Rhode Island News

[Alps]

Since this is a RI thread; I'll PM you my reply regarding NY's exit numbering.

Top secret?

not relevant.

[vdeane]

But still, the preventing of everyone else to see the reply just because some people are anal about thread content irks me.

[shadyjay]

Looks like the I-95 NB rest area in Richmond is back open...

http://www.ri.gov/press/view/28446

[Beeper1]

Sounds like they just re-opened the parking lots and not the actual rest area/welcome center facilities. 

What is this other $9 mil Welcome Center/Transit Hub project they refer to? Will it also be on I-95?

[shadyjay]

Sounds like they just re-opened the parking lots and not the actual rest area/welcome center facilities. 

From what I gather from the articles I've seen, they're still working on the building and plan to reopen it, at least for restrooms.  Temporary restrooms will be available in the parking lot until the building is reopened. 

What is this other $9 mil Welcome Center/Transit Hub project they refer to? Will it also be on I-95?

An off-highway facility at Exit 1.  If its off-highway, they can incorporate commercial entities (ie - food service). 

[dcbjms]

Meanwhile, in a bid to be more transparent about infrastructure (because of our long-standing issues on this front), signs have been posted next to recent projects indicating if the project is within schedule and budget or not.  Pretty neat, IMO.

[doogie1303]

IMO, the signs are a complete waste of taxpayer money, it just makes the bureaucrats and politicians feel good. No one is ever going to update them to say anything other than "on time and budget", because then they would be admitting fault. I would love to know how much money was wasted buying and erecting those signs.

[dcbjms]

IMO, the signs are a complete waste of taxpayer money, it just makes the bureaucrats and politicians feel good. No one is ever going to update them to say anything other than "on time and budget", because then they would be admitting fault. I would love to know how much money was wasted buying and erecting those signs.

That's true, to a considerable extent.  However, I have seen signs where a certain project has been late by several months, so in that case it works.  Though I see what you mean - i.e. the recent work done in Apponaug (which Jim Hummel exposed a while back in an article for Motif magazine), for example.

[PHLBOS]

Update: FHWA has officially approved RI's plan to charge tolls for trucks using their highways.

Federal Highway Administration greenlights RI truck tolls

State Department of Transportation officials announced Wednesday that a plan to toll only tractor-trailer trucks at 13 different locations was approved by the federal government, making Rhode Island the first in the nation to single out truckers to pay up.

"Many other states are interested in what's going on here in Rhode Island," DOT Director Peter Alviti said.

The state wants to use the money to fix hundreds of structurally deficient bridges. At 25 percent, Rhode Island's bridges are ranked worst in the nation.
...
But truckers are angry, saying they've been unfairly singled out of the millions of vehicles that travel state roads.

Chris Maxwell, the head of the Rhode Island Trucking Association, said his group and others are ready for a fight.

"There will be lawsuits filed. There will be challenges from multiple entities on several fronts," Maxwell said.

Truckers say if they don't succeed in the courtroom, they will on the roads, bypassing the state or perhaps boycotting it all together.
...
Trucking officials also provided NBC 10 News with a DOT memo apparently written to the town of West Warwick that singles out where truckers might drive to avoid the tolls. It calls for signs banning them from secondary roads and asking local and state police to issue fines.

"There's letters going around from the DOT going to towns, talking about stopping trucks on through traffic," Collins said. "What are these? Gestapo tactics?"

Truckers also claim the new tolls will raise prices for local businesses and consumers. They proposed an increase in state's gas tax. The plan was rejected.

A 14th toll gantry along I-95 is also planned but...
RIDOT: "˜Indian burial ground' beneath proposed toll location delays federal sign-off

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – The Rhode Island Department of Transportation has successfully obtained federal approval for 13 planned truck tolls in the state, but a 14th is yet to be approved pending an expected agreement with the Narragansett Indian Tribe over ancient burial grounds, RIDOT Director Peter Alviti said Wednesday.

[southshore720]

If at first you don't succeed, try try again!
http://wpri.com/2016/10/21/providence-i-95-traffic-pattern-change-put-off-until-sunday/

[zzyzx]

Note the graphic in the article that says "Route 95" instead of "I-95." Never understood why Rhode Islanders like to put "route" in front of every signed route, regardless if it's an interstate or not.

[PHLBOS]

Note the graphic in the article that says "Route 95" instead of "I-95." Never understood why Rhode Islanders like to put "route" in front of every signed route, regardless if it's an interstate or not.

People from other states, particularly those in the northeast, do similar; so such is not just a Rhode Island thing.

[storm2k]

Note the graphic in the article that says "Route 95" instead of "I-95." Never understood why Rhode Islanders like to put "route" in front of every signed route, regardless if it's an interstate or not.

Ever been to Jersey? Route is how NJDOT officially refers to every numbered road, from interstates down to county roads.

[Alps]

Note the graphic in the article that says "Route 95" instead of "I-95." Never understood why Rhode Islanders like to put "route" in front of every signed route, regardless if it's an interstate or not.

Ever been to Jersey? Route is how NJDOT officially refers to every numbered road, from interstates down to county roads.

Works great in all these states up here where there's no route number duplication. Leads to oddities, though, like "Route 3" covering 495 for old-timers, or "Covered Roadway" for Route 139 where there's not really much in the way of route number signage. I feel like some of this can be explained by "Route" almost being a road name instead of a number to people here. Case in point - people will either call a road by a name or a number, never both. In the north, NJ 161 is Clifton Avenue, never Route 161. NJ 20 is Route 20, never MacLean Boulevard.

[cl94]

Note the graphic in the article that says "Route 95" instead of "I-95." Never understood why Rhode Islanders like to put "route" in front of every signed route, regardless if it's an interstate or not.

Ever been to Jersey? Route is how NJDOT officially refers to every numbered road, from interstates down to county roads.

Works great in all these states up here where there's no route number duplication. Leads to oddities, though, like "Route 3" covering 495 for old-timers, or "Covered Roadway" for Route 139 where there's not really much in the way of route number signage. I feel like some of this can be explained by "Route" almost being a road name instead of a number to people here. Case in point - people will either call a road by a name or a number, never both. In the north, NJ 161 is Clifton Avenue, never Route 161. NJ 20 is Route 20, never MacLean Boulevard.

Yeah, that crap doesn't work here in New York. Duplication is everywhere. Even a few of the US routes have a state route duplicate somewhere that isn't a suffix. Internally, US 2 is NY 2U, but all reference markers say "2". Of course, that means you need to know the region number to differentiate NY 2 and US 2 reference markers.

[vdeane]

And yet we still call everything "Route X" anyways.  In any case, with the exception of I-90 and NY 90 (which don't have an interchange, and I-90 is "the Thruway" across almost all of the state anyways), the duplicates aren't anywhere near each other.

[jp the roadgeek]

NY 2 and US 2 are the only instance of US/state route duplication in NY.  Not a big deal since US 2 in NY is less than a mile long. There is also a NY 95 over 350 miles from I-95. 3DI's often continue as state routes of the same number. I only call US and state routes "Route".  Interstates are always "I-xx"" or just the number.

[cl94]

NY 2 and US 2 are the only instance of US/state route duplication in NY.  Not a big deal since US 2 in NY is less than a mile long. There is also a NY 95 over 350 miles from I-95. 3DI's often continue as state routes of the same number. I only call US and state routes "Route".  Interstates are always "I-xx"" or just the number.

US/NY 15. Granted, the latter is a demoted stretch of the former, but two separate routes nonetheless.

[jp the roadgeek]

NY 2 and US 2 are the only instance of US/state route duplication in NY.  Not a big deal since US 2 in NY is less than a mile long. There is also a NY 95 over 350 miles from I-95. 3DI's often continue as state routes of the same number. I only call US and state routes "Route".  Interstates are always "I-xx"" or just the number.

US/NY 15. Granted, the latter is a demoted stretch of the former, but two separate routes nonetheless.

US 15 was truncated to the PA border in 2014 when I-99 was signed, so no longer the case.

[cl94]

NY 2 and US 2 are the only instance of US/state route duplication in NY.  Not a big deal since US 2 in NY is less than a mile long. There is also a NY 95 over 350 miles from I-95. 3DI's often continue as state routes of the same number. I only call US and state routes "Route".  Interstates are always "I-xx"" or just the number.

US/NY 15. Granted, the latter is a demoted stretch of the former, but two separate routes nonetheless.

US 15 was truncated to the PA border in 2014 when I-99 was signed, so no longer the case.

Technically, yes. But it was still signed the last time I was through there in the spring.

[vdeane]

Did AASHTO approve the truncation, or is this a case of "NYSDOT considers it gone but it officially still exists" (a la I-878)?

Don't forget US 220/NY 220.  Yes, US 220 enters NY.  Barely.  It ends at old NY 17, and I'm pretty sure NYSDOT doesn't acknowledge it existing.

[cl94]

Did AASHTO approve the truncation, or is this a case of "NYSDOT considers it gone but it officially still exists" (a la I-878)?

According to the AASHTO Route Number Database, it still ends at NY 17. I have no idea how often it is updated.

[KEVIN_224]

I could just imagine that Providence construction coinciding with the bridge replacement a few years back in Pawtucket! Now if both of those projects were at the same time! At least the west end of I-195 was already finished, too!

[southshore720]

I could just imagine that Providence construction coinciding with the bridge replacement a few years back in Pawtucket! Now if both of those projects were at the same time! At least the west end of I-195 was already finished, too!

Thank you for bringing us back on topic! 

I can understand why there was so much confusion/back-up.  There are still people traveling on I-95 South still expecting a left-exit on I-195 East (despite all the signage)!  You can tell with the last minute "dart-overs" to the right.  Also, RIDOT never fixed the Exit 20 off-ramp sign for I-195 East like they promised years ago.  No right arrow or "exit only" banner...simply states "RIGHT LANES."

[bob7374]

Back in March it was reported that RIDOT was set to renumber all of its highway exits with milepost based numbers:
http://wpri.com/2016/03/29/ri-set-to-renumber-all-its-highway-exit-signs/

Nothing has been heard about this project since and rumor has it that the state, like Mass., has reconsidered changing numbers at the current time. To see if I could confirm this, I took a trip through RI on Saturday targeting the highways without exit numbers that, according to the article, were to have numbers added in 2015/16, in particular RI 99 and RI 403, and other routes, RI 4 and the Airport Connector, that the report indicated the numbers may be changed. I saw nothing along any of these routes that would suggest a project was in the works to change numbers.

RIDOT is set to award the first contract of a project to replace the exit signs along RI 146 in early 2017. These signs were to include exit numbers, not on the current signs. The type of numbers used will confirm whether RIDOT is, or is not, proceeding with their exit number conversion project.