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Whose bright idea was this?

Started by RobbieL2415, August 13, 2017, 09:42:04 PM

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RobbieL2415

Weedsport, NY
Left: NY 31.  Right: NY 34.  Why can't they just share one roadway?


silverback1065


jakeroot

#2
Quote from: RobbieL2415 on August 13, 2017, 09:42:04 PM
Weedsport, NY
Left: NY 31.  Right: NY 34.  Why can't they just share one roadway?

Their respective roadways only share one intersection (the one on the north end of downtown). Concurrency's only work if the physical roadways that each route follows merge together, and then split off again.

UNLESS your issue is with the layout of the roads. In that case, well, maybe you have a point. But the Northeast is full of cities with bizarre layouts.

RobbieL2415

True, but the south end could've easily been designed as such.  I don't know about the history of either of these two roads or if they pre-date statewide numbering.

kalvado

been there a few times. intersection where the road meet is a bit crazy, a toll plaza to Thruway is just a bit north - so most traffic - including truck stop traffic - goes through that spot.
But I think town name tells you everything you need to know..

Quillz

They seem to be a variation of one-way couplets, which are pretty common in a lot of cities and towns. I'm curious if they were at one point, and then later expanded to allow full traffic flow on each road?

kalvado

Quote from: Quillz on August 13, 2017, 09:56:43 PM
They seem to be a variation of one-way couplets, which are pretty common in a lot of cities and towns. I'm curious if they were at one point, and then later expanded to allow full traffic flow on each road?
I don't think they look like former one ways. I walked that stretch, and it really looks like some artifact. I thought it may had something to do with ownership of roads and possibly one built as bypass for the other (toll). I have no facts to support that, though.

sparker

Quote from: RobbieL2415 on August 13, 2017, 09:42:04 PM
Weedsport, NY
Left: NY 31.  Right: NY 34.  Why can't they just share one roadway?


Question: does NYDOT maintain state highways within town limits?  If so, that might indicate a tendency for this (and other) cities to be reluctant to suggest or request any action that would result in their having to assume maintenance of an existing state route.

Michael

I'm originally from Weedsport, and when I was little, I thought it was interesting that NY 31 and NY 34 ran parallel, but I didn't think it was too weird.  What's now NY 31 was originally the Erie Canal.  Looking at an old map shows that NY 31 came in on East Brutus St (the east-west street at the bottom left), and turned north onto NY 34.  At the current NY 31/NY 34 intersection, NY 31 turned east onto its current alignment, and the Erie Canal continued straight to the northeast.

Look at the 1943 topographic map of Weedsport on the USGS Historical Topographic Map Explorer.




Quote from: sparker on August 13, 2017, 10:51:28 PM
Question: does NYDOT maintain state highways within town limits?  If so, that might indicate a tendency for this (and other) cities to be reluctant to suggest or request any action that would result in their having to assume maintenance of an existing state route.

At least around here, they do.  Auburn is weird since there's some stuff done by the city, and other stuff done by NYSDOT.

froggie

Quote from: kalvadoBut I think town name tells you everything you need to know

Having been there several times, no it doesn't.

A little history:  NY 34/Seneca St is the original north-south street through town.  NY 31 originally entered town from the west via Brutus St, with its departure east of town generally as it is today.  The segment of today's NY 31 from west of Brutus St west of town to the NY 34 junction wasn't built until sometime between the late '40s and mid '50s.

mgk920

There are several USA highways paralleling each other in a similar way on the streets on the east side of Cleveland, OH.

Mike

kalvado

Quote from: Michael on August 13, 2017, 11:52:15 PMWhat's now NY 31 was originally the Erie Canal. 
And that totally explains it. There are multiple stretches, including downtown streets, which run along backfilled canal. And they may look out of place.

RyanGentry

When they're really trying to get rid of concurrencies...
Clinched:
I 14, 27, 37, 35E (TX), 410, 345
US 181
TX 130, 142, 151, 220
TX Loop 76, 308, 322, 368, 464, 472, 493, 570, 577, 1604
TX Spur 117, 263, 299, 326, 366, 371, 399, 408, 421, 527, 537
PA 1502, Park Rd 22
FM 102, 783, 988, 2126, 2258, 2657, 2696, 3487
Toll 183 A, CTP
Wise CR 3504, AZ 17



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