Talk:Garden State Parkway

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[edit] Exit list reverts

Thank you Mlaurenti for starting the exit list. It was a wonderful starting point and contribution. However, it does need some work (such as the US/CR abbreviations that Alansohn fixed, as well as minor factual errors). I understand your attachment to your work, but please do not revert edits that serve to make the encyclopedia better. Thanks. -- Northenglish 21:18, 7 June 2006 (UTC)

Mlaurenti, please do not revert edits that serve to make the encyclopedia better. -- Northenglish (talk) -- 20:48, 15 June 2006 (UTC)

Also, please do not revert the notes for Exits 25 and 29, as Route 9 is detoured onto the GSP resulting from the continued closure (permament?) of the Beesley's Point Bridge over the Great Egg Harbor River. --AEMoreira042281 (talk) 06:06, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] 600 series CRs

Alansohn, I'm not sure I like the link format [[County Route 608 (Atlantic County New Jersey)|CR 608 (Atlantic Cty.)]]. I've responded to you on Talk:List of 600-series county routes in New Jersey. For this page, however, I propose we include the county lines on the exit list, thus allowing us to link to it as just CR 608 (Atlantic Cty.) CR 608 We could do something like the incomplete I-5 exit list. -- Northenglish 22:20, 10 June 2006 (UTC)

I had left out a comma, so the format would be [[County Route 608 (Atlantic County, New Jersey)|CR 608 (Atlantic Cty.)]] The issue (as discussed at [Talk:List of 600-series county routes in New Jersey]]) is that there can be multiple CR 608's across the state. Until we get a complete list and see the scope of the issue, there's nothing to be lost by leaving these in as placeholders. Alansohn 21:48, 11 June 2006 (UTC)
There's nothing to be lost except for proper wikipedia formatting. IMHO, it's inappropriate to leave parenthetical disambiguation in text. That's why I proposed we use something like CR 608 in Atlantic County instead. In the case of this exit list, we could include the county lines to specify the county instead. -- Northenglish (talk) -- 06:15, 13 June 2006 (UTC)

What's wrong with just using [[County Route 608 (Atlantic County, New Jersey)|]]? If someone needs to know the county, they can click on the municipality - or maybe we can add a county column. --SPUI (T - C) 13:45, 13 June 2006 (UTC)

SPUI, point well taken. The core issue is the title of the article. The piped format need not include the county, though it might make it more useful. The answer to this question should depend on the levels of overlap in the 600 series. I still don't see this as a major source of confusion, but it may be worse than we realize. Alansohn 13:53, 13 June 2006 (UTC)
Oh, they definitely overlap. --SPUI (T - C) 14:40, 13 June 2006 (UTC)
Exactly, but in an article such as this, the geography should be obvious enough to minimize confusion. -- Northenglish (talk) -- 20:48, 13 June 2006 (UTC)
Just to clarify, my "CR 608 in Atlantic County" suggestion was for in general, not this article. I'm with SPUI for just using the pipe trick in the exit list. -- Northenglish (talk) -- 20:52, 13 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] New York State routes WikiProject?

Any idea why this is labeled as part of the New York State routes WikiProject? I know that New York has a relatively short extension of this road but that seems to be somewhat incidental. Any objections to replacing this tag with Wikipedia:WikiProject New Jersey? Accurizer 14:55, 13 June 2006 (UTC)

I've removed the tag as spam. If no one used those talk page tags, we would be able to see if there was discussion on the talk page by the color of the talk tab, as we used to in the old days. --SPUI (T - C) 14:58, 13 June 2006 (UTC)
I think we may as well include both, as a portion of it is technically a New York State Route. I agree with you to an extent, SPUI, there's no reason to start a discussion page just to include the tag, but they do no harm once there's already a discussion on the page. -- Northenglish (talk) -- 20:50, 13 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] More exit list reverts

I have reverted much of this edit for the following reasons.

  • Changing "toll gate" to "toll booth" for Exit 4, and changing Exit 105 to read "NB" and "SB" instead of spelled out makes the exit list unnecessarily inconsistent.
  • The New Jersey Turnpike Authority uses "Toll Plaza", not "Toll Gate", to refer to its mainline toll plazas. (See for instance here and here, or compare search results [1],[2].) I'd actually like to change this for the exit notes as well, but it doesn't matter that much.
  • "Toll gate" is not a proper noun when it's not referring to a specific one, and should not be capitalized in the exit notes.
  • "Express Toll Gate" is a neologism (Google shows it only appears four times throughout the Internet, twice on Wikipedia.) The correct term is open road tolling, but saying "Express E-ZPass" is enough in the exit list.
  • Saying things like "unusual", "weird", or "demented" interchange is biased. More useful is saying exactly why you think it is "unusual" or "weird", and doing both is redundant.

Please respond directly to these reasons rather than blindly re-reverting. -- Northenglish (talk) -- 21:13, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Free tolls?

I've reworked the line under "Toll Collection" regarding tolls paid at specific exits (e.g. the Union Ramp toll plaza at Exit 142 for I-78). It previously stated "Tolls at exits are either 70 cents, 35 cents, 25 cents, or free," but no charge is by definition not a toll. Feel free to clean up my edit as it might still sound weird.--Mjj237 04:19, 23 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] And another thing on tolls...

It seems we've decided to use "toll gate" to refer to the toll facilities located at exits rather than on the Parkway itself; however, as a frequent user of the Parkway I would like to note that each and every toll facility on the Parkway identifies itself as a "TOLL PLAZA." In the windows of the booths, there are green signs reading, e.g.:

UNION
TOLL PLAZA

at a mainline plaza or, e.g.


UNION RAMP
TOLL PLAZA

at an exit. Regardless of what the common term for such a facility is, the term on the Parkway is toll plaza. In fact, other than in the New Jersey state driver's manual, which refers to them as "Toll Barriers," I've rarely heard them called anything but plazas on any road in the NY-NJ-CT region. I would change all the "gate"s to "plaza"s myself but I (a) don't feel up to the task at the moment and (b) I'd rather not start a revert war over the Garden State Parkway.--Mjj237 04:30, 23 July 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for your input. The edit you made regarding the tolls is well-worded; thanks for catching it. This page is susceptible to revert wars for whatever reason, but I will go ahead and make the edits to read "Toll Plaza". -- NORTH talk 05:03, 23 July 2006 (UTC)
Contrary to a foolish statement once made by a foolish New Hampshire governor, there are no "toll gates" on the Garden State Parkway (or anywhere in New Jersey, AFAIK). The Merritt Parkway used to have actual toll gates: gates at the toll barriers that did not raise until the proper toll was paid. But this has never been the case in NJ and "Toll Plaza" is definitely the correct term.
Atlant 20:47, 23 July 2006 (UTC)
Thank you for clearing that up, Atlant, now it all makes sense. Although, a few of the older toll booths for exact change only have/had gates on them. (I moved out of New Jersey 5 years ago, so I don't know what the current status is.) -- NORTH talk 21:11, 23 July 2006 (UTC)
At Exit 145, the I-280 Exit, there used to be tollgates. I don't think they are there anymore. The baskets don't always work perfectly and there would be tieups and problems.--Wehwalt 16:49, 12 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Infobox

I've reverted the infobox to the version from three weeks ago after the ugliness that has gone on, and I couldn't parse out a better more recent version. One problem with this version might be the inclusion of I-195 in the junction list. IMHO, this is fine (I was the one who put it in there originally) even though the two don't technically intersect. All signage at Exit 98 says I-195 and Route 138 (without the word "TO"), so for all intents and purposes, it is a junction with I-195. Also, it's a list of major junctions, and a junction with I-195 would be major, whereas one with 138 would probably not be. -- NORTH talk 18:42, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Why wouldn't NJ Route 36 be ok to put on the GSP info box, that's pretty big with Monmouth Park and the Mall down that road?

--Nextbarker 14:17, 18 August 2006 (UTC)nextbarker

I'm going to go ahead and disagree with you there for a couple of reasons. The Garden State Parkway is a much more major route than the other ones we've been discussing and has much different standards. What's major on Route 33, for example, might not be major. That's why the only routes listed here are either interstates, should be (in the case of the ACE), or are major limited-access highways that cross state lines (in the case of 440 and 17). -- NORTH talk 15:47, 18 August 2006 (UTC)

Well, is that the same thing with the exit for Route 18 in Tinton Falls on the GSP?


--Nextbarker 17:01, 18 August 2006 (UTC) nextbarker

Sure, we can add Route 18 if you'd like. It's major not only because of its freeway status, but it's also where trucks must exit the parkway, using NJ 18 to connect with the Turnpike. -- NORTH talk 23:17, 18 August 2006 (UTC)

But can't trucks also take Route 36? since that's the same exit?

And why wouldn't US Route 9 be considered major in South Amboy, that's always jammed up in the afternoon.

Would Route 27 be considered major on the GSP info box? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 24.228.70.72 (talk • contribs) 00:25, 19 August 2006 (UTC)

Trucks of course can take Route 36, but not as a through truck route. Taking the Parkway to 18 to the Turnpike is a common pattern for trucks travelling from South Jersey north.
I would think that there should be a neat way to combine Exits 127 and 129 into one junction in the infobox (which they are one exit southbound), and include US 9 there instead.
Route 27 is not major -- at least nowhere near as major as the other junctions, and is excluded for purposes of concision. -- NORTH talk 03:59, 19 August 2006 (UTC)

No, no, no, I mean down further exit 123, not 127 though that's big. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 24.228.70.72 (talk • contribs) 04:40, 19 August 2006 (UTC)

Exactly. Since Exit 127 is the "big" junction with US 9, that's the one that should be listed. -- NORTH talk 08:15, 19 August 2006 (UTC)

Would Route 37 be considered m,ajor on the GSP info box or is that too much? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 24.228.70.72 (talk • contribs) 16:11, 19 August 2006 (UTC)

Route 37 is not major for the same reasons Routes 36 and 27 are not major. Sure, they're nice through routes, but compared to the other junctions on the list, they are not major junctions. -- NORTH talk 21:17, 19 August 2006 (UTC)

I would think it'd be pretty big for people going to Seaside Heights. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Nextbarker (talk • contribs) 01:19, 20 August 2006 (UTC)

And yay for the people going to Seaside Heights. Route 36 is pretty big for the people going to Eatontown. Route 27 is pretty big for people going to Rahway. But they are not major junctions on the parkway. -- NORTH talk 08:04, 21 August 2006 (UTC)
Uh did anyone miss US 1 at Exit 130, thats jammed up a lot especially going southbound with that Heavy Merge? Also Route 22 at Exit 140-also a jam-up but brings you many places.Mitchazenia 17:08, 21 August 2006 (UTC)

Would US 1 be considered major on the GSP info box that can get pretty jammed up especially mergeing, I know there's on one way Route 1 can enter the GSP Northbound.

Why is Interstate 287 between I-95 and US 9, that should be Route 440, I-287 doesn't begin for another mile after the GSP.

The NJ Route 33 town mentioned at exit 100 both ways for Route 33 West is Freehold, not Asbury Park.

[edit] Raritan bridges

The twin bridges over the Raritan might be worth mentioning in this article. I can recall a Middlesex County telephone directory of the 1950s, which had a picture of them on the cover, as if they were symbolic of the area. They may also have had some distinction for their design. Dynzmoar 14:11, 4 September 2006 (UTC)

The Driscoll Bridge carries the Parkway over the Raritan, The Edison Bridge carries US-9 over the Raritan. Not too far off, the Victory Bridge carries NJ-35 over the Raritan.

[edit] Buses banned?

I have a vague memory of a time when most of the Parkway was "cars only"--but that buses were later allowed to encourage use of public transit, perhaps during the energy crisis of ca. 1974. Is this correct? Dynzmoar 14:16, 4 September 2006 (UTC)

There's a direct access to the GSP South on NJ Route 440 right after the US 9 southbound exit.

Mmm, don't remember that, but I was rather young. I do remember that at the Montvale rest area, during gas rationing in 73, they put up barriers to make people continue on the Parkway after getting gas, because they found tracks in the snow indicating that people would get gas southbound, turn around, get gas northbound, etc. Also, there was a long running dispute over whether motorcycles were permitted.--Wehwalt 17:46, 11 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Major Junctions

Any reason why Route 9 is not mentioned? It makes many junctions with the GSP. Most notably exit 127 in Woodbridge.

  • Route 35 deserves mention
  • Route 46 in Clifton
  • Route 4 in Teaneck

Routes in deserving of notablity: 3,4,9,17,18,34,35,36,46,47,70,72,80,95,195,280,287,440 and possibly Rt19 because of its strange exit number (155P) Reply. HurricaneCraze32 aka Mitchazenia 21:50, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

To be honest, I'm getting positively annoyed that we're still discussing this. No, we are not going to list every state highway that intersects the parkway. It is called "Major Junctions". There are nine junctions listed in the infobox; most of the people in the discussion at WT:NJSCR and elsewhere have decided to limit the number of junctions at 10. We already have a complete exit list, there is no reason to list every junction twice.
Just drop it already. -- NORTH talk 23:04, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

I think the junctions that are listed now, in the version I just reverted to are just satisfactory.

  • AC expressway for obvious reasons
  • 72, long beach island, the most used exit all summer in NJ
  • 70, major cross route to philadelphia, plus acess to shore points
  • 195, major cross route and interstate highway, plus Six flage Great Adventure
  • 18 major north-south route through monmouth/ocean/middlesex, plus acess to shore point, counties, plus parkway alternative
  • 440, which turns into 287, another major route in nj, as well as acess to Staten island
  • 95, the NJ turnpike
  • 78, major cross route to pennsylvania
  • 280, we could probable do without
  • 80, is a nation wide east west interstate
  • 17, we might be able to do without

And who could forget RT 37? the second most used exit in NJ durning the summer Aspensti 22:31, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

As I said before, if you look above, this has already been discussed. Not only has it been discussed here, but a more centralized discussion at WT:NJSCR has determined that it's reasonable to limit the major junctions list at 10. It had 9 before, now that I've kept the junction with Route 37, it has 10.
I kept Route 37 not just because it's a major junction in a major population center (Toms River-Dover Twp), but also to solve the problem of a major hole in the list between the ACE and I-195.
I-280 must be kept because it's an interstate highway connecting the Parkway to the largest city in New Jersey. Route 17 should be kept because it's a major through route, providing a shortcut for northbound traffic to the Thruway to Albany, and providing a connection for southbound traffic with the George Washington Bridge.
Please find something else to bicker about. The infobox isn't where we list every junction on the Parkway, that's what the exit list is for.
And if you are going to add junctions to the infobox (don't, but if you do), at least format them correctly. -- NORTH talk 22:49, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Who put next to the NJ 440 shield THERE'S NO DIRECT ACCESS FROM ROUTE 440 NORTH TO THE GARDEN STATE PARKWAY South, there is so a direct access right after you pass the 9 southbound exit, that'd not direct cause you're still on Industrial Ave West —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 24.228.70.72 (talk • contribs) 05:38, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

I've corrected that information after looking at Google maps. (I was not the one who added it however.) The next time you find an inaccuracy in an article, please consider simply changing it yourself, rather than storming over to the talk page about it. Regardless, please make sure you remain civil and refrain from "shouting" (typing in all caps).
And please, please, please sign your posts on talk pages. -- NORTH talk 16:29, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Garden State Parkway

Is it applicable to add a NJ 138 shield next to the I-195 shield in the major junction box, they end at each crossing the GSP, or it end at NJ 34, since it brings to you Route 34, southbound?

Nextbarker 05:28, 13 November 2006 (UTC)nextbarker

We've had it there before. I think it was removed because for the scope of the Parkway, I-195 is a major junction, but NJ 138 is not. -- NORTH talk 17:01, 13 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] US Route 9

I'm surprised US Route 9 isn't added in the major infobox, it's a pretty big exit, whether at Toms River, being US 9 multiplexes, or exits onto US 9 in either, Sayreville, Woodbridge. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Nextbarker (talk • contribs) 04:05, 14 November 2006 (UTC)

The Woodbridge junction used to be included; I've added it again. -- NORTH talk 17:32, 14 November 2006 (UTC)

I added a NJ 36 shield to the GSP page in the infobox, was this nessecary?

Nextbarker 05:06, 17 November 2006 (UTC)nextbarker

I now added a US 1 shield to the GSP infobox, is that too much to put and is it major since the GSP only goes one way on US 1.

I think US 1 is definitely too much for a few reasons: (1) because it's an incomplete interchange, (2) because there's no need to list all 3 Woodbridge junctions, and (3) because US 1 is easily accessible from Exit 127/129. -- NORTH talk 23:34, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

yy, Northbound you can access Route 1 since there are no direct ramps to US 1 from the GSP, but Southbound you can access US 1 directly from the GSP.

Well, I tried adding the junctions without consultation, I'll have to ask first before I get approvals. I did terrible.

Nextbarker 00:44, 18 November 2006 (UTC)nextbarker

Or you could just stop asking. -- NORTH talk 21:16, 18 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] NJ 36

Was a NJ 36 shield appropriate to add next to the NJ 18 shield in the GSP junction page?

I know you agreed 10 shields was limit.

Nextbarker 06:00, 5 December 2006 (UTC)nextbarker

Ten junctions, not 10 shields... I don't care one way or the other about the NJ 36 shield. -- NORTH talk 17:56, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] U.S. Route 22 at the GSP?

Would U.S. Route 22 be considered major at the Garden State Parkway?


--24.228.70.72 15:41, 4 May 2007 (UTC)nextbarker

It's too close to Interstate 78, and parallels it for its entire length through New Jersey. -- NORTH talk 21:02, 4 May 2007 (UTC)
Actually, the two combine for a stint much further west in Hunterdon and Warren Counties.

[edit] Parkway extension included?

I see the article and infobox includes the Parkway Extension (in Rockland County) as part of the Parkway. Is this accurate? Or should we have the length of the Parkway at the 172 plus miles from Cape May to Montvale?--Wehwalt 20:57, 6 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] County Signs

Should it be noted that the GSP state-owned is the only road in New Jersey to feature it's own unique type of sign for indicating when a new county is entered?

Please place new topics at the bottom (I've moved your post there). And kindly sign your posts. No, I don't think that the style of signs is significant enough to be noted.--Wehwalt 10:36, 2 August 2007 (UTC)
Everytime you enter a new county, the sign posts look like county-road signs (the triangular blue), and tell you the county you are entering. This is found for every county transversed on the Parkway, and the Parkway is the only road in the state of New Jersey to do this.24.149.197.132
It may be unique, but it seems more like trivia than encyclopedic content. --TMF Let's Go Mets - Stats 05:33, 4 August 2007 (UTC)
A Virginian and a New Yorker disagree. Well, I'd like to hear a few New Jerseyans weigh in on this. 24.149.197.132 05:53, 4 August 2007 (UTC)
Well, excuse me, but I lived in New Jersey until I was 24.--Wehwalt 10:39, 4 August 2007 (UTC)
I'm a Jerseyan as well, and I too, think this is a trivial thing, not something of earth-shattering importance and not meriting a separate section (and yes, before you decide to be rude and try to impeach my character by saying I live in Florida, I was born in NJ and lived in Oldmans for 20 years...what you did was incredibly rude and uncalled for, 24.149....) EaglesFanInTampa 18:34, 4 August 2007 (UTC)
No need to be so touchy, lighten up. I never said it needed its own section, maybe just a sentence. I live in NJ, drive the Parkway all the time, and thought that was an interesting observation as no other roads have such signs. Now, brace yourself, is there anyone here who actually lives in New Jersey (not used to live, but actually still does)?
As a New Jerseyan I'd be interested in seeing the item added, but first I'd like to see the source that describes these unique signs and confirms that this is the only New Jersey roadway to do this. Alansohn 03:06, 6 August 2007 (UTC)
Does this page help by any chance?Rmsuperstar99 00:06, 22 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] 71.187.219.166 edits

This user seems to be trying to insert subtle errors into the article. Be vigilan--Wehwalt 22:42, 22 August 2007 (UTC)t.

[edit] Proposed route description rewrite

As User:Daniel Case is doing with US 20 (NY), I am in the early process of starting a rewrite of my own route description on this article. The following sections are:

1.Southern terminus to Atlantic City - Exits 0 - 40 (Cape May to Atlantic City) and its sub-sections.

1a.Cape May to Avalon - Exits 0 - 13
1b.Avalon to Linwood - Exits 17 - 30
1c.Atlantic City - Exits 36 - 40

2.Egg Harbor to Toms River - Exits 44 - 82 and its subsections.

2a.Egg Harbor to Tuckerton - Exits 44 - 58
2b.Manahawkin to Forked River - Exits 63 - 74
2c.Forked River to Toms River - Exits 77 - 83

3.Lakewood to Sayreville - Exits 88 - 123 and its subsections.

3a.Lakewood to Wall Township - Exits 88 - 98
3b.Neptune to Red Bank - Exits 100, 100A/B - 109
3c.Homdel to Sayreville - Exits 114 - 123

4.South Amboy to Cranford - Exits 124 - 137 and its subsections.

4a.South Amboy to Perth Amboy - Exits 124 - 127
4b.Woodbridge to Cranford - Exits 129 - 137

5.Kenilworth to Clifton - Exits 138 - 155 and its subsections.

5a.Kenilworth to Irvington - Exits 138 - 143
5b.East Orange to Clifton - Exits 144 - 155

6.Saddle Brook to NY State Line - Exits 156 - 172 and its subsections.

7.New York - The 982L segment of the GSP.

These may change, so don't expect above to be the final result. I'll start tomorrow if no one objects.Mitch32contribs 23:12, 19 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] "Route Description"

It seems that the "Route description" is a little too long. It talks all about the interchanges. Isn't that why we have the exit list? Mlaurenti 19:16, January 2nd 2008 (Rome) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mlaurenti (talk • contribs) 18:17, 2 January 2008 (UTC)