I-90 toll road

I am printing off some maps for the trip and to mikes place for Friday and it looks like I-90 is a toll road in New York.
Is this the type where you have to constantly throw change every few miles, or do you get an entrance ticket and pay when you exit?

Any idea where the tolls start coming east from ohio? Any idea how much it might cost?

Without getting into my loathing for tolls on top of roads that are built with federal tax dollars I seldom travel them.

Entrance ticket, exit pay is how NYS works it. I think you get your first ticket at or near the PA State line, then you pay in Lackawanna (near Buffalo), Then get another ticket in Williamsville (other side of Buffalo), and pay when you exit. You are looking at $6.60 in total to Canandaigua exit (#44). If going to Geneva (#42) then the total is $7.55.

Hope this helps.

Mike

You get a ticket when you get on, and pay when you get off. We go east to west, probably about 200 miles. Don't remember exactly but somewhere around 6 to 8 dollars.

Tom

200OZ wrote:

Entrance ticket, exit pay is how NYS works it. I think you get your first ticket at or near the PA State line, then you pay in Lackawanna (near Buffalo), Then get another ticket in Williamsville (other side of Buffalo), and pay when you exit. You are looking at $6.60 in total to Canandaigua exit (#44). If going to Geneva (#42) then the total is $7.55.

Hope this helps.

Mike

helps a lot. at least with the ticket type you can pay with a credit card.

I blew thru the easy pass lanes in Kansas once because they had no attendants and I had no coin in the car.

No, no credit cards accepted at the booths. Cash or EZ Pass only. Stay out of the EZ Pass lanes if you don't have EZ Pass, Look for the Green lights above the cash lanes. EZ Pass lanes the lights flash yellow.

EZ Pass lanes have relatively high speed cameras that get your plate # if you go through with out a EZ Pass tag. A bill comes your way a few weeks later for the maximum amount of tolls, which is about $25.00.

As another option, Route #20 that starts in Depew, runs through a bunch of towns and eventually leads you to Canandaigua. Not a bad way to skip some of the tolls. Route #5 just out of Batavia is good too. The Thruway is the fastest route. You're usually safe going 75 mph on the Thruway too.

Toll roads and speed enforcement are the two reasons I hate driving thru some states.
For the most part here in Michigan if you are not doing at least 75 you will get run over.

When I bought my wagon in Virginia we took a more direct route home from the Smithsonian. 12 miles of toll road in Maryland cost me close to $5. pennsylvania was like prison rape as well. ohio was around $20 but that was for over 200 miles. Although I counted 27 police cars on that 200 miles, at least they were up from 65 to 70.

So looking at the map it looks like I-86 is also an option, and if I can believe what little I find on the internet, it is not a toll road. I may take that and then shoot up along one of the finger lakes.
I toured the area in a past life with wife 1.0 and it was some beautiful country.

the only good thing with ez pass is u get a discount compared to cash

frederickflintstone wrote:

So looking at the map it looks like I-86 is also an option,   and if I can believe what little I find on the internet, it is not a toll road. I may take that and then shoot up along one of the finger lakes.

Be cautious of RT 14 this weekend. Recall that the reason we aren't doing the hot laps at the track is that they have a full weekend of vintage racing going on. Anticipate that Rt 14  both to and through the Glen will very busy, and thick with traffic on a one lane road. My personal suggestion... Bite the bullet and just do the thruway (I-90) or risk delays by a gazillion camping trailers getting to the track.

I-86 will pass through some pretty country. If you are coming that way, grab RT 54 north out of BATH NY. It will cut a diagonal northeasterly to ,RT 14 well above Watkins Glen, half way up Seneca Lake on the way to Geneva.

 

Thruway is the best way. Straight shot and really no cops to speak of. Did 80+ the whole way there and back last year. But use your best judgement of course

lakeffect wrote:

frederickflintstone wrote:

So looking at the map it looks like I-86 is also an option,   and if I can believe what little I find on the internet, it is not a toll road. I may take that and then shoot up along one of the finger lakes.

Be cautious of RT 14 this weekend. Recall that the reason we aren't doing the hot laps at the track is that they have a full weekend of vintage racing going on. Anticipate that Rt 14  both to and through the Glen will very busy, and thick with traffic on a one lane road. My personal suggestion... Bite the bullet and just do the thruway (I-90) or risk delays by a gazillion camping trailers getting to the track.

I-86 will pass through some pretty country. If you are coming that way, grab RT 54 north out of BATH NY. It will cut a diagonal  northeasterly to  ,RT 14 well above Watkins Glen, half way up Seneca Lake on the way to Geneva.

 

After I typed that I gave the wife the option of a side trip to Niagara falls. although I have seen it 3 times with wife 1.0 she has never been east of cedar point ohio so she is leaning hard on the Niagara side trip.

IIRC the area south west of the finger lakes region is wine country and I toured several wineries. it made wife 1.0 bearable. I was considering it as a scenic option. forgetting that my wife and child have not seen the big falls. all my trips there were way before 911 when they just waved you across and welcomed your tourist dollars.

if we had passports the trip thru Canada would save me an hour and a half drive.

If I had to drive here from any distance east or west of Geneva, I'd take I-90 and just pay the toll. The toll is the price you pay for being able to use your cruise control for 200 miles if you like, no wear and tear on the brakes, no road rage, and cruising at near 80 mph just to stay with the flow of traffic. Find a knucklehead with a radar detector and a red car, and you can lurk 300 yds behind, keep your eye on his brake lights, and travel at whatever speed he likes, and let him get the ticket. It's my preferred way to drive across NY to and from Geneva. Been doing that way for 30 years.

Truth!

If you are side tripping to the falls, You'll be using I-90. Doesn't make sense any other way.