Talk:Garden State Parkway/GA1

GA Review

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Reviewer: Hurricanehink (talk · contribs) 13:52, 7 April 2020 (UTC)

Yea, let's do this!

• Worth linking "toll" in the first sentence?
• " from the state's southernmost tip at Cape May" - the article says it starts in Lower Township. Should it say "southernmost tip near Cape May"? That's still accurate
• "and, according to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, is the busiest toll road in the United States." - that source is as of 2010. Is that still the case?
• Regarding units (and in case you're gonna go for FAC later on), make sure you link the first usage of miles, mph, etc
• Unofficially, the parkway has two sections: the "metropolitan section" north of the Raritan River and the "shore section" between the Raritan River and Cape May. - is there a source for this?
• "Most of the metropolitan section is like any other expressway built in the 1950s through heavily populated areas, while the shore section mostly runs through unspoiled wilderness in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. " - ditto this
• Can you order the refs in the "Route description" section so they're in order of first appearance? It's pretty minor, but it would be nice to have ref 1 before ref 3
• "Further north" - this should be "farther", since it refers to distance. You do this a few times
• "Returning to a four-lane arterial, the parkway runs along the western edges of Somers Point, soon crossing over the Patcong Creek into Egg Harbor Township where it has a junction with US 40, US 322 and County Route 563 (CR 563). This is the first of three interchanges with roads that serve Atlantic City, located to the east. The parkway then widens to six lanes and passes over the abandoned PRSL Newfield Branch before a cloverleaf interchange with the limited-access Atlantic City Expressway." - I believe the three lanes starts before any of the interchanges.
• "North of this exit, the median is home to the Atlantic Service Area, which also has a barrack of the New Jersey State Police and access to CR 561." - I don't believe the service area has access to 561 anymore, after the interchange with Jimmy Leeds Road opened up
• "After the toll barrier, the road expands into two express and three local lanes in each direction. " - I think this could be clearer that the express lanes are a separate part of the parkway, or that they are divided.
• The third paragraph of "Monmouth and Middlesex counties" has a ref for the Driscoll Bridge, but I'm guessing nothing before that in the paragraph is cited to ref 8, correct?
• " along with the closed Madison Hill Picnic Area" - this is the only closed picnic area I see you mentioned in the route description
• "However, due to a lack of funds, only 11 miles (18 km) of it were completed by 1950 (this segment, between exits 129 and 140, can be distinguished by the stone facing on the overpasses)." - I don't think this should be in parenthesis
• You mentioned the first 11 miles of the GSP opening in 1950, and the parkway connector in NY being opened in 1957. When did the rest of the parkway get built? And speaking of...
• There seems to be far too much information on exits 154, 114, and 165-166. I'd rather have that significant detail on the parkway as a whole than three (out of hundreds of) exits.
• "However, the NJTA has subsequently made plans to widen the parkway from exit 80 all the way south to exit 30 in the city of Somers Point." - why the present tense here, and not past tense?
• I believe the Great Egg Harbor Bay Bridge is done now, so you might want to update " Construction began in 2013 and continued into 2019."
• "On December 25, 2014, a prankster re-labeled the signs leading to exit 135 as "Clark Griswold" as an homage to the National Lampoon's Vacation movies, as well as the character played by Chevy Chase. The word "Griswold", using the same white letters and green background, covered up the "Westfield" on the signs.[" - this seems a bit trivial
• "Additionally, the speed limit is 45 mph (70 km/h) approaching and traversing the Driscoll Bridge." -the article on the bridge says it's now 55 mph, but that's unsourced
• "The ban was enacted after a year ridden with 20 motorcycle accidents, involving two fatalities. " - the "ridden" threw me off. Could you find a better word?
• "However, the ban was lifted on November 1, 1975" - I'd specify this is the motorcycle ban
• "As of 2012, the standard car toll is $0.75 on the main road at two-way toll plazas and $1.50 at one-way toll plazas." -what about as of 2020?
• Not sure if it's worth noting, but the holly tree at the picnic area is 325 years old
• Ref 125 doesn't say Telegraph Hill closed in the 2010s
• Under "Services", could you get ref for "Food and fuel services were not available between September 2018 and May 2019 due to reconstruction. "

The article is a pretty good read, and there weren't too many issues. I found the "history" section most problematic, due to the extensive focus on three exits, but not as much focus on the parkway as a whole. Still, I don't think these issues should be too difficult to fix. Let me know if you have any questions about my review. ♫ Hurricanehink (talk) 13:52, 7 April 2020 (UTC)

Thank you for beginning this review. I addressed many of the minor issues you presented. The toll rates have not changed since 2012. As for Telegraph Hill closing in the 2010s, the source provided for that information, written in 2019, says it closed "within the past 10 years". I will address the overly detailed descriptions of the three interchanges and other issues by the end of this week. Needforspeed888 (talk) 15:33, 7 April 2020 (UTC)

A better question is why is this GANed? The history can and likely would be like 3 or 4x longer if done to expected length. Mitch32^{(sail away with me to another world.)} 16:15, 7 April 2020 (UTC)

@Mitchazenia: The length of the history seems fine to me. But as @Hurricanehink pointed out, there seems to be too much info on exits 154, 114, and 165-166. Needforspeed888 (talk) 16:51, 7 April 2020 (UTC)

Full disclosure, I know the reviewer personally, but if you look at that history again, there's NOTHING on construction details, opening, et al. Mitch32^{(sail away with me to another world.)} 17:01, 7 April 2020 (UTC)

I agree with Mitchazenia, the history could use some additional expansion, especially as it pertains to construction and opening of the parkway. The article currently mentions minimal details on those aspects and that is a major omission. Dough4872 20:48, 7 April 2020 (UTC)

Is this the kind of thing that can be done within a week? Or should I fail the GAN, since the article could be significantly different when it's all done? ♫ Hurricanehink (talk) 20:50, 7 April 2020 (UTC)

Hurricanehink, I would suggest failing the GAN as the article fails criteria 3, as the history is not broad in coverage, and the work needed to improve the history would probably take more than a week to fix. Dough4872 20:52, 7 April 2020 (UTC)

Yea, that makes sense. OK, I failed the GAN. I hope my review helps the article get completed. Good luck to all future editors involved. ♫ Hurricanehink (talk) 21:03, 7 April 2020 (UTC)