Waste of tax dollars(non political)

[NHpowderhound]

As I was driving home from Cannon the other day I just couldnt help but think what a waste of tax money it is to not only buy .1 mile markers for every tenth of a mile along Interstate 93 but also to pay state workers to put them in. do we really need to know every single tenth of a mile? I know EMS(not the retail store) uses mile markers for responding to emergencies but isnt this overkill? I'm conservatively guessing each one of those metal posts with a little sign on it that says .1,.2,.3 etc cost $5. How long is I93? The part that is costing us is the 3-5 state workers it will take to put each one of those markers in. Wouldn't every half a mile be sufficient? I just think it's a waste of tax money.
((*
*))NHPH

 

[riverc0il]

oh, WORD! now we are talking. i used to love driving on 93, but now that those damn mile markers are in nearly all the way up to the notch, it seems to take forever! and once you see one of them, it is so so SO hard to stop noticing them. UGH! i guess it must make pinpointing an accident slightly easier for the staties, but is it really needed? you can drive a mile in under a minute, so a figure mile markers would get you close enough.

the waste of tax dollars is enourmous for sure. your toll fare hard at work! full toll now too since the tokens are no longer in effect (to which i still have a few dollars worth).

 

[skibum1321]

full toll now too since the tokens are no longer in effect (to which i still have a few dollars worth).

It is still discounted if you have EZ-Pass. It ends up being something like 55 cents. Still not as good as the tokens but it sure is convenient.

 

[riverc0il]

for someone only going through the tolls once per month, it just isn't worth it for the EZ pass.

 

[Mike P.]

Any trips in NY south of Albany or any place else, outside of St. Johnsbury, rivercOil?

I'm in CT where we don't have tolls & love my MA Fast Lane (MA's EZ Pass) cost nothing when I got it & good in NJ, MA, NY & NH, I forget if it's good in ME, I only get there 1x or 2x a year. In NJ they are changing over to toll booths that read the EZ Pass without slowing down at all.

 

[riverc0il]

Any trips in NY south of Albany or any place else, outside of St. Johnsbury, rivercOil?

only place i pass a toll booth these days is a monthly or bi-montly trip down 93. saving a quarter every month or two just isn't worth the effort (are they still even free?).

 

[skibum1321]

(are they still even free?).

Nope - they are charging full price for them now. They were $5 before, which is a really good deal. Even if it weren't for the money-saving aspect, I like the convenience of not having to worry if I actually have change for the tolls.

I forget if it's good in ME, I only get there 1x or 2x a year.

They're good in Maine. It practically drains your ez pass since it is about $6 each way in tolls.

 

[billski]

full toll now too since the tokens are no longer in effect (to which i still have a few dollars worth).

It is still discounted if you have EZ-Pass. It ends up being something like 55 cents. Still not as good as the tokens but it sure is convenient.

Only discounted for people who bought transponders in NH.

 

[bvibert]

I'm conservatively guessing each one of those metal posts with a little sign on it that says .1,.2,.3 etc cost $5. How long is I93? The part that is costing us is the 3-5 state workers it will take to put each one of those markers in. Wouldn't every half a mile be sufficient? I just think it's a waste of tax money.
((*
*))NHPH

I think you're being pretty conservative on the cost of the signs. I bet it's at least double that for each one. It'd be interesting to see how they justified them every .1 miles...

 

[salida]

Those things are NOT cheap... At least 40 bucks a pop, for 132 miles thats 1320 markers, at 40 bucks a peace = 52,800 bucks, plus lets say 3 workers can install 8 an hour at 13 dollars an hour. 165 hours * 3 people * 13 = 6435 that makes it roughly 60,000 dollars, and in my estimation probably a lot more, where if they were only ever mile it would be more like 6,000. Thats how I see it...

 

[ctenidae]

On a related note, why do Yankee states number their exits sequentially, instead of by mile marker? It's so friggin hard to tell how far away an exit is here.

"Only 3 exits to go!"
Two hours later: "Only 2 exits to go!"

 

[hammer]

On a related note, why do Yankee states number their exits sequentially, instead of by mile marker? It's so friggin hard to tell how far away an exit is here.

"Only 3 exits to go!"
Two hours later: "Only 2 exits to go!"

I guess NJ doesn't count as a Yankee state entirely...the Garden State Parkway uses mile markers.

"I'm from New Jersey"
"Which exit?"

 

[ctenidae]

Some Yankees are, apparently, enlightened. IIRC, only the Parkway is intelligently signed. The rest, not so much.

I still miss driving in rural (like there's any other part) Arkansas- all the highways are just paved farm roads, so they're all in a grid- you're heading north and need to go east, turn right. Easy to navigate by dead reckoning.

 

[billski]

I'm conservatively guessing each one of those metal posts with a little sign on it that says .1,.2,.3 etc cost $5. How long is I93? The part that is costing us is the 3-5 state workers it will take to put each one of those markers in. Wouldn't every half a mile be sufficient? I just think it's a waste of tax money.
((*
*))NHPH

I think you're being pretty conservative on the cost of the signs. I bet it's at least double that for each one. It'd be interesting to see how they justified them every .1 miles...

A more rational approach would be to use these funds to provide more skier information signs.

"Caution! No ski area or ski shop, the next 60 miles"

"Ski resort, next exit. Next ski resort, 30 miles"

"Caution powder ski zone ahead"

or, a variable message sign:

New snow: Waterville, 1", Loon 2", Jay 24"

 

[bvibert]

I'm conservatively guessing each one of those metal posts with a little sign on it that says .1,.2,.3 etc cost $5. How long is I93? The part that is costing us is the 3-5 state workers it will take to put each one of those markers in. Wouldn't every half a mile be sufficient? I just think it's a waste of tax money.
((*
*))NHPH

I think you're being pretty conservative on the cost of the signs. I bet it's at least double that for each one. It'd be interesting to see how they justified them every .1 miles...

A more rational approach would be to use these funds to provide more skier information signs.

"Caution! No ski area or ski shop, the next 60 miles"

"Ski resort, next exit. Next ski resort, 30 miles"

"Caution powder ski zone ahead"

or, a variable message sign:

New snow: Waterville, 1", Loon 2", Jay 24"

I like your thinking! Ever think of running for Governor?

 

[billski]

Some Yankees are, apparently, enlightened. IIRC, only the Parkway is intelligently signed. The rest, not so much.

I still miss driving in rural (like there's any other part) Arkansas- all the highways are just paved farm roads, so they're all in a grid- you're heading north and need to go east, turn right. Easy to navigate by dead reckoning.

You can thank the Feds for the Exit numbering system. It was their idea. Section 2e. http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/HTM/2003r1/part2/part2e2.htm
As soon as you apply for federal highway funding, the hammer comes down on you and they insist upon it.

The reason you see it in Yankee states it that our highways are more decrepit than most. They are older and subject to more severe weather, road salt, other corrosives and worse drivers. Combined, it means we are always repairing our roads. So we're always putting our tin cup out for Fed funds.

1/10th mile "reference posts" are also required for the same reasons as above. Section 2E.54.
http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/pdfs/2003r1/Ch2E.pdf


Your federal tax dollars at work.


p.s., the little reflective street sign in my town cost about $150 each, just for the materials.

The little markers you speak of cost "$154 to $164 each" in this survey: http://www.ktc.uky.edu/Reports/KTC_01_16_FH94_3F.pdf in Kentucky. So, go re-run your numbers....

And guess what, the bureacrats in redneck state government want em now too.... Hey, it's not my money... Or is it??

Don't get me going....

 

[billski]

Any trips in NY south of Albany or any place else, outside of St. Johnsbury, rivercOil?

I'm in CT where we don't have tolls & love my MA Fast Lane (MA's EZ Pass) cost nothing when I got it & good in NJ, MA, NY & NH, I forget if it's good in ME, I only get there 1x or 2x a year. In NJ they are changing over to toll booths that read the EZ Pass without slowing down at all.

Mike, hate to give you the bad news, but batteries in transponders are only lasting about 5 years and are not replaceable. You option, when it fails is to buy a new transponder from the MassPike for $25-30. They've got an annuity in you!
:roll:

 

[skibum1321]

Some Yankees are, apparently, enlightened. IIRC, only the Parkway is intelligently signed. The rest, not so much.

I still miss driving in rural (like there's any other part) Arkansas- all the highways are just paved farm roads, so they're all in a grid- you're heading north and need to go east, turn right. Easy to navigate by dead reckoning.

The Maine Turnpike also numbers their exits by mile marker. This is a recent change though.

 

[ctenidae]

I think I'm seeing a connection here- toll roads = state funding = no federal money = good exit numbers.

Yet another argument in favor of state's rights.

 

[hammer]

I think I'm seeing a connection here- toll roads = state funding = no federal money = good exit numbers.

Yet another argument in favor of state's rights.

OK...where does the Mass. Pike fit into this? Or should I even ask... :roll: