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Weirdest Quirks of Your State DOT?

Started by i-215, January 17, 2019, 10:22:27 PM

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Kulerage

Quote from: RobbieL2415 on January 19, 2019, 05:26:37 PM
ConnDOT:
- State name on Interstate shields

I've seen this done in South Carolina and maybe Georgia. Seems to be an on/off thing for states.


MantyMadTown

Quote from: Kulerage on March 04, 2019, 10:11:34 PM
Quote from: RobbieL2415 on January 19, 2019, 05:26:37 PM
ConnDOT:
- State name on Interstate shields

I've seen this done in South Carolina and maybe Georgia. Seems to be an on/off thing for states.

Wisconsin doesn't do this at all. I haven't seen our state name on a single interstate shield.

We should make a list of which states do this and which ones don't.
Forget the I-41 haters

jeffandnicole

Quote from: MantyMadTown on March 05, 2019, 01:53:31 AM
Quote from: Kulerage on March 04, 2019, 10:11:34 PM
Quote from: RobbieL2415 on January 19, 2019, 05:26:37 PM
ConnDOT:
- State name on Interstate shields

I've seen this done in South Carolina and maybe Georgia. Seems to be an on/off thing for states.

Wisconsin doesn't do this at all. I haven't seen our state name on a single interstate shield.

We should make a list of which states do this and which ones don't.

While not normal practice, there are some newer I-shields in NJ which contain "New Jersey".

formulanone

Quote from: MantyMadTown on March 05, 2019, 01:53:31 AM
Quote from: Kulerage on March 04, 2019, 10:11:34 PM
Quote from: RobbieL2415 on January 19, 2019, 05:26:37 PM
ConnDOT:
- State name on Interstate shields

I've seen this done in South Carolina and maybe Georgia. Seems to be an on/off thing for states.

Wisconsin doesn't do this at all. I haven't seen our state name on a single interstate shield.

We should make a list of which states do this and which ones don't.

Here's a thread about state-named shields:

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=12304.0

Brandon

Quote from: MantyMadTown on March 05, 2019, 01:53:31 AM
Quote from: Kulerage on March 04, 2019, 10:11:34 PM
Quote from: RobbieL2415 on January 19, 2019, 05:26:37 PM
ConnDOT:
- State name on Interstate shields

I've seen this done in South Carolina and maybe Georgia. Seems to be an on/off thing for states.

Wisconsin doesn't do this at all. I haven't seen our state name on a single interstate shield.

We should make a list of which states do this and which ones don't.

Wisconsin goes one step further and uses a black-backed unisign for them.
"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention." - Ramsay Bolton

"Symbolic of his struggle against reality." - Reg

TheHighwayMan3561

I know of a Wisconsin I-90 exiting 90/94 westbound at WIS 82.

Minnesota is kind of weird because there are still plenty of city/county installed state names while almost none remain as state installs. 
self-certified as the dumbest person on this board for 5 years running

mrsman

Quote from: kphoger on March 04, 2019, 08:58:00 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on March 04, 2019, 06:03:15 PM
I think you mean it's eight streets not eight blocks. Generally in Chicago there is one street in between a block.

That's not a simple distinction.

On a basic level, in the real world, eight streets means the same thing as eight blocks.  If you take a walk around the block, then you walk a rectangle by turning the same direction at every intersection.  Living two blocks down the street from your in-laws means you pass two intersections along the way to their house.

However, it gets a little squirrely when city blocks are not squares.  As J N Winkler pointed out, Wichita has eight "blocks" per mile going north-south but sixteen "blocks" per mile going east-west.  Theoretically, however, I still think of this as being eight blocks per mile all around–no matter the number of streets.  The basic grid is still eight by eight;  it's just that there are twice as many streets crammed in along one of the axes.

Quote from: Flint1979 on March 04, 2019, 06:03:15 PM
I know the Bridgeport neighborhood pretty good so I'll use 31st Street between Canal and Halsted. You have Canal, Normal, Parnell, Wallace, Lowe, Union, Emerald, Halsted. That's eight streets but 0 E/W is State Street and 800W is Halsted. So basically in a half mile there are eight streets. Canal isn't exactly on dot 400W I think it's something like 432W if I can remember right.

Yeah, using streets that aren't actually on a x00 line isn't particularly useful.  It's also only seven streets, since you shouldn't be counting the one you start out from.

A more useful example in Bridgeport would be 31st Street between Halsted (800 West) and Racine (1200 West).  Streets encountered:  Lituanica, Morgan, Aberdeen, May, Racine.  At first glance, it appears to be five blocks within a half-mile, but Aberdeen—May—Racine is really the same distance as one "block", so it shouldn't really count as two.

The way I look at the Madison—Roosevelt, Roosevelt—Cermak, and Cermak—31st anomalies is that the house numbering was simply altered to fit more numbers in.  In most neighborhoods, the basic grid pattern is still eight blocks per mile (with alterations varying by neighborhood), despite the house numbers.

Most American cities in the west and the midwest were designed with the meridian and baseline system by surveyors.  This led to laying out the main streets mile by mile.

Now, until relatively recently with the development of the metric system, it was much more prevalent to use the fractions of 1/2 , 1/4, and 1/8 as a way of denoting size and distance.  It was simply much easier to cut something in two, than to cut it into ten.  So it is not surprising that in many of the cities that were on the mile system, that blocks were laid out as 1/8 of a mile, instead of 1/10 of a mile.

Many cities are designed with this as a "goal" even if not designed that way precisely.  As discussed, it is common that in one direction, the blocks were cut more often so that you could fit more houses in.

With regard to Chicago, it is rare to have a perfect sq mile because of railroads, canals, industrial land, parks, schools, and other things that break the grid.  But I have found one that seems to be close:  59-Western(2400W)-Marquette (67th) - Kedzie (3200W).  Major streets are a mile apart and they are 800 address numbers apart.  There is one E-W cross street at every 1/8 of a mile, corresponding to the numbers between 59 and 67.  There are two N-S cross streets at every 1/8 of a mile.  Houses are oriented to fact the N-S cross street, for the most part, with the E-W cross street being used as a way to access the N-S cross streets.  Very few addresses front the E-W streets in this area.  A new block number begins at every other cross street (Western, Campbell, Rockwell, Washtenaw, California, Francsico, Sacramento, Albany, Kedzie).

Now if you look slightly to the west, you will see that the houses are oriented the other way, facing the E-W streets.  A numbered street at every 1/8 of a mile, but a numbered place to mark half-blocks.  And the N-S cross streets are at one every 1/8 of a mile.

So, yes, in general, one block to every 1/8 of a mile is a good generalization for most of Chicago.

Also true, is that every big street at the mile points, and important connectors )(like Racine and California) at the 1/2 mile points.  And regionally important streets tend to be at every 3 mile point: State-Western-Cicero-Harlem.  And to emphasize the point even more, the major streets are divisbile by 800 (or 2400 for the regionally major) when going north of Madison or west of State.

But oddly, this doesn't work on the southside.  Why is the 1 mile point at Chicago (800N), Halsted (800W), but Roosevelt (1200S).  And then when you get to the numbered streets the numbers are one shy of being divisble by 8 [or 7 shy depending on your perspective]: (31,39,47,55,63).  Why is that?  From what I beleive I read, was that when they first put in streets in the loop, they fit in 12 presidential streets between Madison and Roosevelt.  So they were already stuck to 1200S, where it would otherwise be 800S.  I guess the rest of the system just sort of slowly corrected itself.  So 0,  (+12) 1200, (+10) 2200, (+9) 3100, (+8) 3700.  The numbers are uneven here, but the streets are still very carefully spaced out to one major every mile.  A very good system.

This system is also used in other cities.  I also grew up with the approximation of one long block per 1/8 of a mile and one short block of 1/16 of a mile in Los Angeles.  It is not as perfect as Chicago due to hills and other obstructions but it is a very good shorthand for distance and it does work.


webny99

Quote from: kphoger on January 29, 2019, 03:33:56 PM
Quote from: Ian on January 29, 2019, 02:55:17 PM
Quote from: index on January 28, 2019, 09:49:46 AM
Frequent posting of routes without directional banners, arrows only
Maine, New Hampshire, and New York have this habit as well. I've seen it done elsewhere, too.
It's a common thing in many states.

I know this is an old post, but I just wanted to add that NY often posts shields only - with no arrow or directional banner.
This (which may be what the OP was referring to) is also very common.

epzik8

Some (unsigned) Maryland state routes are stubs that lead to MDOT facilities.
From the land of red, white, yellow and black.
____________________________

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My clinched counties: http://mob-rule.com/user-gifs/USA/epzik8.gif

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sparker

Quote from: jakeroot on March 01, 2019, 01:37:00 AM
Quote from: Brandon on February 28, 2019, 07:05:03 PM
1/8 [of a mile] is one block

where

Los Angeles is way out in left field when it comes to block delineation.  From just south of downtown (actually, about Washington Blvd., which is nominally the 1900 block) all the way to the Wilmington area the grid pattern is 14-16 blocks to the mile N-S and 8 blocks to the mile E-W; each block is a 2:1 horizontal-bias rectangle.  The variance in N-S is due to fitting of streets into the various land grants that were annexed by Los Angeles in the first half of the 20th Century.  Occasionally, they'll add a "place" in addition to a "street" -- i.e. 152nd Street followed by 152nd Place when heading south on an arterial -- to "even things out".  An easy way to verify this is simply to travel south on I-110 from downtown; after crossing under MLK Jr. Blvd. (formerly Santa Barbara Ave., which was equivalent to 40th Street), there's an exit at 44th Street; from there the exits are a mile apart: Slauson (58th), Florence (72nd), Manchester (86th), Century (100th - no shit, Sherlock!), Imperial (114th), El Segundo (128th), Redondo Beach (143rd), Alondra (158th), and CA 91 (sitting atop old Artesia Blvd., aka 174th St.).  The next is actually 190th Street; after I-405 (just south of there) things get a little hinky regarding spacing.  Conversely, the other L.A. city area dominated by a grid pattern -- the San Fernando Valley, is a simple 8 x 8 (per mile) configuration -- at least on the flatlands; once in the foothills things depart from the norm rapidly.  But both the city and L.A. county consider "point zero" to be the corner of Main St. and 1st St. in downtown L.A. -- but minus one block; street numbering starts with 100/101 at that corner and proceeds outward from there. 

kurumi

Not sure how unique this is, but Connecticut does like to place median "bulbs" at rural 3-way intersections of 2-lane highways. Traffic ending at the "T" is split by a short but wide median -- like a very minimal channelization. Examples:

* CT 85/94, Hebron: https://goo.gl/maps/wpQfL8A4SsQ2
* US 6/CT 254/CT 109, Thomaston: https://goo.gl/maps/xE7LK4Yhcj62
* CT 118/254, Litchfield: https://goo.gl/maps/C1ypvh2LqPK2
* CT 4/179, Burlington: https://goo.gl/maps/6hjDHPh8es62

There are more of these scattered throughout the state. At least one (CT 94 at SR 910, Glastonbury) is gone.
My first SF/horror short story collection is available: "Young Man, Open Your Winter Eye"

kphoger

Quote from: kurumi on March 20, 2019, 02:01:57 AM
Not sure how unique this is, but Connecticut does like to place median "bulbs" at rural 3-way intersections of 2-lane highways. Traffic ending at the "T" is split by a short but wide median -- like a very minimal channelization. Examples:

* CT 85/94, Hebron: https://goo.gl/maps/wpQfL8A4SsQ2
* US 6/CT 254/CT 109, Thomaston: https://goo.gl/maps/xE7LK4Yhcj62
* CT 118/254, Litchfield: https://goo.gl/maps/C1ypvh2LqPK2
* CT 4/179, Burlington: https://goo.gl/maps/6hjDHPh8es62

There are more of these scattered throughout the state. At least one (CT 94 at SR 910, Glastonbury) is gone.

Probably just to give the snow plow driver a headache.
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.

jeffandnicole

Quote from: kphoger on March 20, 2019, 01:46:21 PM
Quote from: kurumi on March 20, 2019, 02:01:57 AM
Not sure how unique this is, but Connecticut does like to place median "bulbs" at rural 3-way intersections of 2-lane highways. Traffic ending at the "T" is split by a short but wide median -- like a very minimal channelization. Examples:

* CT 85/94, Hebron: https://goo.gl/maps/wpQfL8A4SsQ2
* US 6/CT 254/CT 109, Thomaston: https://goo.gl/maps/xE7LK4Yhcj62
* CT 118/254, Litchfield: https://goo.gl/maps/C1ypvh2LqPK2
* CT 4/179, Burlington: https://goo.gl/maps/6hjDHPh8es62

There are more of these scattered throughout the state. At least one (CT 94 at SR 910, Glastonbury) is gone.

Probably just to give the snow plow driver a headache.

You don't know how true that is.  Stupid curbs like this ( https://goo.gl/maps/fy6RqUqyZUQ2 ) can really give you a nice headache when they're hidden under 6 inches of snow!


thspfc

Wisconsin's rural highways are some of the worst in the nation, yet WISDOT just spent $1.7 BILLION (!!)  :-o on the Zoo Interchange, and at least that much again on the still happening I-41 conversion (stacks at I-43, WI-29, US-45, and soon US-10/WI-441). Not to mention the Marquette and Mitchell Interchanges, both recently. I'm not saying that WISDOT should completely abandon all those projects, but focusing on the state as a whole rather than just the busiest roads would be a much better approach.

kphoger

Quote from: thspfc on March 30, 2019, 04:21:07 PM
Wisconsin's rural highways are some of the worst in the nation

My experience with Wisconsin's rural highways is severely limited, but I was unaware they were some of the worst in the nation.  Jumping around on GSV, they seem to be pretty average in my estimation.
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.

thspfc

#266
Quote from: kphoger on March 30, 2019, 07:35:29 PM
Quote from: thspfc on March 30, 2019, 04:21:07 PM
Wisconsin's rural highways are some of the worst in the nation

My experience with Wisconsin's rural highways is severely limited, but I was unaware they were some of the worst in the nation.  Jumping around on GSV, they seem to be pretty average in my estimation.
They're not terrible. Most of them are average, just a few stick out as being really bad.https://www.google.com/maps/@44.2014294,-90.238633,3a,60y,220.74h,92.83t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sJ9CXLN7j04nr4NN7e4DXiA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.3015599,-90.2007896,3a,60y,210.62h,89.64t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1stYhcjAoDo_H55Htyg5wVkg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.3905243,-89.7686232,3a,60y,151.41h,89.18t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sjvlEzxf6Vk7oxogpBZdvCw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

ftballfan


thspfc

Quote from: ftballfan on March 31, 2019, 02:36:02 PM
Quote from: thspfc on March 30, 2019, 07:38:43 PM
Quote from: kphoger on March 30, 2019, 07:35:29 PM
Quote from: thspfc on March 30, 2019, 04:21:07 PM
Wisconsin's rural highways are some of the worst in the nation

My experience with Wisconsin's rural highways is severely limited, but I was unaware they were some of the worst in the nation.  Jumping around on GSV, they seem to be pretty average in my estimation.
They're not terrible. Most of them are average, just a few stick out as being really bad.https://www.google.com/maps/@44.2014294,-90.238633,3a,60y,220.74h,92.83t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sJ9CXLN7j04nr4NN7e4DXiA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.3015599,-90.2007896,3a,60y,210.62h,89.64t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1stYhcjAoDo_H55Htyg5wVkg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.3905243,-89.7686232,3a,60y,151.41h,89.18t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sjvlEzxf6Vk7oxogpBZdvCw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
Ohio has some bad ones.
OH-4 between the Turnpike and Sandusky: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.3683169,-82.7459703,3a,60y,25.21h,82.65t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s7DkvprA0ORjySK-efhycog!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
US-250 between Ashland and Norwalk isn't much better: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.0872437,-82.4755173,3a,60y,135.33h,74.74t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s9LNL0CHAgfgENMdTtFF_6w!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
In addition, many of their county roads are barely wide enough for two cars to pass each other!
The examples you posted resemble your average Wisconsin state road. If those are the worst roads in Ohio, that's pretty good.
Most of Wisconsin's county roads aren't bad, though. The newest heavily traveled ones look like state or even US highways.  :clap:


DaBigE

Quote from: thspfc on March 30, 2019, 04:21:07 PM
Wisconsin's rural highways are some of the worst in the nation...

Quote from: thspfc on March 30, 2019, 07:38:43 PM
Quote from: kphoger on March 30, 2019, 07:35:29 PM
My experience with Wisconsin's rural highways is severely limited, but I was unaware they were some of the worst in the nation.  Jumping around on GSV, they seem to be pretty average in my estimation.
They're not terrible. Most of them are average, just a few stick out as being really bad.

:confused:

And this is a quirk how?
"We gotta find this road, it's like Bob's road!" - Rabbit, Twister

thspfc

Quote from: DaBigE on March 31, 2019, 05:36:25 PM
Quote from: thspfc on March 30, 2019, 04:21:07 PM
Wisconsin's rural highways are some of the worst in the nation...

Quote from: thspfc on March 30, 2019, 07:38:43 PM
Quote from: kphoger on March 30, 2019, 07:35:29 PM
My experience with Wisconsin's rural highways is severely limited, but I was unaware they were some of the worst in the nation.  Jumping around on GSV, they seem to be pretty average in my estimation.
They're not terrible. Most of them are average, just a few stick out as being really bad.

:confused:

And this is a quirk how?
yeah I can't really understand myself either  :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:

StogieGuy7

Quote from: kphoger on March 30, 2019, 07:35:29 PM
Quote from: thspfc on March 30, 2019, 04:21:07 PM
Wisconsin's rural highways are some of the worst in the nation

My experience with Wisconsin's rural highways is severely limited, but I was unaware they were some of the worst in the nation.  Jumping around on GSV, they seem to be pretty average in my estimation.

They aren't bad at all.  People who complain about the condition of Wisconsin's highways have either not spent much time elsewhere (start with Illinois, then go east), were haters of the previous governor or both.  Living in WI now, I can safely cruise down rural county highways at 60 mph with no drama whatsoever and our local US and state highways are in excellent condition. 

thspfc

Quote from: StogieGuy7 on April 01, 2019, 03:34:31 PM
Quote from: kphoger on March 30, 2019, 07:35:29 PM
Quote from: thspfc on March 30, 2019, 04:21:07 PM
Wisconsin's rural highways are some of the worst in the nation

My experience with Wisconsin's rural highways is severely limited, but I was unaware they were some of the worst in the nation.  Jumping around on GSV, they seem to be pretty average in my estimation.

They aren't bad at all.  People who complain about the condition of Wisconsin's highways have either not spent much time elsewhere (start with Illinois, then go east), were haters of the previous governor or both.  Living in WI now, I can safely cruise down rural county highways at 60 mph with no drama whatsoever and our local US and state highways are in excellent condition.
I don't know about "excellent".

JoePCool14

Quote from: thspfc on March 30, 2019, 04:21:07 PM
Wisconsin's rural highways are some of the worst in the nation, yet WISDOT just spent $1.7 BILLION (!!)  :-o on the Zoo Interchange, and at least that much again on the still happening I-41 conversion (stacks at I-43, WI-29, US-45, and soon US-10/WI-441). Not to mention the Marquette and Mitchell Interchanges, both recently. I'm not saying that WISDOT should completely abandon all those projects, but focusing on the state as a whole rather than just the busiest roads would be a much better approach.

Might wanna check out the state south of you before making that claim... US-20 between Galena and Freeport is a prime example of poor rural state maintenance, on a major 2d US route at that.

:) Needs more... :sombrero: Not quite... :bigass: Perfect.
JDOT: We make the world a better place to drive.
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