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| {{short description|Act of deliberately avoiding toll roads}} | |||
| {{cleanup-tone}} | |||
| '''Shunpiking''' is the act of deliberately avoiding roads that require payment of a fee or ] to travel on them, usually by traveling on alternative "free" roads which bypass the toll road. The term comes from the word ''shun'', meaning "to avoid", and ''pike'', a term referring to ], which is another name for toll roads.<ref>: "a side road used to avoid the toll on or the speed and traffic of a superhighway"; {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311205546/http://www.bartleby.com/61/88/S0378800.html |date=2007-03-11 }}: "To travel on side roads, avoiding turnpikes."</ref> People who often avoid toll roads sometimes call themselves shunpikers. Historically, certain paths around tollbooths came to be so well known they were called "shun-pikes".<ref>], ''What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848'', p.214</ref> | |||
| {{original research}} | |||
| The term '''shunpiking''' comes from the word "shun", meaning to avoid, and "pike," a term referring to ]s, which were roads which required payment of a ] to travel on them. Payment was made at a toll station where a pike, a long wooden shaft, was placed across the road barring passage. After payment, the pike would be turned, or raised, to allow vehicles to pass. Persons engaged in shunpiking are called '''shunpikers'''. | |||
| Shunpiking has also come to mean an avoidance of major highways (regardless of tolls) in preference for bucolic and scenic interludes along lightly traveled country roads. | |||
| ==Early shunpikes== | |||
| For some, practice of '''shunpiking''' involved a form of ] of ]s, (rather than just avoidance of them for financial reasons) by taking another route, perhaps slower, longer, or under poorer road conditions. | |||
| Shunpikes were known in the United States soon after independence. In the mid-1700s, Samuel Rice built a road over the ] in northwestern Massachusetts, near the present ].<ref name=Browne>Browne, William. ''The Mohawk trail: its history and course, with map and illustrations, together with an account of Fort Massachusetts and of the early turnpikes over Hoosac Mountain'', (Sun Printing Co., 1920).</ref> Subsequently, a nearby road for stagecoaches was built around 1787, which became subject to control of the Turnpike Association incorporated in 1797.<ref name=Browne /> People desiring to avoid the turnpike fees took the Rice Road instead of the stage road, and so the Rice Road earned the sobriquet “shunpike”.<ref name=Browne /> | |||
| Contributing to open free travel, in 1797 the thrifty travelers of the ] forded the Deerfield River rather than pay toll at the turnpike bridge; in 1810 they won the battle for free travel on all Massachusetts roads.<ref>Mohawk and Taconic Trail Association, 1957; S.Welch volunteer</ref><ref>Memorial signage at N 42° 38.1176 W 072° 54.284, along the Mohawk Trail portion part of now Massachusetts Route 2.</ref> | |||
| == Shunpiking as a historical boycott in Virginia == | |||
| One such example of shunpiking as a form of boycott occurred at the ] in eastern ]. After years of lower than anticipated revenues on the narrow privately funded structure built in ], the Commonwealth of Virginia finally purchased the facility in ]. However, rather than announcing a long-expected decrease in tolls, the state officials increased the rates in ] without visibly improving the roadway, with the notable exception of building a new toll plaza. | |||
| A shunpike in ], dates back to 1804;<ref>'']'', ], Tuesday, March 6, 1804, p.4</ref> one near ], was in existence at least as early as 1809;<ref>'']'', ], 21 February 1810 edition, p. 4: advertisement dated 23 December 1809.</ref> and one in ], was created circa 1810.{{Citation needed|date=October 2016}} | |||
| The increased toll rates incensed the public and business users alike. In a well-publicized example of shunpiking, ], head of ], the producer of world-famous ], ordered his truck drivers to take different routes and cross smaller and cheaper bridges. Despite the boycott by Luter and others, tolls continued for 20 more years. They were finally removed from the old bridge in ] when construction began on a toll-free replacement structure. Perhaps ironically, the newer toll plaza at the southern end out survived the original bridge by more than 30 years as an administration building before it too was demolished early in the 21st century. At that time, in what might be construed as a final irony, preservationists petitioned against the demolition of the toll structure. | |||
| A newspaper article in the '']'' of March 6, 1804 (p. 4), references a house for sale on Shunpike Road between ] and Elizabethtown (]), New Jersey. This "Shunpike Road", parts of which are still extant, was in existence the same year that the turnpike it was used to avoid, the Morris Turnpike, was opened for business: 1804. It ran southwest of and parallel to the Morris Turnpike, now called "Old Turnpike Road". It was formed by the improvement and connection of sideroads to enable country people to avoid the expenses of the tolls. Shunpike Road ran through the towns of Bottle Hill (now ]), ], ] and ].<ref>William Parkhurst Tuttle, ''Bottle Hill and Madison: Glimpses and reminiscences from its earliest settlement to the Civil War.'' Madison, NJ: Madison Eagle Press, 1916.</ref> | |||
| ==Shunpiking the Pennsylvania Turnpike== | |||
| When the Hampton Falls Turnpike was built in ], around 1810 by the Hampton Causeway Turnpike Corporation, a toll was charged to cross it at the ]. "Not content with the payment of a toll, some of the residents got together and built a slight bridge called the 'Shunpike' across the Taylor's River, some distance west of the Turnpike bridge, where travelers and ]s could cross without charge. This continued on until April 12, 1826, when the toll on the Turnpike was discontinued and has remained a free road to this day."<ref name="NH Library Website">John Holman, Hampton history volunteer, Lane Memorial Library (Hampton, NH), </ref> | |||
| Shunpiking the ] portion of the ] via ] and ] is actually shorter than using the ]. From ] to ] using the Turnpike the route is 155 miles (250 km) and includes a bottleneck in ], while the alternate route from Hancock, Maryland to Washington, Pennsylvania via ] is 151.8 miles (244 km). The speed limit is also higher on the shunpiking route as ] has a speed limit of 70 mph (110 km/h), and the road is toll-free. | |||
| ===Historical boycott in Virginia=== | |||
| ==Shunpiking the Delaware Turnpike/John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway and Delaware Route 1== | |||
| {{ |
{{Unreferenced section|date=October 2016}} | ||
| An example of shunpiking as a form of boycott occurred at the ] in eastern ], United States. After years of lower than anticipated revenues on the narrow, privately funded structure built in 1928, the Commonwealth of Virginia finally purchased the facility in 1949. However, rather than announcing a long-expected decrease in tolls, the state officials increased the rates in 1955 without visibly improving the roadway, with the notable exception of building a new toll plaza. | |||
| {{Mergeto|JFK Memorial Highway|date=September 2006}} | |||
| {{Mergeto|State Route 1 (Delaware)|date=September 2006}} | |||
| '''Shunpiking''' the ]/] and ], both interconnecting toll roads, occurs in Delaware due to two major paralleling U.S. Highway routes: ] paralleling the Delaware Turnpike, and ] paralleling Delaware Route 1. This practice occurs on the latter, mainly by older drivers, as U.S. 13 was the only major north-south route before Delaware Route 1, and because of the $3 tolls (cheaper compared with most Northeastern toll roads), despite the toll-free crossing on the ]. The former's higher toll ($2.50) on the Delaware Turnpike as well as the lower one-way toll on U.S. 40's ] crossing near ] serves as an attractive alternate route for trucks, although both ] and ] state officials have been trying to '''reverse shunpike''' the long-distance travellers by increasing the number of traffic lights on U.S. 40 between ] and ], along with lowering speed limits from 55 mph (90 km/h) to 45 mph (70 km/h) or lower, while I-95 has a 65 mph (100 km/h) speed limit between ] and the Mason-Dixon Line, and 55 mph (90 km/h) between the ] and the junction with ]. Yet another way to shunpike the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway in Maryland and its $5.00 toll is to exit at MD 155 and go 3 miles west to MD 161. Continue up MD 161 for 5 miles to U.S. 1 in Darlington, MD, and cross the toll-free Conowingo Dam. Then go down MD 222, for 4 more miles, through historic Port Deposit, MD, turn onto MD 275, and reenter Interstate 95 at Exit 93. This is more of a local bypass but still proves effective for any traveller, although it takes about 16 miles and, at best, 25-30 minutes longer than the direct I-95 route. Travelers going to Philadelphia from Baltimore can take the U.S. 1 route over the Conowingo Dam and continue North to Media and connect to the Greater Philadelphia area avoiding all tolls and rush hour traffic around Wilmington. Traveling from Chester County it is quite easy taking U.S. 1 to MD 276 and 275 and joining I-95 in Perryville. | |||
| The increased toll rates incensed the public and business users alike. In a well-publicized example of shunpiking, Joseph W. Luter Jr., head of ] (the producer of ]), ordered his truck drivers to take different routes and cross smaller and cheaper bridges. Despite the boycott by Luter and others, tolls continued for 20 more years. They were finally removed from the old bridge in 1975 when construction began on a toll-free replacement structure. | |||
| With the recent increase on October 1, 2005, of the Delaware Turnpike toll to $3 each way (and removal of the E-ZPass discount), increasing numbers of drivers are now shunpiking the Delaware Turnpike toll plaza in favor of side roads. Southbound, drivers can exit at I-95 at exit 1 (Delaware Route 896) and turn left on Delaware Rte 2, following it around until it becomes Maryland Rte 279 and intersects with I-95 South again across the Maryland state line. Northbound, drivers can exit I-95 at Exit 109B (MD 279), make a right on Delaware Rte 2, and then another right on Delaware Rte 896 to avoid the toll in that direction. But there are now talks by the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) to reinstate ramp toll similar to those found on the Delaware Route 1 turnpike at U.S. 13 in Smyrna and Delaware Rt. 896 in Mt. Pleasant as a way to "slow" the shunpiking down, and to provide needed money for a major upgrade project involving the rebuilding of the I-95/Delaware Rt. 1 interchange and the widening of I-95 itself between Delaware Rt. 1 and I-295. | |||
| ==United States== | |||
| ==Shunpiking the New Jersey Turnpike, Garden State Parkway, and Atlantic City Expressway== | |||
| ===Connecticut=== | |||
| {{Mergeto|New Jersey Turnpike|date=September 2006}} | |||
| Prior to the removal of tolls in 1985, the ] had eight mainline toll barriers instead of a ticket system that was typically used on the turnpikes of that era. While the Connecticut Turnpike was officially considered a toll road for its entire 129-mile length, the placement of mainline toll barriers and the lack of ramp tolls meant the only sections of the Turnpike that were truly tolled were between the interchanges immediately before and following each mainline barrier. Consequentially, motorists familiar with the local area around each of the toll barriers could essentially travel the Turnpike toll-free by exiting before the toll plaza, use local streets to bypass the toll, and re-enter the Turnpike past the toll plaza. | |||
| {{Mergeto|Garden State Parkway|date=September 2006}} | |||
| {{Mergeto|Atlantic City Expressway|date=September 2006}} | |||
| Shunpiking the three major toll routes in New Jersey is due to a number of different issues. On the ], shunpiking occurs between Exit-1 (Delaware Memorial Bridge) and Exit 7A (Trenton-Shore Points) with the parallel location of ], which breaks off just east of the ]. Although all New Jersey Turnpike signage has "TO 95" between Exit 1 and Exit 6 (PA Turnpike-Florence), shunpiking has been popular because of the savings of over $3.00 in tolls by using I-295. Shunpiking can also be achieved by taking ] through ]. Until the construction of the new Exit 1 toll plaza, with both cash and high-speed E-Z Pass-only toll lanes, shunpiking was used by the ] during the summer months to alleviate heavy volume conditions at the old Exit 1 plaza. | |||
| ===Delaware=== | |||
| From ] north to ], the Turnpike is closely paralleled by ] (and ] north of ]), a multi-lane highway with traffic lights. However, north of ], the ] ] is a ] with no traffic lights for automobiles to the ], with few north from there to the ] and the ]. | |||
| There is a toll of $4 in each direction on the {{convert|11|mi|adj=on}} Delaware Turnpike, or ]. It is the third most expensive turnpike in the United States when calculated per mile. Since the turnpike does not use ramp tolls, only imposing a toll on drivers passing through a toll plaza just east of the ] state line, the toll is easily avoided by using local roads. By taking the last exit of ], ], one can continue northbound on MD 279, cross into Delaware on ], turn right at Christiana Parkway (]/]), and make another right onto DE 896 and soon arrive once again at I-95.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/business/consuminginterests/blog/2009/01/avoiding_the_delaware_tolls_wi.html|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090216100824/http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/business/consuminginterests/blog/2009/01/avoiding_the_delaware_tolls_wi.html|archive-date = 2009-02-16|title = How slots revenue would break down}}</ref> Large trucks cannot use this detour as DE 4/DE 896 have width and weight restrictions.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.deldot.gov/osow/application/permrestrictions|title = Oversize / Overweight Permit System - Delaware Department of Transportation - State of Delaware}}</ref> | |||
| On January 10, 2019, DelDOT opened the ] toll road bypassing ]. Now all traffic entering Delaware using US 301 must pay a minimum $4 toll at the state line, with access to the old alignment cut off until after the toll point via Exit 2. Several new shunpikes have emerged, the most common being the historical alignment of ] through Warwick or Levels Road, but neither is viable for trucks. A longer distance route involves using ] in Maryland into Delaware (becoming ] across the line) then turning onto ] to the free ramp back to ] at Port Penn Road. | |||
| A similar condition occurs on both the ] and the ], the former due to ] and ] and the latter with ], ], and ]. The GSP shunpiking with U.S. 9 occurs between ] and Woodbridge Township with I-287 "picking up" between Woodbridge and the ] state line, while the Atlantic City Expressway shunpiking occurs between ] (U.S. 30 and U.S. 322) and ] (U.S. 40) and Atlantic City. | |||
| === Kentucky === | |||
| == Shunpiking the New York State Thruway == | |||
| The ] and ] are a pair of bridges that carry ] across the Ohio River, connecting ] to downtown ]. On December 30, 2016, the Kentucky Department of Transportation implemented a toll to cross the bridges in either direction, ranging from $2 for vehicles with electronic transponders to $4 for vehicles paying by mail. The ], which makes the same crossing less than one mile west of the two I-65 bridges, remained free. This resulted in a 49% decrease in daily crossings on the Kennedy Bridge and a 75% increase in traffic on the Clark Memorial Bridge.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-11-30|title=People aren't using Kentucky's new $1.3 billion bridge and highway system|url=https://www.archpaper.com/2018/11/ohio-bridges-project-louisville-kentucky/|access-date=2021-06-28|website=The Architect’s Newspaper|language=en-US}}</ref> | |||
| {{Mergeto|New York State Thruway|date=September 2006}} | |||
| There is a very obvious way to shunpike from interchange B1 to interchange 24 on the ]. Very simply, follow ]. For instance, if travelling from 25A (]) to B3 (]), you will end up paying $0.70 as opposed to $2.00. There are other, far less obvious ways of shunpiking this long road, such as taking the ] to avoid the Yonkers toll. You can even save $17 by bypassing most of the road using ] to get from ] to ]. | |||
| ===Pennsylvania=== | |||
| In the western portion of the state it is possible to follow Genesee Road most of the way from ] to ], instead of taking the Thruway, in order to avoid the tolls. | |||
| ] runs ] with the ] for {{convert|86|mi}}. Westbound travelers can exit I-70 in ] just south of the ] ] and enter ], continuing along I-68's entire length through ] and into ] until arriving at ], I-68's western terminus, in ]. After merging onto I-79 north, a traveler can enter Pennsylvania and merge back onto I-70 in ], where I-70 and I-79 are briefly concurrent. | |||
| Despite the added mileage, the relatively non-congested roadways in western Maryland (combined with the various ]s and pre-] quality of the Pennsylvania Turnpike) make the toll-free trip nearly the same time as the toll route.<ref>{{cite web |title=Google Driving Directions |url=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/39.7078271,-78.1826164/I-70,+Washington,+PA+15301/@39.7074765,-79.3309917,292884m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m10!4m9!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x8835ac5c48680729:0x5c22bc5752f830de!2m2!1d-80.2128246!2d40.1736102!3e0!5i2 |website=Google Maps |accessdate=March 12, 2019}}</ref> (The Pennsylvania Turnpike was ] from modern ].) | |||
| Once in Syracuse, ] (New York) parallels the Thruway, though passing through downtown Syracuse. At the eastern terminus, it's easy to use ] (New York) south to get to ], which continues east to ]. From there, one can continue on Route 5 all the way to ]. Alternately, Route 5S also runs parallel to the Thruway from Utica to ] (New York) in Schenectady. Route 5S is recommended, as it is an expressway for the first portion from Utica to ], and because it runs into fewer small towns (fewer speed limit reductions) along the way than Route 5. It also forms a seamless transition into Interstate 890 (New York) which avoids urban traffic near Albany, and brings you back to the Thruway mainline shortly before Albany. | |||
| ===Oklahoma === | |||
| == Shunpiking the Massachusetts Turnpike == | |||
| In ] east of ], ] replaced old ] as the main route in the form of the ] between Oklahoma City and ], and the ] between Tulsa and the ] state line. However, locals have kept old 66 alive by using it for shunpiking instead of the locally unpopular toll expressway.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hinchberger.com/article10.htm |title=Article 9 |accessdate=2013-09-18 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303235348/http://www.hinchberger.com/article10.htm |archivedate=2016-03-03 }}</ref> | |||
| === West Virginia=== | |||
| There are three main alternatives to the ]/]: | |||
| The ] (the remaining roadway left behind in the ]) serves the middle of West Virginia and runs somewhat parallel to Interstates ] and ]. The trail follows the entirety of ] in West Virginia and the two are synonymous. It traverses through 180 miles of rugged terrain starting in ] in the west and ending in ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Midland Trail National Scenic Byway |url=https://wvtourism.com/company/midland-trail-national-scenic-highway/ |access-date=2023-11-07 |website=Almost Heaven - West Virginia |language=en-US}}</ref> The roadway often follows the historic ] and ]. The trail passes through many parks and communities including the ]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Box 246 |first=Mailing Address: P. O. |last2=Jean |first2=104 Main Street Glen |last3=Us |first3=WV 25846 Phone: 304-465-0508 Contact |title=Directions & Transportation - New River Gorge National Park & Preserve (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/neri/planyourvisit/directions.htm |access-date=2023-11-07 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en}}</ref> and the state capitol of ]. | |||
| A much smaller remnant road of the James River and Kanawha Turnpike, is the 5 mile Kanawha Turnpike that runs from ] to Charleston, the road then splits and continues for another mile in ] before merging back onto US-60. This road acts as a local shunpike for commuters avoiding US 60 and I-64.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Portion of Kanawha Turnpike to close overnight as part of Jefferson Road project |url=https://transportation.wv.gov/communications/PressRelease/Pages/Portion_of_Kanawha_Turnpike_to_close_overnight_as_part_of_Jefferson_Road_project.aspx |access-date=2023-11-07 |website=transportation.wv.gov |language=en}}</ref> | |||
| * ] parallels the Mass Pike for most of its length. | |||
| * ] is also a feasible alternative, although it is largely a two-lane road until reaching ]. Route 9 begins at US-20 in ]. | |||
| * ] is an alternative route in the northern portion of the state, which is mostly a ] or two-lane, ] ] east of ], after it crosses the ] on the ]. Route 2 west of Interstate 91 is a scenic two lane road, with many hills and sharp turns, and is a favorite route for ] during the fall. | |||
| ==In Britain== | |||
| Shunpiking the Massachusetts Turnpike becomes difficult and potentially less desirable once inside the ] beltway around ], as routes 9 and 20 become more congested. Route 2's freeway portion also ends at ] in ]. | |||
| In the early 1990s, the management of the ] doubled the tolls in one direction (] to ]) and made the other direction free of charge, presumably to save on staff costs. As a result, many ] drivers used the Severn Bridge in the free direction, but when travelling from England to Wales, crossed the Severn at ], where there was no charge, and then drove through the ].{{Citation needed|date=August 2011}} Tolls on the Severn Crossings were abolished in 2018.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-46539184 | title = Severn bridges: M4 Severn crossing reopens toll free | date = 2018-12-17 | website = ] | access-date = 2020-07-30}}</ref> | |||
| The ] became the first motorway other than bridges to charge drivers. Drivers can avoid the toll by staying on the ], which is shorter than the toll road, though usually more congested.{{citation needed|date=July 2020}} | |||
| ] can be used to access the ] on ] as an alternative to the ] to get to ]. However, the ] in the opposite direction collects a toll, and the Callahan Tunnel can only be accessed from southbound I-93, since the completion of the ]. | |||
| ==In Hong Kong== | |||
| == Shunpiking toll roads in New Hampshire == | |||
| In ], when crossing ] between ] and ]/], most drivers and businesses prefer the much cheaper, and older, ] (XHT), to the ]. The toll differences are particularly significant for lorries, coaches and buses. The government has proposed a subsidy to users of a third tunnel, the ], to relieve the congestion through the XHT and around both ends of the XHT. The proposal of increasing the Cross Harbour Tunnel's prices and lowering that of the Eastern Harbour Crossing has yet to be put into practise. | |||
| === Shunpiking the Everett Turnpike === | |||
| A similar phenomenon exists with the ] between ] (and the rest of the eastern and northeastern ]) and ]. Most users prefer Lion Rock Tunnel to the ] or ], or the ]-]s as the new tunnels are longer and more expensive. However, this problem is not as serious as the tunnels connecting Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. | |||
| The ] is toll-free through Exit 8 in ]. | |||
| ==In popular culture== | |||
| * One option for shunpiking this section of the Everett Turnpike is to use Exit 7 and follow ] north through ] and ] to avoid the Bedford toll plaza. Then, use eastbound ] back to the Everett Turnpike. | |||
| The term "shunpiking" inspired the name of ], the ] conductor in the '']'' stories.{{citation needed|date=May 2015}} | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| * Alternatively, ] can be picked up via the ] at Exit 2 (Exit 1A if entering from Spit Brook Road). Route 3A intersects with ] in ]. Return to the Everett Turnpike via northbound I-293. | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| ==References== | |||
| * A third option is to use ] to ]. | |||
| {{Reflist|30em}} | |||
| ==Further reading== | |||
| The portion of roadway that the Everett Turnpike shares with I-293 is toll-free. | |||
| * Exton, Peter. ''A Shunpiker's Guide to the Northeast: Washington to Boston without turnpikes or interstates'' / Peter Exton. McLean, VA: EPM Publications, c1988. 159 p. ill.; 22 cm. {{ISBN|0-939009-10-2}} | |||
| ] | |||
| To shunpike the section of the Everett Turnpike shared with I-93, follow ] or ]. The ] on northbound I-93 can also be accessed via Route 3A. | |||
| ] | |||
| === Shunpiking the New Hampshire Turnpike === | |||
| To shunpike the ]/], use ] or the coastal ]. | |||
| === Shunpiking the Spaulding Turnpike === | |||
| The ]/] is toll-free through Exit 6. | |||
| Use Exit 6W and proceed westbound on ] through ] and past the campus of ]. Turn right onto ] northbound. Follow Route 125 to ], rejoining the Spaulding Turnpike at Exit 12. The section of the Spaulding Turnpike between Exits 12 and 18 is toll-free as well. | |||
| == Shunpiking the Maine Turnpike == | |||
| The ]/] can be shunpiked by using ] to ]. Before I-295 rejoins the Maine Turnpike, use Exit 49 to northbound ], and follow through the ] area. Follow to ] westbound, rejoining I-95 at Exit 109. | |||
| == Shunpiking the Indiana Toll Road == | |||
| Eastbound: | |||
| Enter Indiana on I-80-94, the Borman Expressway. | |||
| At the interchange with the Toll Road, stay on I-94; the ] is "Detroit." | |||
| Exit I-94 at Exit 40, which is US-20 eastbound, marked "La Porte." | |||
| Follow US-20 to the intersection with State Route 2. Go straight onto Route 2. | |||
| Follow State Route 2 almost to South Bend, to the interchange with US-20-31. Follow US-20 east. | |||
| Continue on US-20 past Mishawaka and Elkhart. | |||
| (At this point, it is possible to get to the Toll Road via CR 17.) | |||
| Continue on US 20 through La Grange and Angola into Ohio. | |||
| Westbound: | |||
| Enter Indiana on US-20. | |||
| Follow US-20 through Angola and La Grange, to Elkhart. | |||
| (At this point, traffic from the Toll Road can begin shunpiking by exiting the Toll Road at Exit 96, marked "to US-20." and following CR 17.) | |||
| Continue on US-20, the St. Joseph Valley Parkway, past Mishawaka and South Bend. | |||
| Exit at State Route 2 west. | |||
| Follow State Route 2 to the intersection with US-20. Go straight onto US-20. | |||
| Follow US-20 almost to Michigan City, to the interchange with I-94. | |||
| Enter I-94 west, and follow it into Illinois. | |||
| The western half of this route is much better than the eastern. I-94 and US-20 around South Bend and Elkhart are freeway. State Route 2 is four lanes, with only a few traffic signals. | |||
| East of Elkhart, however, US-20 is two lanes, with several traffic signals, much truck traffic, and possible congestion in Angola. | |||
| Even more suitable for some is the lightly-traveled ] east of Elkhart to the Indiana-Michigan state line (by a fluke of boundaries the Michigan-Indiana state line is a few miles more northerly than the Michigan-Ohio state line). This highway has no large towns, is well-engineered, and can be driven at or near the maximum speed limit except at intersections and through the few small towns (Fremont, Indiana is the largest). Indiana 120 becomes an unnumbered, but well-marked ] county road as it goes due east into Michigan, where it is known as Territorial Road. This is a reasonably-good road, and well-marked despite the lack of a number. Just inside Michigan one can turn south onto ], which shortly becomes ], crosses the Ohio Turnpike, and meets US 20. Westward one takes Ohio State Highway 49 from US 20 past the Michigan State Line, where it becomes Michigan State Highway 49 and turns west on Territorial Road, which is marked as "TO Indiana 120 Fremont", goes west across the Michigan-Indiana state line and becomes Indiana 120. | |||
| ==Shunpiking the Ohio Turnpike (& Indiana Toll Road -Alternative 2-)== | |||
| If your travels don't take you somewhere off the Ohio Turnpike, the best way to avoid it is at the I-80/I-76 switch. When coming from Pennsylvania stay on I-80, but instead of following the number, stay on the same highway going west. It becomes I-76 to Akron, OH and then ends at I-71. Take I-71 south to ] and then follow that west. The highway is four lane limited access or expressway for the rest of its trip through Ohio, except for the section which is under construction from OH Route 235 to Upper Sandusky (completion in 2007). Once U.S. Route 30 enters Indiana it is mostly a four lane arterial with very limited traffic lights. This will also help you shunpike the Indiana Toll Road. To avoid the outer suburbs of Chicago along U.S. Route 30 (with its numerous traffic lights) reconnect with I-80 or I-90 using IN Route 49. | |||
| ==Shunpiking the Ohio Turnpike (& Indiana Toll Road -Alternative 3-)== | |||
| Even longer shunpiking, for those who have destinations east of Pittsburgh and west of Illinois is possible by using ] from the Quad Cities area to and from Indianapolis and ] to and from Indianapolis through Ohio and western Pennsylvania. This shunpiking puts one through Indianapolis and Columbus, but avoids the extreme ] congestion altogether. | |||
| ==Shunpiking the Kansas Turnpike== | |||
| {{Mergeto|Kansas Turnpike|date=September 2006}} | |||
| The state of Kansas has feasible alternatives to compete with the ] along the route. | |||
| ] and ] via K-10: There is a free "freeway" that links Kansas City to Lawrence. Very simply, follow ] South to the ] (K-10) freeway West to ]. | |||
| ] and ] via ]: The "free" ] departs from the ] at Exit 127 and heads directly to ], while the turnpike heads for ], then east to Kansas City on ]. These two routes meet at the ] in downtown ]. For this reason, the section between ] and ] is the least traveled section of the ]. | |||
| ] and ] via ], ], and ]: If you don't mind a little bit of a drive (67 miles) along the 2-lane US 50 between ] and ], you can take I-35 between Kansas City and Emporia, US 50 between Emporia and Newton, and I-135 between Newton and Wichita. | |||
| ==Shunpiking in the UK== | |||
| 2003 saw the completion of the ], the first tolled ordinary Motorway in the country. The road was originally planned to be free to use as the 'BNRR' (Birmingham Northern Relief Road), but was built with tolls in order to reduce the cost to the government of building the road. | |||
| Road and fuel related taxation has been historically high in the UK, and as such many motorists resent the imposition of tolls on new roads. The government has also announced an intention that future Motorways may be funded by tolling. As such, a large number of drivers boycott the ], preferring instead to use the congested ] through Birmingham, which the toll road was intended to relieve. Also, most of the road haulage and logistics operators in the Midlands do not allow their trucks to use the road. | |||
| ] has also seen a campaign against bridge tolls, especially on the ], built under a controvertial ] contract. Tolls ceased on ] ] when the ] bought the bridge. The Executive also abolished tolls on the ] from ] ]. | |||
| ==Shunpiking in New Zealand== | |||
| The term "shunpiking" is not used in New Zealand, and toll roads are very rare there. For many years the only toll road in the country was the bridge carrying ] across ] Harbour from the town of ] to Tauranga. Despite being a considerably longer route, many motorists took a more circuitous route around the harbour while the toll was in place. | |||
| A similar toll was in place on the ] for some years after its opening, but the distance saved by this route made the cost of avoiding using the bridge prohibitive for most motorists. | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
Latest revision as of 02:33, 30 April 2024
Act of deliberately avoiding toll roadsShunpiking is the act of deliberately avoiding roads that require payment of a fee or toll to travel on them, usually by traveling on alternative "free" roads which bypass the toll road. The term comes from the word shun, meaning "to avoid", and pike, a term referring to turnpikes, which is another name for toll roads. People who often avoid toll roads sometimes call themselves shunpikers. Historically, certain paths around tollbooths came to be so well known they were called "shun-pikes".
Shunpiking has also come to mean an avoidance of major highways (regardless of tolls) in preference for bucolic and scenic interludes along lightly traveled country roads.
Early shunpikes
Shunpikes were known in the United States soon after independence. In the mid-1700s, Samuel Rice built a road over the Hoosac Range in northwestern Massachusetts, near the present Hoosac Tunnel. Subsequently, a nearby road for stagecoaches was built around 1787, which became subject to control of the Turnpike Association incorporated in 1797. People desiring to avoid the turnpike fees took the Rice Road instead of the stage road, and so the Rice Road earned the sobriquet “shunpike”.
Contributing to open free travel, in 1797 the thrifty travelers of the Mohawk Trail forded the Deerfield River rather than pay toll at the turnpike bridge; in 1810 they won the battle for free travel on all Massachusetts roads.
A shunpike in Morris County, New Jersey, dates back to 1804; one near Mount Holly, Vermont, was in existence at least as early as 1809; and one in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire, was created circa 1810.
A newspaper article in the New Jersey Journal of March 6, 1804 (p. 4), references a house for sale on Shunpike Road between Morristown and Elizabethtown (Elizabeth), New Jersey. This "Shunpike Road", parts of which are still extant, was in existence the same year that the turnpike it was used to avoid, the Morris Turnpike, was opened for business: 1804. It ran southwest of and parallel to the Morris Turnpike, now called "Old Turnpike Road". It was formed by the improvement and connection of sideroads to enable country people to avoid the expenses of the tolls. Shunpike Road ran through the towns of Bottle Hill (now Madison), Chatham, Summit and Springfield.
When the Hampton Falls Turnpike was built in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire, around 1810 by the Hampton Causeway Turnpike Corporation, a toll was charged to cross it at the Taylor River. "Not content with the payment of a toll, some of the residents got together and built a slight bridge called the 'Shunpike' across the Taylor's River, some distance west of the Turnpike bridge, where travelers and teamsters could cross without charge. This continued on until April 12, 1826, when the toll on the Turnpike was discontinued and has remained a free road to this day."
Historical boycott in Virginia
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An example of shunpiking as a form of boycott occurred at the James River Bridge in eastern Virginia, United States. After years of lower than anticipated revenues on the narrow, privately funded structure built in 1928, the Commonwealth of Virginia finally purchased the facility in 1949. However, rather than announcing a long-expected decrease in tolls, the state officials increased the rates in 1955 without visibly improving the roadway, with the notable exception of building a new toll plaza.
The increased toll rates incensed the public and business users alike. In a well-publicized example of shunpiking, Joseph W. Luter Jr., head of Smithfield Packing Company (the producer of Smithfield Hams), ordered his truck drivers to take different routes and cross smaller and cheaper bridges. Despite the boycott by Luter and others, tolls continued for 20 more years. They were finally removed from the old bridge in 1975 when construction began on a toll-free replacement structure.
United States
Connecticut
Prior to the removal of tolls in 1985, the Connecticut Turnpike had eight mainline toll barriers instead of a ticket system that was typically used on the turnpikes of that era. While the Connecticut Turnpike was officially considered a toll road for its entire 129-mile length, the placement of mainline toll barriers and the lack of ramp tolls meant the only sections of the Turnpike that were truly tolled were between the interchanges immediately before and following each mainline barrier. Consequentially, motorists familiar with the local area around each of the toll barriers could essentially travel the Turnpike toll-free by exiting before the toll plaza, use local streets to bypass the toll, and re-enter the Turnpike past the toll plaza.
Delaware
There is a toll of $4 in each direction on the 11-mile (18 km) Delaware Turnpike, or I-95. It is the third most expensive turnpike in the United States when calculated per mile. Since the turnpike does not use ramp tolls, only imposing a toll on drivers passing through a toll plaza just east of the Maryland state line, the toll is easily avoided by using local roads. By taking the last exit of I-95 in Maryland, MD 279, one can continue northbound on MD 279, cross into Delaware on DE 279, turn right at Christiana Parkway (DE 4/DE 896), and make another right onto DE 896 and soon arrive once again at I-95. Large trucks cannot use this detour as DE 4/DE 896 have width and weight restrictions.
On January 10, 2019, DelDOT opened the US 301 toll road bypassing Middletown. Now all traffic entering Delaware using US 301 must pay a minimum $4 toll at the state line, with access to the old alignment cut off until after the toll point via Exit 2. Several new shunpikes have emerged, the most common being the historical alignment of MD 299 through Warwick or Levels Road, but neither is viable for trucks. A longer distance route involves using MD 300 in Maryland into Delaware (becoming DE 300 across the line) then turning onto US 13 to the free ramp back to DE 1 at Port Penn Road.
Kentucky
The Abraham Lincoln Bridge and John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge are a pair of bridges that carry Interstate 65 across the Ohio River, connecting Jeffersonville, Indiana to downtown Louisville, Kentucky. On December 30, 2016, the Kentucky Department of Transportation implemented a toll to cross the bridges in either direction, ranging from $2 for vehicles with electronic transponders to $4 for vehicles paying by mail. The Clark Memorial Bridge, which makes the same crossing less than one mile west of the two I-65 bridges, remained free. This resulted in a 49% decrease in daily crossings on the Kennedy Bridge and a 75% increase in traffic on the Clark Memorial Bridge.
Pennsylvania
Interstate 70 runs concurrently with the Pennsylvania Turnpike for 86 miles (138 km). Westbound travelers can exit I-70 in Maryland just south of the Pennsylvania border and enter Interstate 68, continuing along I-68's entire length through western Maryland and into West Virginia until arriving at Interstate 79, I-68's western terminus, in Morgantown. After merging onto I-79 north, a traveler can enter Pennsylvania and merge back onto I-70 in Washington, Pennsylvania, where I-70 and I-79 are briefly concurrent.
Despite the added mileage, the relatively non-congested roadways in western Maryland (combined with the various tunnels and pre-Interstate quality of the Pennsylvania Turnpike) make the toll-free trip nearly the same time as the toll route. (The Pennsylvania Turnpike was grandfathered from modern Interstate standards.)
Oklahoma
In Oklahoma east of Oklahoma City, Interstate 44 replaced old U.S. Route 66 as the main route in the form of the Turner Turnpike between Oklahoma City and Tulsa, and the Will Rogers Turnpike between Tulsa and the Missouri state line. However, locals have kept old 66 alive by using it for shunpiking instead of the locally unpopular toll expressway.
West Virginia
The Midland Trail (the remaining roadway left behind in the historic Midland Trail) serves the middle of West Virginia and runs somewhat parallel to Interstates 64 and 77. The trail follows the entirety of U.S. Route 60 in West Virginia and the two are synonymous. It traverses through 180 miles of rugged terrain starting in Kenova in the west and ending in White Sulphur Springs. The roadway often follows the historic James River and Kanawha Turnpike and Kanawha River. The trail passes through many parks and communities including the New River Gorge National Park and the state capitol of Charleston.
A much smaller remnant road of the James River and Kanawha Turnpike, is the 5 mile Kanawha Turnpike that runs from South Charleston to Charleston, the road then splits and continues for another mile in Jefferson before merging back onto US-60. This road acts as a local shunpike for commuters avoiding US 60 and I-64.
In Britain
In the early 1990s, the management of the Severn Bridge doubled the tolls in one direction (England to Wales) and made the other direction free of charge, presumably to save on staff costs. As a result, many lorry drivers used the Severn Bridge in the free direction, but when travelling from England to Wales, crossed the Severn at Gloucester, where there was no charge, and then drove through the Forest of Dean. Tolls on the Severn Crossings were abolished in 2018.
The M6 Toll became the first motorway other than bridges to charge drivers. Drivers can avoid the toll by staying on the M6 motorway, which is shorter than the toll road, though usually more congested.
In Hong Kong
In Hong Kong, when crossing Victoria Harbour between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon/New Kowloon, most drivers and businesses prefer the much cheaper, and older, Cross-Harbour Tunnel (XHT), to the Western Harbour Crossing. The toll differences are particularly significant for lorries, coaches and buses. The government has proposed a subsidy to users of a third tunnel, the Eastern Harbour Crossing, to relieve the congestion through the XHT and around both ends of the XHT. The proposal of increasing the Cross Harbour Tunnel's prices and lowering that of the Eastern Harbour Crossing has yet to be put into practise.
A similar phenomenon exists with the Lion Rock Tunnel between Sha Tin New Town (and the rest of the eastern and northeastern New Territories) and New Kowloon. Most users prefer Lion Rock Tunnel to the Tate's Cairn Tunnel or Shing Mun Tunnels, or the Eagle's Nest-Sha Tin Heights Tunnels as the new tunnels are longer and more expensive. However, this problem is not as serious as the tunnels connecting Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.
In popular culture
The term "shunpiking" inspired the name of Stan Shunpike, the Knight Bus conductor in the Harry Potter stories.
See also
References
- Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary definition of shunpike: "a side road used to avoid the toll on or the speed and traffic of a superhighway"; The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. def of shunpiking Archived 2007-03-11 at the Wayback Machine: "To travel on side roads, avoiding turnpikes."
- Daniel Walker Howe, What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848, p.214
- ^ Browne, William. The Mohawk trail: its history and course, with map and illustrations, together with an account of Fort Massachusetts and of the early turnpikes over Hoosac Mountain, pp. 24-25 (Sun Printing Co., 1920).
- Mohawk and Taconic Trail Association, 1957; S.Welch volunteer
- Memorial signage at N 42° 38.1176 W 072° 54.284, along the Mohawk Trail portion part of now Massachusetts Route 2.
- New-Jersey Journal, Elizabeth-town, New Jersey, Tuesday, March 6, 1804, p.4
- Rutland Herald, Rutland, Vermont, 21 February 1810 edition, p. 4: advertisement dated 23 December 1809.
- William Parkhurst Tuttle, Bottle Hill and Madison: Glimpses and reminiscences from its earliest settlement to the Civil War. Madison, NJ: Madison Eagle Press, 1916.
- John Holman, Hampton history volunteer, Lane Memorial Library (Hampton, NH), "The Turnpike v. The Shunpike"
- "How slots revenue would break down". Archived from the original on 2009-02-16.
- "Oversize / Overweight Permit System - Delaware Department of Transportation - State of Delaware".
- "People aren't using Kentucky's new $1.3 billion bridge and highway system". The Architect’s Newspaper. 2018-11-30. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
- "Google Driving Directions". Google Maps. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
- "Article 9". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2013-09-18.
- "Midland Trail National Scenic Byway". Almost Heaven - West Virginia. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
- Box 246, Mailing Address: P. O.; Jean, 104 Main Street Glen; Us, WV 25846 Phone: 304-465-0508 Contact. "Directions & Transportation - New River Gorge National Park & Preserve (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - "Portion of Kanawha Turnpike to close overnight as part of Jefferson Road project". transportation.wv.gov. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
- "Severn bridges: M4 Severn crossing reopens toll free". BBC News Online. 2018-12-17. Retrieved 2020-07-30.
Further reading
- Exton, Peter. A Shunpiker's Guide to the Northeast: Washington to Boston without turnpikes or interstates / Peter Exton. McLean, VA: EPM Publications, c1988. 159 p. ill.; 22 cm. ISBN 0-939009-10-2