The Garden State Parkway (GSP) is a 172.4-mile (277.5 km) limited-access toll parkway that stretches the length of New Jersey from the New York line at Montvale to Cape May at the state's southernmost tip. Its name refers to New Jersey's nickname, the "Garden State". Most New Jerseyans refer to it as simply "the Parkway". The parkway's official, but unsigned, designation is Route 444. At its north end, the parkway becomes the Garden State Parkway Connector, a component of the New York State Thruway system that connects to the Thruway mainline in Ramapo. The Parkway is primarily for passenger vehicle use, with trucks weighing over 10,000 pounds prohibited north of exit 105. The Parkway has been ranked as the busiest toll highway in the country based on the number of toll transactions. At approximately 172 miles, the Parkway is the longest highway in the state.
Video Garden State Parkway
Route description
The Garden State Parkway begins at an at-grade trumpet interchange with Route 109 in Lower Township. Southbound, the junction with Route 109 is marked as exit 0. The parkway runs north as a four lane limited-access highway through Cape May County, crossing interchanges with Route 47 and Route 147, which provide drivers access to Wildwood and nearby North Wildwood. Crossing into Cape May Court House, the road crosses exits 9, 10 and 11, former at-grade intersections upgraded in favor of graded interchanges. At exit 13, there is an access to the city of Avalon, featuring an odd interchange with a left-handed merge from the median of the roadway. After exit 17, the access to Sea Isle City, the parkway reaches the Ocean View Service Area.
Exit 17 northbound marks the last interchange on the parkway before a toll barrier in Cape May County, as Upper Township marks the location of the Cape May Toll Barrier. Running west of swamplands along the Jersey Shore, the parkway crosses an interchange with Route 50 (the eastern terminus of the latter). Just to the north, the parkway's median is the home of the John B. Townsend Shoemaker Holly Picnic Area, one of two of the original ten picnic areas left along the Parkway. At exit 25 in Upper Township, U.S. Route 9 northbound joins the road before it crosses the Great Egg Harbor Bay just east of the former Beesley's Point Bridge. After landing in the Atlantic County community of Somers Point, Route 9 turns off at exit 29, which is located next to the Great Egg Toll Plaza going southbound.
Returning to a four-lane arterial, the parkway runs along the western edges of Somers Point, soon crossing into Egg Harbor Township. In Egg Harbor Township, exit 36 marks the junction with U.S. Route 40, U.S. Route 322 and County Route 563. This marks the first of three interchanges with roads that access Atlantic City, located to the east. Two miles north, the road crosses a cloverleaf interchange with the limited-access Atlantic City Expressway. Crossing west of the Atlantic City Reservoir, the parkway is now six lanes, crossing an interchange with U.S. Route 30 (White Horse Pike) in Pomona. North of the exit, the parkway median is home to the Atlantic Service Area, which also provides home to a barrack of the New Jersey State Police and access to CR 561. Winding north into the Port Republic Wildlife Management Area, Route 9 merges back in to the parkway and crosses over the Mullica River into Burlington County.
Now in Bass River Township, Route 9 departs at exit 50. North of exit 53, the parkway crosses the Bass River Toll Barrier northbound. Crossing northward through Bass River State Forest, the six-lane highway becomes desolate. At exit 63, Route 72 meets the Parkway, providing access to Manahawkin and Long Beach Island. Crossing northeast through the Pine Barrens, the parkway crosses into Lacey Township and the Forked River Service Area in the median. North of exit 77, the route crosses through Double Trouble State Park and enters the Toms River area. In Toms River, the parkway meets Route 37, which provides access to Lakehurst, Seaside Heights and Island Beach State Park. North of exit 83 is the Toms River Toll Barrier southbound.
North of the Toms River Toll Barrier, the parkway crosses an interchange with Route 70, connecting Brick Township and Point Pleasant Beach. Crossing through Brick Township, the parkway reaches exit 98 near Allaire State Park. The interchange, formerly designated as 96 and 97, involves a pair of collector-distributor roads to reach Interstate 195, Route 34 and Route 138. A park and ride is present in the cloverleaf with Route 138. Now in Monmouth County, the parkway reaches the Monmouth Service Area in the median. The service area provides a park and ride for commuters and access to County Route 18 (Belmar Boulevard). North of the service area, the parkway enters the stretch of exits 100A-C, serving Route 33 and Route 66. North of exit 102 in Tinton Falls, the road reaches the Asbury Park Toll Barrier.
After the toll barrier, the two directions of road expand into express and local lanes in each direction. Just north of the split marks exit 105, servicing Route 18 and Route 36. The connector road from the parkway to the terminus of Route 36 and CR 51 (Hope Road) is designated as Route 444S. The express and local lanes wind northwest through Monmouth County, passing east of Freehold. At exit 116, access is provided to the PNC Bank Arts Center, Telegraph Hill Picnic Area and the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans Memorial. There is also access to nearby Crawfords Corner Road in Holmdel Township and a nearby park and ride. Crossing west of Hazlet, the parkway reaches exit 117 and exit 118, which mark access to Route 35, Route 36 and nearby Aberdeen. This connector road is designated as Route 444R. The parkway crosses northwest through Cheesequake State Park, bending into Middlesex County.
Through Middlesex County, the parkway features the Cheesequake Service Area in the median, with access to both the express and local lanes of the highway. Crossing into South Amboy, the lanes merge as they reach the Raritan Toll Barrier southbound. Here, exit 125 southbound is the only EZ-Pass only exit on the highway, reaching Chevalier Avenue in South Amboy. Paralleing Route 9 and Route 35, all three cross the Raritan River. The parkway becomes 13 lanes as it crosses the Driscoll Bridge. Northbound, lanes split up for exit 127, a massive interchange for Rotue 440 and Route 9, providing access to the Outerbridge Crossing. Just north of exit 127 in Woodbridge Township, the parkway reaches exit 129, which provides access to the New Jersey Turnpike and Route 9. Running northeast through Woodbridge Township, the parkway crosses Route 1 at exit 130 and Route 27 at exit 132. There is also access northbound to Metropark station of New Jersey Transit at exit 131B.
North of exit 132, the parkway curves northeast, passing the Colonia South and Colonia North service areas, along with the closed Madison Hill Picnic Area. Crossing into Union County, the highway crosses through dense neighborhoods as an eight-ten lane roadway. At exit 140, U.S. Route 22 crosses the Parkway with Route 82. Northbound, the road also passes the Vaux Hall Service Area. After the service area, the road crosses the Union Toll Barrier northbound and crosses a massive interchange with Interstate 78 at exit 142A-B. Running northeast into Essex County, the parkway reaches Irvington and soon crosses into the dense East Orange. In East Orange is an interchange with Interstate 280 at exit 145. Winding into Bloomfield, the parkway crosses exit 148 at CR 506 (Bloomfield Avenue). North of exit 149, the southbound parkway has the Essex Toll Barrier.
After the Brookdale North and Brookdale South service areas, the parkway crosses into exit 153, which serves Route 3. After exit 153B, the parkway crosses into Passaic County and the city of Clifton. There, the route has several interchanges, with U.S. Route 46 and Route 19. After Route 19, the route turns northeast and crosses through Clifton to another interchange with Route 46 and soon, Route 21. To the northeast of Route 21, the parkway reaches an interchange with Interstate 80 (exit 159) and the Bergen Toll Barrier. Entering Bergen County, the road crosses a pair of interchanges for Route 4 and Route 208 as they enter Paramus. The final major interchange comes at Route 17 (exit 163). North of the interchange, there is another large junction at exit 165, which has a park and ride.
Winding through suburban Bergen County, the parkway reaches the Montvale Service Area, the final of the group of service areas. There is access to CR 94 (Grand Avenue), which also has a nearby ramp for exit 172. Exit 172 marks the final exit of the Garden State Parkway, which crosses into New York in Montvale. From there, the route becomes the Garden State Parkway Connector, bringing access southbound to CR 41 in Rockland County, New York. The connector meets Interstate 87, Interstate 287 and the New York State Thruway in Nanuet, marking the northern end.
On the Garden State Parkway, the emergency assistance number is #GSP, which is #477 in number form. New Jersey State Police are the primary police agency that handles calls for service on the parkway. Other emergency services such as fire and first aid are usually handled by the jurisdictions in which that section of the parkway passes.
Maps Garden State Parkway
History
Route S101 was a northern extension of Route 101 planned from Hackensack through Paramus to the New York state line near Montvale. The section from Hackensack to Paramus was never built; the section from Paramus to the state line would become part of the Garden State Parkway.
The parkway was originally designated as the Route 4 Parkway when it was started in 1947 in Union County, but, due to lack of funds, only 11 miles (18 km) were completed by 1950. The solution was for the state to establish the New Jersey Highway Authority in 1952 to oversee construction and operation as a self-liquidating toll road. Much of the original section, between exits 129 and 140, was long administered by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and has always been untolled. The segment can be distinguished by the stone facing on the overpasses.
The parkway was constructed between 1946 and 1957 to connect suburban northern New Jersey with resort areas along the Atlantic coast and to alleviate traffic on traditional north-south routes running through each town center, such as US 1, US 9, and Route 35. Unofficially, it has two sections: the "metropolitan section" north of the Raritan River and the "shore section" between the Raritan River and Cape May. Only 18 miles (29 km) had been constructed by 1950, but taking a cue from the successful New York State Thruway, on April 14, 1952, the New Jersey Legislature created the New Jersey Highway Authority, empowered to construct, operate, and maintain a self-sufficient toll parkway from Paramus to Cape May.
The landscape architect and engineer in charge of the newly named Garden State Parkway was Gilmore David Clarke, of the architectural firm of Parsons, Brinkerhof, Hall and MacDonald, who had worked with Robert Moses on the parkway systems around New York City. Clarke's design prototypes for the parkway combined the example of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, a model of efficiency with parallels in the German Autobahn routes of the 1930s, with the Merritt Parkway model that stressed a planted "green belt" for beauty. Both design models featured wide planted medians to prevent head-on collisions and mask the glare of oncoming headlights. The Garden State Parkway was designed to have a natural feel. Many trees were planted, and the only signs were those for exits--there were no distracting billboards. Most of the signs were constructed from wood, or a dark-brown metal, instead of the chrome bars used on most other highways. The guardrails were also made from wood and dark metal. Most early overpasses were stone, but then changed to concrete, with green rails and retro etchings, popular around the 1950s and 1960s. These are now in decay and being replaced by sleek, new bridges. The parkway was designed to curve gently throughout its length so that drivers would remain alert and not fall asleep at the wheel.
Most of the metropolitan section is like any other expressway built in the 1950s through heavily populated areas. The shore section parallels US 9 and runs through unspoiled wilderness in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. In Cape May County, the parkway had three traffic lights (at exits 9, 10, and 11), but these were eliminated in 2015, with construction of three overpasses in Cape May Court House and Stone Harbor.
The parkway had an old alignment before the Great Egg Harbor Bridge was completed. It was detoured onto US 9 and over the Beesley's Point Bridge. That bridge was closed in 2003 and demolished in 2014.
The Garden State Parkway was off-limits to motorcycles until Malcolm Forbes pushed successfully for legislation to allow them.
On July 9, 2003, Governor Jim McGreevey's plan to merge the operating organizations of the Garden State Parkway and the New Jersey Turnpike into one agency was completed.
Literature from the time of the parkway's construction indicates that the parkway would become toll-free once bonds used for its construction were paid off. However, additional construction projects, plus the expectation that the parkway will pay for its own maintenance and policing (and the massive E-ZPass project) make it unlikely it will become toll-free in the foreseeable future.
The parkway was also planned to be the southern terminus for Route 55 at milemarker 19. This was cancelled after the conclusion that the highway ran through too many wetland areas. The idea is still being revisited after frequent traffic jams on Route 47.
On July 22, 2014, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority filed a federal lawsuit against Jersey Boardwalk Pizza, a pizza chain in Florida, for using a logo too similar to the signs for the Garden State Parkway. Federal Judge William Martini dismissed the suit on March 26, 2015.
Usage
The speed limit on the parkway is 65 mph (105 km/h) with the following exceptions: 55 mph (90 km/h) between mileposts 123.5 and 163.3, 55 mph (90 km/h) between mileposts 80.0 and 85.2, and 45 mph (70 km/h) between mileposts 27 and 29, approaching and traversing the Great Egg Harbor Bridge, and between milepost 126.7 and 127.7, approaching and traversing the Driscoll Bridge.
Commercial trucks with a registered weight of over 10,000 pounds (4,500 kg) are not allowed to use the northern parts of the parkway.
All trucks must exit at exit 105, just past the Asbury Park toll plaza. From Tinton Falls to the southern end of the parkway at Cape May, trucks are allowed, but must pay additional tolls. Buses are allowed for the entire length of the parkway. In April 2011, New Jersey Transportation Commissioner James Simpson announced the NJTA was looking into the possibility of allowing trucks on the northern portion of the Garden State Parkway. However, the idea was quickly abandoned after the agency found the road had engineering concerns that would make the consideration of allowing trucks on this segment impossible.
Toll collection
While the New Jersey Turnpike uses a system of long-distance tickets, obtained once by a motorist upon entering and surrendered upon exiting at toll gates (a "closed" system), the Garden State Parkway uses no tickets but collects tolls at toll plazas at somewhat regular intervals along its length and at certain exits (an "open" system). As of 2018, the standard car toll is $0.75 on the main road at two-way toll plazas and $1.50 at one-way toll plazas. Some individual exits require a toll of either $0.50, $0.75, $1.00, or $1.50.
The parkway has implemented the E-ZPass electronic toll collection system; the first plaza opened in December 1999, and the system was completed on September 19, 2000. Parkway tokens continued to be available until January 1, 2002, and were invalidated effective January 1, 2009. Drivers using exact change lanes are now required to pay with coins only in all toll baskets. The Union Toll Plaza was the first to use an automated toll-collection machine. A plaque commemorating this event includes the first quarter collected at its toll booths.
Tokens originally cost $10 for a roll of 40 tokens (the toll was 25 cents when tokens were introduced), but when the toll was increased to 35 cents, rolls were 30 tokens for $10. Before invalidating the tokens, the NJHA gave several months' warning and gave motorists the opportunity to redeem tokens. Tokens were originally brass, but were changed to a bimetallic composition with an outer silver-colored ring and a brass core. There were also larger bus tokens that existed in each composition, primarily for the use of Atlantic City-bound buses. These were sold in rolls of 20 for $20.
To reduce congestion, some toll plazas on the roadway were converted into one-way plazas between September 2004 and February 2010, dubbed "one-way tolling". Under this program, a $1.50 toll (70 cents or two tokens when first implemented from September 2004 to November 2008 and $1.00 was implemented from December 2008 to December 2011 which was the first phase of the toll increase) is collected in one direction, and the other direction is toll-free. The 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) toll plazas had been converted to one-way toll plazas. The Toms River (in Toms River Township) Toll Plaza is the only $0.75 toll barrier plaza that is collected in both directions.
Beginning on November 19, 2001, E-ZPass customers were charged the approximate token rate, that is 33 cents (peak travel) or 30 cents (off-peak travel), instead of 35 cents. Due to tremendous cost overruns in implementing the E-ZPass system on New Jersey's toll highways the discount was eliminated the next year. NJHA E-ZPass customers were charged a $1-per-month account fee, causing many customers to turn in their NJHA E-ZPass transponders in favor of a transponder from an out-of-state authority which did not charge a monthly fee.
On January 8, 2008, New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine proposed increases of fifty percent in tolls on the parkway and turnpike effective in 2010, to be followed by similar 50 percent increases every four years through 2022. Each time tolls increased, there would be an additional increase for inflation since the last toll increase (for the first, since 2006). This increase in tolls, which would take place on all three of New Jersey's toll roads, would, according to Corzine, help pay the state's debt. The roads would be maintained by a nonprofit "public benefit corporation" which would pay back bonds to the state. Without considering inflation, the proposal would have increased the standard 35-cent toll on the Garden State Parkway to approximately $1.80 by 2022, with tolls for the entire length of the northbound Garden State Parkway rising from $4.55 to $30.10 in 2022. It was considered possible that commuters will receive discounts from the higher toll rates. The proposal was not enacted due to fierce opposition from the state of New Jersey. On September 5, 2008, a proposal to increase parkway tolls substantially was reported. The first phase of the toll increase on the Garden State Parkway went into effect on December 1, 2008. As of January 1, 2012, toll rates on the Garden State Parkway are $0.50 for ramp tolls, $0.75 for two-way toll barriers, and $1.50 for one-way toll barriers.
There are three types of toll lanes at the toll plazas, however not all plazas have every type of lane at all times. The first type of toll plaza lane is E-ZPass only, which only accept vehicles with E-ZPass tags. The speed limit in these lanes is 15 mph (24 km/h), or 55-65 mph (89-105 km/h) for Express E-ZPass lanes.
The second type of toll plaza lane is exact change. Although they previously accepted both parkway tokens or exact change, the tokens were no longer sold after January 1, 2002, and were no longer accepted on the parkway after January 1, 2009. Drivers using exact change lanes are now required to pay with coins only. In these lanes, motorists deposit coins in a toll basket and each coin is mechanically counted. Payment of tolls is enforced by photo, a system that went into effect on October 17, 2011.
The third type of toll plaza lane is cash receipts. These lanes are manned; toll collectors can provide change and receipts to drivers. E-ZPass is also accepted.
Picnic areas
One of the objectives of the parkway was to become a state park its entire length, and its users would enjoy park-like aesthetics with minimal intrusion of urban scenery. Along the ride, users were permitted to stop and picnic along the roadway to further enjoy the relaxation qualities the parkway had to offer. All picnic areas had tall trees that provided shade and visual isolation from the roadway. Grills, benches, running water and restrooms were provided. Over time as the parkway transformed into a road of commerce, the picnic areas were being closed for a variety of reasons. Their ramp terminals became insufficient to accommodate the high-speed mainline traffic and in addition to the decreasing amount of users, the picnic areas were becoming more effective as maintenance yards and were converted as such or closed altogether.
The two remaining picnic areas are closed from dusk to dawn. Posted signs within the picnic area prohibit fires and camping.
There were ten operational picnic areas:
Service areas
All service areas are located in the center median, unless otherwise noted.
Park-ettes
In the 1950s, four petroleum companies were hired to provide gasoline and vehicular necessities--Esso, Texaco, Atlantic and Cities Service. The Cities Service company was the petroleum provider at Monmouth, Forked River, Atlantic City (Absecon at the time) and Ocean View (Seaville at the time) and offered a service where female employees were hired for those service area showrooms, wore uniforms and were known as the Park-ettes. Their duties included providing directions and other information to motorists as well as rendering odd bits of service such as sewing a missing button on a patron's coat.
Exit list
Many entrances and exits have tolls. In general, exits have tolls when they precede a barrier toll, and exits are free when they follow a barrier toll. Conversely, entrances that precede a barrier toll are free; and tolls are paid at entrances just beyond a barrier toll. This avoids double tolling (e.g., paying a barrier toll and then immediately paying again to exit) and under-tolling (e.g., driving a long distance and then exiting for free just before a barrier toll).
There are no tolls between exits 127 and 141, inclusive, as this was the original road segment that predates the New Jersey Highway Authority.
See also
- U.S. Roads portal
- New Jersey portal
References
External links
- New Jersey Turnpike Authority & Garden State Parkway Official Website
- History of the Garden State Parkway
- "NJ Route 444" (PDF). (2.82 MB) Straight Line Diagram
- Photos of the Garden State Parkway
- New Jersey Expressways and Tollways
- Garden State Parkway (NJ 444) (Greater New York Roads)
Source of article : Wikipedia
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