Beware of Avoidances

Thanks Charles for the reminder. Most times, paying the toll is a blessing, and much less fuel, and stress!

If you want to see the GPS take you a long way out of your way, try to go from Buffalo NY to Toronto Ontario with the Toll Road avoidance turned on.

Happy Motoring

Same thing happened to us. The Narrows toll is $4.00 just for a car.

That's good advice.

Are you saying this is good, or bad?

Sounds like a deal to me!

Not sure about some avoidances.Had checked avoid off roads.In Utah Samantha sent me down a few that I turned back on.Asked one of the locals what they call roads.Was told some of the partial rock surfaces are called roads.Not something you would want to go down with a decent car.Left me wondering if we kept going and broke down.How long before someone found us.

I hope you can speak French

I just got back from trip to Toronto/Mississauga from Long Island. I would still be on the road if I avoided all tolls. The tolls encountered were:

Trip up:
Throggs Neck Bridge
New York State Thruway - Suffern, NY to Harriman, NY
New York State Thruway - Batavia, NY to Buffalo, NY
Grand Island Bridge
Rainbow Bridge at Niagara Falls, NY

Trip down:
Grand Island Bridge
New York State Thruway - Buffalo, NY to Weedsport, NY
New York State Thruway - Harriman, NY to Suffern, NY
Tappan Zee Bridge
Throggs Neck Bridge

Avoiding tolls would require crossing the 59th Street Bridge (Bloomberg hasn't gotten tolls on it yet). Crossing the Willis Avenue Bridge to the Bronx. Getting over to the Bronx River Parkway, Sprain Parkway and ultimately the Taconic. Then connecting with the free Northway at Albany. Crossing into Quebec it becomes highway 15 which has to be taken to Montreal to connect to highway 20. Highway 20 becomes the 401 in Ontario and that would take you to Toronto. Forget it! Except for bridges, most of the other tolls can be avoided. The Thruway is easy enough to avoid if you really want to and I skip long stretches of it.

One that isn't quite as much fun to see is to attempt to leave Prince Edward Island when toll roads are set as an avoidance. It will direct you to the only other way off the island, which happens to be a ferry that costs $32CAN ($30.49US) for a one way trip.

The Confederation Bridge toll to get off the island is $43.50CAN ($41.45US). It would seem at first glance that the ferry is a better bargain, however the ferry docks in Nova Scotia. Traveling to Riverview, a suburb of Moncton, New Brunswick nets you an additional 3+ hours travel time (including the ferry), an additional 238km (147.89mi) distance.

My car is an older car and gets 22 miles to the gallon. Doing the math, 147.89 miles divided by 22 equals 6.72 gallons of gas spent on the trip. 1 gallon of gas equals 3.785 liters. 6.72 x 3.785 equals 25.44 liters. Each liter of gas is $1.07CAN ($1.02US). So, just in gas, the $10 savings you would have had by taking the ferry just got eaten up. The gas would have cost $27.22CAN ($25.95US).

Obviously, on a car that is more fuel efficient you'll end up spending less than the numbers I just gave, but unless the car is a hybrid the value of the gas spent is going to offset the savings in going over the bridge. I'm not even including the Highway 104 toll, which is likely only 50 cents or something inconsequential like that.

Clearly, going over the Confederation Bridge is far more cost effective, even though the sticker shock is more profound. So, definitely pay attention to your avoidances.

The joke is, going to PEI is free; you pay to leave!

There's an irony in there...

Try avoiding the toll on the Mackinac Bridge going from northern Wisconsin to the northern part of lower Michigan. You would have to drive all the way around lake Michigan or up through Canada around lake Superior, lake Huron and back around through Detroit. Probably a toll crossing from Canada to Detroit or the Illinois toll road near Chicago anyway. In this case the toll is well worth it in saving gas and time.

'Relax,' said the night man,
'We are programmed to receive.
You can check-out any time you like,
But you can never leave!' --- The Eagles

While visiting my Dad a while back, we went to the Island to see some of the windmill farms. Like @Strephon_Alkhalikoi reported, on the way back to NB, the Garmin told us it would take 6+ hours!! (because of the ferry to NS) ...then I remembered my wife doesn't like the 407 and had turned on avoid tolls.

One day on the way home from work, the freeway was really bad so I wanted to take side streets. I put the "highways" as an avoidance so it wouldn't put me on the freeway. After the trip home, I forgot to take "highways" off the avoidance list. Later, I was taking along trip, turned on the Nuvi and waited, and waited, and waited. It was trying to calculate the 100 mile trip using only side streets! It finally dawned on me and I fixed it, making the trip calculation much quicker.

Your experience is not unusual - I tend to set avoidances and preferences for my regular travel, and then forget to change the settings when going on trips.

I normally have mine set for the "shortest route", which works well for my routine travel. But when we head south, the GPS unit was directing me off of the I-15 and onto state highways from Boulder MT to Dillon MT... to save 25 kilometers! I have taken the "shortcut" from Boulder to I-90 before when heading east - it's scenic but certainly not quicker than the interstate!

Now, I am a little more attentive to the settings on the GPS unit.

Iusually have mine set to avoid Toll Roads, since the 407 is the only one nearby, but I've since learned when crossing into the US to un check that. 1 Long route, and you learn.

Living in nearby Nova Scotia, I've often wondered why you have to pay to leave and what happens if you do not have the funds....hmmm.

BTW do not turn on BOTH ferry and toll road avoidance in PEI or you can never leave......

I suppose tolls have there place as only the user pays.

Unless you live in Chicago or someplace that has tons of alternate routes, toll avoidance just seems like a bad idea.

I def. need to check my settings . I haven't experienced that yet but helpful to know!

I never check avoid toll roads because there are times when the toll road is the faster and best way to get to your destination. Example, when driving to Roanoke, VA, via the WV Turnpike; I can make the trip in about 6-7 hours depending on traffic, etc. However, if I take US 60 out of Charleston, you can add another 3-4 hours on the time due to road conditions, coal trucks, etc. I will use the toll road everytime.

I hope that was a joke.

For my test on my 200W, I turned on toll road avoidance. I already have ferry avoidance on, and when I had the GPS calculate the route it still took me to the ferry.

Though honestly, if I could never leave PEI, I don't think I'd be all that upset.

I wouldn't either

You can have all the avoidance settings you want set on the Nuvi but if you ask it to route you from point A to point B and there is no alternative but to calculate a route which ignores all or some of them, then it will.

Getting off of PEI is the perfect example. You can leave by toll bridge or ferry. Turn on those 2 avoidance items and the Nuvi will route you off the island anyway.

Thanks. The same is true if you have traffic set as an avoidance.

I recently had to go visit a relative who had just moved to a new neighbourhood not to far from my home. I put the address into my trusty Nuvi and set off expecting to go down a couple of expressways and then turn off into a small urban area. Imagine my surprise when the Nuvi started to route me towards some small country roads. Thinking that this was going to be one of those “my Nuvi took me on a dumb trip” stories I continued on to see where the Nuvi would come unstuck. We continued along some very pretty byways and I was just about to turn around and retrace my steps when up popped a message on the screen “Turn right and take ferry”. Intrigued, I turn down this small track and sure enough, there was a small cable ferry. A short 100yard trip and I was across and two turns later I was at my destination.
Moral of the story, 1. Put a check mark in the “avoid ferries “box, even if you are in an urban area
The Nuvi did take me the shortest route and now we use this one, it being a so much more relaxing drive with a short cruise in the middle.

Great story. Brightened my day...now if I can only cross the Halifax Harbour via an aircraft carrier (US of course!)........

If you enjoyed it, why did you put a checkmark in the 'Avoid Ferries'?

The company I work for insists we always take the tollroads. One because other than during rush hours, it's usually the quickest and 2 its usually the safest.

...why not?

I made that mistake coming back from Branson. I'd been told to stay away from the Toll Roads but there were a couple of tolls that I should have gone through. Instead I was directed through Gary and the main part was under construction.

Remember the old saying. "Be careful what you wish for. You might just get it."

I've been to Chicago twice, first time I went up the toll road to Grayslake, the second time I went up the west side to Grayslake to avoid the toll. Next time I'll pay the toll.

some times tolls are not the worst thing, especially in winter, in the north east your are way better off taking the hit and paying the toll, generally speaking toll roads are better maintained, and the snow removal equipment is usually out fast.

I ran into the same thing last year, on vacation in San Francisco area... We told it to avoid Toll Roads, from experiences in Chicago. We were north of the GG Bridge, in Marin county, and Garmin kept telling us to go around the bay from north side of Golder Gate Bridge, to Oakland, to San Jose, and then to our hotel by Fisherman's Wharf. And, even when we went over the bridge anyway, it steered us to our hotel, but once we got there, it said to keep going, as it was bound and determined to have us go around the bay.... To get the hotel we were already parked behind...

So we re-enabled Tolls, and with us back in Chicago, we encountered multiple times where we're going North of Chicago, and it keeps trying to get us on the toll road (94, complete with construction!!), when we could just as easily take 41 North and get there just as quick....

So we've re-selected Toll Roads in Avoidance's again...

6 of one... half dozen of another!!!!

Jan, next time use the Detour function. I have in the past, and it does give you a decent alternative.

I've travelled in all the lower 48 states and 10 provinces. The one thing I've learned regarding avoidances is to know when to use them and when not.

Cape Breton Island (Nova Scotia) for instances has many small ferries that are great for touring but not if you want to go from "A" to "B" - so I avoid ferries. Similarly, in NYC I WANT the toll roads in order to get through the quickest.

Chicago, I'll take the toll roads everytime. In Texas and British Columbia I avoid the unpaved roads and so on.

I firmly believe that this is one Garmin feature that is best used to advantage and changed regulalrly depending on what you are doing - BTW I also change the voice to elimine the recalculating and U-turn messages.

I recently had a similar experience. I am from the Portland, OR area and, like Chaspoi stated, there aren't many toll roads in this neck of the woods to worry about.
I recently visited my daughter in New England. We were driving from Boston to southern Maine. She warned me that we would have to pay a toll when passing through New Hampshire.
As we got close to the MA/NH state line my nuvi rerouted me on a very nice scenic route(non toll)that we enjoyed very much, but which took us an extra half hour to get to our destination. In our case, it wasn't bad. In chaspoi's case, it would have been a real problem.

That New Hampshire toll isn't too bad. It's like an entrance fee. $2.00 gets you unlimited access to the state. PEI is the exact opposite in that you can check out any time you like but you can never leave. And it's 20 times more expensive because commuters have to pay for the Confederation Bridge.

PEI is a small province and needs the money, also keeps residents in!

On a serious note, PEI doesn't see a dime from the tolls. That money all goes to the consortium that built the bridge. In 2032, the toll operations will transfer to the Government of Canada.

The bridge is part of the Trans-Canada Highway, and thus isn't owned by PEI, but the Government of Canada.

Currently, the company that built the bridge makes a profit of approximately CAN$2.5 million per year (approximately US$2.35 million). The remaining CAN$25 million plus (US$23.5 million plus) earned from tolls goes toward maintenance of the bridge itself.

They make more money from the potatoes they grow in the clay fields (a joke most won't get unless you've been to PEI).

I submit that in 2010 the profit was generated from Regis and Kelly!

But to the point proper use of avoidances will allow us to get to our respective destinations in the manner we want - fast or slow, scenic or toll roads. It is as individual as teh avoidances selected!

These are all interesting. I will keep them in mind the next time I leave on a trip.

Just got back from LA to Sacramento. Nice trip, Nuvi 660 worked flawlessly, even if it is a little older than most on the road today.

Or if you live on Toronto. Our 407 ETR is an Electronic Toll Route. Drivers can get a transponder that allows entrance/exit sensors to track toll road usage to enable automated billing. The transponder costs $21.50/yr, plus $0.2135/km driven in peak periods.

But vehicles that don't have a transponder have their licence plate recorded and get billed $4.00 per trip, plus $2.50 monthly fee, plus $0.2135/km. It's not near any of my usual routes so I don't have a transponder. Driving 1 km on the 407 would cost me $6.7135.

I always set my Nuvi to avoid tolls unless travelling out of the area. If I see a long route for what should be a short trip I check avoidances.

Ain't technology wonderful?

With the right map and vehicle data the Nuvi could determine the cheapest route considering gas and tolls.

It already has Route Preferences for Faster Time, Shorter Distance, Less Fuel (for ecoRoute capabable units). If the toll cost data was available and the ecoRoute Vehicle Profile was entered it could factor tolls into the route calculations, for a Lowest Cost route preference.

But in the real world the ecoRoute data is likely not very accurate, and keeping the toll data up-to-date would need very recent map data or real time connectivity. So not too likely, but it's nice to dream.

Another map data item that could be added is seasonal roads, to avoid routing down roads that are closed in the winter. Remember that couple that got lost on a closed road last winter.

That's a fantastic idea. It might be somewhat of a daunting task in the compilation of data, since closures take place at different times of the year depending on weather conditions, elevations etc. I know in California alone, many of the Sierra Nevada passes close at different times and do not reopen until the snow pack melts which may be as late as July or even August.
I guess the data could be written with merely a "Closed in Winter" informational designation. Not as helpful but thought provoking anyway.

Good point. Avoidances often get set once and forgotten (or left on the default settings).
I always keep the U-turn avoidance on, not so much because I mind U-turns, but because it forces a faster automatic re-route if I decide I don't like the route chosen by the GPS (Nuvi 350).
Sometimes I know that it's routing me towards a road that's going to be ugly traffic, and I know the general direction that I want to go, but not the specific turns. With U-turn avoidance on, the unit may tell me to go around the block once, but then it will do a complete re-route based on where I am and the direction I'm going. With U-turn avoidance off, it will keep telling me to make a U-turn and return to the original route. This will go on for a surprising distance (a mile or more, in my experience), before it will actually do a complete re-route.

I know I am resurrecting this old thread, but it was recently Easter, so . . .

Aardvark, What route(s) do you take between LI and Albany that avoid the Thruway? I find myself having to head that way more and more often. I tried the Taconic, which is good except in bad weather. Where do you take the Taconic to? Which river crossing?

Other routes? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

PS: Earlier this year I crossed west over the river on I-90. There were no tolls, but just before the river there was a whole bunch of electronic devices at one single spot, hanging from arms and poles over the roadway in the median and shoulder. No idea what they were, and saw no toll or EZ Pass signs. Any idea what that Big Brother-ish array is?

Could they have been at a truck weigh station?

Nope. It was wide open road. No such facilities on either side of the road. No low bridges ahead for some sort of warning system. My best guess would be it was plate reader technology like is used in Florida for tolls (no EZ pass needed, no slow-down required). But, there were no signs at all to even indicate it being a toll road/crossing, and I believe it is a no-toll interstate and crossing (but I could be wrong).

Also, there were several devices, way more than would be needed for the above.

Mystified.

There should be two avoidances. Toll Roads and Toll Bridges/Tunnels.

Alternatively, simply exclude border crossings, from the avoidance calculation.

they look for MAC addresses of bluetooth devices and time how long it takes the phones, etc. to travel between two points.

They are called probes and because a bluetooth device is not registered to a user, they have no way of determining who or what is triggering the receiver. Just remember, your bluetooth in your car, Nuvi, ear piece, whatever sends out pings and that is what they read. They then match the ping at the next station and determine speed by the time it took to go from one to another.