What road feature does your state have that makes you unique?

Started by MaddogMicharski, July 22, 2021, 12:35:44 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

MaddogMicharski

New Jersey has an abnormally high number of jughandles.
MaddogMicharski

Don't park your Ford in my driveway.


Max Rockatansky

California; cutout shields, Postmile Paddles, and copious amounts of button copy.

roadman65

Florida uses concrete signal poles that are square.  Georgia uses round ones and spans all wiring to a box within, so Florida is unique in that way.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

SkyPesos

Ohio: dancing arrows, whatever this bell-shaped freeway lighting pole is called, button copy (much less than even 3 years ago though), abnormal amount of US/state routes mixture, one of 6 states to have the clown of the interstate system: I-75.

I don't think I've seen another state besides Indiana that have service signs like this or place "WRONG WAY" signs behind exit gore signs.

tolbs17

North Carolina: roundabouts, obsession of new interstates, superstreets, and center turn lanes.

TheHighwayMan3561

self-certified as the dumbest person on this board for 5 years running

sprjus4

Texas: continuous running one-way frontage roads with slip ramps, particularly in urban areas.

KCRoadFan

Missouri: having all four-lane expressways at 70 MPH, even on stretches with driveways.

Missouri: referring to a frontage road as an "outer road" .

Bruce

Washington: All ferry routes are legally part of the state highway system, including a passenger-only route now run by the county. Most of the ferries can't be easily replaced by bridges for the same reason we have floating bridges: very deep waterways carved by receding glaciers.

achilles765

Also Texas:

Texas u-turns at every freeway exit.
Horizontal traffic lights
At grade intersections in the western regions
I love freeways and roads in any state but Texas will always be first in my heart

thspfc


Max Rockatansky

Quote from: roadman65 on July 22, 2021, 12:47:27 AM
Florida uses concrete signal poles that are square.  Georgia uses round ones and spans all wiring to a box within, so Florida is unique in that way.

Florida also uses an eight bolt configuration for highway shields.  That extra work seems to largely stop FDOT shields from flying away in storms and have the side effect of deterring theft. 

SkyPesos

Quote from: thspfc on July 22, 2021, 07:36:47 AM
WI is one of two states with lettered county routes.
If you're referring to Missouri as the second, note that they're actually state secondaries, not county routes, despite duplicating across counties.

RobbieL2415

CT: State-name Interstate shields, stub bridges, stub ramps, illegal to go left on red, lack of standard interchange designs.

MA: Double guard rails, short taper on-ramps, lack of lane striping for on-ramps, reduced salt areas, narrow or no shoulders on non-Interstate freeways, tight curve ramps.

GaryV

Michigan:
-- Obviously, Michigan Lefts started here, although they've been implemented in other states
-- Doesn't recognize that there are other states that start with M, so we have MDOT, M-xx state highway numbers, etc.
-- "Route" is never used, not for state, US or Interstate highways

kphoger

Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

hotdogPi

Quote from: kphoger on July 22, 2021, 10:38:26 AM
Quote from: tolbs17 on July 22, 2021, 12:54:15 AM
roundabouts ... center turn lanes.

Quote from: achilles765 on July 22, 2021, 06:03:18 AM
Horizontal traffic lights

Quote from: RobbieL2415 on July 22, 2021, 09:50:45 AM
State-name Interstate shields

Do we really need to define the word unique?

I think we actually need to define you. Read the thread title again.
Clinched, minus I-93 (I'm missing a few miles and my file is incorrect)

Traveled, plus US 13, 44, and 50, and several state routes

I will be in Burlington VT for the eclipse.

ethanhopkin14

#17
Texas used to be the only state to only have the exit number as a tab above the gore sign on freeways with numbered exits (other state did it sometimes, but Texas did it exclusively), but that changed 10 or so years ago.  That kinda makes me mad. 

-I would have to say also having the reference marker system, signed with a shield every 1 or 2 miles. 
-Having essentially two different types of state highways that don't share a number pool.  Texas isn't alone in this, but the list is very short amongst states that do. 
-Having highways with a cutout of the state as their shield, but aren't considered state highways.
-Having two lane rural highways with 75 mph speed limits (again, not alone, but on the shortlist).
-Having multiple districts that basically don't communicate with each other very well, so you get stuff in one part of the state handled way differently in another part of the state.
-Hazardous Cargo signage
-Rarely signing a cosign or multi-plex on the same pole for reassurance shields, instead using a pole that mimics more of a football upright.
-Reflectors.  I have heard more than one person say that Texas is unique in the amount of reflectors they use by people who came from other states.  I have noticed less reflectors in other states myself, but haven't really thought about it first hand so this one is a third party observation. 
-Probably using more Clearview than any other state.
-Having more "Parking Areas" on interstates than other states do.
-Of course the frontage/service/feeder/access/gateway roads along freeways.

The most interesting thing about this topic is you fail to realize something in your state as being unique until you really pay attention to the way other states do things because, as human nature, you tend to take the things in your own back yard as gospel and "the way everyone does it".  It takes a long time to un-train your mind to accept the fact that maybe your back yard is the weird one and everyone else does it another way. 

Rothman

Quote from: 1 on July 22, 2021, 11:12:25 AM
Quote from: kphoger on July 22, 2021, 10:38:26 AM
Quote from: tolbs17 on July 22, 2021, 12:54:15 AM
roundabouts ... center turn lanes.

Quote from: achilles765 on July 22, 2021, 06:03:18 AM
Horizontal traffic lights

Quote from: RobbieL2415 on July 22, 2021, 09:50:45 AM
State-name Interstate shields

Do we really need to define the word unique?

I think we actually need to define you. Read the thread title again.
When everyone is unique, no one is.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

US 89

Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 22, 2021, 11:15:00 AM
Texas used to be the only state to only have the exit number as a tab above the gore sign on freeways with numbered exits (other state did it sometimes, but Texas did it exclusively), but that changed 10 or so years ago.  That kinda makes me mad. 

You mean like this? This has been the norm in Wyoming for as long as I can remember.

kphoger

Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 22, 2021, 11:15:00 AM
Texas ...

-Having highways with a cutout of the state as their shield, but aren't considered state highways.

Wait, what?  What system of non-state highways in Texas has a cutout of the state as their shield?  The only ones I'm familiar with are the Farm/Ranch to Market system and the Recreational Road system, and both of those are considered state highways.

Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 22, 2021, 11:15:00 AM
-Having two lane rural highways with 75 mph speed limits (again, not alone, but on the shortlist).

What other state makes this list?  I'm not aware of any.

Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 22, 2021, 11:15:00 AM
-Hazardous Cargo signage

I've wondered about this.  Are there any other states that do this?
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

SkyPesos

Quote from: US 89 on July 22, 2021, 11:20:05 AM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 22, 2021, 11:15:00 AM
Texas used to be the only state to only have the exit number as a tab above the gore sign on freeways with numbered exits (other state did it sometimes, but Texas did it exclusively), but that changed 10 or so years ago.  That kinda makes me mad. 

You mean like this? This has been the norm in Wyoming for as long as I can remember.
Missouri used to do this exclusively too before switching to stacked gore signs.

1995hoo

"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

ethanhopkin14

Quote from: kphoger on July 22, 2021, 11:28:43 AM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 22, 2021, 11:15:00 AM
Texas ...

-Having highways with a cutout of the state as their shield, but aren't considered state highways.

Wait, what?  What system of non-state highways in Texas has a cutout of the state as their shield?  The only ones I'm familiar with are the Farm/Ranch to Market system and the Recreational Road system, and both of those are considered state highways.

As I stated before, yes they are part of the state highway system, but Texas defines them in their own category, meaning the true state highway shield, in Texas' legal terms, is the black writing on a square white field with TEXAS written below.

Basically if someone came from out of state and got on an FM highway and saw the shape of Texas on the shield, they may think they are on the state highway of Texas.  Turns out they actually are on a state secondary road.

jp the roadgeek

Quote from: RobbieL2415 on July 22, 2021, 09:50:45 AM
CT: State-name Interstate shields, stub bridges, stub ramps, illegal to go left on red, lack of standard interchange designs.

MA: Double guard rails, short taper on-ramps, lack of lane striping for on-ramps, reduced salt areas, narrow or no shoulders on non-Interstate freeways, tight curve ramps.

Also CT: New left exits (and tons of old ones), reflective button copy BGS's (though being phased out), extremely slow speed limits even in rural areas, giant SPEED LIMIT AHEAD XX M.P.H yellow signs at reduced speed points.  Only state to refer to NYC on BGS's as N.Y. City

Also MA: Thickly Settled signs, begin/end state highway signs in the middle of a route number to indicate transfer from town to state
maintenance.

NY: State/Village/Town Speed Limit signs
Interstates I've clinched: 97, 290 (MA), 291 (CT), 291 (MA), 293, 295 (DE-NJ-PA), 295 (RI-MA), 384, 391, 395 (CT-MA), 395 (MD), 495 (DE), 610 (LA), 684, 691, 695 (MD), 695 (NY), 795 (MD)



Opinions expressed here on belong solely to the poster and do not represent or reflect the opinions or beliefs of AARoads, its creators and/or associates.