Use of control cities on Mileage or BGS for roads that do not travel there.

[Alps]

New York appears on a US 206 guide sign on  a traffic circle near Red Lion, NJ where the US routes meets NJ 70.  As you all may know that US 206 cuts on a diagonal across New Jersey where NB on 206 goes to NW Jersey that is the opposite way of NYC as that is close to NE Jersey.

Via the Turnpike to NYC, versus 70 east to the Parkway. I'm sure it's more direct. But very few people will have made it to that circle in search of NYC.

Shore Points is used on NJ 28 in Westfield, NJ for EB Central Avenue.  Of course, Central Avenue leads to the Garden State Parkway, but a commercial vehicle cannot go on the Parkway.  Central Avenue ends at the Garden State Parkway where there are no straight through roads leading to US 9 the truck alternative for the Parkway without making many turns.

The signs really aren't meant for trucks, who tend to pre-plan their routes. The old white Essex County signage had Shore Points down Valley Rd., which ends a block to the south of Bloomfield Ave. I really have no idea what the intended route is there - Bloomfield Ave. goes straight to the Parkway.

For many years Trenton was used as a control city on NJ 35 for NJ 37 WB in Seaside Heights, NJ where NJ 37 ends at NJ 70 at Lakehurst and no continuing road to the State Capital.   Since then Toms River replaced Trenton as someone in NJDOT figured out that something was wrong.

From when NJ 37 was supposed to continue to Trenton. The part of CR 526 at I-195 was built as 37, as was one bridge on CR 539 north of 537.

[roadman65]

JFK Parkway in Millburn, NJ uses Florham Park as  a control city for Parsonage Hill Road.
I-287 has Highland Park used for Possumtown Road and Centennial Avenue in Piscataway.
I-287 before the Middlesex CR 529 interchange was made for full movements used to have NB I-287 for SB CR 529 signed on the    current exit for S. Washington Avenue.  It never went there, but it was signed not TO CR 529 SOUTH- Edison, but CR 529 SOUTH-Edispn.

Garden State Parkway in Irvington uses Hillside as control city at Exit 143B for Lyons Avenue Eastbound.
I-78 also uses Hillside for its exit to Lyons Avenue one mile east of the GSP exit above in Newark.

[Rupertus]

The most obvious in Michigan is US-127 being signed for "Mackinac Bridge", and ends 80 or 90 miles short of the bridge. There are others, but I have to think about it for a while.

There are a few good ones in Metro Detroit. The control cities for I-696 are Lansing and Port Huron, both of which are significantly down the road (via I-96 and I-94, respectively). On I-275, the southbound control city is Toledo, which requires you to pick up I-75. The best one is Flint for northbound I-275. To make this trip, after I-275 ends, it's I-96 west and north on US 23.

[huskeroadgeek]

The best one is Flint for northbound I-275. To make this trip, after I-275 ends, it's I-96 west and north on US 23.

That's probably a vestige from when I-275 was planned to connect back to I-75. I guess they could use Livonia or Farmington Hills, but Michigan seems to shun suburban destinations for control cities. Using Lansing would probably make more sense as I-275 can easily be used to connect from I-75 to I-96.

[InterstateNG]

If you're flying in and out of Metro Airport but live up by Flint, what route are you using?

If you live in Oakland/western Wayne County and need to get to Toledo for work, what route are you using?

Exactly.

[ftballfan]

If you're flying in and out of Metro Airport but live up by Flint, what route are you using?

If you live in Oakland/western Wayne County and need to get to Toledo for work, what route are you using?

Exactly.

275-96-23 is quicker from Flint to Metro Airport and vice versa than 94-75, 94-23, or 275-696-75.

From Western Wayne, 275 is a direct shot to 75 just north of Monroe.

I found another bad one in Michigan. M-120 (Exit 118) is signed as heading to Fremont off of US-31 (both directions). M-120 doesn't get to Fremont, but it does make sense from NB US-31. From SB US-31, it makes no sense at all as M-120 runs northeast. Fremont would make more sense at Exit 140 if heading southbound.

[newyorker478]

Both the Northern State and Southern State Parkways westbound control city is New York, although Southern State ends at the Cross Island and the Northern State ends at the GCP, which will take you to the Triboro, not exactly the "New York" one is looking for. The control city itself is very vague, as nobody knows if it means NYC proper [Queens] or Midtown Manhattan.

Also, while the road DOES go [most of the way] there, it is odd seeing signs for Riverhead, some little country town, on 36th Street in Manhattan.

[roadman65]

Both the Northern State and Southern State Parkways westbound control city is New York, although Southern State ends at the Cross Island and the Northern State ends at the GCP, which will take you to the Triboro, not exactly the "New York" one is looking for. The control city itself is very vague, as nobody knows if it means NYC proper [Queens] or Midtown Manhattan.

Also, while the road DOES go [most of the way] there, it is odd seeing signs for Riverhead, some little country town, on 36th Street in Manhattan.

That is cause Rivehead is the county seat of Suffolk and the last population center along the LIE.
As far as New York goes it is broad and when you see a sign for it you do not know what part it means.  In New Jersey, along US 1 & 9, though they do narrow it down to Lower and Mid Manhattan by the guide sign along the Pulaski Skyway east of the Passaic River that says "To New York USE Holland Tunnel Lincoln Tunnel.  That is the only place that does this.

On I-87 its for all points as the Thruway mileage signs give out mileage to the end of the Thruway at the Bronx- Westchester Line where I-87 actually enters the city proper.

[newyorker478]

Both the Northern State and Southern State Parkways westbound control city is New York, although Southern State ends at the Cross Island and the Northern State ends at the GCP, which will take you to the Triboro, not exactly the "New York" one is looking for. The control city itself is very vague, as nobody knows if it means NYC proper [Queens] or Midtown Manhattan.

Also, while the road DOES go [most of the way] there, it is odd seeing signs for Riverhead, some little country town, on 36th Street in Manhattan.

That is cause Rivehead is the county seat of Suffolk and the last population center along the LIE.
As far as New York goes it is broad and when you see a sign for it you do not know what part it means.  In New Jersey, along US 1 & 9, though they do narrow it down to Lower and Mid Manhattan by the guide sign along the Pulaski Skyway east of the Passaic River that says "To New York USE Holland Tunnel Lincoln Tunnel.  That is the only place that does this.

On I-87 its for all points as the Thruway mileage signs give out mileage to the end of the Thruway at the Bronx- Westchester Line where I-87 actually enters the city proper.

True, even though many NY Thruway travelers are led down NJ 17 and the GWB from Mapquest, despite signs for NY over the TZB. Not sure which would be better but I would much rather deal with TZB and then fly down the Henry Hudson.


As for Riverhead, there are much bigger population centers in Suffolk, but I was just making an interesting point.

[roadman65]

Both the Northern State and Southern State Parkways westbound control city is New York, although Southern State ends at the Cross Island and the Northern State ends at the GCP, which will take you to the Triboro, not exactly the "New York" one is looking for. The control city itself is very vague, as nobody knows if it means NYC proper [Queens] or Midtown Manhattan.

Also, while the road DOES go [most of the way] there, it is odd seeing signs for Riverhead, some little country town, on 36th Street in Manhattan.

That is cause Rivehead is the county seat of Suffolk and the last population center along the LIE.
As far as New York goes it is broad and when you see a sign for it you do not know what part it means.  In New Jersey, along US 1 & 9, though they do narrow it down to Lower and Mid Manhattan by the guide sign along the Pulaski Skyway east of the Passaic River that says "To New York USE Holland Tunnel Lincoln Tunnel.  That is the only place that does this.

On I-87 its for all points as the Thruway mileage signs give out mileage to the end of the Thruway at the Bronx- Westchester Line where I-87 actually enters the city proper.

True, even though many NY Thruway travelers are led down NJ 17 and the GWB from Mapquest, despite signs for NY over the TZB. Not sure which would be better but I would much rather deal with TZB and then fly down the Henry Hudson.


As for Riverhead, there are much bigger population centers in Suffolk, but I was just making an interesting point.

I know what you mean about Riverhead and yes your point is interesting.  

[InterstateNG]

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=4000.0

[vtk]

Columbus is the destination for OH-15 EB from I-75 at Findlay.  OH-15 ends far short of Columbus, but it's the best route from that point.  I think originally that exit from I-75 was US-68 only, and the part of OH-15 east of there didn't exist yet; certainly Columbus wasn't a destination on that exit at that time.

Columbus also appears on at least one mileage sign on OH-31 SB between Kenton and Marysville.  OH-31 did originally go to Columbus before US-33 existed, but I don't think the sign is that old. 

Around Boston, I-495's SB destination is Cape Cod from MA-2 onwards.  From Marlborough onwards I'd agree that I-495 is probably the best route to Cape Cod, but of course I-495 doesn't make it all the way there.  And the connections around Buzzards Bay and Sagamore seem rather unfavorable for such a trip.  (Seems like a more direct connection could have been built...)

[hobsini2]

I have no problem with control cities that are used as a "general" direction such as Chicago on I-80 and I-65.  You have to remember, while "we" know where certain suburbs are in relation the terminus points, the average joe probably doesn't know that I-65 ends at Gary short of Chicago.

[mightyace]

^^^

The average Joe doesn't likely CARE either.  If you're coming from Louisville or Indy and possibly points south like Nashville, Birmingham and Chattanooga; I-65 is a way to get to Chicago.