The AARoads Blog

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.

The Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority is making moves toward a 25 cent toll increase at all 14 toll plazas and most toll ramp facilities in the greater Orlando area. The OOCEA covers about 105 miles of toll roads in the central Florida region such as Toll Florida 408, 417, 429 and the newly partially opened Toll Florida 414. Some motorists are against this type of increase and have already suggested that if indeed the tolls are raised, they will begin to take the more congested routes, such as Interstate 4 and Colonial Drive. The OOCEA stated that they have no choice since their revenues and ridership have fallen consistantly for the last 11 months, which according to them is unprecedented in the agency’s history. It has also been suggested that the increase could bring in more than $40 million annually. This increase could help pay for projects such as the extension of Toll Florida 414 west of Toll Florida 429, construction of the 25 mile Wekiva Parkway, the proposed limited access toll facility connecting the proposed 414/429 with Interstate 4 near Sanford, among a few other projects. Read here for more information on this story.

So that means for all those motorists who are currently using the 25 cent toll ramps, beginning in April you will start paying double. To some that may not seem like much but when you break it down quarter by quarter it starts adding up real quick, especially if you use the toll roads everyday. That also means motorists on expressways such as the Beachline (Toll Florida 528) are going to get screwed as well as a portion of that facility is also maintained by the OOCEA, more specifically the portion that runs directly north of the Orlando International Airport. I imagine even more motorists will avoid that specific toll plaza (as it can be done and I purposely have done it many times). Not that I took the toll roads much, but if I did need to get across town in a hurry and didn’t feel like using the congested arterials or Interstate 4, I would use them.

So, once again, thanks to this wonderful recession that we are currently in, an agency of the government gets to pass the buck onto you.

Yep, so glad I don’t live there anymore…

Today I took a little jaunt up and over to US 331 to see if by chance I could find any remaining colored shields along the route. Alas, as previously told to me, none were found. Along my journey today though, I found an oddity.  I stumbled across a reassurance shield assembly located in Florala, Alabama for Alabama 55 and Florida 85, just south of the intersection with US 331.

Reassurance assembly for both Alabama 55 and Florida 85 just south of the intersection with US 331 in Florala, Alabama

I believe that the ‘SOUTH’ banner for Florida 85 should instead be a trailblazer showing ‘TO’ Florida 85, but never the less, it is signed as if it is actually cosigned along with Alabama 55 heading south into Florida. So, for all intents and purposes according to the signage, Florida 85 begins its 57 mile trek toward Fort Walton Beach at the intersection with US 331 in downtown Florala, not at the state line. It is cosigned with Alabama 55 south to the state line where the Alabama state designation ends, though there is no ‘END’ shield assembly, and continues on into Florida. This is, though, another good example of an erroneous sign error made by DOT’s and sign companies across the country. Way to go ALDOT.

Just some road news from the Navarre neck of the woods…

U.S. 98 to Change

December 19, 2008

Several safety upgrades to U.S. 98 at Mustang and Coral streets in Navarre, will be made in the new year, according to the Santa Rosa County Engineering Department.

Santa Rosa County spokeswoman Joy Tsubooka said Improvements include closing the median opening on U.S. 98 at Mustang Street; removing the U.S. 98 westbound left-turn lane at Mustang Street; construction of a new paved median opening on U.S. 98 at Coral Street; and construction of an eastbound left-turn lane on U.S. 98 at Coral Street.

Construction is scheduled to begin Jan. 5 and is anticipated to be completed in about 30 days, Tsubooka said.

The improvements on U.S. 98 are safety upgrades recommended in the U.S. Highway 98 Corridor Management Report and are part of a planned Santa Rosa County project to install a traffic signal on U.S. 98 at Coral Street in late spring or early summer.

http://www.pnj.com/article/20081219/NEWS01/81219021

By the way, this will be the third traffic light installed since moving here in the middle of November.   So much for having just a few traffic lights in the area…

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.

There has been renewed interest in expediting the widening of the final stretch of Pine Island Road (SR 78) in Cape Coral, Florida. State representative Gary Aubuchon plans to reintroduce a bill during next springs legislative session that would allow the city of Cape Coral to proceed with construction of the remaining piece of two lane road lies between the Burnt Store Road/Veterans Memorial Parkway intersection and Chiquita Boulevard intersection. Bonds would be issued for up to 30 years to help pay for the estimated $60 million project and would be backed by increased property taxes from commercial development along the road. The city would then be repaid by the state when state funding became available for the project.

This portion of Pine Island Road desperately needs to be four laned as it is a major hurricane evacuation route for those on Pine Island as well as those in the northwest portion of the Cape. Currently, there is no state money to fund the construction until after 2014. But if Aubuchon’s bill passes next spring construction can begin in 18 months to two years.

This is not the first time this particular project has been on a bill to be fast tracked. It was part of a bill that was vetoed in June 2008 by Governor Charlie Crist. But Aubuchon sees no such problems with next years bill.

Most Cape city officials are in favor of this bond as it will pave the way for future development on the final untouched stretch of Pine Island Road. Current plans for commercial development along this stretch include a Super Wal-Mart and a million square foot shopping mall, both of which have been in the plans for several years but are contingent on the widening of this particular stretch of Pine Island Road.

To go along with the “Possible Insect Swarms” sign on Florida 417, we present to you two other finds from today:

 

 

Both of these signs are located along Florida 70 (one per direction) in Okeechobee County.

I’ve always wondered if the Turnpike should be extended northwest to US 19/98.  While I’ve heard rumors that it has been considered in the past, I’ve never seen or heard much to substantiate it other than “possibly maybe long-term”.  I also do not have any traffic statistics or projections, but the few times I’ve driven on US 19/98 through the Big Bend I’ve noted the road was a fast 4-lane without much traffic on it.  S.R. 44 was recently 4-laned from Crystal River to Wildwood (I-75) as well, which could relieve some pressure on other roads.  US 27 Alt from Ocala to US 19/98 in Chiefland is another highway that doesn’t have much to say either. 

The real beast is I-75, which is becoming very congested and dangerous.  Perhaps the reason why US 19/98 doesn’t have much traffic is because of the way to get there.  Both SR 44 and US 27 Alt have towns to pass through (Bronson, Willison, Inverness, etc.), which to most people is a hassle that they want to avoid completely.  Would a Turnpike extension to the Lebanon area clear some traffic away from I-75 now or in 20 years?  Also consider hurricane evacuations.  What about a Turnpike extension to Tallahassee?  That’s probably not viable now, but just how wide can I-75 be, and how much of that is long distance traffic? 

Northwest Florida Transportation Corridor Authority

Have you heard about this group? It was created by the 2005 Florida Legislature and consists of an eight member board
including a member from each coastal county within the Panhandle. Their agenda is the planning of future transportation needs along the U.S. 98 corridor and feeder/connector routes to the north.

There’s a number of projects included in their Master Plan found at
http://www.nwftca.com/html/home/NFTCA-Adopted-Master-Plan-2007-04-09.pdf

Notable ones:
North Pensacola Beltway – a freeway from U.S. 90 near AL state line to U.S. 90/FL 87/I-10 at Milton

New Pensacola Bay Bridge – Pensacola Airport to FL 281 !!??

Garcon Point Bridge – four lane (noone uses it because of the astronomical toll)

FL 281 – four lane from new Bay Bridge to I-10

Navarre Bypass – a freeway from FL 87 to Fort Walton Beach/Niceville Bypass

Fort Walton Beach/Niceville Bypass – a freeway from Navarre Bypass to Mid-Bay Bridge Extension

Mid-Bay Bridge Extension – construct freeway from Mid-bay Bridge to north of Florida 20; this ties into the Niceville-Freeport Connector, a freeway leading north US 331, which is to be four-laned to Interstate 10.

West Bay Bypass – freeway from US 98 to Freeport

Freeport-West Bay Connector – freeway from FL 77 to U.S. 331 at Freeport

Complete interchange of US 98 at Thomas Drive (Bay County 3031). Presently only the eastbound half is open, with U.S. 98 attaining limited access standards from Front Beach Road eastward to the end of the Hathaway Bridge.

Approaching U.S. 98 on Florida 30 (former U.S. 98 Alternate) eastbound in Panama City Beach. Eastbound travelers ascend onto a viaduct over Thomas Drive directly to the Hathaway Bridge. The westbound segment of the viaduct remains unconstructed.

U.S. 98 at 23rd Street – new interchange between the two roadways in west Panama City.

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A completed project that was authorized by the Corridor Authority includes the relocation of U.S. 98 from Pine Street in St. Joe Beach to Gulf County 386. The Gulf County portion is already completed; a bypass of Mexico Beach in Bay County is planned to extend the new alignment northwest to U.S. 98 at Tyndall Air Force Base.

The beginning of the new U.S. 98 alignment in Gulf County. Windmark Beach represents a mixed-used community that will be built over the original U.S. 98 coastal alignment. Check out the siteplan and note that the original U.S. 98 alignment originally traveled along the coast (we have photos of this from 2006 in the queue for what it’s worth). 

Additional studying is underway on the potential relocation of U.S. 98 inland to bypass the Franklin County coast. The present two lane alignment hugs the coastline from Apalachicola northeastward. Current work focuses on erosion control
throughout the entire coastal routing within the county.

Update on the Branan Field-Chaffee Expressway, well not much has changed, construction has progressed a little on the future freeway connector and interchange between Florida 23 and Interstate 10. This scene however, looks identical to December 2007. Touted as Segment 2 of the overall project, work began January 16, 2007 and is expected to be completed by next fall.

For those who have wondered, it appears that U.S. 23 still ends at U.S. 1 & 17. Signage posted on U.S. 1 & 17 (Main Street) south at State Street includes U.S. 23 shields and a new U.S. 23 shield assembly is posted along State Street west of Laura Street.

The Southside Connector freeway is now fully open to traffic, including the interchange with Florida 115 (Arlington Expressway) at Regency Square Mall. The freeway provides a direct connection from Florida 9A (Dames Point Bridge) southbound to the Arlington Expressway for interests to central Jacksonville.

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