Parking areas at junctions on Tolled French Autoroutes?

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Chris56000
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Parking areas at junctions on Tolled French Autoroutes?

Post by Chris56000 »

I noticed whist exploring French tolled autoroutes that a lot of intermediate junctions near built–up areas, etc., have parking areas just after you've left the toll booth, and sometimes these are situated before the E.O.M. sign, such as this example on the A41 in the Grést–sur–Aix area :–

Grésy-sur-Aix, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

https://maps.app.goo.gl/BJcbxn4wb9XAJFte8

Can anyone explain the reason for these areas, and why they are sometimes situated before the motorway regulations are cancelled?

Are they standard practice at all tolled motorway exits?

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Re: Parking areas at junctions on Tolled French Autoroutes?

Post by Alderpoint »

They are intended to allow people to meet up and then car-share on the remainder of their journey. They are all over the autoroute network but probably not at every junction. Very sensible.

Should be standard in the UK too, but the preference here is to discourage such environmentally-friendly practices.
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Re: Parking areas at junctions on Tolled French Autoroutes?

Post by Bryn666 »

Alderpoint wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 07:28 They are intended to allow people to meet up and then car-share on the remainder of their journey. They are all over the autoroute network but probably not at every junction. Very sensible.

Should be standard in the UK too, but the preference here is to discourage such environmentally-friendly practices.
There's two different types - the older ones are just parking spaces and a comfort stop adjacent to a toll booth - the new ones are specifically labelled "covoiturage" and explicitly intended for car sharing. Some of France's urban motorways now have US style diamond lanes which are only open to specific classes of vehicle.
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Re: Parking areas at junctions on Tolled French Autoroutes?

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Alderpoint wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 07:28 They are intended to allow people to meet up and then car-share on the remainder of their journey. They are all over the autoroute network but probably not at every junction. Very sensible.

Should be standard in the UK too, but the preference here is to discourage such environmentally-friendly practices.
There's a few in NI, and more are planned on the A1 as part of gap closures and relocation of bus stops.
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Re: Parking areas at junctions on Tolled French Autoroutes?

Post by baroudeur »

Alderpoint wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 07:28 They are intended to allow people to meet up and then car-share on the remainder of their journey. They are all over the autoroute network but probably not at every junction. Very sensible.

Should be standard in the UK too, but the preference here is to discourage such environmentally-friendly practices.
It's not possible to car-share at that location as it's only a toilet stop. Technically still on the autoroute but only by 50 metres.

Car-share (covoiturage) adjacent to autoroutes exists at a few locations and there are dedicated lanes on the autoroute.
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Re: Parking areas at junctions on Tolled French Autoroutes?

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baroudeur wrote: Wed Aug 10, 2022 12:50 It's not possible to car-share at that location as it's only a toilet stop. Technically still on the autoroute but only by 50 metres.
There is nothing to indicated any waiting restrictions except at the few bays adjacent to the toilet. The turnoff into that parking area from the roundabout is before the blue start of autoroute sign (note the pedestrian).
Car-share (covoiturage) adjacent to autoroutes exists at a few locations and there are dedicated lanes on the autoroute.
There seem to be quite a lot of them - and not all adjacent to motorways junctions. I don't recally any dedicated lanes on the autoroutes around there or further north, although I expect there are some elsewhere.

My comment was really to contrast this with the UK which never provides facililties to assist with car sharing and any parking near motorway junctions is either heavily restricted or excessively expensive.
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Re: Parking areas at junctions on Tolled French Autoroutes?

Post by Ruperts Trooper »

Alderpoint wrote: Wed Aug 10, 2022 18:35
baroudeur wrote: Wed Aug 10, 2022 12:50 It's not possible to car-share at that location as it's only a toilet stop. Technically still on the autoroute but only by 50 metres.
There is nothing to indicated any waiting restrictions except at the few bays adjacent to the toilet. The turnoff into that parking area from the roundabout is before the blue start of autoroute sign (note the pedestrian).
Car-share (covoiturage) adjacent to autoroutes exists at a few locations and there are dedicated lanes on the autoroute.
There seem to be quite a lot of them - and not all adjacent to motorways junctions. I don't recally any dedicated lanes on the autoroutes around there or further north, although I expect there are some elsewhere.

My comment was really to contrast this with the UK which never provides facililties to assist with car sharing and any parking near motorway junctions is either heavily restricted or excessively expensive.
I've see several UK motorway junctions with laybys on adjoining roads which are clearly full of cars parked all day, so presumably part of a car-sharing scheme.
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Re: Parking areas at junctions on Tolled French Autoroutes?

Post by exiled »

Bryn666 wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 11:12
Alderpoint wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 07:28 They are intended to allow people to meet up and then car-share on the remainder of their journey. They are all over the autoroute network but probably not at every junction. Very sensible.

Should be standard in the UK too, but the preference here is to discourage such environmentally-friendly practices.
There's two different types - the older ones are just parking spaces and a comfort stop adjacent to a toll booth - the new ones are specifically labelled "covoiturage" and explicitly intended for car sharing. Some of France's urban motorways now have US style diamond lanes which are only open to specific classes of vehicle.
They are also there because as at that péage as most others there are offices/staff rooms for any personnel of the autoroute company working there.
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Re: Parking areas at junctions on Tolled French Autoroutes?

Post by Alderpoint »

Ruperts Trooper wrote: Wed Aug 10, 2022 18:40
Alderpoint wrote: Wed Aug 10, 2022 18:35
My comment was really to contrast this with the UK which never provides facililties to assist with car sharing and any parking near motorway junctions is either heavily restricted or excessively expensive.
I've see several UK motorway junctions with laybys on adjoining roads which are clearly full of cars parked all day, so presumably part of a car-sharing scheme.
Yes there are few such laybys, such as the very busy ones at M40J6 which even has a bus-stop for the regular fast coaches between Oxford and London, but these have beeen there for many years and not part of any national or even local scheme. There should be such provision at the majority of motorway junctions.
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Re: Parking areas at junctions on Tolled French Autoroutes?

Post by Ruperts Trooper »

Alderpoint wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 09:13
Ruperts Trooper wrote: Wed Aug 10, 2022 18:40
Alderpoint wrote: Wed Aug 10, 2022 18:35
My comment was really to contrast this with the UK which never provides facililties to assist with car sharing and any parking near motorway junctions is either heavily restricted or excessively expensive.
I've see several UK motorway junctions with laybys on adjoining roads which are clearly full of cars parked all day, so presumably part of a car-sharing scheme.
Yes there are few such laybys, such as the very busy ones at M40J6 which even has a bus-stop for the regular fast coaches between Oxford and London, but these have beeen there for many years and not part of any national or even local scheme. There should be such provision at the majority of motorway junctions.
Or remove the 2 hour limit at MSAs !!
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Re: Parking areas at junctions on Tolled French Autoroutes?

Post by trickstat »

Ruperts Trooper wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 09:45
Alderpoint wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 09:13
Ruperts Trooper wrote: Wed Aug 10, 2022 18:40

I've see several UK motorway junctions with laybys on adjoining roads which are clearly full of cars parked all day, so presumably part of a car-sharing scheme.
Yes there are few such laybys, such as the very busy ones at M40J6 which even has a bus-stop for the regular fast coaches between Oxford and London, but these have beeen there for many years and not part of any national or even local scheme. There should be such provision at the majority of motorway junctions.
Or remove the 2 hour limit at MSAs !!
I think that maybe should be an "and" rather than an "or"!
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Re: Parking areas at junctions on Tolled French Autoroutes?

Post by baroudeur »

Alderpoint wrote: Wed Aug 10, 2022 18:35
baroudeur wrote: Wed Aug 10, 2022 12:50 It's not possible to car-share at that location as it's only a toilet stop. Technically still on the autoroute but only by 50 metres.
There is nothing to indicated any waiting restrictions except at the few bays adjacent to the toilet. The turnoff into that parking area from the roundabout is before the blue start of autoroute sign (note the pedestrian).

But it's inside the 'end of autoroute' sign going towards the roundabout https://tinyurl.com/r8y7jsns

Any vehicle picking up sharers would have to exit the car park to circle the roundabout and re-enter the autoroute.
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