Posted on 12/08/2018 8:54:40 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
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They changed it to Indigenousiana some years ago!
I've started doing that myself on regular trips I take every few months across Pennsylvania. The PA Turnpike is the shorter route by about 30-40 minutes, but once the toll firmly trip exceeded $20.00 I started using I-80 instead.
This may be a great political move in Indiana anyway. It's only about 160 miles across the state on the turnpike, and I'll bet a disproportionate number of its users are from outside the state anyway. So charging them tolls is a great way to raise revenue for the state without taxing only its own residents. It's really no different than a special hotel or rental car tax imposed by many states and cities.
“What is the max GVW on the Ind. Toll Road?”
Maximum GVW on U.S. highways is 80,000#.
However permits can be bought for moving heavy equipment or other heavy loads. Bridge I beams usually require overweight and overlength permits along with escort vehicles.
I think Michigan is the only state that allows companies to regularly run 160,00# loads without escorts, and I expect the permits are high.
I don’t remember seeing any of the Michigan land trains on the Hoosier toll road.
“Isn’t that just income redistribution? I thought the Socialists were all for that??”
Unless its THEIR money being redistributed. Then there is hell to pay.
PA turnpike tolls alone, make it any route including it questionable.
Rates are ridiculous... a passenger vehicle is paying about .15 a mile now cash toll.
And nearly all the money is going to improvements around the eastern part of the state.
“Indiana Toll Road allows super-heavy and three-trailer combos. This is more than fair.”
Indiana allows doubles but trailers are restricted to 28’6” and must conform to 80,000# GVW and 34,000# axle weights.
Triples are allowed only on the toll road and only within 15 miles of makeup/breakup point.
They still must conform to 80,000# and 34,000# limits.
http://theamericandriver.com/driver_services/files/docs/weight_size_limits/indiana.html
“Rates are ridiculous... a passenger vehicle is paying about .15 a mile now cash toll.”
Just for grins and giggles I did the cost for a tractor/trailer 5 axle combo.
Cost from Ohio to NJ state lines is $283.
Cost for a passenger car over the same distance is $55.
Easy calculator:
https://turnpikeinfo.com/toll-calculator.php?road_name=pennsylvania-turnpike&state=pennsylvania
Yep, they tried to get a private company to take over the PA turnpike years ago, during Fast Eddies reign, none would touch it because revenues were flat, so the legislature passed auto incrementing tolls..
No private company took it over anyway, and now rates go up automatically year every year...
The initial ding they hit you with entering from Ohio before you take your ticket, was $2.90 in 2010... its now over $7.
I took the turnpike east for the first time in years this past summer.... Got off at breezewood, which was ALWAYS hopping 7pm on a thursday and it was a ghost town....
Never, ever recall getting off at breezewood and seeing no one around.. even at 2am...
I’ll stick with monopoly, since time is money, at least in my book. Back in the days of railroad robber barons, you always had the option of horseback to move goods...but obviously that was much more expensive...so when we use the term ‘monopoly’, it’s a relative thing, and what it refers to is whether something is being priced somewhere near cost due to competitive pressures, or is it being priced well above cost, simply because the alternatives cost far more.
But yes, people will ‘shun’ the toll roads when the price hits a certain mark. For example, if I’m an independent trucker who is carrying a load that will take 3 hours to reach its destination via toll road, or 6 hours to reach its destination via toll-free roads, my decision on which path to follow will depend mainly on when my next load is available. If my next load is not available for 8 hours, I’ll take the free path (and maybe save fuel due to the slower speeds, if it’s not stop-and-go). But if the next load is ready in 4 hours, then I’d consider the toll road option. A lot of towns near toll roads, particularly private ones, learned that the hard way.
As far as Indiana is concerned, I agree robbing people who have to pass through and have no practical alternative is great at the state level, but not so great at the national level - that’s why people driving 40 miles through Maryland on I-95 have to pay something like $8.00 - sure, the road costs much less than that, but Maryland is not dumb. I also agree doing this is similar to car/hotel taxes...and I think all of it should be outlawed, if it were up to me (i.e., one sales tax rate, period).
“The Indian[a] Toll Road predates the initial Fed. Interstate build-out.”
Thanks, yea I was familiar with the grandfathering. It’s still annoying that they get to keep their tolls long after they’ve collected enough money to pay off the roads.
Ok, thanks Tol. I’m trying to keep up, as that will affect my retirement plans (i.e., when I plan to do a lot of driving, but not at the cost of lining the pockets of politicians and their cronies).
I am in NE Ohio, just north of US30. I frequently drive from here to Iowa or Nebraska. I take US30 from here all the way across Ohio and Indiana. Then I go north to catch I80 the rest of the way. Saves a lot on tolls, adds less than an hour to a 10 or 12 hour trip. US30 is mostly 4 lane, limited access divided highway in Ohio, and in much of Indiana 4 lane divided, but not limited access.
Yep, just as ECON 101 says - if you want less of something (such as people using a limited-access highway), simply raise the price.
Breezewood is a major fueling point. The only times I remember it being slow were between 2-5 am.
If Breezewood was dead then the tolls have chased everyone off the turnpike.
Was Rendell the governor when the turnpike workers went on strike? I forget the year but they tried to run the turnpike using supervisors and it was a smashing disaster.
It was DEAD.. 7pm on a Thursday. A smattering of cars, empty parking lots and drive through... I had never seen it that dead... overall useage is up, but only because of population growth, the tolls are so rediculus most CDL go north to 80 if they can...
Still traffic, always will be, but even the politicians are starting to take note that the tolls are keeping revenues below projections.
7pm on a Thursday every parking lot should have been full and bumper to bumper traffic. I never saw it slow. They even stayed busy on holidays.
The politicians may notice but they will never lower tolls. Too addicted to the money, even if the turnpike is a losing proposition. They’ll just not raise rates until people start using it again....or it goes down like the Titanic.
Turnpike will never go away or flat out lose money... but the rate increases have made it rediculous. The cash rate for a car is .15 a mile or so now...
they are going to have to do something... but given the republican legislature here has also given us the highest gas taxes in the country I wouldn’t hold my breath..
The turnpike may not go out of business but I think it’s Heyday is over. Costs have gotten too high to keep traffic on the road.
I don’t know the local issues so I can’t say what should be done.
Hopefully y’all get things straightened out. Not sure whats up with your republican legislature. Sometimes they act more like democrats.
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