Florida

[FLRoads]

It's just that 869 doesn't directly serve Orlando, but I sometimes forget control cities are to direct tourists rather than local traffic.

I thought about the tourist aspect when I saw that assembly. It would have made the sign bigger, but if their intention was to guide people in the direction of Orlando, perhaps they should have included a "Via Florida's Turnpike" so motorists aren't as confused when they reach the Turnpike. And from what I remember isn't the signage at the Turnpike exit only showing the standard Turnpike trailblazer on the overheads with no control cities listed? Or has that changed?

[emory]

I-295 North around Orange Park has Savannah as a control city. Not 400 miles, but not exactly the next county over, either.

It's just that 869 doesn't directly serve Orlando, but I sometimes forget control cities are to direct tourists rather than local traffic. But if you're going to make a 24-mile toll road seem useful, showing its terminus and/or major cities would seem to make more sense. It was essentially built to serve Coral Springs, anyhow.

As a former Coral Springs resident, that town doesn't deserve to be a control city.

NE/NW 1st Street in Miami has now been inventoried by the state. http://www2.dot.state.fl.us/straight-linesonlinegis/blank.aspx?docId=104636

Just noticing the Straight Line Diagrams have the word "CALTRAN" underneath the date...something to do with the method in which the SLDs are created?

I wondered that too. My first thought was California's department of transportation: Caltrans, but they'd have no business in the Florida SHS.

[formulanone]

As a former Coral Springs resident, that town doesn't deserve to be a control city.

Me too...and as it went from a sleepy bedroom community from 1500 residents to 120,000 within forty years, it's no longer a minor dot on the map. It's pretty much completely built-up by now, though. But it's quite obvious that it serves the city, with four exits, it's the largest city in terms of physical size and in population on the route.

I don't know enough about CALTRANS, but maybe it's their "style" of SLDs.

[roadman65]

Seriously, they chose Orlando, which is 200 miles away? Coral Springs and Deerfield/Pompano Beach don't cut it? West Palm makes much more sense.

In Atlanta, an I-75 southbound overhead near I-285 has Tampa as a control city. Over 450 miles away!

Texas uses plenty of cities over 200 miles away as control cities.  El Paso is used on I-10 WB in San Antonio which is way over 500 miles away.  Dallas is used in Houston on I-45 NB which is over 200.

Then go to Virginia where both Atlanta and Miami are used at the I-95 and I-85 interchange in Petersburg.  Both are well over 300 miles.

[formulanone]

In all of these cases, they're along the same route number. Orlando just misses FL 869 by...two hundred miles.

[roadman65]

In all of these cases, they're along the same route number. Orlando just misses FL 869 by...two hundred miles.

FL 869 along with I-75 makes a bypass for the Florida Turnpike.  Even going SB Key West is used at FL 869's terminus, and that is four roads when you count the Turnpike again.  That too is over 200 miles from that particular point.

No different then a control city on a numbered interstate beltway.

[Alex]

Some note from a roadtrip to Miami with Carter yesterday.

Drove the new I-595 Express lanes in the eastbound direction. Crews were putting the finishing touches on the lanes in a few places, but otherwise they were open (and very lightly traveled). The icing on the cake was that the lanes were open toll free, seemingly as a test run to lure in potential commuters when tolls commence.

The Orlando control points for SR 869 are not consistent (yet). Many still reference Coral Springs.

Took the Sawgrass and noted portable VMS touting the cashless toll coming to SR 869. No yellow bannered SR 869 shields in the northbound direction either.

Redrove the Gratigny Parkway and noted that after the limited access portion ends, regular Florida shields for SR 924 include the MDX placard below.

Photographed one of the new sets of I-195 trailblazers on side roads for FL 112 at Miami Beach. Its pretty well signed with trailblazers now.

Only hit traffic at the south end of I-95, where two cars were stopped in the right lane, followed by another two in the left-lane (which actually moved as we approached). And u-turning on FL A1A where westbound was reduced by one lane for the new Port Tunnel. Crews were working on the ventilation building facade among other things when we drove by.

[formulanone]

Yeah, I thought the Gratigny was odd with those MDX paddle signs...hadn't driven on 924 in over 15 years, until last month.

Is there really much demand to make those last few miles limited-access, just so I-75 reaches I-95 without stop lights? Haven't heard any serious plans for it, ever. A stop light before I-95 could act as one big ramp meter because I don't see that area of Miami-Dade getting developed in such a fashion.

[Alex]

Yeah, I thought the Gratigny was odd with those MDX paddle signs...hadn't driven on 924 in over 15 years, until last month.

Is there really much demand to make those last few miles limited-access, just so I-75 reaches I-95 without stop lights? Haven't heard any serious plans for it, ever. A stop light before I-95 could act as one big ramp meter because I don't see that area of Miami-Dade getting developed in such a fashion.

Was envisioned to continue east to I-95 as the Opa-Locka Expressway per the 1969 Miami Transportation Study. Was cancelled due to community opposition.

Yesterday was my first time on the Gratigny since 2006, and first time westbound. The last two sign bridges already show it as the I-75 mainline.



Forgot to mention in the earlier post, we spotted an "I-I-595" shield yesterday. Posted a pic at http://t.co/2iY9ot9TPB

[florida]

I never thought it would be possible. Or lazy? 

https://www.google.com/maps/@28.828612,-81.887939,3a,75y,83.44h,68.34t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s4Jd--0Q-V2y7izAEmIDDOA!2e0

[Zeffy]

I never thought it would be possible. Or lazy? 

https://www.google.com/maps/@28.828612,-81.887939,3a,75y,83.44h,68.34t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s4Jd--0Q-V2y7izAEmIDDOA!2e0

That is an example of a one-piece that needs to be burned to the ground.

[formulanone]

Most Lake County signage is atrocious. Not oddball-one-off-Florida weird, not old, sun-faded, or mangled...just make-up ugly stuff like uni-signs and uncut borders.

[brownpelican]

I stumbled onto this mega project. FDOT's plans for reconstruction of I-4 in Orlando metro...with renderings.

http://www.moving-4-ward.com/

[realjd]

I stumbled onto this mega project. FDOT's plans for reconstruction of I-4 in Orlando metro...with renderings.

http://www.moving-4-ward.com/

Cool! The express toll lanes work really well in Miami (at least from my perspective). I'm glad to see FDOT finally doing something to improve congestion in Orlando.

[roadman65]

The Orlando Orange County Expressway Authority just finished installing the new yellow TOLL banners for its exit with FL 528.  I have not yet got to photograph it as I was en route with my elderly mom so I did not have the chance, but it is worth seeing.

For those of you that are annoyed by the arrows on the I-10 guides along I-75 several hundred miles away, you are going to love this one.  All guide signs now for SR 528 not only feature the new shields on them, but have both and "EAST" and "WEST" next to the shields as well. 

Also the OOECEA is still using the orange outline in their shields as with the previous green topped shields.  You would think that with the orange outline proving to be not so good with it fading within a year or two they would change that too to what FDOT uses that still last!  It make look better of course, but to have to replace the signs every two years is not that efficient in cost.

[realjd]

The Orlando Orange County Expressway Authority just finished installing the new yellow TOLL banners for its exit with FL 528.  I have not yet got to photograph it as I was en route with my elderly mom so I did not have the chance, but it is worth seeing.

For those of you that are annoyed by the arrows on the I-10 guides along I-75 several hundred miles away, you are going to love this one.  All guide signs now for SR 528 not only feature the new shields on them, but have both and "EAST" and "WEST" next to the shields as well. 

Also the OOECEA is still using the orange outline in their shields as with the previous green topped shields.  You would think that with the orange outline proving to be not so good with it fading within a year or two they would change that too to what FDOT uses that still last!  It make look better of course, but to have to replace the signs every two years is not that efficient in cost.

You forgot to mention which route has the new yellow toll shields...

OOCEA has a few of them around for the 528. The Sand Lake/Jetport/Boggy Creek interchange has had them for awhile, and FDOT posted some at the SR520 interchange as well. I agree that they look stupid with the orange state outline. I liked the orange outline with the green banner but not with the yellow.

[roadman65]

It's SR 528 that has them for sure.  I cannot remember if the pull through signs had them for SR 417 or not.  The EAST and WEST banners stood out for me for the interchanging roadway.

[brickbuilder711]

Forgot to mention in the earlier post, we spotted an "I-I-595" shield yesterday. Posted a pic at http://t.co/2iY9ot9TPB

That is just gold. Hopefully someone will get to keep that once FDOT cares to fix it. LOL

[D-Dey65]

Evidently Pasco County is getting ready to extend County Road 530 west to Overpass Road, and add a new interchange for I-75.

http://www.overpassroad.com/project-information.html

http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/news/article.html/content/news/articles/bn9/2014/4/23/pasco_new_interchang.html

I suppose this is going to be Exit 282?

Either way, they should concentrate on the West Zephyrhills Bypass, if anything.

[realjd]

The bill to raise speed limits passed the Senate, and is likely to pass the House:
http://mynews13.com/content/news/cfnews13/news/article.html/content/news/articles/cfn/2014/4/24/florida_speed_limit.html

It raises the maximum 5 for all classes of roads. This means 75 for freeways, 70 for dual carriageway highways, and 65 for two lane roads.

[Alex]

New signs were installed at the northbound beginning of US 19. The first sign is a diagrammatic while the second has two panels, one with EXIT ONLY and two arrows (when the #2 lane is optional for both US 19 and 41 north) and the other with two Up pointing arrows for US 41. Very surprised that a standard APL was not posted here.

Once on US 19, a brand new mileage sign was installed. Someone at FDOT must have dusted off some old sign specs, because the distance to Perry (214 miles) is now displayed!

[FLRoads]

On a trip over to the Orlando area this past weekend I spotted a new black on yellow TOLL Florida 570 trailblazer in Bartow at the intersection between US 98 and Florida 60:



New signage is also present for the split between SR 60 east and US 98 south:


Diagrammatical for the upcoming departure of Florida 60 east to Lake Wales and US 98 to US 17 south toward Fort Meade.

[realjd]

I see that they've started using the yellow border traffic lights out in Polk County. Here in Brevard, they seem to be the new standard, as are flashing yellow arrow signals.

[realjd]

Speed limit bill passed the house, barely. It's now headed to Governor Voldemort, I mean Rick Scott.

http://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2014/04/30/speed-limit-increase-bill-goes-to-florida-gov-scott/8517799/

[andy3175]

On a trip over to the Orlando area this past weekend I spotted a new black on yellow TOLL Florida 570 trailblazer in Bartow at the intersection between US 98 and Florida 60:

Thank you for sharing FlaRoads! Very nice signage.