OV9

I happily pay the toll just to avoid that hateful raised surface, it shakes the bike to bits.

Jobbo wrote: Thu Oct 05, 2023 10:57 am

Jimmy Choo wrote: Thu Oct 05, 2023 9:44 am I've only ever been on it once because I'm either going M5/M6 northbound or M5/M42/A42 but I assumed it was like the motorways were in the early days.

That's the M50 - the M6 Toll is more like motorways are in continental Europe.
Though if you want a similar vibe for free, the Aston Clinton bypass on the A41 feels a bit like that too with similar landscaping that is a bit different to most UK roads.

I'm quite fond of the A14 just east of the A1 - feels very continental on that stretch

Swervin_Mervin wrote: Thu Oct 05, 2023 4:22 pm

Jobbo wrote: Thu Oct 05, 2023 10:57 am

Jimmy Choo wrote: Thu Oct 05, 2023 9:44 am I've only ever been on it once because I'm either going M5/M6 northbound or M5/M42/A42 but I assumed it was like the motorways were in the early days.

That's the M50 - the M6 Toll is more like motorways are in continental Europe.
Though if you want a similar vibe for free, the Aston Clinton bypass on the A41 feels a bit like that too with similar landscaping that is a bit different to most UK roads.

I'm quite fond of the A14 just east of the A1 - feels very continental on that stretch

You mean the new chunk that bypasses Huntingdon (always advisable)? It swoops into the A1 rather pleasantly.

We never travel in rush hour so never use the toll.

It’s not worth it unless you have to travel at busy times.

Used it once when I wasn’t paying attention.

Dave!

Swervin_Mervin wrote: Thu Oct 05, 2023 4:22 pm

Jobbo wrote: Thu Oct 05, 2023 10:57 am

Jimmy Choo wrote: Thu Oct 05, 2023 9:44 am I've only ever been on it once because I'm either going M5/M6 northbound or M5/M42/A42 but I assumed it was like the motorways were in the early days.

That's the M50 - the M6 Toll is more like motorways are in continental Europe.
Though if you want a similar vibe for free, the Aston Clinton bypass on the A41 feels a bit like that too with similar landscaping that is a bit different to most UK roads.

I'm quite fond of the A14 just east of the A1 - feels very continental on that stretch

A road project that’s really made a massive difference. Used to do Coventry - Norwich regularly around 20 years ago and any time between 7am and 7pm was awful at various points. Now a smooth continuous journey until you hit the roundabouts the far side of Newmarket. I’m sure it still gets busy at peak times but lots of pinch point have been very well smoothed out.

Swervin_Mervin wrote: Thu Oct 05, 2023 4:22 pm

Jobbo wrote: Thu Oct 05, 2023 10:57 am

Jimmy Choo wrote: Thu Oct 05, 2023 9:44 am I've only ever been on it once because I'm either going M5/M6 northbound or M5/M42/A42 but I assumed it was like the motorways were in the early days.

That's the M50 - the M6 Toll is more like motorways are in continental Europe.
Though if you want a similar vibe for free, the Aston Clinton bypass on the A41 feels a bit like that too with similar landscaping that is a bit different to most UK roads.

I'm quite fond of the A14 just east of the A1 - feels very continental on that stretch

I’ve only used it once, in the dark and pissing rain when I didn’t know it had opened and it wasn’t on my sat nav. So not very representative

That's the stretch. The journey to Suffolk we've done annually now for the last few years and once you get on the M6 Toll it's generally a breeze from there. It just takes so feckin' long

Another that has a European feel is the new A556 between the M56 and M6 - it reminds me of sections of the motorway through the Algarve. Apart from all the useless drivers that clog up the A556 that is

Used to use the Toll quite regularly years ago and it was great, not used it recently, £9? Would have to be a work thing on expenses at that price!

Yeah - didn’t it used to be £4.20…

We go north no more than 4 or 5 times per year so it’s a no brainier really. A couple of those trips, we’re heading to the ferry so I’d still pay it, even if it’s £20 or £30

I remember when you could buy a new car for £2000 as well

Jobbo wrote: Fri Oct 06, 2023 10:15 am I remember when you could buy a new car for £2000 as well

Hey at least you get something for your £9 unlike London where you pay a bunch of charges and still get stuck in an endless traffic jam.

I know - I used to be 11 Stone... (*)

(*) when I was 14...

Jobbo wrote: Fri Oct 06, 2023 10:15 am I remember when you could buy a new car for £2000 as well

Yeah, but everything should be measured against pints IMO. That is the real index. I benchmark everything against a standard pint in a hypothetical generic respectable but not too upmarket pub near where I live. It's a complicated metric I know, but it makes sense.

I put that current standard (shall we call it 'unit') at around £6.50. I'm pretty sure that the Toll never used to be more than a unit of one back in the day.

duncs500 wrote: Fri Oct 06, 2023 11:39 am

Jobbo wrote: Fri Oct 06, 2023 10:15 am I remember when you could buy a new car for £2000 as well

Yeah, but everything should be measured against pints IMO. That is the real index. I benchmark everything against a standard pint in a hypothetical generic respectable but not too upmarket pub near where I live. It's a complicated metric I know, but it makes sense.

I put that current standard (shall we call it 'unit') at around £6.50. I'm pretty sure that the Toll never used to be more than a unit of one back in the day.

If I adopt the same metric, but the Northern equivalent, then I'd say the Toll has always been about 2 units, and still is

Price Changes in the past 10 or 12 years:

1 March 2010 £5.00
1 March 2011 £5.30
1 March 2012 £5.50
7 August 2017 £5.90
8 July 2021 £7.00
22 August 2022 £7.60
30 August 2023 £8.60

So a big jump since Covid - Makes sense I suppose - revenue just have plummeted. 90p in the 11 years between 2010 and 2021 and then £2.6 in the past 2 years

However, the big change is no "Off-Peak" pricing anymore. No Evenings and Weekends etc. Just Day and Night.