Why the New Jersey Turnpike is GENIUS and Other States Should COPY It 

I'd like to be clear on one point here. The NJ Turnpike (and the Garden State Parkway, managed by the same authority, and the Atlantic City Expressway which isn't) does in fact contribute sizable funds each year to state public transit projects. Which in turn acts to divert commuters, particularly in the northernmost sections of the turnpike, from using the turnpike to keep road capacity available, all without any risk of running out of funds to maintaint he Turnpike (and Parkway, etc).

One of the things not mentioned in the video, and it's a little hard to tell here, is that the NJ Turnpike Authority decided many years ago to exceed the federal lane stripe standard. Per USDOT, lane stripes are 10 feet long and 4 inches wide, with a 30 foot gap (40 feet from any point in a lane stripe to the same point in the next stripe). The Turnpike and Parkway use 20-foot lane stripes that are 6 inches wide, with 20-foot gaps. Those longer wider stripes are an absolute asset at night and/or in poor weather.

I grew up in NJ and I’ve always felt that we should be proud of the Turnpike. Nice to see someone from outside the NY metro area confirm that. I’ve driven up and down the east coast for decades so I have a strong basis for comparison.

The electronic toll collection was a huge improvement. Back in the '70s and even the '80s, it was not unusual to be in a toll booth lane for 10 minutes.

I have traveled the NJ Turnpike countless times, especially in my younger years when I lived back east. One thing worth noting is that if your car breaks down on the Turnpike, the Turnpike Authority has a towing service in place to get your car to a repair shop. No charge for this service as the toll you pay subsidizes the service!

I regularly take the Jersey Turnpike when I drive up from Maryland to see family in NYC. It’s an insanely smooth and very well-maintained road. They did a great job planning and managing it.

As someone who lives in NJ, I can confirm it's importance and excellent design

One other thing to remember about the turnpike rest stops is that the state government and the authority have been adding EV charging stations at each stop. So if you need a 20-30 minute charge, a short meal, cup of coffee, a bathroom break or other necessary stop can fuel up you and the car! Way to go Jersey!

NJ Driver here. Uber driver, to be specific, so I've generally used these roads ALL the time. Primarily operating in the Philly/South Jersey/Delaware areas, but I drive in North Jersey on occasion. Believe it or not, the part where you got onto the turnpike from I-295 (I believe Exit 7-A? It's been a while since I've taken that exit) wasn't always separated. Back in 2012, when I lived in Central Jersey (was a student at Rutgers New Brunswick) and taking the TP to commute back home to south jersey on a weekly basis, that part of the turnpike was still only 3 by 3 and the extra lanes were still under construction. The "Cars Only" part *was* the turnpike, and the current "Cars, Trucks, Buses" were still being built. The biggest trouble the construction ran into was having to basically rebuild EVERY bridge over the turnpike to accommodate these extra six lanes. I mostly mention this, because you mentioned it was a good idea about how poor mixing vehicles is and how you liked the Cars Only concept. It's relatively recent (to my knowledge) and hopefully the concept does pick up in other, heavily congested areas, to help alleviate traffic flow. Also, guiltily, depending on time of the day, it's actually clearer on the Cars/Trucks/Buses lane, 'cause every single car out there will take the Cars Only and congest it while I'm one of the only cars in the outer lanes with a freer traffic flow (and truck drivers generally aren't jerks that swap lanes last second, usually without a turn signal), so it's arguably safer. At certain times of day, of course. It takes years of driving these roads to really get an intuition on it, so I can't exactly put it into words, sorry... The part of the turnpike in the lower half of the state really isn't that much faster than taking I-295 like you did (from the Delaware Memorial Bridge to roughly the area you got on) and you might save 5-10 minutes on an average day. The only time you'd really prefer to use it is if you're traveling during rush hour. The Exit 26-27 area of I-295 gets INSANELY congested because of the I-295/I-76/SR-42 (and Atlantic City Expressway)/SR-55 conglomeration in that tiny little area that has been under construction since I got my license in 2007, lol. The turnpike neatly bypasses that horror show, saving you probably 20+ minutes if you're unfortunate enough to be close to Philly between 6:30-8:00AM or 4:30-6:30PM M-F. Philly workers all mob I-295 to their local neighborhoods while the TP remains mostly.. unaffected. As for the bathrooms being clean and the impressiveness of the rest stops, most of the I-95 rest stops (at least around here) are clean and well taken care of. The one in Delaware, during the 10-ish miles you're in that state, is great both because it's cheaper than most places, Delaware's gas is cheaper than NJ or Maryland, and there's no state sales tax for if you want to buy fast food or hit up the convenience store. (Although, I would say just take Exit 3 off to DE-273 and hit up one of those gas stations for WAY cheaper gas that's less than a mile away from the interstate. Going toward Harmony Road right off the exit and taking that to DE-4 to get a hell of a sub from Capriotti's is worth the five-minute detour.) Further down I-95, in Maryland, the Chesapeake House is probably one of the biggest and cleanest rest houses around. The few times I've driven a customer to Baltimore (or the general area, or further to Washington D.C.), I've stopped there for a bit to stretch and grab a bite before resuming the journey back to Jersey. As for sleeping in the car in the NJ rest stop, if you're doing a solo road trip, sleeping in your car isn't the most uncomfortable prospect. I've done it before, lmao. Plus, a lot of people generally pass through between Boston and Orlando (Boston being a 6-hour drive north from where I am and Orlando being about 15 hours south). Some people try to make it in two shots.. The traffic meeting between I-80 and I-95 is a true clusterfluff during rush hour.. but right before at Exit 14, when I-78 runs into I-95.. that's a big influx of traffic as well and it contributes heavily to the jam at 80/95. ... oh, there is a LOT of left lane hogging in the NJTP in the cars-only section. The speed limit might be 65 and you might think you're not hogging doing 75 in the left lane, but trust me when I say there are people who want to do more who get frustrated at you not getting out of the left lane. Many accidents are caused by people getting frustrated and weaving through the right two lanes to get ahead of the 75MPH hog while the hog always has a smug smile of "haha, I am preventing people from speeding" thinking they're wannabe police or law enforcement, instead of active hazards on the road. The lack of exits is actually a great thing that's taken care of by I-295 (lower half of the state) and the Garden State Parkway (to a MUCH lesser degree in the upper half of the state). You can even see on the map that past the middle of the state and New Brunswick, the exits clump up, 'cause I-295 isn't running parallel anymore to dump off local traffic. The tolling actually doesn't completely cover the roads, either. About 5-ish years ago, NJ had a 23c/gallon Gas Tax hike to help pay for road maintenance here. We went from one of the lowest gas taxes in the country to one of the highest overnight... on top of a ridiculously expensive car registration fee. Plus, motorcyclists are charged a registration fee that's almost double the vehicle registration fee. This is all for "road maintenance", which, in reality, is just roadwork in North Jersey. We usually don't get to see too much work on our roads down here... even though we contribute.

In the event of a breakdown or accident that stops traffic it is such a bummer to be stuck sitting there watching the traffic on the other roadway sail along but conversely it is such a joy if you're in the roadway that is clear.

As a NJ native, this video brought me great joy. The NJTP is iconic, and I love it. Great video!👍🏾

New Jerseyan here, we love our driving. We know maps by roads instead of cities or destinations. We ask what exit people are from, instead of what town, because that means more to us. We drive the pace of traffic and ignore speed limit signs. Its a beautiful state north south west and east all different too.

Another thing that would greatly help relive stress from the turnpike is the northeast corridor, the fastest rail line in the US. For people going into the city, esp in central Jersey, taking the train is the best option since an express train takes only about 1.5 hours or less to get to Penn station in Manhattan. And during rush hour, these are double decker trains getting packed in every half hour, so those are a lot of people that aren’t contributing to traffic in New York or on the turnpike

What impresses me about the NJTP is the fact that they didn't build it on the cheap. They designed a roadway that is probably about as advanced as you can possibly design a limited-access roadway with not only separate roads for cars/ trucks but also the separate on and off ramps feeding those separated roads. I don't believe I have seen any other road anywhere with that feature.

NJ civil engineer here who has actually designed parts of the NJ Turnpike (Int 18X & the mainline around Int 6 incl. the new merge/diverge) Couple of things - 1) the NJ Tpk is 4 lanes from the start to Int 4, then 6 lanes to the new split south of Int 6, then 3-3-3-3 until Int 11. From Int 11 to the southern mixing bowl it's 4-3-3-4, with the 4th lane dropping through Int 13. North of the mixing bowl it gets complicated. 2) Technically I-95 is on the Eastern spur and NJDOT designates I-95W for the western spur. AASHTO doesn't recognize a I-95W 3) the NJ Turnpike uses 12ft shoulders 4) the NJDOT built I-95 north of US-46 to the GWB. It later sold the roadway to the Turnpike Authority who now maintains it 5) the turnpike authority sends $1.25B annually to NJ Transit. It'll also send $$ to help fund the Gateway Project

I lived in northern Delaware for 23 years, so I've traveled the NJTP many times. I've also driven through 47 US states. So I have a deep basis for comparison and can confirm that NJTP is indeed a shining example of good roadway design.

This is what I-95 in Virginia needs between Richmond and Washington D.C!

One important feature is that the exits on the Turnpike are primarily made from the right-hand lane. This isn't the case in a lot of other States. People slowing down in the left lane to exit can really screw up traffic. Knowing that the exit will be on the right-hand side of the roadway keeps exiting traffic out of the way of through traffic as the exiting drivers can properly anticipate which side of the road they need to get over to. The Exits are also simply numbered so if you are passing Exit 10 you know you have to get to the right for Exit 11. When roadways use names instead of numbers and the exit might be from either side of the road, unfamiliar drivers end up doing all kinds of crazy maneuvers trying to make an exit at the last minute.

Respect for pronouncing Newark like a local!

I've been traveling the NJTP my whole life en route to Massachusetts, upstate NY, and NYC/Long Island, Across decades I've stopped at every service plaza, and they all rock. It is a great road, and a bargain, not least compared to the nightmare tolls of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. NJTP, as you saw, is very well maintained, also unlike the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

The thing I always loved about the NJ Tpk was that it carried all the trucks, keeping them off of the Garden State Parkway. Having had truck-flung rocks smash my windshield so many times through the years, I avoid them like the plague.

Turnpike Hack: 295 parallels for quite a while in south Jersey. Traffic isn't bad on 295 in south jersey. To minimize tolls and maximize efficiency, you can get off 295 N and switch to 95 N at Rt 206 in Bordentown and continue up to North Jersey. It's the closest and most convenient point to transfer. Same for heading south.

4:20 That rest area was recently renovated. There are a number of other new ones and some currently being demolished and rebuilt. As a pilot I’ve used the NJTP regularly since 2007 to commute from Delaware to Newark Liberty. About 4 years ago I had 2 trips that would allow me to drive to Dulles and save myself 2 days out of a 5 day trip. In paper both EWR and IAD are practically equidistant from home. In reality the drive west through Maryland and DC is inconsistent and stressful. I never realized how much better the drive is on the NJTP until that time. The only downside is that the NJTP is tolled. Thank you for your video.

Im a 67 year old lifelong New Yorker who lives on the New Jersey boarder. This commentator is spot on. You never mind paying tolls on the New Jersey Turnpike or the Garden State Parkway because they’re so well maintained, you couldn’t find a pothole if you tried. The New York State Thruway, which is also a toll road is a joke compared to these New Jersey highways. New Jersey does a much better job than New York in maintaining, reinvesting and always improving their highways.

Driven through the NJ Turnpike a few times and one thing I have to say is that, I never encountered traffic even during rush hours.

Regularly drove the NJTP many years ago. It looked like no other road in the US. Had a tour of their HQ and Control Center in 1978. It was amazing. They measured speed and volume. That alerted them to potential problems and Emergency Services were dispatched. Many of the overhead signs were changeable and set to rotate so a car passing one sign while changing would find the next doing the same. They could change the type of traffic on the inner & outrer roadways to balance traffic during disruptions. The NJ Turnpike has always been the leader in traffic engineering!

I live in LA and you nailed it on the left lane hog point you made. We have 12 lane freeways here and slow drivers always keep left. They prefer a wide open lane to themselves while either matching speed or driving at a slower speed than drivers on the right. They create bottlenecks that would be eliminated if they simply kept the same speed they were already driving and merging right and continuing to follow the flow of traffic. I consistantly see 6 lanes of cars driving side by side at exactly the same speed blocking all traffic from getting around. Adding insult to injury, these same drivers keep in the left lane until the absolute last second. They will come to a complete stop on a flowing freeway, waiting for somebody to let them merge 5 lanes over so they can make their exit at the last second. This creates a ripple effect miles down the freeway as drivers have to stop to let them in to make their exits. I used to be a huge proponent of adding more lanes to freeways but judging by the way people drive it would make things even worse.

NJ Turnpike is truly an engineering marvel. Its design is ahead of its time and provides an example of how a controlled access highway should be built. Never appreciated it as much growing up in NYC/North Jersey but once I moved away I am amazed at is awesomeness!!! 🛣️

As a resident of Long Island who frequently travels off of it, while I hate the tolls, most NJ roads are a pleasure compared to NYS. The turnpike has gotten expensive though over the last 10 years, and while the rest stops have either been rebuilt or are in the process of being rebuilt, HMS Host, which operates them charge for food like it is an airport, sometimes more. The rest stops are airport grade though.

As a trucker who drives the turnpike almost daily, its is my fav road to be on. Traffic does move for most of the time and the rest stops are top notch compared to most

One thing I've alway's liked about the Turnpike vs the Garden State Parkway is the Turnpike collects tolls when you exit it. There are no intermediate toll stations (unlike the Garden State). Those intermediate toll collection stations (even the automated ones) always screw up traffic flow.

Using that section of I-81 to exemplify how traffic flow can suffer when mixing big rigs and passenger vehicles was a perfect example. I drive it every day and it's always a challenge. I've driven the NJ TPK dozens of times and always loved the dedicated lanes it provides. But you really have to be paying attention when you get to that split for the GW Bridge and Lincoln Tunnel!

I have been driving for 45+ years and at the very start was driving box trucks up and down the NJTP, it has come a LONG way in those 45 years. I have travelled it extensively in many different jobs and family scenarios and find exactly as you said, they've planned it well. In 1985 when I first started a long commute from South Jersey to Exit 9 of the turnpike it was not the best route to take as the car/truck split was just south of my work exit. Over the years they have moved that split much further south and now it is much more manageable. As you stated, when the car/truck lanes combine south bound there is I-295 to take up some of that traffic. Also the lane sizes and striping have made it a much more comfortable drive any time of day or night. Just take exit 11 and go north on the Garden State Parkway and that will make you appreciate the lane sizes and marking of the NJTP! Over the years I have been to 46 of the 50 states in the US and I have never found a roadway that works as well as the NJTP. Of course there are always anomalies that can cause traffic headaches on the Turnpike, but those can be anywhere. We travel down south from South Jersey (to GA, NC & SC where our grandkids are) and the frustration of a 2 lane I-95 can be extreme as you stated in your video. I found your video to be very well done and you explain things very well. Looking forward to viewing more of your videos, and I'm now a subscriber! Thanks.

I agree with your analysis of the NJ Turnpike. My wife and I were there at the end of last month and, despite the huge amount of traffic, our experience while on it was one of the easiest parts of our trip to Maine. The restrooms at the Wilson Service Center rival Buc-ee's for cleanliness and availability.

Very cool to see my home state featured, especially a roadway that I use every day. Minor point of order - the Pulaski Skyway is not part of the NJ Turnpike - it's part of Route 9, that leads into the Holland Tunnel. It doesn't run along the eastern section of the Turnpike, but rather the Route 14 Extension (you call it the Newark Bay Spur, but I've never heard it referred to that way) that goes into the Holland Tunnel. But hard agree that the GWB section of the NJT is a nightmare. Also our rest stops got a pretty significant makeover over the last ten years or so. They used to be a bit dumpier, and looked more like something out of 1970 than 2023. But they're much nicer now.

The NJTP is by far one of the best road designs I've ever traveled

A long stretch of the turnpike north of I-195 had a huge overhaul about 10-15 years ago. It took years to complete as a construction mess but it seems to have worked out pretty well. Now that 295/76/42 mess over in Camden county is a totally different story.

I love that the clip about the mix of cars and heavy trucks leading to poor traffic flow showed I-81 in VA, which is about the only interstate I've been on that delivers white-knuckle driving in any weather 365 days a year. While I'm not a big fan of the southern 4-lane portion of the NJT, even that stretch isn't so bad after spending 3 hours on I-95 from Richmond to DC and another 2 hours in Maryland where the left lane is the slow lane, and the right one's for maniacs. Passing Exit 5 feels good. Whatever the signs say, the speed limit seems to be 80 - 85 as long as you aren't being a knucklehead, tailgaters are few and far between, and you can set the cruise and relax a little until you're approaching Newark. Traffic gets heavy but keeps moving ok until you hit the backups caused by the crossings into NYC. I'm usually headed into Brooklyn via the Outer Bridge crossing and Staten Island, which generally isn't quite as bad as the tunnels or the GWB. 100% agreed, the Turnpike is the best road for making time A to B that I've driven.

I remember when the NJTpk was first opened (I was 8 years old in 1951)...we were AGOG! Only about two hours to NYC from Philly (where we lived). It was INCREDIBLE!

Being from Nj, one common theme is that people tell you where they live by what exit of the NJTP you are from. I'm from Exit 1. A local brewery even made different beers named for the exits. Having a GF from NYC also means I have traveled the entire length many times in both directions. I agree, I have yet to drive on a better highway anywhere in the US, and I have driven on highways in Maine, Florida, Mighigan, Ohio, NY, Nevada, NC, DE, MD, PA, and others I am forgetting.

Riding on the NJTP was one of my fondest memories road tripping as a kid during vacations. The retro sign designs (before they took it down and replace it during the last decade), the wide lanes and the lane markings, and especially the service areas with the food and fuel. Probably the most frequent one i went to was the Walt Whitman SP on the SB side. The turnpike is definitely a great example of how a highway should be.

The only bad thing about the NJ turnpike are the horrendous toll plazas at exits 13, 14 and 15. So awful to get into the correct lane for where you’re going. One correction from the video: NJ turnpike currently still allows cash payments; you get a ticket when you enter the turnpike and submit the ticket when you exit, paying cash for the distance you traveled. NJTPA has announced plans to migrate to all-electronic open-road tolling which will hopefully eliminate the horrible toll plazas. I use the turnpike regularly to go exactly 1 exit; from Goethals Bridge (exit 13) to I-78 (exit 14) and back. The toll is about $2 and saves about 15 minutes compared to using US-1/9. Worth it.

Great video, glad to have "found" your channel. Thanks for your hard work.

I ❤ the NJ TP! I used it when moving up to Maine. Like you, the service plazas blew me away. Great video!

Just a heads up but there are more than 18 exits as you travel the main path. There were 18 originally, but when others were added they were given an additional letter instead of renumbering the whole thing. There should be 20-21 exits depending on whether you go east or west at the top.

I agree with you about it being a well-designed road, everything from the jersey barriers to drive right pass left.

I think highway planners in densely-populated developing countries should visit and study the NJTP to see how highways are done efficiently. I think the State of New Jersey should offer that as an international service.

these videos are informative and relaxing. thanks so much for making them!

Been on the turnpike a few times in my life, but most recently this past month. Everything you said is accurate, including the sadness at the end when you reach the GW. I should also mention another thing about the turnpike that you don't mention, which is that unlike many highways in the northeast, the NJTP barely has any curves, and the few curves it does have don't require any speed reduction. I think that plays a huge role in the flow of traffic. The only place there are considerable turns is right around when it's abeam Manhattan, but even then it's manageable.

Excellent video on the NJ turnpike! Please do a video on the Boston area - some suggestions include: 1. The Big Dig (central artery tunnel and Ted Williams tunnel) 2. The horribly designed I-93 Southeast expressway from the central artery to the Braintree split 3. The inefficient clover leaf interchange between I-93 and I-95 in Woburn 4. Route 128 in its entirety 5. The design of the Mass Pike

I travel the entire length of the NJ turnpike regularly. What an amazing video! But a few things you got wrong about the roadway. One third of the turnpike (the southern portion) is a crappy 4-lane divided highway that hasn't been updated since it was built. That's right -- all that traffic from 6 lanes goes down to 3 (at the PA Turnpike exit), and then down to 2(!) at Exit 4. For nearly 40 miles. It is often backed-up and becomes a traffic jam, especially at the two merge points (6 > 3 and then 3 > 2). It is extremely frustrating the southern portion of the turnpike hasn't seen any attention in nearly 60+ years. When heading north, Waze or an equivalent GPS or map app will tell you which spur to take as you head to GWB. Sometimes the eastern spur is faster, and other times the western spur is faster. Same with what level to take on GWB itself (upper or lower level). Even if you know your route, the real-time traffic data these apps provide is invaluable to get you through these traffic tie-ups as quickly as possible. (For the past few years, the GWB has just been a virtual parking lot no matter the time of day or day of the week -- it is way beyond its useful capacity and the roadways around it regularly get clogged up with traffic.) Good luck!

im from jersey and when i was a kid, the turnpike was most hated. and also the most boring part of trips from down south to the garden state parkway. its great to see how much its improved. great video.

Having driven (or being in cars driven) on the NJTP more times that I can remember, I agree that the road is one of the best, especially when compared to surrounding states (the PA Turnpike isn't great). The only thing I'd add is that if your destination is beyond NYC (e.g., Connecticut), switch to the Garden State Parkway to the NYS Thurway at some point... no matter what your GPS tells you.

As a trucker, my favorite roads to drive on when it comes to high traffic are roads like the NJ Turnpike, Chicago's Dan Ryan Expressway and the 401 in Toronto.

Excellent vide, Mike. I'm originally from Long Island, and so have driven on the New Jersey Turnpike more times than I can recall. I have used the rest stops, which are very good. Now, for the past five years I've lived in Palm Beach County, Florida. As a result, I have the opportunity of using a free highway, I-95, and a toll highway, the Florida Turnpike. As you described in your video, I find that I-95, because of the large number of exits, and their frequency, tends to cause more drivers to use it as a local road, and to have greater congestion. Meanwhile, the Florida Turnpike has fewer exits, thus reducing its use for local traffic, although they are still too frequent, plus since it is only three lanes south of West Palm Beach (formerly south of Lake Worth), there is still a lot of congestion north of where I live, thus reducing the advantage of driving on it.

As a NJ Uber driver I frequent the GSP daily and after traveling to other states I no longer take it for granted! It's a beautifully well-thought out logistics solutions. Kudos to bringing light to it!

The Garden State Parkway that runs parallel the coast is fantastic! Would love to see an episode dedicated to this road and the different beach/offshore communities there are along it.

1:10 The best thing that happened to the NJTP was extending the 3+3 lanes further south to the PA Turnpike extension. (Also Pennsylvania recently built a direct connection from the PA extension to I-95) thus the I-95 path/naming scheme. Labor Day weekend, etc. used to get 5-mile backups on the southbound lanes where the northern 3+3 section narrows down to a single 3 lane section. Otherwise it's usually an excellent highway to drive on.

I live in north Delaware and travel to Long Island and back frequently for the past 40 yrs. The NJT is indeed a good road to travel on and the rest stops have all been upgraded in recent years. My mood changes when I hit Staten Island,and and then the Belt Parkway!

First time watcher. Reminded me of the many exciting trips I made to NYC as a young man. I found your video informative and oddly soothing. Thank you. You’ve earned a new subscriber.

Good documentary on the NJTP. It just needs to be pointed out that the 3x3x3x3 configuration down to the PATP cutoff in Florence was done within the past two decades; it was still 3x3 until about 1 interchange north of that point. Also, the NJTPA used to have some of the most dated rest stops on the East coast until the last 3-5 years, when the state finally invested into renovating all of them - catapulting them into some of the best in the country (once they're all done - there are still few rest stops in S. Jersey that, at the time of writing, are still under rehabilitation.) I'll disagree on two points: the Western spur north of Exit 15 near Newark/Jersey City, is still rather bumpy and the road deck there needs work. Also, if you're looking for diverse gas options, forget it: Sunoco has the NJTP on lock (much like it does with some of the other major tollways east of the Mississippi, e.g. The NYS Thruway and the OH Turnpike.)

It's amazing how different the roads are in nearby Pennsylvania. Most of the interstates are designed horribly, and the Pennsylvania Turnpike can be awful at times. The drivers are overall a lot better in New Jersey too.

Let’s go! W for Jersey! Kind of trippy watching this since I was just driving down the turnpike a couple hours ago. Great video!

As a NJ Resident that rolls these roads on the regular I love you insight that I don't see. Thanks for all the awesome information.

I like this channel is nuanced where you counter the urbanists ‘cars bad so more lanes induce demand so they’re always bad’ and show instances where more lanes are good and other areas where it’s better to have fewer lanes

At last, something nice to say about New Jersey.

Cosmic Alignment!! I’m at the Thomas Edison Service Plaza right now! (Mm93, SB) Driving down from Boston to South Jersey; Oh and the CBE to the GW was stop and go too! Thanks Mike!!!

Excellent video. Analysis was perfect. But wow so many comments. Love the popularity being experienced by your channel.

The one thing that’s always racked my brain is the eastern spur being a left hand fork when you split off to the Midtown Tunnel, which is logically a right since you’re using the EASTERN spur. I know it probably has to do with keeping the majority of traffic flowing. Oh, and I want 5 minutes in a room with the people that designed the Lincoln Tunnel exits so only one lane brings you down to 36th street and it’s never the lane I’m in. I’ve tried to figure it out and it seems impossible to hit… you’re always dumped off on 42nd.

In terms of the exits to get you to NYC, you could have added Exit 13 for I-278 and the Goethels Bridge. This route takes you across Staten island and then the Verrazano Bridge into Brooklyn. Whenever I have used it, the traffic on I-278 has been congested (stated politely).

Awesome video topic. Great work

One benefit of the split lanes I've not seen mentioned, and you would only ever notice if driving late in the night, is that it enables them to shut down one set of lanes (diverting all trucks to car lanes if needed) to work on the other side. This way the workers do not have to worry about crazy drivers, and the drivers don't have to worry about slowing down for construction. I've never seen actual numbers, but based on the crews I've seen out at 11:00pm or later, I would guess that they can strip, pave, and mark somewhere in the range of 3-5 miles overnight (all lanes). That's part of the secret for keeping the road in top-notch shape. Downside is that a former governor decided that raising the tolls to divert the money elsewhere was a better idea than raising the gas tax, the result being that tolls have skyrocketed since I moved here 24 years ago (and the gas tax STILL had to be increased). And yes, as long as you are not at rush hour, I-295 in the southern part of the state is a great alternative. not only do you save a bit over $4, there are more places to stop to eat (spaced perfectly if driving between northern NJ and DC), and traffic flows just fine.

They have done many improvements in the last 10-15 years on the NJ Turnpike. From expanding to 6 lanes between exits 6-9 and also now they are expanding the exit and on ramps to multiple lanes. It was a nightmare getting off exit 9 when I worked in northern Jersey. Traffic is still there but moving quicker in the morning hours now from what I’ve seen lately. Too bad PennDot in PA is the exact opposite.

People in New Jersey are more attractive too. Objectively.

Once the Tpk was built, countries from all over the world sent their engineers to get a look at and its features became standard all over the world. The roadway had automation long before computers ruled. During bad weather the remote controlled speed limit signs would reduce the speed limit. In addition, remote controlled gates would close off exits and and shift traffic from the car lanes to the truck lanes and vice Versa. A couple of fails that they don’t like to talk about. The bridges leading to the Lincoln were designed with their piers too far apart. This led to continuous repaying for many years. The recent rehab of the bridges with pre-cast concrete sections seems to have reduced that problem. The approach to the Holland Tunnel has always been a horror show. Its two lane capacity has made resurfacing difficult and the last time I was there it was definitely in need of a major rehab. Mike you do an amazing job. I didn’t realize how many other people geek out on highway design and function. When you have a chance take a look at the new Glades Road divergent diamond on I95 in Boca Raton FL. It has been a major success, but the old people freaked out when it opened.

What a great channel, awesome video thanks

My experience on the NJT was the opposite of yours in use, but similar in appreciation. Occasionally there are bottlenecks at the southbound merge where the truck split ends but typically the traffic flow is great in the southern sections. I use 287 to avoid the north sections around Newark and NYC access, but use the southern section to get to the DMB. The rest areas are well timed for my travels in that section rather than hunting for services off 295. Nice to see the appreciation for the NJT.... did you also try the extra lane nightmare known as the Garden State Parkway?

But the rest stops on the NJ Turnpike are super!! Essentially giant Buc--ee's. But if you try to pump your own gas in Jersey? I think the penalty is death and goes up from there.

Very thorough and detailed video. Great work. I take the turnpike from Cherry Hill up to New York City four times a week. Getting on at 2:00 a.m. and then getting on around 2:00 p.m. heading back and the flow of traffic is great. I usually take the cars in the morning because of all of the rogue truck parts on the truck lane and then heading back. I take the trucks because the left lane tends to move pretty quick compared to the overall car lane.

I really loved the dynamic signs on the non - separated part of the Turnpike. And I noticed that even though the volume of cars increases during rush hour, the traffic still flows very freely.

As a New Yorker who has lived up and down the East Coast, the TURNPIKE is crucial to travel!

NJTP is on par with the great freeway system of Phoenix Arizona. Obviously, comparing the two are like comparing apples and oranges. I've never been on the NJTP, but I have been on the Phoenix freeway system. Your video provides the same driving pleasure the Phoenix freeway system provides this West Coast Road Geek. Since the bulk of Phoenix' freeways were built after 1990, Maricopa County was able to avoid the "mistakes "of other municipality/state/federal urban freeway design. The NJTP is on my freeway "bucket list." I hope the NJTP gets widened south beyond the I-95 split, and somehow offers transition ramps to the parallel I-295. I don't see that happening, since the NJTP might lose potential revenue to the parallel I-295. Keep on keeping on with the videos, Mike. Your videos Rock! Thanks for sharing.

I live in PA and have driven through Jersey for various regions and been on the turnpike. Maybe a dozen times. Never really thought about it being a particularly special Turnpike, but always noticed it was a very fine drive.

Totally agree. I've used this route many times, most to NYC, since 1978. I always stop at Grover Cleveland rest stop and get gas before going into the city. I too love and appreciate the separation of vehicle types. You don't have to worry about seeing around larger and vehicles.

The one thing you should always do when driving into NYC is, DON'T. There are plenty of train stations along the way park there and avoid driving there at all.

7:30 Something to note about left-lane hogging being less prominent on the Turnpike is that NJ Troopers are the only police I've ever seen enforce a "slower traffic keep right" law and ticket a lane hog. I'm pretty sure that's a much bigger contributor to the infrequency of it than a three lane layout. When rules are enforced, they tend to be followed a bit more.

I drove the Turnpike solo for the first time last year as I drove from DC to Newark. On my northbound trip, I made the mistake of using the mixed vehicle lanes. I stuck to the cars-only lane on my return trip and it was an amazing ride.

Great video! Very thorough and well-researched for a non-New Jerseyan! Being my home state I thank you! The Turnpike is frequently overlooked or taken for granted… but it is a vital artery and in the last 10 years or so has impressively improved despite more people being on the road than ever before. One thing I wanted to mention (since so many others are chiming in) is that part of the reason left lane hogging isn’t typically as much of an issue on the Turnpike (or in NJ as a whole) is that in NJ, by law, the left lane is the passing lane and failing to pass in the left lane or using it for travel when there are no vehicles to pass is a ticket-able offense and YES, state troopers *will* enforce it as I have seen them do it over the years. Apparently it is a $100-$300 fine, 2 points on driver record, plus an additional $50 surcharge that goes to fund to maintain road signs and educate the public about the dangers from failing to keep right. We take driving efficiently very seriously in NJ haha. Additionally, NJ DOT’s winter plowing operations are top-notch and truly a sight to behold. Having grown up in Central NJ and gone to school/lived in NYC for a decade now, I’ve spent plenty of hours on the Turnpike (when not on the excellent NJ Transit commuter rail) and I have to say it does a damn good job and people may scoff but it is something I’m proud of. NJ is a very underrated, misconstrued, and misunderstood state. I actually think it’s one of the best examples of states that use taxpayer/inhabitant money effectively and responsibly… and they better because NJ taxes are no joke. But again, we do have great public schools which for the most part are on par with or surpass private schools! I digress.

The biggest problem is when they decided to rip out all of the mature trees along the turnpike through Mercer and Burlington counties, making for constant crosswinds that used to be deflected. It’s less safe without the trees.

I love the NJ Turnpike but too often I find that that highway's jammed with broken heroes on a last chance power drive...

Now that you mention it. The Turnpike really does flow nicely. I've used it a bunch. It's a large part of my trek from the top of NJ down to the Camden area. Good video. Great points.

Good job. I hope you do more like this.

I totally agree, I love the NJ turnpike. Pro tip: always use the truck lane on the weekends

For as much as I pick on New Jersey, I will say that the freeway system in that state is very decent to drive on. That's one thing the Garden State definitely got right.

Fantastic info! I've been using it for multiple decades, and although there can be some major delays (mostly due to accidents), it probably really is the most useful and efficient!

For the last 6 years I have been driving between Boston and Washington DC to visit family every month or so and do so overnight to avoid traffic. Prior to my drives to DC whenever I would drive to any points in the southeast I would go out of my way to avoid the NY-NJ metroplex area by driving through Pennsylvania. Once I realized that driving it at night greatly reduced the traffic I discovered the NJ turnpike and I love its configuration so much. It's such a nice drive at night with minimal traffic!

There's another reason to consider using the Turnpike even if you can manage the trip entirely though 295 and that's to avoid the bottleneck that occurs around route 42. That general area involves a great deal of merges, with 76 and 676 (traffic from the Walt Whitman and Ben Franklin Bridge) coming together before becoming route 42. At the other end there's route 55 and route 42 which merge together (and has an absolutely abysmal bottleneck). These merges create heavy volume for the very brief section where 295 and 42 merge. The area has been under construction to fix this for decades but little headway has been made.

Philly to NYC should be the worst travel corridor in the country. It’s not. Thank you NJ.

Reminds me of Florida's Turnpike. Back when it was built (before electronic tolling), you would drive through a toll booth and get a ticket that designated which entry point you started on (I think it used a punch hole well into the 1990s). There were rest areas with fuel stations and some shopping and then when you go to your destination, you would shove the card in, it would figure out where you started and where you were ending and it would calculate your total toll. I think that it required a toll booth attendant because they did not have an unattended way to pay via credit card and very few people would carry $15 in quarters.😄

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