Montreal - Portland passenger service, past and future

[MEC407]

There is no $4 passenger car toll anywhere in the State of Maine.

The barrier toll at York is $3. You don't have to pay a toll again until you hit New Gloucester, a distance of 60 miles. This comes out to 5¢ per mile. Seems like a helluva bargain compared to the NH I-95 toll or the MA Tobin Bridge toll.

The exit numbers are based on the mile posts. Makes it easy to figure out how far you are from where you want to go. If you got on at Exit 36 and you intend to get off at Exit 46, you know it'll be 10 miles. Under the old system you would've gotten on at Exit 5 and gotten off at Exit 6, which tells you nothing about how far or how long it will take. It was a frequent complaint from visitors from other states who had mileage-based exit numbers.

[eustis22]

>The problem was even though the toll collectors were paid $99,000 a year

Never happened. Even now the max a Mass DOT toll collector makes is about $76K.

[artman]

Now the toll cost between the same 2 locations is $4.00, the exit numbers are the craziest thing I've ever seen. Yes the toll road looks great but what happens after you exit onto one of the local highways / routes after leaving the toll plazas? All those cars & trucks which always pay more, must be great to be a toll road employee, pay wise that is.

The exit numbers the refer to the mileage of the exit. Why is that so crazy?

[MACTRAXX]

There is no $4 passenger car toll anywhere in the State of Maine.

The barrier toll at York is $3. You don't have to pay a toll again until you hit New Gloucester, a distance of 60 miles. This comes out to 5¢ per mile. Seems like a helluva bargain compared to the NH I-95 toll or the MA Tobin Bridge toll.

The exit numbers are based on the mile posts. Makes it easy to figure out how far you are from where you want to go. If you got on at Exit 36 and you intend to get off at Exit 46, you know it'll be 10 miles. Under the old system you would've gotten on at Exit 5 and gotten off at Exit 6, which tells you nothing about how far or how long it will take. It was a frequent complaint from visitors from other states who had mileage-based exit numbers.

MEC: With the current subject being mile exits on limited access highways - I agree with you that
mile exits are easier to decipher and use than consecutively-numbered exits. The best examples that I can
think of is in New Jersey...The Garden State Parkway uses mile exits - 0 is near Cape May and 173 is just
south of the New York State line. The New Jersey Turnpike SHOULD be renumbered with mile exits...

Another good example is the Ohio Turnpike which originally had consecutively numbered exits. With new
interchanges being built over time the original system was becoming very confusing with #A,B,etc. being
added until the change was made during 1998-2002 to convert to mile exits. Mile 0 is at the Indiana state
line while Mile 241 is at the Pennsylvania line.

Mile exits (or kilometer exits in Canada) are easier to use especially where distances are concerned...
MACTRAXX

[Jeff Smith]

I'll bite, even if we are off-topic. Worst highway numbering is I-95 from the GWB to the CT line. I believe the Cross Westchester/287 is also sequential. Unsure about the NYS Thruway I87.

[NHV 669]

87 is sequential, at least north of Albany.

[shadyjay]

I'm not sure how this topic drifted this way, but...

Gradually, New York and New England are converting to mile-based exits. I-84 in New York is currently being converted. In New England, Maine was converted a few years ago (as the exit numbering on I-95 went 1,2,3,4,2,3,4,5,etc,9,10,15,etc,28,15,31, and such. RI and CT are also converting. Mass was supposed to convert but because of some people on the Cape freaked out, the whole project was shelved. It will be interesting to see how NY converts I-87 and I-90, but with all-electronic tolling coming soon, the toll tickets will be phased out. Therefore, any renumbering will most likely end the 3 different exit numbering schemes that I-87 has (NYC, Thruway, Northway). It's gonna require a lot of new mile markers, for sure.

Since Mass. switched to all-electronic tolling, I can't imagine there are any toll collectors left... unless they're the ones stuffing the envelopes for those who do not have EZ-Pass and have to pay by plate. Are they the ones making $76K/year? Wow... I'm in the wrong profession!

Maine Turnpike Authority is planning to start widening I-95 through Portland at some point most likely next year. They're doing it from I-295/Exit 44 up to a point south of Exit 52 (Falmouth Spur/old I-95). I believe projects to rebuild/widen I-295 through Portland and to build a bypass at the eastern end of I-395 in Brewer are still in the planning or studying stages.

[Hux]

Given the weekend crawl on 95, starting at the MA/NH line, maybe a Downeaster Auto Train should be considered.

[John Smythe]

There is no $4 passenger car toll anywhere in the State of Maine.

The barrier toll at York is $3. You don't have to pay a toll again until you hit New Gloucester, a distance of 60 miles. This comes out to 5¢ per mile. Seems like a helluva bargain compared to the NH I-95 toll or the MA Tobin Bridge toll.

The exit numbers are based on the mile posts. Makes it easy to figure out how far you are from where you want to go. If you got on at Exit 36 and you intend to get off at Exit 46, you know it'll be 10 miles. Under the old system you would've gotten on at Exit 5 and gotten off at Exit 6, which tells you nothing about how far or how long it will take. It was a frequent complaint from visitors from other states who had mileage-based exit numbers.

Sorry... but there are $ 4.00 tolls on the Maine Turnpike, I went right to their website & found them. http://www.maineturnpike.com/Traveler-S ... Tolls.aspx Just because other states have mileage based exit systems, why should Maine or any other states feel obliged to do the same. For many decades the basic system of exit numbers.... 1,2,3,4, etc, worked fine for me and lots of other folks, even road maps have printed numbers of miles between exits marked on them, plus that's what dashboard odometers / dual trip odometers are for, mile markers & overhead signs that give notice of how many miles before the next exit. For all the years my family traveled on & over the Maine Turnpike we never had trouble knowing where we were or where the next exit would take us. Who gives a hoot what some other state does?

[MEC407]

If you're driving a passenger car you will not pay more than $3 to enter the Maine Turnpike. The MTA web site backs me up on that. End of debate and end of off-topic discussion.

[gokeefe]

Given the weekend crawl on 95, starting at the MA/NH line, maybe a Downeaster Auto Train should be considered.

That's been discussed in the past and the general conclusion is that it's not viable over the short distances to/from the markets in question.

That being said ..............

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but vertical clearances would allow for Auto Carriers between Auburn and Montreal right? Perhaps even to Portland?

[MEC407]

I think so, yes. A few years ago when things were just getting started with Eimskip in Portland, there was talk of potentially sending Eimskip double stacks to SLR because the whole route is cleared for double stacks. That was supposedly MDOT's rationale for wanting to tear down the bridge over Cassidy Point Drive, because that would've been the only remaining clearance obstacle between the IMT and Danville Junction.

[gokeefe]

Ok yes that reminds me of the previous discussion. Of course as I think of this one quickly realizes how absurd it would be to try and operate an Auto Train in international service. Customs and agricultural inspection nightmare without a doubt. Plus the demand is only seasonal and the route is far too short.

Even if one was to say "Ok well how about just running Superliners to Old Orchard?" it still doesn't work because there's higher demand out West in the summer. Interesting to see, yet again, how difficult it is to consider this route for service.

[Hux]

I was being facetious.

[FLRailFan1]

Given the weekend crawl on 95, starting at the MA/NH line, maybe a Downeaster Auto Train should be considered.

That would be cool...