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Oddities within Texas

Started by roadman65, April 25, 2022, 11:05:49 AM

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Road Hog

Winters in Amarillo are colder than winters in Chicago. All I got right now.


kphoger

Quote from: Road Hog on May 04, 2022, 05:44:50 PM
Winters in Amarillo are colder than winters in Chicago[citation needed]. All I got right now.
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.

Echostatic

Average Monthly Lows in:

Amarillo:
November: 33.5
December: 25.7
January: 24.9
February: 27.5
March: 34.8

Chicago:
November: 35.2
December: 25.3
January: 19.5
February: 22.9
March: 32.0

Conclusion: Chicago is slightly colder.
Travelled in part or in full.

kphoger

Quote from: Echostatic on May 05, 2022, 10:06:22 AM
Average Monthly Lows in:

Amarillo:
November: 33.5
December: 25.7
January: 24.9
February: 27.5
March: 34.8

Chicago:
November: 35.2
December: 25.3
January: 19.5
February: 22.9
March: 32.0

Conclusion: Chicago is slightly colder.

Now do the same thing for average temperatures, not just lows.

Amarillo
NOV – 45.9
DEC – 37.7
JAN – 36.0
FEB – 40.0
MAR – 47.0

Chicago
NOV – 40.3
DEC – 27.7
JAN – 23.8
FEB – 27.7
MAR – 37.9

Conclusion:  Chicago is significantly colder.
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.

jgb191

Alright, let me do Lipscomb, Texas, almost a hundred miles north of Amarillo.  (I believe the coldest winters you'll find in the Lone Star State)

November:  27.7
December:  19.1
January:  17.9
February:  20.5
March:  29.8

That seems to be very close to Champaign, Illinois:

November:  32.2
December:  23.6
January:  17.9
February:  21.2
March:  31.2

Needless to say these are average low temperatures.  Regardless of precise location, I want to believe Illinois generally gets more snow annually than the Texas panhandle.
We're so far south that we're not even considered "The South"

armadillo speedbump

#30
Quote from: Echostatic on May 05, 2022, 10:06:22 AM
Average Monthly Lows in:

Amarillo:
November: 33.5
December: 25.7
January: 24.9
February: 27.5
March: 34.8

Chicago:
November: 35.2
December: 25.3
January: 19.5
February: 22.9
March: 32.0

Conclusion: Chicago is slightly colder.

Odd conclusion from the numbers you posted, given that the winter average low for Amarillo is 29.28 vs Chicago's 26.98.

But I agree with the other poster that average temp is a better comparison than lows, and Chicago remains way colder than Amarillo, it's not even close.  More perspective:

https://weatherspark.com/y/4750/Average-Weather-in-Amarillo-Texas-United-States-Year-Round

Jan 1 hi 49 low 25

https://weatherspark.com/y/14091/Average-Weather-in-Chicago-Illinois-United-States-Year-Round

Jan 1 hi 34 low 24

Chicago is windier, much more cloudy, and has higher dew points/humidity, all working to make it feel colder, too.  Wikipedia says 17 inches of snow for Amarillo, 39 inches for Chicago.

Anyway, when did TXDOT become run by idiots?  I just went through the refurbished I-820/Mark 4 Parkway intersection in north Fort Worth that was basically finished a week ago.  On the I-820 eastbound feeder you have a double turn left turn lane (good.)  After turning left onto northbound Mark 4 Pky, at the wb I-820 feeder road light, there are now 2 left turn lanes (also good) and 2 through lanes. 

However, the turn stripe between the 2 left turn lanes from eb 820 feeder to nb Mark 4 forces the furthest left turn lane into the further left turn lane (and guides the other left turn lane into a left lane) despite there being separate Texas u-turns under the freeway.  So no one in the left turn lane from eb 820 is going to be turning left again from nb Mark 4.  Thus all that stupidly placed striping does is force a crazy weave across 2 lanes in the short segment under the freeway between feeder road lights.  A completely unnecessary hazard created.  Mark 4 is quite wide there, no reason not to swing the line wide so as to direct both left turn lanes into the 2 through lanes.

Even if an idiot contractor screwed up, didn't TXDOT have to inspect it before opening?   

roadman65

This one is odd. Not using the goal post.


Usually Texas likes side by side for two shields.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

-- US 175 --

Quote from: roadman65 on May 18, 2022, 12:27:28 PM
This one is odd. Not using the goal post.


Usually Texas likes side by side for two shields.

I've seen a few spots that are like the above, and in some others, just an assembly with the numbered road that turns off as the only one being signed.  IMO, those versions are trying to be cheap and lazy.  It wouldn't hurt TxDOT to be a little more descriptive with their intersection assemblies.

kphoger

Yeah, they're not totally unheard-of in Texas.  Most of the stacked ones have a duplex heading in one of the directions, though, such as here.

But here's one nearby that has a stop sign on the other upright instead of the second shield and arrow.

Here's a four-way intersection involving three US Routes with not a goalpost in sight.

And here's an intersection that gets more interesting the more you look around.
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.

Road Hog

Texas has been getting away from goalposts the last couple of years and going to stacks, especially at intersections where only 2 numbered roads are involved.

ethanhopkin14

Quote from: Road Hog on May 18, 2022, 07:43:07 PM
Texas has been getting away from goalposts the last couple of years and going to stacks, especially at intersections where only 2 numbered roads are involved.

Except the I-14 and I-69 signings.

jlwm

Quote from: roadman65 on April 27, 2022, 11:15:33 AM
https://goo.gl/maps/eFaSrxdnxKeNA3zz6
This is an oddity. The photo shows that the signal was replaced with the typical Texas horizontal mounts signals. However when there a few weeks ago, the signal at this intersection was just as it was previously.



https://www.flickr.com/photos/54480415@N08/52033853738/in/photostream/

So not only is this an oddity, but to switch back to the original way the signals was mounted.  Its not that uncommon for the typical horizontal mounts in Galveston.  Just drive the Seawall and plenty of horizonal mounts or drive Texas 342 SPUR.

They flipped the signals from horizontal to vertical when they activated them. It's not uncommon to stow signals horizontally until it's time to activate them. They do it in San Antonio.

roadman65

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52097651433_f02bb7a25c_3k.jpg
This one shows the Forthcoming junction of SH 3 along with SH 187 Spur.  What’s interesting though is there is s short distance between the two junctions to have their own junction signs.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/54480415@N08/52097822424/
Another thing is that the south end of TX SH 146 is signed as concurrent with SH 3.

However, I checked the Minute Orders and it confirms that SH 3 ends at SH 146 before the IH 45 freeway.  Despite the fact SH 3 was the pre 1952 alignment for US 75 which used the predecessor to the current George and Cynthia Mitchell Causeway into Galveston and down Avenue J to end then at 20th Street ( later it was extended to Seawall per Dale Sanderson info), you would figure that SH 146 was end before the Bayou Vista split.

Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

bwana39

Quote from: roadman65 on May 28, 2022, 08:21:42 AM
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52097651433_f02bb7a25c_3k.jpg
This one shows the Forthcoming junction of SH 3 along with SH 187 Spur.  What's interesting though is there is s short distance between the two junctions to have their own junction signs.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/54480415@N08/52097822424/
Another thing is that the south end of TX SH 146 is signed as concurrent with SH 3.

However, I checked the Minute Orders and it confirms that SH 3 ends at SH 146 before the IH 45 freeway.  Despite the fact SH 3 was the pre 1952 alignment for US 75 which used the predecessor to the current George and Cynthia Mitchell Causeway into Galveston and down Avenue J to end then at 20th Street ( later it was extended to Seawall per Dale Sanderson info), you would figure that SH 146 was end before the Bayou Vista split.

The SH-146 / SH-3 intersection is confusing in itself. Because SH-146 crosses the KCS tracks and SH-3 You wind up crossing SH-3, running parallel then having an intersection nearly a mile later. Then the at-grade intersection with SS-197 (per the minute order) and finally the intersection with SH-6 and I-45.

As to the scheme of all things, you WANT direction from I-45 to SH -146. While the southernmost part is not freeway, SH-146 is the MAJOR road. SH-3 is only the former route of US-75 (before being renamed as I-45) it has only local significance. SH-146 is  a through route.  Texas doesn't tend to run concurrencies when roads fail to diverge again.SH-3 is the one that should end and SH-146 should continue to I-45.
Let's build what we need as economically as possible.

ethanhopkin14

Quote from: bwana39 on May 28, 2022, 04:31:39 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on May 28, 2022, 08:21:42 AM
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52097651433_f02bb7a25c_3k.jpg
This one shows the Forthcoming junction of SH 3 along with SH 187 Spur.  What's interesting though is there is s short distance between the two junctions to have their own junction signs.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/54480415@N08/52097822424/
Another thing is that the south end of TX SH 146 is signed as concurrent with SH 3.

However, I checked the Minute Orders and it confirms that SH 3 ends at SH 146 before the IH 45 freeway.  Despite the fact SH 3 was the pre 1952 alignment for US 75 which used the predecessor to the current George and Cynthia Mitchell Causeway into Galveston and down Avenue J to end then at 20th Street ( later it was extended to Seawall per Dale Sanderson info), you would figure that SH 146 was end before the Bayou Vista split.

The SH-146 / SH-3 intersection is confusing in itself. Because SH-146 crosses the KCS tracks and SH-3 You wind up crossing SH-3, running parallel then having an intersection nearly a mile later. Then the at-grade intersection with SS-197 (per the minute order) and finally the intersection with SH-6 and I-45.

As to the scheme of all things, you WANT direction from I-45 to SH -146. While the southernmost part is not freeway, SH-146 is the MAJOR road. SH-3 is only the former route of US-75 (before being renamed as I-45) it has only local significance. SH-146 is  a through route.  Texas doesn't tend to run concurrencies when roads fail to diverge again.SH-3 is the one that should end and SH-146 should continue to I-45.

US-183/US-77Aare concurrent until they both terminate.

Thegeet

Apparently SH 89 continues north to Beeville instead of US 181: https://goo.gl/maps/15joBudhsaNfBDP19
Also, SH 89 reassurance marker is on the median. https://goo.gl/maps/YtNduNGvpE5HqMGz5

bwana39

Quote from: Thegeet on May 29, 2022, 12:40:56 AM
Apparently SH 89 continues north to Beeville instead of US 181: https://goo.gl/maps/15joBudhsaNfBDP19
Also, SH 89 reassurance marker is on the median. https://goo.gl/maps/YtNduNGvpE5HqMGz5

STATE HIGHWAY NO. 89

Minute Order 087050, dated 02/24/1988; Adm. Ltr. 008-1988, dated 08/08/1988

From US 181, 3.2 miles northwest of Sinton, southeastward approximately 6.6 miles to US 181, 3.2 miles east of Sinton. (San Patricio County) New Designation


That is a weird one. Why? Looks like the folks in Sinton wanted to keep 181 through town. As strange as that sounds. It COULD be about addresses that are stated as XXX-US-181. Sometimes, postal customers make that very hard to change.

Let's build what we need as economically as possible.

ZLoth

Having lived in California for fourty years, these are the "oddities" that I notice in Texas:

  • Traffic signals that are mounted horizontally (left to right) instead of vertically (top to bottom) on signals. It's because of the high winds that can occur during the spring and fall, thus it's much easier to brace the signals from two points instead of one.
  • The frontage roads that run alongside the freeways, and that many businesses are located on these frontage roads.
  • The flashing yellow left turn arrow yield verses the legacy on-green, yield before turning left. Sorry Texas, but on busy intersections, you should stick with left turn on green arrow only. Too many people have misjudged the yield, and there have been a nasty accident. At one intersection near my home, it's green arrow only between 6 AM and 10 PM because of three nasty accidents occurring within a month-long period.
  • The naming of municipalities in Texas. So, when you say Adrian, Alice, Allen, Alvin, Anna, Anthony, Barry, Boyd, Brady, Bryan, Chester, Clint, Clyde, Donna, Edna, Elsa, Estelline, Garrett, Gonzales, Graham, Gregory, Hamilton, Jasper, Katy, Kyle, Leroy, Lorenzo, Lucas, Marlin, Marshall, Melvin, Murphy, Robert Lee, Ross, Seymour, Taylor, Trent, Tyler, or Victoria, are you referring to the person or that municipality?
  • Likewise, the municipalities of The Colony and The Hills. Anyone who watched any Science Fiction or Horror movies know the ominous connotations those names bring up? (The Colony is a nice place to visit in north DFW, dunno about The Hills.)
I'm an Engineer. That means I solve problems. Not problems like "What is beauty?", because that would fall within the purview of your conundrums of philosophy. I solve practical problems and call them "paychecks".

ethanhopkin14

Quote from: ZLoth on May 29, 2022, 09:36:54 AM
Traffic signals that are mounted horizontally (left to right) instead of vertically (top to bottom) on signals. It's because of the high winds that can occur during the spring and fall, thus it's much easier to brace the signals from two points instead of one.

This gets talked about a lot on this forum.  I have never noticed it as a purely Texas thing.  Maybe because I don't look at traffic lights that close, but I really have never noticed.  Maybe because I haven't noticed the way they are facing at all. 

Quote from: ZLoth on May 29, 2022, 09:36:54 AM
The naming of municipalities in Texas. So, when you say Adrian, Alice, Allen, Alvin, Anna, Anthony, Barry, Boyd, Brady, Bryan, Chester, Clint, Clyde, Donna, Edna, Elsa, Estelline, Garrett, Gonzales, Graham, Gregory, Hamilton, Jasper, Katy, Kyle, Leroy, Lorenzo, Lucas, Marlin, Marshall, Melvin, Murphy, Robert Lee, Ross, Seymour, Taylor, Trent, Tyler, or Victoria, are you referring to the person or that municipality?

I don't think Texas is alone by a long shot for naming towns after people, especially California. 

Bobby5280

We have lots of traffic signals in Oklahoma that are configured horizontally on overhead horizontal bars. I thought this was a pretty common thing. Some intersections may have a mix of horizontal signals on overhead bars for thru lanes and then one or more vertical signals on vertical posts for dedicated turn lanes. Some of the vertical signals are on short posts installed in the median.

Despite the added steel support behind the traffic signals they still get damaged in severe weather from time to time. The visors over the lights usually hold up fine, but the edges of the aluminum back plates can bend and break.

I'm not a fan at all of traffic signals that dangle from cables. It's cheap, hillbilly looking trash.

Road Hog

Quote from: ZLoth on May 29, 2022, 09:36:54 AM
Having lived in California for fourty years, these are the "oddities" that I notice in Texas:

  • Traffic signals that are mounted horizontally (left to right) instead of vertically (top to bottom) on signals. It's because of the high winds that can occur during the spring and fall, thus it's much easier to brace the signals from two points instead of one.
  • The frontage roads that run alongside the freeways, and that many businesses are located on these frontage roads.
  • The flashing yellow left turn arrow yield verses the legacy on-green, yield before turning left. Sorry Texas, but on busy intersections, you should stick with left turn on green arrow only. Too many people have misjudged the yield, and there have been a nasty accident. At one intersection near my home, it's green arrow only between 6 AM and 10 PM because of three nasty accidents occurring within a month-long period.
  • The naming of municipalities in Texas. So, when you say Adrian, Alice, Allen, Alvin, Anna, Anthony, Barry, Boyd, Brady, Bryan, Chester, Clint, Clyde, Donna, Edna, Elsa, Estelline, Garrett, Gonzales, Graham, Gregory, Hamilton, Jasper, Katy, Kyle, Leroy, Lorenzo, Lucas, Marlin, Marshall, Melvin, Murphy, Robert Lee, Ross, Seymour, Taylor, Trent, Tyler, or Victoria, are you referring to the person or that municipality?
  • Likewise, the municipalities of The Colony and The Hills. Anyone who watched any Science Fiction or Horror movies know the ominous connotations those names bring up? (The Colony is a nice place to visit in north DFW, dunno about The Hills.)
I remember the movie "The Colony." John Ritter starred in it.

ZLoth

Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on May 31, 2022, 10:42:05 AM
Quote from: ZLoth on May 29, 2022, 09:36:54 AM
Traffic signals that are mounted horizontally (left to right) instead of vertically (top to bottom) on signals. It's because of the high winds that can occur during the spring and fall, thus it's much easier to brace the signals from two points instead of one.

This gets talked about a lot on this forum.  I have never noticed it as a purely Texas thing.  Maybe because I don't look at traffic lights that close, but I really have never noticed.  Maybe because I haven't noticed the way they are facing at all. 

Like I said, "from my perspective", which isn't worth much. Despite living in California for 41 years, my exploration of the western states is woefully pitiful, with most of my travels being limited to Northern/Central California and the Reno/Sparks/Lake Tahoe area. It was only during the time period of 2013-2018 that I visited the states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Alaska, and the extremely western part of Montana. Arizona and New Mexico was visited when I moved from California to Texas. But even after that move, I've only hit portions of southern Oklahoma, Shreveport LA, and a small bit of Arkansas.

Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on May 31, 2022, 10:42:05 AM
Quote from: ZLoth on May 29, 2022, 09:36:54 AM
The naming of municipalities in Texas. So, when you say Adrian, Alice, Allen, Alvin, Anna, Anthony, Barry, Boyd, Brady, Bryan, Chester, Clint, Clyde, Donna, Edna, Elsa, Estelline, Garrett, Gonzales, Graham, Gregory, Hamilton, Jasper, Katy, Kyle, Leroy, Lorenzo, Lucas, Marlin, Marshall, Melvin, Murphy, Robert Lee, Ross, Seymour, Taylor, Trent, Tyler, or Victoria, are you referring to the person or that municipality?

I don't think Texas is alone by a long shot for naming towns after people, especially California.

Going by this list for California, I'm picking out Campbell, Carson, Chico, Davis, Gonzales, Lincoln, Livingston, Ross, and Tracy. Of course, if you add in a "San" or "Santa" at the beginning, then we have Bruno, Carlos, Clara, Diego, Gabriel, Jose, Luis, Marcos, Pablo, Rafael, Ramon, Ana, Barbara, Clara, Cruz, Maria, Monica, Paula, and Rosa. Lets not forget (Saint) Helena.
I'm an Engineer. That means I solve problems. Not problems like "What is beauty?", because that would fall within the purview of your conundrums of philosophy. I solve practical problems and call them "paychecks".

Thegeet

Quote from: Bobby5280 on May 31, 2022, 01:02:00 PM
We have lots of traffic signals in Oklahoma that are configured horizontally on overhead horizontal bars. I thought this was a pretty common thing. Some intersections may have a mix of horizontal signals on overhead bars for thru lanes and then one or more vertical signals on vertical posts for dedicated turn lanes. Some of the vertical signals are on short posts installed in the median.

Despite the added steel support behind the traffic signals they still get damaged in severe weather from time to time. The visors over the lights usually hold up fine, but the edges of the aluminum back plates can bend and break.

I'm not a fan at all of traffic signals that dangle from cables. It's cheap, hillbilly looking trash.
I've been into Mexico and I never saw one cable mounted signal. The wiring is pretty cheap though, but still. Instead, some of them are mounted to overhead signs. I don't get why the US would ever want these instead of pole mounted signals.

kphoger

Quote from: Thegeet on June 02, 2022, 06:50:09 PM
I've been into Mexico and I never saw one cable mounted signal. The wiring is pretty cheap though, but still. Instead, some of them are mounted to overhead signs. I don't get why the US would ever want these instead of pole mounted signals.

Yeah, I've never seen cable-hung stoplights in Mexico either, and I've personally driven in five states and traveled by bus in one other state.

My favorite example of janky wiring is this one:  https://goo.gl/maps/dzP5sxg3aSevr2Mo7

4-lane federal highway, one signal head per direction with no redundancy, signals wired together overhead
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.

Scott5114

Quote from: kphoger on June 02, 2022, 07:01:49 PM
Quote from: Thegeet on June 02, 2022, 06:50:09 PM
I've been into Mexico and I never saw one cable mounted signal. The wiring is pretty cheap though, but still. Instead, some of them are mounted to overhead signs. I don't get why the US would ever want these instead of pole mounted signals.

Yeah, I've never seen cable-hung stoplights in Mexico either, and I've personally driven in five states and traveled by bus in one other state.

My favorite example of janky wiring is this one:  https://goo.gl/maps/dzP5sxg3aSevr2Mo7

4-lane federal highway, one signal head per direction with no redundancy, signals wired together overhead

Also note the complete lack of consistency on whether the signal heads are placed on the near or far side of the intersection.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef



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