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Should Online Mapping Sights Have Accurate State Route Shields?

Started by ColossalBlocks, February 03, 2017, 01:01:09 PM

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Should Online Mapping (Google Maps for example) Sights Have Accurate State Route Shields?

Yes, i think they should.
No, i think they shouldn't.

ColossalBlocks

I am inactive for a while now my dudes. Good associating with y'all.

US Highways: 36, 49, 61, 412.

Interstates: 22, 24, 44, 55, 57, 59, 72, 74 (West).


froggie


texaskdog

I CAN'T STAND when a business draws a map and has a us route with an interstate shield, state route with a US shield, etc.

DaBigE

It would be nice, but definitely not a necessity. Outside of the roadgeek community, does it really matter to anyone (the majority of their target users)? General accuracy of the rest of the mapping data should be priority. They need to work on getting the classification right before embarking on individual shields.
"We gotta find this road, it's like Bob's road!" - Rabbit, Twister

jeffandnicole

The maps should be listed 'for amusement only'.  The shields are the least of the problems. 

Brian556

Here are some reasons that it would be better:

1. In Florida, and Texas,  it would allow differentiation between tolled and non-tolled routes. Since they have different markers in the field, why not on the maps also?

2. In Texas, it would allow map users to actually differentiate between FM and county roads. The current system of using the rectangle for both is very annoying. Also, county roads should be marked textually if they are only marked with street name blades in the field.

3. In Tennessee, it would allow map users to differentiate between primary and secondary routes, which are also signed differently in the field.

Basically, using the one-size fits all circle/oval or rectangle does not give map users adequate information.

Reasons Against:

1. It requires using a larger shield to get the same number size as with the circle/oval.

epzik8

Quote from: texaskdog on February 03, 2017, 01:14:18 PM
I CAN'T STAND when a business draws a map and has a us route with an interstate shield, state route with a US shield, etc.
Me either. Of course, most non-roadgeeks probably can't tell the difference.
From the land of red, white, yellow and black.
____________________________

My clinched highways: http://tm.teresco.org/user/?u=epzik8
My clinched counties: http://mob-rule.com/user-gifs/USA/epzik8.gif

Buck87

Quote from: texaskdog on February 03, 2017, 01:14:18 PM
I CAN'T STAND when a business draws a map and has a us route with an interstate shield, state route with a US shield, etc.

Or ones that manage to mix them together...


NE2

Quote from: Brian556 on February 03, 2017, 02:48:21 PM
Here are some reasons that it would be better:

1. In Florida, and Texas,  it would allow differentiation between tolled and non-tolled routes.
There are better ways of doing this with color that don't lie about the lack of tolls on SR 528 west of exit 4.
pre-1945 Florida route log

I accept and respect your identity as long as it's not dumb shit like "identifying as a vaccinated attack helicopter".

TEG24601

Yes, the marking of routes should be done the way Apple does them, with accurate shields.
They said take a left at the fork in the road.  I didn't think they literally meant a fork, until plain as day, there was a fork sticking out of the road at a junction.

slorydn1

The roadgeek in me says yes, the regular map user in me says no, the circle used to denote a state route on a map suffices for all 50 states.

I wish there was a choice for "maybe" in the poll. I guess I'll click no so I can see the results.
Please Note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of any governmental agency, non-governmental agency, quasi-governmental agency or wanna be governmental agency

Counties: Counties Visited

DTComposer

Yes, because what's on the map should match what a driver would see on the signs.

Ga293

The ovals are fine. Most drivers don't differentiate between the type of route anyway, just the number. Besides, several state routes, like Utah's or Florida's, are a bit finicky to be really legible at the small sizes required for maps.

Buck87

Quote from: Ga293 on February 03, 2017, 04:29:41 PM
The ovals are fine. Most drivers don't differentiate between the type of route anyway, just the number. Besides, several state routes, like Utah's or Florida's, are a bit finicky to be really legible at the small sizes required for maps.

Agreed, ovals are fine for online maps, and maps in general.

Though I do like how Ohio's official state map uses Ohio outlines instead of ovals (note: the map uses geographically correct Ohio outlines, not the outline shape that's used for the official shield)

Are there any other states that put their shield (or something similar to their shield) on their state maps instead of ovals?

kphoger

I own an atlas that does so, but only on the city insets, not on the large-scale pages. I could go either way, but I agree that secondary state routes and county roads should not be labeled the same.
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.

adventurernumber1

I don't have a problem with ovals used on maps at all, but I would absolutely love to see accurate state route shields being used, and I love such usage on Apple Maps. Needless to say, my vote was for accurate shields (for Yes).
Now alternating between different highway shields for my avatar - my previous highway shield avatar for the last few years was US 76.

Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/127322363@N08/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-vJ3qa8R-cc44Cv6ohio1g

plain

The oval for state routes doesn't bother me per se, but it would be nice to have the correct shields though. I'm more concerned about certain maps having tolled and non-tolled routes the same color (ahem, Google)
Newark born, Richmond bred

hotdogPi

Quote from: plain on February 03, 2017, 08:52:58 PM
The oval for state routes doesn't bother me per se, but it would be nice to have the correct shields though. I'm more concerned about certain maps having tolled and non-tolled routes the same color (ahem, Google)

If you zoom in enough on Google Maps, toll roads have a darker outline. (It's not perfect; there are a few places on toll roads where you can get both on and off without paying that Google still marks as having a toll.)
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.

SignGeek101

Having correct shields for every jurisdiction around the world would require a ton of unique shield types. I feel like the effort required isn't worth it to 99% of the users on Google Maps. Though I wish a few select roads had their own shields though (not listed as the "generic" shields on Google).

hotdogPi

Quote from: SignGeek101 on February 03, 2017, 09:06:01 PM
Having correct shields for every jurisdiction around the world would require a ton of unique shield types. I feel like the effort required isn't worth it to 99% of the users on Google Maps. Though I wish a few select roads had their own shields though (not listed as the "generic" shields on Google).

They already have the correct design at country level. With ~100 designs around the world (complete guess; most countries have separate designs for freeways and non-freeways, but some countries have the same design or almost the same as other countries), adding another ~75 for states (more than 50 because of various state secondaries, various county designs, NJTPK, etc.) should not be too hard.
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.

Duke87

Quote from: epzik8 on February 03, 2017, 02:55:20 PM
Quote from: texaskdog on February 03, 2017, 01:14:18 PM
I CAN'T STAND when a business draws a map and has a us route with an interstate shield, state route with a US shield, etc.
Me either. Of course, most non-roadgeeks probably can't tell the difference.

I was talking with someone at work today who pointed to a US highway shield on Google Maps and referred to it as a "county road". I told him to get away from me.
If you always take the same road, you will never see anything new.

wanderer2575

Quote from: Buck87 on February 03, 2017, 05:42:34 PM
Are there any other states that put their shield (or something similar to their shield) on their state maps instead of ovals?

Michigan used ovals for some time and then switched to diamonds in 2008 or 2009.  Now the numbers in the diamonds are about 2/3 the size they were in the ovals.  Yeah, that's an improvement :rolleyes:.

(Diamonds were used long ago but that was when the state maps were printed larger and so the diamonds and route numbers were larger.  This old fart can't read any current Michigan maps without a freaking microscope.)

coatimundi

Mapquest uses the state shields, and I love them for it. They have some beautiful rendering for being an online mapping tool. If only their interface (and especially their app) weren't so bulky and cumbersome.

adventurernumber1

Quote from: coatimundi on February 04, 2017, 01:49:31 AM
Mapquest uses the state shields, and I love them for it. They have some beautiful rendering for being an online mapping tool. If only their interface (and especially their app) weren't so bulky and cumbersome.

Oh wow, I haven't used Mapquest much so I've never noticed that. Now that I look at Mapquest I can see how that is so. How cool!!  :awesomeface:
Now alternating between different highway shields for my avatar - my previous highway shield avatar for the last few years was US 76.

Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/127322363@N08/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-vJ3qa8R-cc44Cv6ohio1g

empirestate

I can't decide. So, here's a question to help me:

If states shouldn't have accurate markers, why should countries? Why not just use, say, squares for all Interstates, Mexican federal routes, the TCH, etc.?

Once we know the rationale for differentiating at the national level, then perhaps we can extend it to the sub-national level, and see whether it's still appropriate.



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