The AARoads Blog

A quick progress report on two local projects, the Florida 85/Florida 123 interchange improvements and the Mid-Bay Bridge connector, part of the Toll Florida 293 bypass around Niceville. The Florida 85/Florida 123 project is slated to be done by summer of 2012 while the Mid-Bay Bridge connector will be completed in stages over the next three years, with a portion of the first phase opening this Thursday, as posted in today’s edition of the Northwest Florida Daily News…

Map of Niceville showing the under construction and proposed alignment of the extension of Toll Florida 293 around the eastern and northern portions of the city. The toll route will eventually end at a trumpet interchange with Florida 85 about a mile north of College Drive.

Future Florida 85/Florida 123 Interchange improvements:

A guide sign with an older style Florida 123 shield lets motorists know of the impending departure. Since a lot of traffic (regular and military) uses Florida 123 as a short-cut to get to Florida 85 northwest of Niceville, a well extended three-quarters of a mile left-turn lane exists to allow motorists the necessary room to queue for the turn. During peak hours in the afternoon this extended turn lane often fills quickly, and at times past capacity.

Northbound traffic along Florida 85 continues through a static green signal while traffic departing for Florida 123 north must wait for their phase of movement. The wait here can often get long during the afternoon peak as commuters leave from the Fort Walton Beach and Eglin areas heading toward Crestview and beyond. The abutments and pier of future Florida 123 north are in place awaiting the installation of the beams.

The 2012 Rand McNally is now out and after a somewhat indepth comparison with the 2011 version I found the following modifications:

I’m sure there are a few more miniscule changes here and there, but that is all I could find after going page by page. And on the main U.S. map page, they did recolor the topology and reduce the size of the shields. Other than that, that’s it.

And for the big kicker with the 2012 edition, none of the errors discussed in the 2011 Rand McNally thread on the AARoads Forum were corrected!! So according to the 2012 Rand, I-520 still does not connect with I-20 on the South Carolina side, I-376 is not fully shown along PA 60 (and I-279 still exists from downtown to I-79), I-170 still exists in the Baltimore inset, the ICC is still shown as under construction, etc., etc…

Now I know that some projects, like the ICC, just recently opened within the past few months, but this is suppose to be a 2012 atlas, it should be shown as complete on this edition, not still under construction. Someone in their research department (if one still exists) should have done their homework on projects like that and made sure that if it was fully known as to the approximate date of the road opening that it would be shown as complete on their newer edition. I used to do this as a living so I know what it takes to get the research done on things like this. And even though they probably have no road enthusiasts like us working for them, one would think that there would be a little common sense involved when comparing items under construction in last years edition versus the edition you are working on the get out and seeing what has changed.

It seems to me that the items they did fix are only cosmetic. And as far as each of the state’s population information, the only population they updated was for the state-wide population. Um, Rand McNally, wouldn’t you think that if the entire state had a population change that the largest city in that state would also have a population change??? Really…

And now they have QR codes on every page so you can scan with your iPhone (or whatever) for free travel information, videos and more. I’m sure that the powers-that-be put forth more effort into this aspect of the map than they did for the actual update of the contents within the pages. They made sure that is on each page but they couldn’t do something like update the little pictures they have inserted on each state as well? Come on now. Really??

In short, I am not pleased with this year’s atlas at all. It’s basically a carbon-copy of the 2011 edition with a few cosmetic changes, that’s all. In fact, I plan on doing something I’ve never done with a road atlas until now; I am going to be returning it to Wal-Mart for a refund on Monday. With so few updates and still the same errors as last year, it’s pointless to even make the purchase, unless of course you want to use the QR code functionality.

Since it seems that they have given up in producing a well rounded, up-to-date road atlas, perhaps it’s time for Rand McNally to go way of many states in only producing a new road atlas every two years. Or perhaps it’s time for them to give up all together and sell the company to its competitor (who seem to be gobbling up the rest of the mapping companies anyway).

You know, I use to enjoy the anticipation of buying a new Rand McNally (in late September/early October) and seeing all the changes and updates. Those days are forever gone. Now it comes out way too early (early April) and there are really no changes or updates to discover. Nope, only error after error after error. It’s a real shame. Thanks a lot, Rand, thanks a lot…

Also follow this topic in the 2012 Rand McNally thread over at the AARoads Forum!

For those of us who enjoy armchair sign perusing, Google Street View has added South Africa, just in time for the World Cup.

Happened to check the local Wal-Mart after work today and found the 2011 Rand. Here are some of the changes:

Symbology changes:

• Old style exit numbers have been replaced with a green box with white lettering, just like AAA
• Incorporated and unincorporated places are now differentiated by different town circles. Incorporated places are still the black dot with unincorporated places now being a hollow circle
• Subtle difference in the shields in this edition. Three digit U.S. highway shields look wider now
• Symbology now shown for Historic U.S. 66, The Lincoln Highway, The Lewis & Clark Highway, and The Great Circle Route. The Great River Road symbol has also been improved
• Time zone boundary has been re-symbolized
• Scales for the maps have been changed
• POI’s in city insets such as golf courses are now green instead of red

Some Road Changes (not all) (listed by state):

• AR: U.S. 67 is now shown as complete to AR 226 in Craighead County and U.C. up to AR 230, which is now shown with a shield on the map
• AR: The forever proposed extension of U.S. 270 is finally off the Hot Springs inset
• CA San Diego inset: CA 905 is now shown as complete along the eastern portion west of CA 125.
• CA San Diego inset: Also shown is the completion of CA 52 to CA 67 (though I am not sure if this will be done this year
• IN: U.S. 24 shown as freeway now, but not quite to I-469 near Fort Wayne
• PA: I-99 now shown as complete and also shown in the College State inset

Some other changes include what looks like an improved map base (though it is missing many newly completed alignments). Routes look more authentic to how it is aligned in the real world than they have for the past several years. My first comparison at Alabama showed a difference in the alignment of Alabama 24 from 2010 and 2011. The 2010 edition showed a portion of Alabama 24 as a straight line between Russellville and just west of Moulton where the 2011 edition now shows a more proper alignment (with bends in the alignment). Also, there is more road detail in adjoining states. I noticed that some of the city insets have been shuffled around, such as Flagstaff and Prescott. Their positions have been switched for the 2011 edition, probably for better geographical continuity.

Now onto some of the more notable errors and road completions/roads under construction NOT shown:

• MD: [ERROR] Rand has decided to resurrect I-170 in the Central Baltimore inset!!! (look towards the upper left edge)
• GA and SC: I-520 is still not shown as complete (in either state nor the Augusta inset)
• LA: No new U.C. for Future I-49 north of Shreveport
• IN: [ERROR] U.S. 27 has been once again extended north of Fort Wayne along I-69!!!
• MS: [ERROR] U.S. 98 still goes to Natchez according to Rand
• MO: I-64 is still not shown as being completed as a freeway to I-70
• NC: [ERROR (sort of)] I-295 is shown on the state map now. This is still a Future route and should not be shown
• PA: For all you I-279 fans, it is still intact and I-376 has not taken it over, nor PA 60, unlike the real world…
• WA: The proposed U.S. 395 freeway in Spokane is not shown at all…

My take on this years edition is that while there were some subtle improvements, overall, I am not impressed. The integrity of the atlas has gone by the wayside in my honest opinion. When you have many important road projects that have been completed (i.e. I-520, I-64 as a freeway) and no proper research and/or push to show these improvements is taken to show them on your product, it shows me that profit is the only thing in the masterminds at Rand, and nothing more. Having worked at a couple of mapping companies, it pains me to look at these atlases now days and be disappointed page after page at the lack on integrity on the cartographers part…

I give the mapping industry a few more years before there is only one or two left, and its very unfortunate I already know who those are more than likely going to be…

Anyway, if you see any other improvements, errors, blunders, etc., feel free to post them here!!

It’s that time of year again to go through the Rand McNally road atlas to see what has been added/updated/deleted over the past year. I recently had a chance to glimpse the latest edition and noticed the following updates and additions from last year’s print:
Alabama: U.S. 78 (Future Interstate 22) is now complete to east of Graysville with the rest to Interstate 65 showing as under construction.

Florida: the completion of TOLL Florida 414 in the Orlando area (Apopka).

Kentucky: Finally showing the construction of the last seven miles of the Pennyrile Parkway from Alternate U.S. 41 to Interstate 24.

North Carolina: the addition of Interstate 795 from Interstate 95 southeast toward Goldsboro as well as the new U.S. 70 bypass of Clayton. Also of interest in the Winston Salem/Greensboro/High Point inset is the proper relocation of Interstate 40 back to its original alignment and the addition of Interstate 73 on the portion between Interstate 40 at Exit 212 and Interstate 85 at Exit 120 as well as the portion north of Exit 212 (multiplexing with Future Interstate 840).

Pennsylvania: The completion of the Interstate 99 freeway along U.S. 220 from Exit 52 north to College State, thus bringing the out-of-place interstate ever closer to its second interstate crossing (namely Interstate 80).

Rhode Island: The Providence inset now properly shows the realignment of Interstate 195.

Overall the new edition is not too bad. There are still discrepancies that they have not addressed (nor have they addressed them in years past) and will have to wait until next year to see if they address them then.

This is, however, the second straight year that Rand McNally has debuted their road atlas towards the end of April instead of the usual end of September. What gives? My theory on this is to help boost sales and try to turn a bigger profit to help keep the company afloat (amid the changes that they have endured over the last couple of years). The traditional mapping industry has been downsizing for a few years now and only a handful of mapping companies remain, including Rand. As one of the leading cartography companies (if not the leading company) in the states, distributing their road atlas in the 2nd quarter instead of the 4 quarter may help boost their sales and bring them extra income to help maintain them in this downsized economy.

Well, the masterminds over at Google Maps have done it again. Upon going on Google Maps on Monday night, it was discovered that one of their features, Street View, has been drastically modified. First off, Street View can now take up your entire screen, whereas the previous version displayed it in a pop-up window. Second, there is now more extensive coverage, especially in rural areas in the southeast. So, one might think, wow, this is great news! Thanks, Google!

Photo from Google Maps, copyrighted 2008

Well, from a roadgeek’s standpoint (meaning mine) this is NOT great news. Now thanks to the enhanced Street View, one can virtually go on road trips without ever leaving the comfort of their own home. So you want to take some back roads over in the Tallahassee area, well, just go on the PC or laptop, go to Google Maps, find your area, drag the little Street View icon onto the road you want, and away you go!

I personally feel that this enhanced mapping product is going to be the end all to end all for some roadgeeks out there. For some, no, but for others who are not as inclined to jump in a car and take a trip due to the current state of the economy, yes. They will no longer have to spend money on gas to take a road trip. Nope, they can go just about anywhere from their living room. For any roadgeeks in Florida they no longer have to drive endlessly trying to find that one last colored U.S. Highway shield or that Key shield. With just a couple of clicks and pans with the mouse, you can check out most intersections in Florida now and see if those rare but cherished road markers are in place.

Granted, there are still some flaws with Street View, such as the resolution in some areas, the age of the photography used (most is still at least a year behind, if not more), the fact that they travel east in the morning and west in the evening so the sun is in full view and you can’t see anything of importance, the problem areas where the road numbers and road names are STILL incorrect, and the fact that they still do not have Street View in all areas, but the Google guys are probably working hard to resolve those issues.

Needless to say, it’s my personal belief that Google Maps is well on its way, if not already there, to replacing the exploration and fun in roadding. When one sits at the computer and virtually roads where ever they want, you lose that aspect of maybe finding some rare piece of road history or that rare sign that should no longer exist when you can go online and see it before actually field checking. I understand some may not agree with me on this and may feel that this updated Street View on Google Maps is yet another tool in the roadding tool belt, and that is fine. I do agree that it could be, but I strongly feel that it is NOT an end all to end all. But for me personally, I still love the aspect of actually getting in my car, driving somewhere and stumbling across some rare colored Florida U.S. Highway shield or that old alignment alongside a new roadbed.

As I said, this is my personal opinion, so any comments on this are suggested and welcomed by my fellow roadgeeks.

One of my recent mapping projects involved updating a wall map for Albuquerque and Sandoval County, New Mexico. My only experience with the area was a brief touchdown on a flight to Portland, Oregon in 2006, so updating the map pretty much involved getting familiar with the area.

There is not too much on the internet covering Albuquerque’s highway network. One site that does exist however, is Steve Riner’s New Mexico Highways page, which covers every Interstate, U.S., and state highway within the state. I used his site often when updating the main arterial routes in Albuquerque, as many appeared to be state highways or represented former routes. But as I went along, I noticed that most of the area highways were truncated or decommissioned, despite being shown on many paper and digital mapping sources. Instead the main area of growth in Albuquerque’s roads involves the building of new arterials and boulevards, especially the two-county Paseo del Volcan and Northwest Loop Road.

After several weeks of research and in conjunction with Andy’s summer trip through the area, we now have a Albuquerque focus page and highway guides covering Interstate 25, Interstate 40, and a part of former U.S. 66 (Central Avenue) in the area. Using Riner’s website, I created an Albuquerque/Rio Rancho map to show the current state highway network and have referenced many of the current and former routes on the new guide.

We’re map freaks, here at aaroads.com. Unabashedly. We have big boxes full of old ones, we stop to get new ones at state lines, and several of us work in the mapping industry. I work at Mapsco, in Dallas, myself. So it is with a sense of extreme excitement that I’d like to point out the release of the first ever Cartography Design Annual. Most design industries have annual books that are published to showcase the newest in design, whether it be industrial or graphic or artistic. The map world has needed something like that for while, and it’s finally come out.

The Arizona Pages have been undergoing a number of changes. Pictures have been replaced and added throughout the site, and additional background information is being researched and added to the site.

New to the Arizona Pages are Historical Road Maps of Arizona, dating as far back as 1919. Check them out!

I was in Denver this weekend for the big IMTA map convention, and took a lot of photos of I-25, I-70, and I-225. I-25 and I-225 were under construction for many years as part of a rebuilding process called T-Rex. The project involved adding lanes, bridges, and two rail lines along the interstate corridors. The end result is impressive.

Through Arapahoe County, I-25 is an unrelenting 10 lanes with a rail line on the west side. The lane count goes down to 8 after I-225 and eventually to 6 on the un-reconstructed portion of the road near downtown. It reminded me of I-5 losing lanes headed northbound into Norwalk and downtown Los Angeles. As always, click the smaller photos to get the larger ones.

(more…)