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1. Why do some exits from GSP have tolls, but others do not? Do the local municipalities decide? For example, the exits in Holmdel require 50 cents; exit for Long Branch does not require a payment. Both cities are even in the same county.
2. Over the same stretch of road (Holmdel to Newark airport, via GSP and NJ-28, without getting on the NJTP), in one direction the toll was only 50 cents, but in the other direction the toll was 3 times, $1.50. Is the GSP toll supposed to be based on distance traveled? Or local politics?
3. Why is the NJTP toll so much higher than GSP?
For example, the fastest GPS generated route from Holmdel to Newark airport goes over GSP (toll = $1.50 in one direction, and $0.50 in other direction) + a short stretch over NJTP, for which the toll was something like $7 or $8. Now I have learned to drive a bit further on GSP, then take NJ-28, and get to airport that way. It's about 2 miles longer, but much cheaper, with only the GSP toll and without the NJTP toll.
4. Are there any other toll roads in NJ, besides GSP and NJTP? Any toll bridges WHOLLY within NJ? (i.e., Excluding the bridges and tunnels that connect NJ to Manhattan and Staten Island)?
1. Why do some exits from GSP have tolls, but others do not? Do the local municipalities decide? For example, the exits in Holmdel require 50 cents; exit for Long Branch does not require a payment. Both cities are even in the same county.
2. Over the same stretch of road (Holmdel to Newark airport, via GSP and NJ-28, without getting on the NJTP), in one direction the toll was only 50 cents, but in the other direction the toll was 3 times, $1.50. Is the GSP toll supposed to be based on distance traveled? Or local politics?
3. Why is the NJTP toll so much higher than GSP?
For example, the fastest GPS generated route from Holmdel to Newark airport goes over GSP (toll = $1.50 in one direction, and $0.50 in other direction) + a short stretch over NJTP, for which the toll was something like $7 or $8. Now I have learned to drive a bit further on GSP, then take NJ-28, and get to airport that way. It's about 2 miles longer, but much cheaper, with only the GSP toll and without the NJTP toll.
4. Are there any other toll roads in NJ, besides GSP and NJTP? Any toll bridges WHOLLY within NJ? (i.e., Excluding the bridges and tunnels that connect NJ to Manhattan and Staten Island)?
I will take a shot...not sure if I'm 100% correct.
If there's a exit toll on the GSP, it's most likely because you are near a "regular" toll but miss it by a few exits. Since the toll going south on the GSP near Holmdel is exit 124?, you are 10 or so miles from it, so you'll see that 114/109 will have a toll. I know this doesn't hold true in all cases, and especially now that they changed the toll structure to one way, but I think this is the general idea behind it.
I don't know if the Tpke is higher on a per mile basis, but assuming it is, it's because they can charge more trucks can't use the gsp above 105? . plus the tpke i believe is more heavily traveled - more upkeep, more $$$$. we can argue the merits of this until we are all blue in the face, but that's the rationale.
turnpike bridge connecting 14 to 14abc is a "toll" bridge but it's built into your tkpe fare. however it does cost more to go from 14 to 14a than 14 to 15e for instance.
Since you have 20,000+ posts, seems like you are a very long time resident of this state... any insights on my other questions?
My entire life, 55+ years. But not all my posts are in the Jersey Forum!
I don't know the answers to all of your questions, but they are good questions. I can tell you that in the past decade or so the tolls on the GSP were consolidated so that there were fewer toll booths with higher tolls at the booths. This was to improve the flow of traffic.
I don't know why the Turnpike tolls are higher than the GSP. They were once two different agencies, but the Turnpike Authority took over the GSP back in the 90s (I think that's when it was). I don't know the rationale or methods for determining road tolls; however, I do know people in that line of work, and I can ask someone. Might be a few days.
I think the answer to the one about why some exits have tolls and some don't is that they are pro-rated according to whatever the toll-setting mechanism is. They can't charge you a toll if you just paid one not far up the road, but they don't want you to get off without paying if you are closer to the next toll. That's just my guess.
I will take a shot...not sure if I'm 100% correct.
If there's a exit toll on the GSP, it's most likely because you are near a "regular" toll but miss it by a few exits. Since the toll going south on the GSP near Holmdel is exit 124?, you are 10 or so miles from it, so you'll see that 114/109 will have a toll. I know this doesn't hold true in all cases, and especially now that they changed the toll structure to one way, but I think this is the general idea behind it.
I don't know if the Tpke is higher on a per mile basis, but assuming it is, it's because they can charge more trucks can't use the gsp above 105? . plus the tpke i believe is more heavily traveled - more upkeep, more $$$$. we can argue the merits of this until we are all blue in the face, but that's the rationale.
turnpike bridge connecting 14 to 14abc is a "toll" bridge but it's built into your tkpe fare. however it does cost more to go from 14 to 14a than 14 to 15e for instance.
Location: Splitting time between Dayton, NJ and Needmore, PA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ca2ny
1. Why do some exits from GSP have tolls, but others do not? Do the local municipalities decide? For example, the exits in Holmdel require 50 cents; exit for Long Branch does not require a payment. Both cities are even in the same county.
The history of the GSP provides some insight. The main portions of the GSP were built in sections from 1946 to 1952. Each section was built at different times in the course of that time by different parts of the New Jersey State Government. Some were built by NJ DOT while others were built by the New Jersey Highway Authority. Those sections built by the NJHA were supposed to be "self-liquidating toll roads." But people in Jersey know better. Once a tax or toll is in place, only lightning striking twice on the same building where the revenue is stolen, er, managed will cause it to be repealed.
Unlike the Turnpike which requires a ticket to get on and payment of a toll with the ticket to get off (or the use of EZ-Pass at both entrance and exit), the GSP is an open system where people can get on at any entrance and are then charged "along the way" as it were at certain barriers along the main road and at individual barriers at selected exits. The choice of the exits is really a hold over from when the different sections were built and which part of the state government managed them.
Unfortunately, I cannot remember the exact exits, but the decision as to which exit is tolled and which is not. Generally, however, the exits with tolls were targets based upon which ones were thought to have the heaviest traffic volume.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ca2ny
2. Over the same stretch of road (Holmdel to Newark airport, via GSP and NJ-28, without getting on the NJTP), in one direction the toll was only 50 cents, but in the other direction the toll was 3 times, $1.50. Is the GSP toll supposed to be based on distance traveled? Or local politics?
In your particular scenario, there actually is a bit more history to add. Initially, all barriers on the main road were two-way barriers. That is tolls were collected in both directions. In 2004 and again in 2010, several of the barriers were converted to one-way barriers because of the massive congestion that would accumulate at these barriers. The ones that were changed over are as follows:
Cape May (in Upper Township)
Great Egg (in Somers Point)
New Gretna (in Bass River Township)
Barnegat (in Barnegat Township)
Asbury Park (in Tinton Falls)
Raritan (in Sayreville)
Union (in Hillside Township)
Essex (in Bloomfield Township)
Bergen (in Saddle Brook Township), and
Pascack Valley (in Washington Township)
AFAIK, the Toms River (in Toms River Township) Toll Plaza is the only one still collecting $0.75 in both directions.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ca2ny
3. Why is the NJTP toll so much higher than GSP? For example, the fastest GPS generated route from Holmdel to Newark airport goes over GSP (toll = $1.50 in one direction, and $0.50 in other direction) + a short stretch over NJTP, for which the toll was something like $7 or $8. Now I have learned to drive a bit further on GSP, then take NJ-28, and get to airport that way. It's about 2 miles longer, but much cheaper, with only the GSP toll and without the NJTP toll.
Simply put, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (which now manages both the Turnpike and the GSP) recognizes the Turnpike is a throughway that is part of the I-95 Corridor from DC to Boston and truck traffic is massive on that road bringing all manner of products not only into the State, but through the State to other parts of the Northeast. Add to that the fact that it is a closed road as described above and that people generally find the route to EWR via the Turnpike far faster, the NJTA know they can gouge, er, collect more money on that road.
Unfortunately, I cannot remember the exact exits, but the decision as to which exit is tolled and which is not. Generally, however, the exits with tolls were targets based upon which ones were thought to have the heaviest traffic volume.
<snip>
You know I was going to say this but then I thought of a bunch of exits (arts center, 82, 63, AC, WW for instance) that have heavy volume and they aren't tolled. Exits like 114,109, 67 that aren't as heavy do have a toll, so I omitted it. LOL
Is there some online list of which exits are toll and which ones are not? Google maps directions identifies toll roads, but I don't think it has toll exits identified.
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trucks can't use the gsp above 105? . plus the tpke i believe is more heavily traveled - more upkeep, more $$$$. we can argue the merits of this until we are all blue in the face, but that's the rationale.
