Re: Colorado BBQ Convoy

From: Michael Maskalans (dml@tepidcola.com)
Date: Wed Apr 26 2006 - 12:46:43 EDT


On Tue, 25 Apr 2006, Terrible Tom wrote:

>
> jon@dakota-truck.net wrote:
>
> > Ah yes, Ohio. I think their state tree is the interstate tollbooth. ;-)
>
> I think you have Ohio confused with Illinois, Jon heh. The Turnpike is
> set up like the Thruway. Pay when you get on pay when you get off.
>
yup.

Indiana is the same way.

> Illinois is finally coming up with a bothless toll system they call
> "open tolling". The sonsabiches are spending gazillions to install
> IPASS (Illinois' version of EZPASS) recievers/transcievers above the
> roads where toll booths once were. Hmmm - seems to me a waste of money.

If they're going to stop making people stop every two miles, it's a good
solution. When it's done it'll increase electronic toll collection
acceptance and stop the stop & go.

> The IL tollways were never meant to be long term anyway. They were
> pitched to the public to be something like a 5-6 year toll program to
> help offset road maintiance costs. Yeah. Right...

Just like sales tax most places (MN I know for sure)

> I don't know what
> non-IPASS users will do.

keep using the existing manual lanes like they have been for years?

> I looked into getting one but decided against
> it since I do little traveling in IL anymore. But they jacked up the
> cash toll rates to DOUBLE what they used to be. IPASS users still have
> the standard rates.
>
EZ Pass users now get a discount in NY too. It's nice.
I drove through IL twice or four times a year while in college. I had an
IPass. It's worth not stopping.

Since they started taking EZPass, I returned my IPass. Still haven't
gotten my refund check. That was over a month ago.

>
> Ohio Troopers are as plentiful as flies on road kill and are just as
> nasty.

They had a big federal grant for a while to increase their police force.
when that grant went away, you know where the extra money has to come
from.... I haven't seen nearly as many troopers on 80/90 since they got
rid of the split speed limit (finally!!!) there, though.
>
> Indiana is OK to travel to until you get to Gary and then cross over via
> the Skyway.

screw the skyway. It's expensive, they don't take IPass, and it dumps you
into tollbooth and construction hell.

Take 94 to 294 to 39 (IIRC) and you skip all but I think 4 tolls, and get
to go 4x the speed since you're out of first gear.

> If you have to go through there - best times
> are before 8 am, between 12 noon and 3 pm, and after 8 pm in the
> evening. Anything else is parking lot conditions usually.
>
Yeah that's about right. I'd say before 0700 though, not 0800.

--
  +-- Mike Maskalans ---------------- Rochester, NY ----------+
  | '98 Dakota CC, SAS on 40s  '84 RamCharger 4x4, plow truck |
  | '02 Jetta TDI 5sp, daily   '97 Intrepid, not on the road  |
  +-------------------- <http://mike.tepidcola.com/trucks/> --+

. . .------------------------------------------------------------------. | Make your plans NOW to attend the National DML Meet in Colorado! | | Date: July 15-23, 2006 - More info: http://meet.dakota-truck.net | `------------------------------------------------------------------'



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