Unpopular Route Opinions

[OCGuy81]

Interstate 5 should serve San Francisco, not just 80 and a bunch of 3-dis

[Bruce]

Most states have way too many numbered highways, especially east of the Rockies.

[kenarmy]

Thought I would start this thread since a lot of people seem to be posting non-US route unpopular opinions in the Unpopular US Route Opinions thread.

Post your unpopular opinions about any route, whether it has to do with concurrencies, extensions, design, rerouting, renumbering, signage, or anything else.

I updated my OP to say interstates are included yesterday  . And I can't change the title now but oh well.

[Hwy 61 Revisited]

No freeway should lack a numeral designation. Yes, I'm looking at you, Central Scranton Expressway.

So would FL 91 for Florida's Turnpike count even though it's unsigned?

It's certainly unsigned, but most people will call it the Turnpike Anyway. Doesn't mean it shouldn't have a signed route designation!
Garden State Parkway counts too. And somehow the Morgantown Expressway Spur absolutely lacks any semblance of a number!

[Max Rockatansky]

Interstate 5 should serve San Francisco, not just 80 and a bunch of 3-dis

The DOH kind of tried that with I-5W which basically was replaced by I-580 from Tracy-Oakland.  It was kind of nonsensical to have a split I-5 which killed it off relatively quick.  I-5W was definitely field signed on the MacArthur Freeway. 

[Max Rockatansky]

I like to get the Interstate-everything crowd spun up.

You've awoken FritzOwl...

Fritz is forever trapped in a mad purgatory that probably wasn't formulated by a sane mind.

[kenarmy]

*Sigh*
Sorry for being so unclear, this thread can be about any route in the US.
But while im here:

- US 550 is 50's best child route. 
- US 82 doesn't get enough credit
- I-22 shouldn't get extended into Memphis. (it probably will never but still)
- US 85> US 81, 83, 87, 89
- US 30's decommissioned branch routes> the current ones.
- All US 66 recommissioning pushings should go down the drain.
- US 80 was low-key better than US 66, but y'all aren't ready for that convo.
- US 98 is an interesting route and it's slept on.
- US 129 is unnecessary for most of its length.
- I-85 shouldn't be extended along US 80, neither should the pipeline I-14.
- I-59/I-20 is a good concurrency and it shouldn't be slandered as much as it is.
- A US route should still be in Prescott. . .
- I-16> I-42, I-87 or whatever else NC is proposing.
- US 72 + 74 = US 64S

- US 65 holds the cake for most embarrassing truncation.

US 113 says hold his cake

Oh yeah that's definitely up there..

[interstatefan990]

Thought I would start this thread since a lot of people seem to be posting non-US route unpopular opinions in the Unpopular US Route Opinions thread.

Post your unpopular opinions about any route, whether it has to do with concurrencies, extensions, design, rerouting, renumbering, signage, or anything else.

I updated my OP to say interstates are included yesterday  . And I can't change the title now but oh well.

Sorry! I (inadvertently) beat you to it. But I don't think the title "US Route opinions" really evokes thought of any route in the US anyways, but rather the specific United States Numbered Highway system. My hope is that this thread and its title will make things clearer. And if anyone has unpopular opinions about foreign routes as well, I guess this would also provide a place for that. 

[Some one]

A Houston to Austin interstate makes more sense than I-69 in Texas.

I personally don't mind concurrencies, and I even like it when they're signed.

I hate it when a US highway gets truncated/decommissioned, even the ones that have been replaced by interstates.

[SkyPesos]

A Houston to Austin interstate makes more sense than I-69 in Texas.

That doesn't really seem like an unpopular opinion here, especially when looking at the disgusting I-69 suffixed spurs. Though I would say that the section of I-69 and I-369 between Houston and Texarkana is useful for travel from Houston to the Midwest and Northeast.

[CoreySamson]

My thoughts:

- Houston, DFW, San Antonio, and Austin don't need any of their freeway state and US routes turned into interstates (except Houston-Austin corridor).
- The freeways in the RGV not connecting to the rest of the Interstate system is totally fine by me.
- The Grand Parkway's future routing through Alvin is actually logical (now west of it, not so much).
- Interstate 49's southern terminus should be Lafayette.
- I'm okay with suffixed routes (E/W/C etc.)
- We don't need more 2di interstates, we need more 3di interstates.
- I think 4di interstates should exist.

[empirestate]

- I think 4di interstates should exist.

That's one of my unpopular opinions as well. I-1090 for the I-90 loop through Albany!

[Occidental Tourist]

Most of CA 1 in Southern California should be decommissioned and relinquished and the section from Malibu to Oxnard should be given a different route number.

[Occidental Tourist]

US 395 should be renumbered as US 97.  US 97 should be renumbered as US 99.

[TravelingBethelite]

US routes are in general given a bad name (but I imagine that that's a pretty commonly held belief on this board).

[SkyPesos]

US 395 should be renumbered as US 97. US 97 should be renumbered as US 99.

I would renumber US 97 as US 420 because it's southern terminus is at Weed, CA . Also, it meets US 20, so numbering makes sense that way.

[SkyPesos]

Here's one of mine: It's unnecessary to differentiate between odd and even first digit 3di because the guidelines are so vague that every DOT and forum user here have their own interpretation of what fits under each type.

[sprjus4]

A Houston to Austin interstate makes more sense than I-69 in Texas.

That doesn't really seem like an unpopular opinion here, especially when looking at the disgusting I-69 suffixed spurs. Though I would say that the section of I-69 and I-369 between Houston and Texarkana is useful for travel from Houston to the Midwest and Northeast.

Major freight corridors heading down US-77 (Future I-69E) and US-281 (Future I-69C). There is merit for either route to be interstate highways.

In my opinion though, I-69W is not necessary, I-69C / US-281 corridor should not be apart of the I-69 system - rather a corridor stemming off I-37 - designated as an southern I-39 or I-4x (cannot fit grid), and I-69E should be the only I-69 route with no suffix (hey, that officially incorrect "I-69"  without the "E"  signage being posted on the newly completed upgrades south or Robstown would reflect this!)

Perhaps Laredo to Corpus Christi (uses part of the proposed I-69W then SH-44) could also be another corridor - currently now another I-69 leg, though likely to be called something else like I-2 was - one that should at least be widened to 4 lane divided highway with town bypasses. If built to full interstate standards, I-4 (west)? I-6?

Fully agree that either US-290 or SH-71 should be upgraded to interstate standards and designated as an interstate highway between Houston and Austin. I would personally prefer the US-290 corridor, though can fully understand the reasoning for SH-71, less distance, closer to expressway standards, easier to upgrade, etc. That approach into Austin needs to be fixed though.

[sprjus4]

I-540 is an adequate and well established number for the Raleigh beltway. It does not need to be renumbered to I-640 as many roadgeeks have proposed should happen.

I-87 between Raleigh and Norfolk should be built, or at minimum some 70 mph interstate-grade route between the two metros and I-95.

[TravelingBethelite]

[...]

I-87 between Raleigh and Norfolk should be built, or at minimum some interstate-grade route between the two metros and I-95.

I don't disagree, but it certainly doesn't merit the number.

[Flint1979]

US 395 should be renumbered as US 97. US 97 should be renumbered as US 99.

I would renumber US 97 as US 420 because it's southern terminus is at Weed, CA . Also, it meets US 20, so numbering makes sense that way.

LOL I like that thought. Would that be US-20's fourth spur route though?

[SEWIGuy]

US routes are in general given a bad name (but I imagine that that's a pretty commonly held belief on this board).

I'm not giving them a "bad name."  I just don't think they are anything more than state routes with a common numbering scheme.  So for instance, if we turned them all into state routes but kept the numbering in place, I don't think most people would know much difference.  And even if they did, it wouldn't harm navigation in a substantial way.

I mean, I think they're cool.  But I also realize that's just roadgeek sentimentality.  I've told this story before, but I once worked with someone who grew up on a ranch off of US-12 in Montana.  Our workplace was located on US-12 in Wisconsin.  She had no idea it was the same highway, and even when I pointed it out, didn't really care.  I'm pretty sure she is way more representative of the public at large than we care to admit.

[Flint1979]

A Houston to Austin interstate makes more sense than I-69 in Texas.

That doesn't really seem like an unpopular opinion here, especially when looking at the disgusting I-69 suffixed spurs. Though I would say that the section of I-69 and I-369 between Houston and Texarkana is useful for travel from Houston to the Midwest and Northeast.

Actually I don't think it is. I haven't been to Houston in 7 years and the last time I went there US-59 was still the route to take between Texarkana and Houston and you could drive 75 mph on US-59 so making it into an Interstate isn't getting you to Houston any quicker really.

[SkyPesos]

US 395 should be renumbered as US 97. US 97 should be renumbered as US 99.

I would renumber US 97 as US 420 because it’s southern terminus is at Weed, CA . Also, it meets US 20, so numbering makes sense that way.

LOL I like that thought. Would that be US-20's fourth spur route though?

Let's see...

120 - Former route is now PA 120
220 - Exists
320 - Former, now part of US 26 in WY
420 - Former, now part of US 14 in WY
520 and above - Never existed

So it seems like 320 doesn't exist today either. Though if you're going to have 420 on US 97, I think you can find a spot between Pennsylvania and Oregon for a 320.

[hotdogPi]

US 395 should be renumbered as US 97. US 97 should be renumbered as US 99.

I would renumber US 97 as US 420 because it's southern terminus is at Weed, CA . Also, it meets US 20, so numbering makes sense that way.

LOL I like that thought. Would that be US-20's fourth spur route though?

Let's see...

120 - Former route is now PA 120
220 - Exists
320 - Former, now part of US 26 in WY
420 - Former, now part of US 14 in WY
520 and above - Never existed

So it seems like 320 doesn't exist today either. Though if you're going to have 420 on US 97, I think you can find a spot between Pennsylvania and Oregon for a 320.

US 120: IN 2/IN 120/M-120*/OH 120/OH 2/PA 5/NY 5/NY 2/MA 2

I think it's ridiculous that Michigan decommissioned their segment of M-120, since it leaves a gap in the 3-state route, and there aren't even any turns along the Michigan segment of the road.

This could be 320 except that some of the route is already numbered 120.