Most Names for One Stretch of Road

[Pete from Boston]

I apologize if this has been asked, but a quick search didn't reveal it.

Here in Boston we have a road called, all at once:

- Central Artery
- Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill, Jr., Tunnel
- John F. Fitzgerald Expressway

They all have some official merit (as opposed to, say, "The Big Dig," which was always just a colloquialism).

In terms of names, not route numbers, what stretch of road have you been on that carried more than the usual number of names?

[US71]

Chicago Heights, Illinois:

US 30 aka 14th St (local block #)  aka 211th Street (Chicago block #) aka Lincoln Highway

[Doctor Whom]

I was once on a block in Baltimore on which the city had posted two honorary street names in addition to the real street name.  It's been so long that I can't tell you what they were.

[NE2]

[PHLBOS]

Here in Boston we have a road called, all at once:

- Central Artery
- Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill, Jr., Tunnel
- John F. Fitzgerald Expressway

They all have some official merit (as opposed to, say, "The Big Dig," which was always just a colloquialism).

To clarify & if I'm not mistaken, the John F. Fitzgerald Expressway, in its original pre-Big Dig form, includes the Central Artery* along with the Southeast Expressway, the Dewey Square/South Station Tunnel*, the Pulaski Skyway (elevated expressway between Mass Ave. & fore-mentioned tunnel: at least pre-Big Dig), the Tobin Bridge and Northeast Expressway.

*since replaced w/the O'Neill Tunnel.

Side bar to those in the Greater Boston area: Is the Central Artery moniker even used anymore by reporters and such to describe the O'Neill Tunnel?

[Mr. Matté]

At the engineering firm where I work, I overheard the principal telling one of the drafters that on the plans for a church in Princeton, NJ, he had to put on the plans "Nassau Street a.k.a. Kings Highway a.k.a. Princeton Kingston Road." Afterwards, I told him, "Don't you also have to put 'New Jersey State Highway Route No. 27' on there too?" And now that I've read other examples here, the road should also be known as "Lincoln Highway" as well.

[Urban Prairie Schooner]

Somewhat related, but I always found it interesting how in some foreign countries (UK particularly) a continuous roadway will often change street names seemingly randomly, sometimes within blocks of the last change. I assume this has origins in some historical phenomena such as the merger of separate communities, etc. (You see this in a few places in Quebec/Ontario where urban amalgamations have taken place.)

[NE2]

Somewhat related, but I always found it interesting how in some foreign countries (UK particularly) a continuous roadway will often change street names seemingly randomly, sometimes within blocks of the last change. I assume this has origins in some historical phenomena such as the merger of separate communities, etc. (You see this in a few places in Quebec/Ontario where urban amalgamations have taken place.)

New England's a foreign country.

[Pete from Boston]

Somewhat related, but I always found it interesting how in some foreign countries (UK particularly) a continuous roadway will often change street names seemingly randomly, sometimes within blocks of the last change. I assume this has origins in some historical phenomena such as the merger of separate communities, etc. (You see this in a few places in Quebec/Ontario where urban amalgamations have taken place.)

New England's a foreign country.

I don't see anything random about the mile in which Land Boulevard changes to Charlestown Ave., Austin St., and then Green St.

Now, if you want to talk about Route 9 east of Worcester, where the street addresses jump variously about between Boston-Worcester Turnpike, Turnpike Rd., Boston Rd., Boston Turnpike, etc., without agreement from one business to the next, then perhaps there's a point to be made.

[hotdogPi]

MA 28 north of Boston, too. Going north from around MA 125:

Main St, S Main St, Main St, N Main St, S Broadway, Broadway (+ O'Leary Bridge), S Broadway (NH border), N Broadway, Rockingham Rd.

All within 16 miles.



US 1 north of Boston is also confusing:

Tobin Bridge, Northeast Expressway, Broadway, Newburyport Turnpike, Newbury St, Boston St, Turnpike Rd.
And some of these overlap.
(Plus Google says Adamski Memorial Highway, but I'm not sure if it's correct.)

[NE2]

Somewhat related, but I always found it interesting how in some foreign countries (UK particularly) a continuous roadway will often change street names seemingly randomly, sometimes within blocks of the last change. I assume this has origins in some historical phenomena such as the merger of separate communities, etc. (You see this in a few places in Quebec/Ontario where urban amalgamations have taken place.)

New England's a foreign country.

I don't see anything random about the mile in which Land Boulevard changes to Charlestown Ave., Austin St., and then Green St.

Your logic is impeccably bunk. Let's make babies.

Providence example: Angell Street - Thomas Street - Steeple Street - Exchange Terrace - Sabin Street - Broadway. All in just over 1/2 mile. And a mile to the east, the through route begins as South Angell Street coming off the Henderson Bridge (AKA Henderson Expressway, but this name isn't signed). A mile to the west, it changes to Westminster Street, Plainfield Street, and Pocasset Avenue in quick succession, before ending at a five-way intersection where the continuation of Pocasset Avenue lines up with Magnolia Street.

[Pete from Boston]

Somewhat related, but I always found it interesting how in some foreign countries (UK particularly) a continuous roadway will often change street names seemingly randomly, sometimes within blocks of the last change. I assume this has origins in some historical phenomena such as the merger of separate communities, etc. (You see this in a few places in Quebec/Ontario where urban amalgamations have taken place.)

New England's a foreign country.

I don't see anything random about the mile in which Land Boulevard changes to Charlestown Ave., Austin St., and then Green St.

Your logic is impeccably bunk. Let's make babies.

Providence example: Angell Street - Thomas Street - Steeple Street - Exchange Terrace - Sabin Street - Broadway. All in just over 1/2 mile. And a mile to the east, the through route begins as South Angell Street coming off the Henderson Bridge (AKA Henderson Expressway, but this name isn't signed). A mile to the west, it changes to Westminster Street, Plainfield Street, and Pocasset Avenue in quick succession, before ending at a five-way intersection where the continuation of Pocasset Avenue lines up with Magnolia Street.

Stop it, you're getting me excited.

[sammi]

[...] a continuous roadway will often change street names seemingly randomly, sometimes within blocks of the last change. [...] (You see this in a few places in Quebec/Ontario where urban amalgamations have taken place.)

I know of a few in and around Toronto. We have a lot of this actually.

• Spadina Rd, Spadina Ave (this one is confusing)
• Avenue Rd, Queen's Park, University Ave
• Bloor St, Danforth Rd
• Antibes Dr,  Drewry Ave, Cummer Ave, McNicoll Rd
• Bovaird Dr, Castlemore Rd, Rutherford Rd, 16th Ave

But, that's not the topic of this thread.

Most Names for One Stretch of Road

[briantroutman]

It depends on how formally you consider the names, but there are many places in PA where sections of highways have multiple dedications and names of varying officiality.

For example US 15 north immediately north of Williamsport is simultaneously...

• US 15
• Marine Corps League Memorial Highway
• Susquehanna Trail
• Dolly M. Wilt Highway

[sdmichael]

I've got a better one. At the border of Beverly Hills and Los Angeles, off of Coldwater Canyon Road, you'll find Cherokee Lane. Go up this road a few blocks. First, each half is in each city. Then the street changes names... and block numbers... for each half. One side of the street is Cherokee Lane in Los Angeles, the other side of the street is Loma Vista Dr in Beverly Hills. I haven't found another street like it.

[Brandon]

Multiple names for a road are not uncommon around Chicagoland.

A few examples:
22nd Street aka Cermak Road
Caton Farm Road aka 175th Street aka Bruce Road
Division Street aka Stateville Road aka 167th Street
LaGrange Road aka 96th Avenue aka Mannheim Road - becomes River Road further north

[Pete from Boston]

In Assembly Square in Somerville, Massachusetts, where they are building a glorified outlet mall, the third or so retail redevelopment of the site, every decade seems to bring a new street renaming.

Sturtevant Street became Assembly Sq. Drive, but both still appear on maps . This month, they renamed it Grand Union Blvd., which will surely continue this area's commitment to confusing the crap out of people.

Edit:  Just for fun, a few signs refer to this as "Ikea Way," which the road was never named, and on which there was never an Ikea.

[doorknob60]

None of these are really simultaneous, but they change names a lot over a short distance.

There's one continuous stretch through Bend that, from west to east, is called Portland Ave, Olney Ave, Penn Ave, and then Neff Rd. It technically makes sense within Bend's grid (and using different names on the west and east side), but it can be confusing. Link: http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=15/44.0632/-121.3026

And then near by, you have a corridor (although not technically a continuous stretch) with, from west to east, Skyliners Rd, Galveston Ave, Riverside Blvd, Franklin Ave, and Bear Creek Rd. There are two turns along this stretch, but it's widely considered to be one corridor. (as the other streets branching off it are minor neighborhood streets).

Oh and might as well point out the one in between those two, from west to east, (Johnson Rd if you're coming from Tumalo,) Shevlin Park Rd, Newport Ave, Greenwood Ave, and then just US-20 continuing east.

[sdmichael]

I've got a better one. At the border of Beverly Hills and Los Angeles, off of Coldwater Canyon Road, you'll find Cherokee Lane. Go up this road a few blocks. First, each half is in each city. Then the street changes names... and block numbers... for each half. One side of the street is Cherokee Lane in Los Angeles, the other side of the street is Loma Vista Dr in Beverly Hills. I haven't found another street like it.

As an update to my previous reply - I found the photos I was looking for. I posted them on my site.

http://socalregion.com/unusual-street-in-los-angeles-and-beverly-hills/

[golden eagle]

In Jackson, West Street starts just south of downtown. About 4-5 miles north of downtown, it becomes Northbrook Drive for one mile. After crossing Northside Drive, it becomes Hanging Moss Rd. for about another four miles. After crossing I-220 and West County Line Rd. going into Madison County, it then becomes Highland Colony Parkway for eight miles. North of MS 463, it then becomes Bozeman Rd. Several miles later, it becomes Catlett Rd. until it ends at MS 16.

[roadman65]

New Providence, NJ- Glenside Rd.- South Street- Passaic Street.  All of this within two miles.  Then if you want to get technical at Passaic Street's north end it defaults onto River Road.

In Union County, NJ you have Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth Boulevard, Springfield Avenue, Miesel Avenue, and back to Springfield Avenue.

Here in Florida for US 192 in Osceola County it goes from Irlo Bronson Highway, Vine Street, then again Irlo Bronson Highway, 13th Street, and one more time Irlo Bronson Highway.

In Kissimmee, FL Orange Blossom Trail turns to Main Street which becomes Broadway Avenue and then finally Emmett Street.

[bing101]

West end of US-50 in Sacramento its also called I-305, Business 80, WX Freeway and West Capital City Freeway. AAroads US-50 Section even mentioned an El Dorado Freeway on US-50.

CA-51 in Sacramento, its East Business 80, Elvas Freeway, Marconi Curve and East Capital City Freeway.

San Bernardino Freeway (I-10) in Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley was called Ramona Freeway, US-60, US-70 and US-99 before 1964.

[roadman]

Just for fun, a few signs refer to this as "Ikea Way," which the road was never named, and on which there was never an Ikea.

When the current Assembly Square project was first announced, it was anticipated that Ikea would be one of the anchor stores for the new mall - despite the fact the mall was always designed with the idea of encouraging people to use transit to access it (this is why the state is wasting spending so much money on a new transit station for the mall that's less than 400 yards from an adjacent transit station).  About a year ago, Ikea suddenly pulled out of the deal - apparently because the City of Somerville was dragging their feet on approvals.

While work is rapidly nearing completion on the residental and office component of the development, it appears the transit station won't actually be completed for some time.  And the site of the "new" mall is still nothing but a huge dirt field.

[roadman]

Side bar to those in the Greater Boston area: Is the Central Artery moniker even used anymore by reporters and such to describe the O'Neill Tunnel?

Nope.  All references I've ever heard from traffic reporters for several years now have been "O'Neill Tunnel" only.  And, as best I can recall, in the elevated highway days, no traffic reporters ever called it the Fitzgerald Expressway.

[Pete from Boston]

Just for fun, a few signs refer to this as "Ikea Way," which the road was never named, and on which there was never an Ikea.

When the current Assembly Square project was first announced, it was anticipated that Ikea would be one of the anchor stores for the new mall - despite the fact the mall was always designed with the idea of encouraging people to use transit to access it (this is why the state is wasting spenign so much money on a transit station for the mall that's less than 400 yards from an adjacent transit station).  About a year ago, Ikea suddenly pulled out of the deal - apparently because the City of Somerville was dragging their feet on approvals.

While work is rapidly nearing completion on the residental and office component of the development, it appears the transit station won't actually be completed for some time.  And the site of the "new" mall is still nothing but a huge dirt field.

The ironic thing, if memory serves, is that IKEA was the initial development planned, 15 or so years ago.  The current ridiculous town-of-chain-stores (see: Station Landing) was to placate the smart-growth crowd. 

What I read about IKEA's decision was that the store they'd opened in the meantime in Stoughton was found sufficient to handle Metro Boston. 

This made me very suspicious when they pulled out so late in the going.  It was such late timing that I still wonder if someone requested they hold back announcing the decision until construction was substantially underway, space leased, etc.  Joe Curtatone has been celebrating this project as his personal triumph since shortly after becoming mayor ten years ago, and he's always been talked about as having ambitions for higher office.