Houston’s Nearly Symmetrical “Spoke/Wheel” Layout: Most Unique in the World?

[thisdj78]

Houston's freeway layout seems like it is the most symmetrical of any city in the world. I remember thinking that even as a kid before I moved to TX and would collect maps.

Is there any other large city in the world that is similar?

[Echostatic]

I feel like Indianapolis is the next best example in the US, just with less loops. The spokes are very well defined, though:

[thisdj78]

Only thing missing would be I-69 running through Downtown Indy and it would give Houston a close run.

[OCGuy81]

I think Atlanta might warrant an honorable mention.

NE = I-85
N= US 19
NW = I-75
W= I-20
SW = I-85
S= I-675
SE = I-75
E= I-20

[thisdj78]

I think what makes Houston unique vs. Indy or ATL is that it has two loops that have perfectly straight portions on all sides.

[SkyPesos]

Since you included the whole world, I'll nominate Beijing and Chengdu for symmetry.

[CoreySamson]

I've never understood why people on this forum seem to like grids better than hub-and-spoke layouts. Houston's road network is just so simple and intuitive, IMO. Accident on I-45 north at 249? Just take the Hardy Toll Road to Beltway 8 to get around it. The loops give you options on your commute if there is traffic.

[Revive 755]

I'm not sure it's quite as symmetric, but I would consider Fort Worth closest in the US to the ideal radial layout.  It is only missing the cancelled TX 199 facility for the NW direction.

[thisdj78]

Since you included the whole world, I'll nominate Beijing and Chengdu for symmetry.

I just noticed that if you flip a map of Beijing, the most outer ring almost resembles what a finished Grand Parkway would look like:

[US 89]

I think Atlanta might warrant an honorable mention.

NE = I-85
N= US 19GA 400
NW = I-75
W= I-20
SW = I-85
S= I-75
SE = I-675
E= I-20

FTFY. Yes, the freeway that leaves Atlanta to the north has US 19 shields on it past the perimeter, but absolutely nobody calls it that.

[Chris]

As Chengdu was mentioned: it has three urban ring roads and three regional ring roads. The longest is over 250 miles long.

The inner ring roads:


The outer ring roads:


The two outer ring roads are more connections between peripheral cities than a true bypass of Chengdu.

[Henry]

Washington, DC is another good candidate for it:

NW--I-270/MD 355
N--US 29/I-95/US 1
NE--BW Parkway
E--US 50
SE--MD 4
S--I-295/MD 210
SW--I-95/I-395
W--I-66

[JayhawkCO]

Denver also a good fit.

N - I-25
NE - I-76
E - I-70
SE - CO83
S - I-25
SW - US285
W - I -70
NW - US36

Chris

[achilles765]

I've never understood why people on this forum seem to like grids better than hub-and-spoke layouts. Houston's road network is just so simple and intuitive, IMO. Accident on I-45 north at 249? Just take the Hardy Toll Road to Beltway 8 to get around it. The loops give you options on your commute if there is traffic.

The way our system is laid out there are so many alternate routes. I remember when I lived in memorial city, if traffic was bad heading to downtown I'd hop onto west park to 610 to memorial. Or when I'd be heading to montrose to go to the bars with friends.. and I almost always used hardy to the beltway between the hours or 6 am-9 am and 3 pm to 7 pm when I lived in magnolia.
Now I live inside the loop and use metro until I decide to buy a car again. I love being inside the loop.

[MinecraftNinja]

Boston is almost symmetrical. 90/93/95 with routes 2, 3, 24 and 128

[hotdogPi]

I think what contributes to Houston's network looking so neat isn't the symmetry, but the lack of diagonals (in this context, freeways that both move inward/outward and around), such as GA 154/166.

[thisdj78]

I think what contributes to Houston's network looking so neat isn't the symmetry, but the lack of diagonals (in this context, freeways that both move inward/outward and around), such as GA 154/166.

That and the highways have a lot of straight stretches compared to most cities. That's probably due to very little geographical limitations. Phoenix is very similar but they don't have any complete continuous loops.

[westerninterloper]

Indy's symmetry can also be explained as a planned city (1820) and state routes designed in the 1920s to radiate from the capital city. The interstate (1960s) symmetry is less perfect than the first two, but attests to Indy's location between many major midwest cities.

Houston's more like an octagon and spoke system, rather than a wheel? When I think of wheel and spokes, Dothan Ala. and Lexington, Ky come to mind.

[abqtraveler]

Houston's freeway layout seems like it is the most symmetrical of any city in the world. I remember thinking that even as a kid before I moved to TX and would collect maps.

Is there any other large city in the world that is similar?

I would include Tokyo and Moscow as strong competitors for having the most symmetrical spoke-and-wheel highway layout in the world. Each city has multiple "ring expressways" with radial expressways running out from each city's center to the surrounding exurbs. At some point, Manila will join this club as well with all the freeway building that's currently going on in the Philippines.

[mgk920]

Where would Moscow (as in 'Russia') rank in this list?

Mike