speed cameras on mass. pike | FerrariChat

speed cameras on mass. pike

Discussion in 'New England' started by rob, Apr 16, 2016.

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  1. rob

    rob F1 Rookie

    May 22, 2002
    4,129
    Vt
    Does anybody know if their are speed cameras on the mass.pike and 91? I traveled both today for the first time since last December and noticed in a couple of spots a structure that went across all 3 lanes of traffic and was wondering what it was as well as hoping it wasn't something a speed camera was mounted on although of course I was obeying all of the current traffic laws.
     
  2. AVFPolo

    AVFPolo Formula Junior

    Aug 16, 2007
    453
    Full Name:
    Ed
    The powers that be are removing the toll booths from the Mass Pike and they're being replaced by an automated tolling system. The gantries which span the travel lanes will support tolling equipment. It will record EZ Pass status if you have that capability or it will photograph your vehicle's license plate and the registered owner will be sent an invoice via postal service.

    My understanding is that they are planning for everything to be functional by this fall.

    Safe travels.

    - Ed -
     
  3. rob

    rob F1 Rookie

    May 22, 2002
    4,129
    Vt
    Thanks Ed. I would assume the train of thought is that they are going to come out ahead by not having human collectors but I would think it would be more cost effective to just make all the existing toll booths ez pass then they wouldn't have to build anything new and also would not have to spend the money and time to tear down all the existing toll booths.
     
  4. JG333SP

    JG333SP Formula 3

    Mar 24, 2010
    1,871
    N Shore, MA
    Full Name:
    Jim G
    I drive under those things almost daily and I swear I've seen some sort of flash go off. Maybe they are just testing the stuff out but who knows. I do know this-go slow into those toll booths these days-even the fast pass. One of the toll booth collectors was hit by a driver (I think they were alright) recently and the state cops are cracking down on the pike-esp at 128 and right before Fenway
     
  5. dipstick1

    dipstick1 Formula Junior

    May 24, 2004
    312
    Connecticut
    Full Name:
    Peter Lombardo
    Lets hope they don't do like they do in Australia and use the toll plaza's to issue speeding tickets. They time the car between plaza's to determine speed and then send tickets in the mail.
     
  6. JG333SP

    JG333SP Formula 3

    Mar 24, 2010
    1,871
    N Shore, MA
    Full Name:
    Jim G
    I think I'd lose my flipping mind if I got a speeding ticket actually IN a toll booth!
     
  7. Entropy

    Entropy Formula 3
    Owner

    Jul 10, 2008
    2,149
    you do see it, it's the plate reader.

    A few of the "plate reader" tolls are already in place in NY - the Henry Hudson Bridge has had it for a while. It seems to have helped reduce the traffic jams, so that's good. We have EZ-Pass and have our plates tied to them, so we get "auto-billed" on our EZpass account

    personally, it works better, as a lot of NY State tolls still have the gate-arms, and seems like half of the time our (valid, registered, paid) EZ-passes don't register.

    On a RELATED note....the plate readers also can (and are) being used to flag out of state plates. SO, if you have a Montana plate, and your car seems to be a regular user, be prepared for a letter asking about your compliance with state registration (and...property tax).
     
  8. sam231

    sam231 Formula Junior
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Aug 5, 2004
    564
    RI
    They may have a plate reader on the inbound level of the Mystic River Bridge too.
     
  9. Steve King

    Steve King F1 Rookie

    Feb 15, 2001
    4,367
    NY
    I believe in NY and maybe other states the EZ pass readers and cameras also read and record speed. If you go to fast through the booth/reader they send you a warning and I believe it is 3 violations and they pull your EZ pass. You can guess the next usage.
     
  10. philS

    philS Formula Junior

    Apr 11, 2008
    290
    Metrowest MA
    Full Name:
    Phil
  11. DadsFerrari

    DadsFerrari Formula 3

    May 31, 2004
    1,540
    New England
    Full Name:
    Mister M
    cops love these... just like the ones that blur your plates from certain angles..

    The Fast Lane has been able to do the simple math of measuring the time between certain distances travelled. So it is just a matter of time before courts will have cases of tickets saying that you drove from point a to b in an average speed that is above the limit. So maybe one ticket for an hour of speeding hehe
     
  12. Nospinzone

    Nospinzone F1 Veteran

    Jul 1, 2013
    7,346
    Weston, MA
    Full Name:
    Paul
  13. koisokok

    koisokok F1 World Champ
    Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 8, 2006
    10,806
    nine 0 two one 0
  14. InlineSixx

    InlineSixx Karting

    Apr 23, 2015
    79
    Nashua, NH / Newport, RI
    Full Name:
    Rick
  15. JG333SP

    JG333SP Formula 3

    Mar 24, 2010
    1,871
    N Shore, MA
    Full Name:
    Jim G
    When I first saw these on the mass pike this was exactly what I thought could be going on. How flipping easy is it for them to do the math with a time stamped pic at each point. They could give out thousands of tickets in an hour!

    I grew up in central Fla and they used to 'time' folks from planes in certain open spaces. They even had signs on the roads in the areas where they did it but we already knew to not speed in those areas. Hell the paranoia probably made it more effective that anything else. I think it was determined the process wasn't legit and they stopped doing it but I was a kid I can't remember the details-maybe they do this again now. I never got a tickt like that but I got plenty the old fashioned way
     
  16. Peter K.

    Peter K. F1 Rookie
    Silver Subscribed

    Jan 9, 2004
    4,410
    Connecticut
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    Peter K.
    Just an FYI. On 84 somewhere around Union, maybe near the weight station, the structure that looks to be sensors that go across highway, are sensor that record pavement temperatures for freezing. Or so I was told.
     
  17. ronfrohock

    ronfrohock F1 Rookie
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Aug 16, 2004
    3,919
    MA
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    Ron Frohock
    I always wondered what they were for. I sometimes thought that they were to identify radioactive loads.....

    Honestly, if they are to record surface temp, why wouldn't they be on the road?
     
  18. stretchgeneral

    stretchgeneral Formula 3
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Aug 9, 2014
    1,317
    MA/TX
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    McK
    I moved here from Denver a couple of years ago. The toll road loop in Denver, E470, went from operators taking the tolls to the bridge license plate system (like you guys are talking about on the pike in a couple of places) a few years ago. If you have the equivalent of EZ Pass, you get a discount. Anyone else just gets a bill in the mail at full toll price. It works very well and it will pick you up going 80 mph etc, so in theory, this should rebottle neck the pike if they use a similar system. For sure they could use for other purposes, but that hasn't happened in Denver.
     
  19. ixlr8

    ixlr8 Formula Junior

    Aug 24, 2015
    301
    Eastern Shore- Virginia
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    Jim
    I believe those are sensors that read transponders in 18-wheelers. Truckers can avoid stopping at weigh stations if they have a transponder that reports their weight.
     
  20. DadsFerrari

    DadsFerrari Formula 3

    May 31, 2004
    1,540
    New England
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    Mister M
    Just saw them set up in Newton MA on the Pike.... here is the scam; they are located eastbound before exit 17 . So there goes the last free exit before downtown Boston and Allston tolls. wtf !

    Great news for local residents who had to deal with cheapskates getting off early. Was a good 2 mile blast from West Newton, but not worth a buck or two for a toll now.
     
  21. DadsFerrari

    DadsFerrari Formula 3

    May 31, 2004
    1,540
    New England
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    Mister M
    I spoke to the MA DOT today, total crock of shiite. I bluntly told them that the new sensors are right before the exits that have been toll free, and they just replied " the govt has not yet decided what changes will be made". It is very simple to see that the tolls have been expanded, and they are just gonna sneak it by the taxpayers when nobody is looking
     
  22. ixlr8

    ixlr8 Formula Junior

    Aug 24, 2015
    301
    Eastern Shore- Virginia
    Full Name:
    Jim
    About 2 weeks ago there was a news report on NECN explaining that the new towers were going to read ezpass transponders or take pictures of plates and send bill to vehicle owner. There would be an extra processing fee added to toll bill for those without ezpass. Reported plan was to start testing system late spring early summer and possibly go live in the fall. There were still some unanswered questions so turn on date was not firm. Old toll booths would come down, some toll booth workers would be moved to other depts, some would be let go. They were hoping enough would take early retirement so they would not have to fire anybody. If I remember the report correctly.
    Found news clip.

    Mass. Turnpike Turns to All-Electronic Tolls | NECN
     
  23. AVFPolo

    AVFPolo Formula Junior

    Aug 16, 2007
    453
    Full Name:
    Ed
  24. Countachqv

    Countachqv Formula 3

    Apr 25, 2007
    2,343
    USA/France
    if there is one thing to watch out it is big brother and speed camera. Europe is a total disaster now. Drivers are freaking out as many lose their license over ridiculous speed limit overages.

    The gov in France responded by charging drivers high fee for "re-eduction" and thus regaining the lost points. A well oiled machine to milk drivers to the max.

    There are high cameras everywhere going to private data centers to issues auto-tickets. the money goes directly to fill the free money coffers. Insane!

    We need to learn how NRA prevents guns laws because it will take that kind of aggressivity to fight the improductive bureaucrats for getting their hand in the jar and kill a thriving industry.
     
  25. johnk...

    johnk... F1 World Champ
    Owner

    Jun 11, 2004
    10,628
    CT
    Full Name:
    John Kreskovsky
    Don't worry about it. Nothing new. When they use stamped toll booth tickets they state the time and location of entry. Just as easy to figure how fast you got from A to B when you exit and pay the toll. I don't recall anyone ever being ticketed for speeding in that manor. And if you are driving a "connected car" you are transmitting a lot more info about where and how you drive than that. And really, does it matter? One way or the other, life is a lot more enjoyable if you ditch the paranoia.
     

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