Parking areas at junctions on Tolled French Autoroutes?
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Parking areas at junctions on Tolled French Autoroutes?
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?
Chris Williams
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?
Chris Williams
- Alderpoint
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Re: Parking areas at junctions on Tolled French Autoroutes?
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.
Should be standard in the UK too, but the preference here is to discourage such environmentally-friendly practices.
Let it snow.
Re: Parking areas at junctions on Tolled French Autoroutes?
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.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.
Bryn
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Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
X - https://twitter.com/ShowMeASignBryn
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BrynBuck
Re: Parking areas at junctions on Tolled French Autoroutes?
There's a few in NI, and more are planned on the A1 as part of gap closures and relocation of bus stops.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.
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Re: Parking areas at junctions on Tolled French Autoroutes?
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.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.
Car-share (covoiturage) adjacent to autoroutes exists at a few locations and there are dedicated lanes on the autoroute.
- Alderpoint
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Re: Parking areas at junctions on Tolled French Autoroutes?
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).
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.Car-share (covoiturage) adjacent to autoroutes exists at a few locations and there are dedicated lanes on the autoroute.
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.
Let it snow.
- Ruperts Trooper
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Re: Parking areas at junctions on Tolled French Autoroutes?
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.Alderpoint wrote: ↑Wed Aug 10, 2022 18:35There 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).
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.Car-share (covoiturage) adjacent to autoroutes exists at a few locations and there are dedicated lanes on the autoroute.
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.
Lifelong motorhead
Re: Parking areas at junctions on Tolled French Autoroutes?
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.Bryn666 wrote: ↑Tue Aug 09, 2022 11:12There'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.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.
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- Alderpoint
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Re: Parking areas at junctions on Tolled French Autoroutes?
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.Ruperts Trooper wrote: ↑Wed Aug 10, 2022 18:40I'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.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.
Let it snow.
- Ruperts Trooper
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Re: Parking areas at junctions on Tolled French Autoroutes?
Or remove the 2 hour limit at MSAs !!Alderpoint wrote: ↑Thu Aug 11, 2022 09:13Yes 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.Ruperts Trooper wrote: ↑Wed Aug 10, 2022 18:40I'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.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.
Lifelong motorhead
Re: Parking areas at junctions on Tolled French Autoroutes?
I think that maybe should be an "and" rather than an "or"!Ruperts Trooper wrote: ↑Thu Aug 11, 2022 09:45Or remove the 2 hour limit at MSAs !!Alderpoint wrote: ↑Thu Aug 11, 2022 09:13Yes 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.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.
Re: Parking areas at junctions on Tolled French Autoroutes?
Alderpoint wrote: ↑Wed Aug 10, 2022 18:35There 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.