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If I were not born and raised the area, free I-90 and exit 24 would confuse the hell out of me. Going east, you have to take exit 24 to stay on I-90? Going west, it seems like you have to exit to stay on I-90 or you will end up in NYC or Montreal.
One of the ideas the state has kicked around for years is having I-90 and I-88 be concurrent from 25A to 24, then re-designating Free I-90 as I-88, and having I-90 and I-87 concurrent between exit 24 and 21A, where I-90 would then cross the Hudson River. I-88 would terminate at exit B1, meaning I-90 would never leave the Thruway in New York.
Is this a solid idea, or are things fine the way they are? And more intriguingly, is this idea just a money grab from the Thruway Authority? The Thruway Authority's own studies show that a rational driver earning the median wage who is going that way anyway should choose free I-90 over the Thruway. But it is nonetheless illogical that I-90 briefly leaves and then rejoins the Thruway.
The Thruway consists of I90 and I87. Local people don't have any issue with the free part of 90 nor do they have an issue with the Northway. It all makes sense and works. Even if you're not from the area, what's the problem? It's free!
And why 88???? It doesn't go the same direction and it dies when it hits 90. It's a connector. That's all it will ever be. Also the thruway keeps going for awhile after 88 hits it.
Plenty of places have interstates and highways that I don't understand. Some are only called inner and outer loops. Confuses me since I'm only there for a day, but that's what GPS's are for nowadays. Or use a map!
The Thruway is the portion of I87 south of Albany and the portion of I90 west of Albany. Albany based perception? Try a fact. And I'm not from Albany.
That refers only to the Thruway mainline. In Buffalo there is I-190 which is Thruway, in the NYC area there is the Garden State spur and I-287, and in Albany itself there is the Berkshire spur which is briefly not I-90.
I hate myself for being such a nerd who knows these facts and I'm not trying to humiliate anyone. It is inconvenient to be so smart and it stresses me in my daily life because my knowledge is constantly worthless and only burdens me, and I'm not bragging, just being honest lol.
Wow, I will wholeheartedly respond to this when I have more time, hopefully tomorrow. We will discuss "exit culture", taxes, continuity, history of the Thruway, the Interstate highway system since the 1950's, people who drove to Utica when there intended to go to Quebec, Crossgates Mall, mileage based freeways, I -687, the Northway, why there are are tolls sixteen years after the road should have been paid off, why there is no Exit 3; did I miss anything???
Wow, I will wholeheartedly respond to this when I have more time, hopefully tomorrow. We will discuss "exit culture", taxes, continuity, history of the Thruway, the Interstate highway system since the 1950's, people who drove to Utica when there intended to go to Quebec, Crossgates Mall, mileage based freeways, I -687, the Northway, why there are are tolls sixteen years after the road should have been paid off, why there is no Exit 3; did I miss anything???
OMG best post ever
The mysterious exit 3. I heard if you say Bloody Mary three times while looking in your rear view mirror it magically appears.
I do not support labeling this section of highway as I-88. As an even number less than 90, it really should never be north of I-90. The section of I-90 from Thruway exit 24 to exit B-1 would be better served as an I-x90. However, there are no I-x90s available in NY state; they are all already in use (I-190, I-290....I-990). Perhaps give it a number like I-687 (a killed off proposed highway from the 1950's).
I actually support going mileage based like most other states. Exit numbers on I-90 would start at the PA line and end up in the 400 range at the MA line. I-87 would start in the NYC area and end at around 300 at the Canadian border. The exit numbers would be new, and much higher but would allow for easier calculations en-route, so you always know how far you have to go to your destination exit.
Ultimately I would like to see the Thruway authority abolished and the current exit 24 interchange completely redesigned with I-87 and I-90 intersecting each other in a normal fashion ( I-87 northbound toward Albany would seamlessly become the Northway, but I-87 and I-90 would overlap between current exits 24 and 21A.)
Oh, and with no tollbooths. New York residents already pay some of the highest tax taxes in the nation. Why do they have to pay extra to drive on certain roads?
And a missing exit 3 wouldn't matter if I-87 became mileage based. The Wolf Road exit would become something like exit 158.
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The Thruway Authority's own studies show that a rational driver earning the median wage who is going that way anyway should choose free I-90 over the Thruway. But it is nonetheless illogical that I-90 briefly leaves and then rejoins the Thruway.
