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The term shunpiking comes from the word "shun", meaning to avoid, and "pike," a term referring to turnpikes, which were roads which required payment of a toll to travel on them. People who often avoid toll roads sometimes call themselves shunpikers. Image File history File links Circle-question. ... A toll road, turnpike or tollpike is a road on which a toll authority collects a fee for use. ... The word toll has several meanings. ...

Shunpiking has also come to mean an avoidance of major highways (regardless of tolls) in preference for bucolic and scenic interludes along lightly travelled country roads.^[1]

For some, practice of shunpiking involved a form of boycott of tolls, (rather than just avoidance of them for financial reasons) by taking another route, perhaps slower, longer, or under poorer road conditions. Look up Boycott in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The word toll has several meanings. ...

Shunpiking as a historical boycott in Virginia

One such example of shunpiking as a form of boycott occurred at the James River Bridge in eastern Virginia. 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. James River Bridge, near Hampton Roads in Virginia. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

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 world-famous 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. 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.^[2] Smithfield Packing Company was founded in 1936 by Joseph W. Luter and his son Joseph W. Luter, Jr. ... Smithfield ham is a variety of cured ham from the United States, associated with Smithfield, Virginia. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ...

Shunpiking in the United Kingdom

2003 saw the completion of the M6 Toll, 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. Roadside sign showing (out of date) tariffs for the M6 Toll. ...

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 M6 toll, preferring instead to use the congested M6 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. Roadside sign showing (out of date) tariffs for the M6 Toll. ... This article concerns the M6 motorway in England. ...

Scotland has also seen a campaign against bridge tolls, especially on the Skye Bridge, built under a controvertial PFI contract. Tolls ceased on 21 December 2004 when the Scottish Executive bought the bridge. The Executive also abolished tolls on the Erskine Bridge from 31 March 2006. Motto: (Latin for No one provokes me with impunity)1 Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official language(s) English, Gaelic, Scots2 Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen of the UK Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister of the UK Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification    - by... Skye Bridge The Skye Bridge is a road bridge over Loch Alsh, connecting the mainland of Scotland with the Isle of Skye. ... The Private Finance Initiative specifies a method, developed initially by the United Kingdom government, to provide financial support for Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) between the public and private sectors. ... December 21 is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Executives logo, shown with English and Scottish Gaelic caption The term Scottish Executive is used in two different, but closely-related senses: to denote the executive arm of Scotlands national legislature (i. ... The Erskine Bridge is a box girder bridge spanning the River Clyde in west central Scotland, connecting West Dunbartonshire with Renfrewshire. ... March 31 is the 90th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (91st in Leap years), with 275 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

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 State Highway 2 across Tauranga Harbour from the town of Mount Maunganui to Tauranga. Despite being a considerably longer route, many motorists took a more circuitous route around the harbour while the toll was in place. The New Zealand State Highway Shield. ... Tauranga (population 107,706 — 2006 census) is the largest city of the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. ... Mount Maunganui is a town located on a peninsula to the north of Tauranga in New Zealands North Island. ...

A similar toll was in place on the Auckland Harbour Bridge 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. Auckland Harbour Bridge Auckland Harbour Bridge is an eight lane road bridge that spans the Waitemata Harbour joining Freemans Bay in Auckland City with Northcote in North Shore City, New Zealand. ...

See also

• Stan Shunpike

Stan Shunpike is a fictional character in J.K. Rowlings Harry Potter series of novels. ...

References

1. ^ Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary def 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: "To travel on side roads, avoiding turnpikes."
2. ^ This section is sourced from the James River Bridge article.

James River Bridge, near Hampton Roads in Virginia. ...

Publications related to shunpiking

• 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 0939009102
• Canadian author William C. Heine (born 1919) wrote Shunpiker's choice (1968),Shunpiker afar (1970) and Shunpiker's people (1982). The first two were published by the London Free Press.
• Shunpiking[1] ISSN 1203-4835 is the name of a periodical published in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It was founded in 1995.