (Something that's already hazardous because of the "drift through 14 lanes of traffic to get the line without many cars in it AND back across 14 lanes to get the exit on the other end of the toll plaza" types).

$0.02

typoon · Jul 1, 2003, 10:38 AM

Originally posted by ringo:
It's still a lot faster than paying cash. I can't speak for the GSP, but I'm on the NJ Turnpike everyday and can usually breeze right through the EZ-Pass Booths while everybody else waits in line.

I personally don't want high-speed EZ-Pass lanes, just because it would make the "massive merge" more dangerous as slow and fast traffic jockey for the same lanes (Something that's already hazardous because of the "drift through 14 lanes of traffic to get the line without many cars in it AND back across 14 lanes to get the exit on the other end of the toll plaza" types).

$0.02

Yes it is still faster than Paying the toll. My only contention with the Easy pass in NJ is that it's only on "signed lanes" It's not on all the lanes like on the tolls for the George washington bridge which to me would make more sense. Anyway like they have it going on to the PA turnpike they have 3 or 4 regular Easy Pass lanes and 1 Highspeed easy pass. Well designed toll areas so there isn't much merging into the Highspeed one.

SeSawaya · Jul 1, 2003, 11:40 AM

Wave when you go past the LaPorte, IN exit

businezguy · Jul 1, 2003, 11:49 AM

As soon as I saw the title of this thread, I knew there would be some New Jerseyians bitching about the tolls. Nothing like a series of tolls to make morning traffic as slow and environmentally harmful as possible.

andi*pandi · Jul 1, 2003, 12:01 PM

Originally posted by typoon:
Well the stupid thing here in NJ is the EZ-Pass is only 15 MPH. DUH!!! WTF were they thinking?

well, I'm glad of it. I was hit by someone flying thru the Maine EZpass as I tried to get to the right to pull over. He didn't even look or slow down.

Being able to not wait in line is the advantage of Fastlane/EZpass for me, plus no digging for change.

Gene Jockey · Jul 1, 2003, 01:38 PM

Originally posted by keekeeree:
<snip>

One other interesting observation. I believe it was in Indiana. It seemed like everyone had vanity plates. And I mean everyone. Does Indiana have a super easy/cheap procedure for ordering vanity plates? Or are vanity plates just that big a deal in Indiana?

<snip>

That would have been Illinois. I notice that too, since Terre Haute is a good 4 miles from the Illinois border, we have a lot of Illini over here. I believe it's because the plates are cheap; the first year costs $94 extra but subsequent years are only $13 more the regular renewal (I'm moving to Illinois soon, so I've been reading up; linkage for the curious).

Glad all went well. And being from Minnesota, yes, Wisconsin drivers were usually not the best drivers. Don't know why. Maybe they all just get hammered at Dibbo's in Hudson and decide to wheel over the river and be drunken asses on our side. :shrug:

--Josh