Cities with no "through" Interstates

[jander]

Reading this: http://www.npr.org/2013/12/17/248757580/even-an-85-mph-highway-cant-fix-austins-traffic-tangle
And the quote caught my eye, "Austin is the largest city in America with only one interstate running through it. Just six lanes wide through downtown, Interstate 35 backs up for miles regularly"

So does that make San Francisco the latest city with NO Intersate going through it?

How long is 80 in San Francesco? A mile?

[hotdogPi]

Several things:

1. There are some freeways that are not Interstates, and many people use those.

2. San Francisco has I-80 and I-280.

3. If you are wondering what the largest city (by population) with no Interstate is, it's Fresno California. It has a population of 500000, and it has CA 99, which is a freeway, but not an Interstate.


Edit: Welcome to this forum!

[jander]

1. Yes, San Francisco has 101, a freeway, but a freeway is not an Interstate..
2. Don't know how I forgot about 280, as I live next to it, but even still, its not a complete route through the city.  It ends at 3rd and King and never connects to 80.

The statement still stands, San Francisco is the largest city without a through Interstate.

Thanks for the welcome!

[NE2]

San Jose is larger than Austin and has only one Interstate sort of through it. Obviously the article writers meant only one Interstate, period.

[hotdogPi]

Sorry. We were using different definitions of "through".

[Brandon]

San Jose is larger than Austin and has only one Interstate sort of through it. Obviously the article writers meant only one Interstate, period.

Technically, San Jose has three: I-280, I-680, and I-880, but all are 3dis.

[hotdogPi]

San Jose is larger than Austin and has only one Interstate sort of through it. Obviously the article writers meant only one Interstate, period.

Technically, San Jose has three: I-280, I-680, and I-880, but all are 3dis.

Again, he is using "through" to mean in one end, out the other. Not stopping in the middle.

[Brandon]

San Jose is larger than Austin and has only one Interstate sort of through it. Obviously the article writers meant only one Interstate, period.

Technically, San Jose has three: I-280, I-680, and I-880, but all are 3dis.

Again, he is using "through" to mean in one end, out the other. Not stopping in the middle.

If that's the case, then neither San Francisco nor San Jose would qualify as they are the ending points for interstates.  One could make the case for Sault Sainte Marie or Laredo as equals to both SF and SJ in that regard.  Ditto for Miami and Corpus Christi or any other point on the interstate system served by an ending or a spur.

Might make a good thread in the general section.

[NE2]

Yes, I used through in the sense that the OP did, in order to point out that he misinterpreted the quote.

[Alps]

Boston did not have any "through" Interstates until I-95 was moved to MA 128 and I-93 extended.
If you don't count the "nibble" that I-95/495 SB takes of DC, there are no "through" Interstates there either.
Miami is another large one - you could also go with any border city like San Diego (pronounced Sandiahgo).

[thisdj78]

I think it is safe to say though that Austin has the least developed freeway system of cities similar in size in the US. I think that was the original point of the article's quote.

[roadman65]

Tampa might be considered one, as I-75 only passes through an area of the city several miles from the downtown and urban parts.  I-4 terminates in it and I-275 is 3 digit, and the Lee Roy Selmon is not interstate respectively.

[NE2]

I think it is safe to say though that Austin has the least developed freeway system of cities similar in size in the US. I think that was the original point of the article's quote.

NYC has ten times the population of Austin. Does it have ten times the freeway system?

And actually, Austin probably has more freeway per capita than Philly, at least if you look at freeways within city limits.

I just noticed that Austin essentially has a full (lopsided) beltway, albeit with a few traffic lights on the south side: one on SH 360 at a shopping center, one on SH 71 at Riverside (being (?) eliminated), and three more on SH 71 near the airport. All the left turns have direct ramps.

[mgk920]

Tampa might be considered one, as I-75 only passes through an area of the city several miles from the downtown and urban parts.  I-4 terminates in it and I-275 is 3 digit, and the Lee Roy Selmon is not interstate respectively.

Green Bay, WI could be considered to be one, unless you look at it as I-43 passing through the city and ending in a suburb (Howard, WI).  Ditto with US(I)-41.

I-39 ends just short of Wausau, WI.  OTOH, I-35 does end in the City of Duluth, MN.

Mike

[jp the roadgeek]

Buffalo, NY is really only served directly by a 3di (I-190), as is Rochester (I-390 and I-490).  Also, Portland, ME is only served directly by I-295, as I-95/Maine Turnpike bypasses the city. 

[Alps]

The question is not whether a "through" Interstate (2di) runs through the city. The question is whether a city has "only one interstate running through it." So count out Rochester, Buffalo, Tampa.

[ski-man]

SH/Loop 360 in Austin has quite a few red lights all along it from US 183 south to US 290. Austin's freeway system in the city center has a lot to be desired, as in city there are 2 parallel freeways I-35 & SH/Loop 1. Most freeways/tollways are on the outskirts to suburbs.

[NE2]

SH/Loop 360 in Austin has quite a few red lights all along it from US 183 south to US 290. Austin's freeway system in the city center has a lot to be desired, as in city there are 2 parallel freeways I-35 & SH/Loop 1. Most freeways/tollways are on the outskirts to suburbs.

That's true about most cities. How many can you name that have three or more parallel freeways?

[Alps]

SH/Loop 360 in Austin has quite a few red lights all along it from US 183 south to US 290. Austin's freeway system in the city center has a lot to be desired, as in city there are 2 parallel freeways I-35 & SH/Loop 1. Most freeways/tollways are on the outskirts to suburbs.

That's true about most cities. How many can you name that have three or more parallel freeways?

Chicago (multiple areas)
Cleveland (2-90-71-480)
New York (multiple areas - how about Saw Mill - 87 - Sprain/Bx River - Hutch - 95, for 5)
NE New Jersey (multiple areas)
Philly/Camden (95-295-Tpk, sometimes US 1)
Baltimore (95-895-695 crossings)
etc.

[NE2]

You're including beltways. Austin has three if you do that.

[jander]

I'd say i5 goes "through" San Diego, it just happens to en at the city limits.  80 / 280 end in the middle of San Francisco.  San Jose does not have one Interstate that goes through.  The all turn into CA or US highways.

[NE2]

I'd say i5 goes "through" San Diego, it just happens to en at the city limits.  80 / 280 end in the middle of San Francisco.  San Jose does not have one Interstate that goes through.  The all turn into CA or US highways.

So much wrong with this post. I'll just point out that I-280 and I-680 become each other in San Jose. San Jose has a 'through' Interstate as much as Minneapolis-St. Paul has a full Interstate beltway.

[Molandfreak]

By technicality, I-5 goes through San Diego to National City and Chula Vista and re-enters the city at San Ysidro. I would consider this a "through" interstate because it enters and leaves the city limits. The fact that it re-enters a discontiguous part of the city is irrelevant.

[dgolub]

Manhattan technically has I-95 crossing it all the way up in Washington Heights, but the main area has no interstates passing through it.  I-495, I-78, and (unsigned) I-478 come in through tunnels and then just end.

[vdeane]

Manhattan isn't a city unto itself, though.  Technically it, and the four surrounding counties/boroughs, is all one big city called New York.