Could someone please do something about Delaware?

[bunrab]

I certainly would never advocate violence in real life, but if there were a video game that included a feature where one could blow up the Delaware Toll Plaza, I'd certainly be tempted to buy it.

Traffic from the toll plaza was backed up 4.5 miles, all the way to the Service Area, stop-and-go, 10 miles an hour when it was going at all. 45 minutes to go 4.5 miles. SHeeeeeeeesh.

I know, I know, you all are tired about hearing me diss Delaware. Well, tough.

I hope everyone's holidays have been wonderful so far.

Comments

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

Going north: Exit 109 to MD 279 north. Right on Ott's Chapel Rd., left on Welsh Tract Rd., right on DE 896, ramp to I95 N.

Going South: Exit 1 to DE 896 north, left at first light to Welsh Tract Rd., right at end of road onto Ott's Chapel Rd., left at end of road onto DE 2 south, cross into MD, ramp on right to I95 south.

I'm an ex-Delawarean. Not only is that toll a huge backup, but it's expensive too.

[bunrab.livejournal.com]

Yeah, our GPS told us about that and we didn't think we needed to do it, and we were in the middle of things and couldn't get out in time. (And that toll went up this spring, too - it's $3 now for 12 miles of Delaware, instead of $2!) Now that an ex-native has confirmed it for us, we'll make a point of doing the alternate route instead of being optimists.

We've also got to get around to getting EZPass for the cage - since we need to use it to get up north with two people and two large instruments that don't fit on bikes on a regular basis, it would probably work out to be worth the initial $25 investment. The EZPass lane was still slow, but not as bad as the rest.

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

I don't even consider it paying for "twelve miles of Delaware"--I95 in Delaware is FREE except for the 2-3 miles between Exit 109 in MD and Exit 1 in DE...and half of *that* is in MD! I think it's actually the most expensive per-mile stretch of non-bridge, non-tunnel interstate in the US, once you consider that you pay the $3 in both directions (MD at least made their toll at the Susquehanna River one-directional).

There used to be ramp tolls for exiting at Exit 1 and Exit 3, something like ten cents, but they were removed in the late 1970s. If you look at aerial photos of the interchanges, you can kinda see where the tollbooths used to be. </roadgeek>

EZPass on the bike has been a real godsend--no more fumbling for change, putting a boot down in an oil-slick tollbooth lane, etc., etc.