New York State Thruway(NYST)

[Big Bad Wulff]

This out-dated form of transportation is killing the state!
Here's my thoughts as to why.
We recently made a trip from Tennessee up thru Kentucky, Ohio, New York, Mass, Conn, Pa, Md, WVa, Va, and back into Tn.
I was amazed at how badly the NYST is KILLING the local economy in upstate NY.
In order to get gas you either go to the thruway rest stops which have a gas station and a restuarant of some type or you get off the thruway, pay your toll and TRY to find a gas station/food and get back on the thruway and getting a new toll card. The gas is expensive at the rest stops and trying to get food is a pain in the butt. Here's what we did.
I stopped at the rest stop get gas and wound up getting only a half-tank because I knew it would be cheaper down the road(and it was). We went to try to get food but a tour bus or 3 was there and the back up for food was at least a 20 minute wait. So we spent about $70.00 in fuel(diesel....we have a 43-gallon tank). The fuel was about $3.30(where it is $2.55 here in Tn). We didn't get food nor anything else. Where you see a little "cottage industry" at exits off Interstates everywhere else in the U.S., there is NOTHING at exits off the NYST!

Later in the trip we stopped at an exit off I-40 in Tn and got:
-$100 in fuel
-$20 in food because a Subway was close by.
-$21 for a power cord for a GPS unit at a Radio Shack(next to the Subway)
-$15 for 3 DVDs at a store next to the Radio Shack.
-never waited in line for anything.

So New York got $70 in fuel and $15 for tolls.
Tn got $156 in fuel, food and goods.

New York had to pay for state employees at the toll booth and service stop out of the $15 and whatever the tax was on the fuel.

I'd bet Tennessee is doing a lot better on the $$ generated at one exit than New York did on one service 'island'. I bet the locals in Tn are much better off with the $$ I left there vs. the $$ I left in NewYork.

The New York State Thruway is KILLING the local economy in upstate New York. And it's been this way for what......40 years or more now?
I will NEVER travel via the New York State Thruway ever again! All the other states will probably see me some time again, however.

Can you imagine the construction business alone that would be generated from the building at exits alone and what this would do for the economy up there? Gas stations, eateries, Motels, service businesses, Best Buy and other bsuinesses(who love to put stores at Interstate exits).
I don't know why you guys put up with this.

[nighthawk]

There are any number of free access secondary roads to just about anywhere in the state of New York. Putting an exit at every major road intersection would be very costly and expensive to maintain. This would also add $$ in the form of additional taxes to the motor fuels too. You have to maintain those highways. New York gets some brutal, harsh winter conditions and that means more money for highway maintenance.

Also keep in mind that New York has substantially larger population than Tennessee.

New York population numbers:
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/36000.html

Tennessee population:
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/47000.html

Adding the infrastructure you suggest would mean the loss of more wild or rural resources for New York. It's environmental impact would not be good either. We are dealing with the same issue on Interstate 80 in Pennsylvania. I remember when I-80 didn't exist and when it did it was 50-60 miles between rest stops! Unlike today only a handful of the exits that did exist had modern facilities available. Now we are paying the economic and environmental price of building too much along that highway. To add to all of this the state is now very seriously considering tolling I-80. Not to hijack your thread but I am just using I-80 to illustrate the bad impact of adding the infrastructure you mentioned to a highway system.

When I travel to New York, which isn't real often, I avoid the ThruWay when possible. It's their state and if this is what they want so be it. Who am I to argue with them.

[Big Bad Wulff]

There's a reason Fed-Ex is located in Tn. . Great highways and less taxes. And a reason your industries are locating down here too. You guys better see the light before it's over. Make your choice.......................... "environmental" impact or economic impact.
I can see the difference from just one trip up there. Come here and see the difference.

[nighthawk]

There's a reason Fed-Ex is located in Tn. . Great highways and less taxes. And a reason your industries are locating down here too. You guys better see the light before it's over. Make your choice.......................... "environmental" impact or economic impact.
I can see the difference from just one trip up there. Come here and see the difference.

Why the attitude? If you don't like visiting someplace then, frankly, don't do it. I have been all over the world and to your state too. I choose to live in Pennsylvania because I love Pennsylvania. Same with the folks in New York. Also, most of the industry that is moving out of state is doing so because we no longer want to work the jobs they have at the wages they offer.

[MrFishingToughGuy]

When you have huge lake-run browns, rainbows and salmon in Tn, then we can talk.

[ashbourn]

The biggest hurting us here in New York are the high taxes that feel like they give little return. This have a greater effect on upstate NY then it does NYC & Long Island due to various reason and I don't have the desire to dive into the topic.

Our Thruway goes through mostly very rural areas and connects to Routes that lead to other small times many times miles away. It was build as a direct connection to NY's 2 major cities and turns a very long drive down to about 2 1/2 hours. It is just off of this road are state parks with amazing untouched forests, wonderful rivers, and many lakes.

The road has had help grow upstate NY well beyond what the trains could do yet at the same kind let most areas keep it's small towns.

Yes there are flaws and things that could be changed but things are like that in many places.

Have you been on New Jersey Turnpike?

Joe

[Mark Vendon]

The New York State Thruway got approval to keep increasing it's rates over the next several years because it say's "Less people are using the Thruway" . Think about that for a moment or two. The state is up to it's eyeballs in debt, yet it still maintains a correctional facillity in a western county that employ's 33 people, now has no inmates, and costs the state 1.67 million dollars a year to keep operating. You think the Thruway is killing us? You should try living here, and the key word is try.

Regards,
Mark

[Joe Valencic]

The Thruways, Turnpikes and other toll roads are a convenience. You exchange money for time, and as everyone knows, time is money. That being said, if you're looking for Sally's Diner or Bubba's Cheap Petrol, a $99 GPS Navigation system will point you to nearest one at the next exit all day long, and even give you the phone number so you can call ahead to reserve the table by the juke box, and to find out what the blue plate special is today. Pretty darn handy devices. I can't tell you how many times that little baby saved the day while traveling back roads looking for a lake or stream, and I needed a gas station cuz I was in too much of a hurry to go fishing and didn't want to fill up in town.

[randyflycaster]

Yes, New York is a high-tax state. I think the taxes are killing us. Having said that, New York is an incredibly beautiful state. (The Finger Lakes Region is especially so.) You don't see that beauty from the thruway. Also New York is a great fly-fishing state. It is the home of the Catskill Rivers, the birthplace of fly fishing in America. And most of these waters are open to the public.

I guess sometimes you have to put up with the bad to get the good.

Randy

[ausable_ny]

I also live in NY and use the Thruway as my conduit to fishing the Adirondacks. I travel from the most southern end, up to Albany and the Northway interchange. I only stop to use the rest rooms. It is most certainly the most direct route to where I'm heading. Sure, I could take other roads like the Taconic Pkwy or even Rte. 9W, but I'd rather pay the $6.45 toll than tack the extra hrs onto my trip. I have relatives in Rochester NY, and when I visit, I'll take Rt 17 to Rt 81 thru Syracuse and then over to Rochester.

Ken