What regions have been helped/hurt the most by the Interstate system?

[zachary_amaryllis]

I suspect that if highway bypassed the city, city itself would effectively move to the highway.

It didn't happen with Evansville, IN.

Only because people moved even further. -20% population over 60 years.

Fort Collins, Colorado.

Fort Collins is different though because it's a college town. Colorado State is not about to pack up its entire campus and move just because an interstate got built 4 miles from downtown.

Fine. Go south then.  Loveland, Colorado.

all the towns on the northern front range are like that.. built along 287 with a leg or two out to the interstate, then development happened at the junctions.
loveland has the big outlet mall. longmont has the truck stops, tho johnson's corner is better i think there's even stuff at the erie and mead exits now.

[JayhawkCO]

I suspect that if highway bypassed the city, city itself would effectively move to the highway.

It didn't happen with Evansville, IN.

Only because people moved even further. -20% population over 60 years.

Fort Collins, Colorado.

And the point is?
How long did it take to walk across either Fort Collins or Loveland when the highway was built?

Not sure exactly what you're looking for with your question here.  You asked for a city that was bypassed by the interstate that didn't have the city then grow dramatically towards the interstate when the city grew.  Yeah, it was smaller, but since it's grown 120K people since 1960, you think it would be MORE likely that it would have grown dramatically towards the highway, which it didn't.

[JayhawkCO]

I suspect that if highway bypassed the city, city itself would effectively move to the highway.

It didn't happen with Evansville, IN.

Only because people moved even further. -20% population over 60 years.

Fort Collins, Colorado.

Fort Collins is different though because it's a college town. Colorado State is not about to pack up its entire campus and move just because an interstate got built 4 miles from downtown.

Fine. Go south then.  Loveland, Colorado.

all the towns on the northern front range are like that.. built along 287 with a leg or two out to the interstate, then development happened at the junctions.
loveland has the big outlet mall. longmont has the truck stops, tho johnson's corner is better i think there's even stuff at the erie and mead exits now.

Sure, there's stuff at the exits, but driving from I-25 west into Loveland or Fort Collins, you certainly don't feel "in the city" for at least a couple of miles.

[US20IL64]

Even if no Interstate shielded routes, certain US highways were widened, like 66, and others would have went with demand.

[kalvado]

I suspect that if highway bypassed the city, city itself would effectively move to the highway.

It didn't happen with Evansville, IN.

Only because people moved even further. -20% population over 60 years.

Fort Collins, Colorado.

And the point is?
How long did it take to walk across either Fort Collins or Loveland when the highway was built?

Not sure exactly what you're looking for with your question here.  You asked for a city that was bypassed by the interstate that didn't have the city then grow dramatically towards the interstate when the city grew.  Yeah, it was smaller, but since it's grown 120K people since 1960, you think it would be MORE likely that it would have grown dramatically towards the highway, which it didn't.

It's hard to say without knowing things first hand, but looks like  @zachary_amaryllis addresses it above. looking at the map, I tend to consider an area, Greeley - Windsor - Ft.Collins - Loveland, rather than individual cities. Area is dissected by I-25 and US-34. Growth happens along the highways.

Would be fun to find Ft Collins pre-I-25 map though...

[kalvado]

I suspect that if highway bypassed the city, city itself would effectively move to the highway.

It didn't happen with Evansville, IN.

Only because people moved even further. -20% population over 60 years.

Fort Collins, Colorado.

Fort Collins is different though because it's a college town. Colorado State is not about to pack up its entire campus and move just because an interstate got built 4 miles from downtown.

Fine. Go south then.  Loveland, Colorado.

all the towns on the northern front range are like that.. built along 287 with a leg or two out to the interstate, then development happened at the junctions.
loveland has the big outlet mall. longmont has the truck stops, tho johnson's corner is better i think there's even stuff at the erie and mead exits now.

Sure, there's stuff at the exits, but driving from I-25 west into Loveland or Fort Collins, you certainly don't feel "in the city" for at least a couple of miles.

Given that there are, like, 6 miles between I-25 and mountains to the west in the area, "couple of miles" sounds a bit of exhagerration.

[JayhawkCO]

Given that there are, like, 6 miles between I-25 and mountains to the west in the area, "couple of miles" sounds a bit of exhagerration.

I normally take CO14 into town, and yes, a couple of miles.  If you just look a bit at Google Maps, you'll see there aren't even a whole lot of roads near the highway.

[jlam]

Would be fun to find Ft Collins pre-I-25 map though...

I found your map, from the 1960s, as I-25 was being constructed.
https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/img4/ht_icons/overlay/CO/CO_Fort%20Collins_450329_1960_24000_geo.jpg

[kalvado]

Would be fun to find Ft Collins pre-I-25 map though...

I found your map, from the 1960s, as I-25 was being constructed.
https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/img4/ht_icons/overlay/CO/CO_Fort%20Collins_450329_1960_24000_geo.jpg

Thank you!
Compare Williams lake position with respect to the city back then and today.  There is definitely growth towards highway.
Given that 14 goes through wet area (probably protected wetlands), it is not surprising that there is little built along that stretch.

[SkyPesos]

Given that there are, like, 6 miles between I-25 and mountains to the west in the area, "couple of miles" sounds a bit of exhagerration.

I normally take CO14 into town, and yes, a couple of miles.  If you just look a bit at Google Maps, you'll see there aren't even a whole lot of roads near the highway.

[img snipped]

Interesting that I-25 is still 4 lanes between Longmont and Ft Collins... I thought it would've been 6 lane'd all the way north to Ft Collins a long time ago from the line of cities.

[JayhawkCO]

Would be fun to find Ft Collins pre-I-25 map though...

I found your map, from the 1960s, as I-25 was being constructed.
https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/img4/ht_icons/overlay/CO/CO_Fort%20Collins_450329_1960_24000_geo.jpg

Thank you!
Compare Williams lake position with respect to the city back then and today.  There is definitely growth towards highway.
Given that 14 goes through wet area (probably protected wetlands), it is not surprising that there is little built along that stretch.

I didn't say there was NO growth towards the highway.  Fort Collins grew in every direction from looking at that map (except west, because, you know, mountains), and I'd argue far more going south (along US287) than east (towards I-25).

[JayhawkCO]

Given that there are, like, 6 miles between I-25 and mountains to the west in the area, "couple of miles" sounds a bit of exhagerration.

I normally take CO14 into town, and yes, a couple of miles.  If you just look a bit at Google Maps, you'll see there aren't even a whole lot of roads near the highway.

[img snipped]

Interesting that I-25 is still 4 lanes between Longmont and Ft Collins... I thought it would've been 6 lane'd all the way north to Ft Collins a long time ago from the line of cities.

They're working on it.  It's miserable.

[Dirt Roads]

For many years, there has been a comparison between Charleston and Huntington, West Virginia with respect to how the routing of the Interstate system helped the former and hurt the latter.  In Charleston, the junction of [almost] all three Interstates (I-64, I-77 and almost I-79) just west of downtown resulted in a resurgence of the city in the late-1970s and early-1980s.  But in Huntington, I-64 was routed along the mountainside bypassing the west side of town and then veering southeast several miles from downtown.  Huntington suffered greatly during the same period.  There have been numerous articles in various newspapers discussing this topic over the years.

However...
The one important fact always missing was that I-64 was completed around Huntington in 1965, whereas I-64/I-77 were completed in 1975 (with the connection to the West Virginia Turnpike in 1976 and then I-79 connecting in 1979).  Another fact was that I-64 originally opened up Huntington traffic to the due west (Lexington/Louisville), whereas Charleston got inter-connected to Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Charlotte (and points south).  For all of the second half of the 20th Century, Huntington was the larger of the two cities (and also the larger metropolitan area).  But since it didn't develop into a major crossroads, it suffered earlier (along with the decline of its steel industry and other metals).  Charleston has also declined, along with its chemical industry. 

[hbelkins]

Seems to me that Huntington's growth has occurred in Barboursville.

There isn't a lot at the two exits that provide north-south access into the city, nor is there a lot built up along them. And I don't know that US 60 has changed appreciably over the years other than Walmart being built. But east of the exit, and then to and through Barboursville with the new WV 193 exit and the mall, there's been a lot of growth.

So I'd say that the interstate shifted trade patterns out of downtown.

As for Charleston, it's interesting that the major shopping area is well off the interstate (Corridor G) and the only major "highway business" hub (motels, restaurants) is at Cross Lanes. (Is Kanawha City still as much of a slum as it used to be?)

[Rothman]

From what I see from the Census figures, Huntington was larger from 1910 to 1950 and then again in 1970 (i.e., Charleston was bigger in 1960 and then 1980 to 2020).  MSA's probably a different story, but I-64 certainly stimulated development along the connecting corridor.

[ran4sh]

I suspect that if highway bypassed the city, city itself would effectively move to the highway.

This is somewhat true in the Atlanta area. The "bypass", I-285, has effectively become a location that attracts development, especially in the Cumberland, Sandy Springs/Dunwoody, and airport areas.

A lot of people who live within I-285 and don't know any better, like to suggest things like congestion tolling to drive inside I-285, or even downgrading of Interstates within I-285 to arterials or city streets, but the people who know better, understand that such a thing would simply cause businesses to leave the area inside I-285 and establish locations along or just outside I-285 instead.

[Dirt Roads]

Seems to me that Huntington's growth has occurred in Barboursville.

There isn't a lot at the two exits that provide north-south access into the city, nor is there a lot built up along them. And I don't know that US 60 has changed appreciably over the years other than Walmart being built. But east of the exit, and then to and through Barboursville with the new WV 193 exit and the mall, there's been a lot of growth.

So I'd say that the interstate shifted trade patterns out of downtown.

Definitely trade patterns, but it is questionable whether Barboursville's population change was related to "growth" or annexation.  The public's perception of growth in Barboursville started when the Huntington Mall opened in 1981 at the Ona exit of I-64 (then Exit 20, now Exit 20B).  The exit is located about halfway between Barboursville and Ona (pronounced Oh-nuh).  At the time, both towns were dying (Ona was the location of a NASCAR dirt track and a campground famous for its hot-air balloons).  The Huntington Mall pulled much of the shopping businesses out of Huntington (uhh, Sears was never located downtown but rather along the railroad where 29th Street meets Fifth Avenue).  The new Merritts Creek exit for WV-193 (Exit 18) does create a connection into Barboursville proper.  Lots of commercial growth, pulling from Huntington, eastern Cabell, Putnam and perhaps even western Kanawha.

Before somebody jumps off the handle, back in the old days the Ona exit was indeed marked Barboursville for westbound traffic.

As for Charleston, it's interesting that the major shopping area is well off the interstate (Corridor G) and the only major "highway business" hub (motels, restaurants) is at Cross Lanes. (Is Kanawha City still as much of a slum as it used to be?)

But the major shopping areas were downtown, West Side and over in Kanawha City before the Interstate busted through Charleston.  The Charleston Town Center opened up right across from I-64 at the edge of downtown in 1983.  It's downfall has been the public's interest in Big Box shopping, compared to hauling packages back-and-forth to the car (which wasn't very secure in the parking garages in downtown).  There was also a bunch of teenage crime at the Charleston Town Center.  But in its heyday, it was one of the best malls in the country.

[epzik8]

Montgomery, Atlanta, Greenville-Spartanburg, Charlotte, and the Triad and Triangle benefitted greatly from the construction of I-85. Charlotte in particular has grown rapidly in the years since, and has emerged as a business and technology hotbed.

Out west, such as in Salt Lake City and Denver, U.S. routes which were formerly through routes were displaced by I-70, I-15, I-25 et al. and many small towns away from the Interstate corridors lost business.

[oscar]

A strong candidate for "helped the least" by the Interstate system (even if not affirmatively hurt by it) has to be Arizona. Slow to build its part of the system, and deeply allergic to adding new routes to the system, including extensive additions to the Phoenix freeway system deliberately done as non-Interstates.

[hbelkins]

Seems to me that Huntington's growth has occurred in Barboursville.

There isn't a lot at the two exits that provide north-south access into the city, nor is there a lot built up along them. And I don't know that US 60 has changed appreciably over the years other than Walmart being built. But east of the exit, and then to and through Barboursville with the new WV 193 exit and the mall, there's been a lot of growth.

So I'd say that the interstate shifted trade patterns out of downtown.

Definitely trade patterns, but it is questionable whether Barboursville's population change was related to "growth" or annexation.  The public's perception of growth in Barboursville started when the Huntington Mall opened in 1981 at the Ona exit of I-64 (then Exit 20, now Exit 20B).  The exit is located about halfway between Barboursville and Ona (pronounced Oh-nuh).  At the time, both towns were dying (Ona was the location of a NASCAR dirt track and a campground famous for its hot-air balloons).  The Huntington Mall pulled much of the shopping businesses out of Huntington (uhh, Sears was never located downtown but rather along the railroad where 29th Street meets Fifth Avenue).  The new Merritts Creek exit for WV-193 (Exit 18) does create a connection into Barboursville proper.  Lots of commercial growth, pulling from Huntington, eastern Cabell, Putnam and perhaps even western Kanawha.

Before somebody jumps off the handle, back in the old days the Ona exit was indeed marked Barboursville for westbound traffic.

I don't ever remember an exit for Ona on I-64. Milton, yes, but not Ona. If I'm not mistaken, the signage at the end of the county route that leads from the Milton exit to US 60 points to Milton and Culloden. (Cull-OH-dun).

My great-aunt worked at a Sears out on US 60 that may have been within the city limits of Barboursville instead of Huntington. I remember us dropping in to visit her there on a trip to see relatives in my youth.

As for Charleston, it's interesting that the major shopping area is well off the interstate (Corridor G) and the only major "highway business" hub (motels, restaurants) is at Cross Lanes. (Is Kanawha City still as much of a slum as it used to be?)

But the major shopping areas were downtown, West Side and over in Kanawha City before the Interstate busted through Charleston.  The Charleston Town Center opened up right across from I-64 at the edge of downtown in 1983.  It's downfall has been the public's interest in Big Box shopping, compared to hauling packages back-and-forth to the car (which wasn't very secure in the parking garages in downtown).  There was also a bunch of teenage crime at the Charleston Town Center.  But in its heyday, it was one of the best malls in the country.
[/quote]

SP Cook has spoken often of the downfall of Town Center. I attended the AASHTO Subcommittee on Transportation Communications (Transcomm) conference five years ago in the Marriott across the street. We all arrived on Sunday afternoon and after the opening meet-and-greet, I walked across to the mall to eat at Five Guys, and was frustrated to find that it, along with most of the other restaurants in the mall, closed at 6 p.m. Had to settle for Chili's, which was still open.

[GCrites]

The Huntington Mall pulled much of the shopping businesses out of Huntington (uhh, Sears was never located downtown but rather along the railroad where 29th Street meets Fifth Avenue). 

Did that become the East Side Big Bear afterward (later Big Bear Plus)? I always thought that Big Bear had a lot more entrances than a regular Big Bear but it may have also had a Hart's before Hart's got wrapped into Big Bear Plus.

[GCrites]

My great-aunt worked at a Sears out on US 60 that may have been within the city limits of Barboursville instead of Huntington. I remember us dropping in to visit her there on a trip to see relatives in my youth.

There was also East Hills Mall on Rt. 60 which operated with some indoor mallway into the mid-2000s. It never had a Sears though.

[Life in Paradise]

I suspect that if highway bypassed the city, city itself would effectively move to the highway.

It didn't happen with Evansville, IN.

Only because people moved even further. -20% population over 60 years.

Actually, the county that Evansville is in has been slowly growing, and most of the growth (due to land topography, etc) is to the north towards I-64, and somewhat towards what is now I-69.  It's happening, but us SW IN Hoosiers are rather slow in our movement. 

[Dirt Roads]

The Huntington Mall pulled much of the shopping businesses out of Huntington (uhh, Sears was never located downtown but rather along the railroad where 29th Street meets Fifth Avenue). 

Did that become the East Side Big Bear afterward (later Big Bear Plus)? I always thought that Big Bear had a lot more entrances than a regular Big Bear but it may have also had a Hart's before Hart's got wrapped into Big Bear Plus.

Indeed.  The old Sears location was home to Big Bear when that grocery chain started trying to compete with Kroger in metro West Virginia.  I also recall Harts, but I can't quite remember whether it was in that same location.  This is now home to Marshall University's School of Physical Therapy, probably with some other businesses in the same building.

My great-aunt worked at a Sears out on US 60 that may have been within the city limits of Barboursville instead of Huntington. I remember us dropping in to visit her there on a trip to see relatives in my youth.

We always called that the Barboursville Mall (not the correct name), but I'm not sure what the anchor store was.  The shopping center is still there, located on US-60 just west of Davis Creek Road (now Alt WV-10, but was the endpoint for WV-10 back in those days). 

There was also East Hills Mall on Rt. 60 which operated with some indoor mallway into the mid-2000s. It never had a Sears though.

Going way, way back.  The department store in East Hills Mall was originally an Aldens (the other one in West Virginia was at the south end of the Patrick Street Bridge in Charleston).  Hills ended up in East Hills Mall, which I thought was ironic.  Charleston's own Sports Mart moved to the Alden's building on the South Side and was there many years.