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Location: Earth, a nice neighborhood in the Milky Way
3,864 posts, read 2,747,567 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hollytree
Thanks- Good to know. RI Turnpike and Bridge Authority. Even though it is no longer a turnpike.
What turnpike did they operate? To my knowledge, RITBA has never managed a turnpike. They did start out with the Mt. Hope bridge though. I have heard this from several septuagenarian native Rhode Islanders.
As far as I know, the “turnpike” part of the moniker was aspirational at best.
What turnpike did they operate? To my knowledge, RITBA has never managed a turnpike. They did start out with the Mt. Hope bridge though. I have heard this from several septuagenarian native Rhode Islanders.
As far as I know, the “turnpike” part of the moniker was aspirational at best.
I belive the pike part comes from blocking a road with a long pike and then swinging it open when the toll is collected. These would have been operated manually.
Location: Earth, a nice neighborhood in the Milky Way
3,864 posts, read 2,747,567 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hollytree
I believe turnpike just means toll road.
Agreed. What toll road did they operate? I am unaware of any toll roads, just one former and one current bridge.
From the link I posted above: “ The Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority (RITBA) operates and maintains the Mount Hope Bridge, the Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge, Route 138 through Jamestown, the Claiborne Pell Bridge (Newport Bridge) and the Sakonnet River Bridge. ”
I belive the pike part comes from blocking a road with a long pike and then swinging it open when the toll is collected. These would have been operated manually.
Where I am from we called a toll bridge a toll bridge. We would not have made the distinction of “turnpike and bridge” to refer to a toll bridge.
John Loughlin, a former CD1 candidate and Rhode Island native who ran against Cicciline, jokingly calls RITBA the RI Turnpike, Bridge, and Space Shuttle Authority, arguing that since there is no Turnpike run by them, you might as well add in other big money projects they don't currently operate.
I imagine the name is rooted in history, when RI had toll roads (or turnpikes) running throughout (Putnam Pike, etc.). Those were privately owned when built.
But at this point we are solely nitpicking. I don't think most care that "turnpike" is still in the name any more than "plantations" was in the state's name (until people have recently been on a quest to erase history).
I imagine the name is rooted in history, when RI had toll roads (or turnpikes) running throughout (Putnam Pike, etc.). Those were privately owned when built.
But at this point we are solely nitpicking. I don't think most care that "turnpike" is still in the name any more than "plantations" was in the state's name (until people have recently been on a quest to erase history).
The agency wasn't created until 1954. It never oversaw any turnpike. The 1st bridge it oversaw was the Mt Hope Bridge, then the Newport Bridge. In 2013, they gained oversight of the Jamestown Bridge and a portion of 138 - neither have tolls and were state controlled.
So do they own the Sakonnet River bridge, or not? I've seen it come up under both the RITBA as well as the DOT. Did it maybe go back and forth back whenever they were collecting tolls there?
Location: Earth, a nice neighborhood in the Milky Way
3,864 posts, read 2,747,567 times
Reputation: 1631
Quote:
Originally Posted by sandsonik
The agency wasn't created until 1954. It never oversaw any turnpike. The 1st bridge it oversaw was the Mt Hope Bridge, then the Newport Bridge. In 2013, they gained oversight of the Jamestown Bridge and a portion of 138 - neither have tolls and were state controlled.
Some bureaucrat created that name "just in case"
Yes. That is why I suggest it was aspirational.
The transfer of jurisdiction over a section of 138, from RIDOT to RITBA, was due to the (aborted) plan for tolls over the Sakonnet River Bridge.
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