"Alternate US nn" vs. "US nnA"

[hbelkins]

Someone on m.t.r. was complaining that Rand McNally mislabels "US 20A" in New York as Alternate US 20. No link in Google Groups yet but the message ID is <2f61e750-d164-4bd6-9fdb-651e9a36c7ad@a40g2000vbu.googlegroups.com> for a possible later search if anyone is interested.

Yes, the route is signed as US 20A in New York, but isn't it officially know as Alternate US 20? Doesn't AASHTO designate these as alternate routes, rather than an actual US nnA route?

Might be worth it to compile a list of which states use banners vs. the "A" suffix.

Kentucky: "Alternate" banner
North Carolina: "A" suffix
Ohio: "A" suffix
Tennessee: "A" suffix
Virginia: "Alternate" banner
West Virginia: "ALT" banner

[codyg1985]

Alabama uses the Alternate Banner. I believe Mississippi uses "ALT"

[akotchi]

I don't think New Jersey has Alternate routes any longer (unless on the County system).  They are either Business (which are bannered) or were changed to other route numbers.

When they did have Alternate routes, I believe they were bannered.

[agentsteel53]

Massachusetts has the suffix.

California has the banner.

[dfilpus]

North Carolina used the "A" suffix on signage on original Alternate routes, but has switched to Alternate banners on new routes and even new signage on older routes. It's a mixed bag now.

[roadman]

Massachusetts has the suffix.

As I recall, all the current "suffixed" US routes in Massachusetts (1A, 20A for examples) are actually state routes (MA Rectangular shield), not US routes.

[corco]

Arizona does the suffix

Washington does this


Wyoming does this

[jwolfer]

 I used to like the Florida business us routes.  They were negative images of the colored shield with a ALT or BUS tab.  Now it says ALternate in the standard shield... i dont have any pics

[agentsteel53]

As I recall, all the current "suffixed" US routes in Massachusetts (1A, 20A for examples) are actually state routes (MA Rectangular shield), not US routes.

there are alternates to state routes as well, like 32A being an alternate to 32.  Also, in the late 30s, there was, for a brief time, a Mass US 5A.

New Hampshire has suffixes too, but hyphenated.  NH route 3-A, for example.

[Ian]

New Hampshire has suffixes too, but hyphenated.  NH route 3-A, for example.

Except on the freeway signs it seems. New Hampshire also only likes to hyphenate the shield when the number is a single digit. If it has 2 or more digits, the suffix goes below the number like this:

[PAHighways]

Pennsylvania uses the "ALTERNATE" banner for the only such US aux route in the Commonwealth.

[NE2]

For U.S. Highways, as far as I know:
Alternate/Alt: AL, CA(?), DC, DE, FL, GA, KS, KY, MD, MS, NC (some), NJ, NV, OH (some), OK, PA, SC, TX, VA, VT, WA, WY
A: AZ, CT, ME, NC (some), NY, OH (some), RI, SD, TN, UT
No routes: AK, AR, CO, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, LA, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, ND, NE, NH, NM, OR, WI, WV

[NE2]

Pennsylvania uses the "ALTERNATE" banner for the only such US aux route in the Commonwealth.

I didn't think US 220 Alternate existed anymore.

[PAHighways]

It is still marked on the recent Centre County and state maps.

[dfilpus]

Pennsylvania uses the "ALTERNATE" banner for the only such US aux route in the Commonwealth.

I didn't think US 220 Alternate existed anymore.

US 220 Alternate was re-signed in 2009 from I 80 south to Port Matilda.

[TheStranger]

For U.S. Highways, as far as I know:
Alternate: CA(?)

Don't know if the sign is still up, but from 1998:

http://gbcnet.com/ushighways/us_pix/50_pics/ALT_50/alt_50_east_white_pole_sign.jpg

[agentsteel53]

No routes: ID, MO,

some historic examples:

[bugo]

The highway from Sapulpa (really west Tulsa) to Beggs is signed alternately as US 75A, OK 75A, and "ALT" US 75.  I'm not sure if there are any "ALTERNATE" banners on the highway or not.

[Rover_0]

While the shields in Utah nowadays shows US-89A, on maps, and historically, it is listed as "US 89 Alternate." I don't exactly know how US-89A was labeled before the UT-11 era, but it seemed to be labeled as "Alt. US-89." Also, when UT-11 was around, the "A" on Utah's US-89A shields was considerably smaller, suggesting it as "US-89 Alternate."

As for Arizona, as far as I can remember, it's always been labeled as US-89A, though I bet in its first few years (when cutouts were used, from 1960-1975ish), it was labeled Alt. US-89.

[US71]

I'm not sure if it's considered an Alternate, but South Dakota has US 16A

[US71]

The highway from Sapulpa (really west Tulsa) to Beggs is signed alternately as US 75A, OK 75A, and "ALT" US 75.  I'm not sure if there are any "ALTERNATE" banners on the highway or not.

There used be one near Beggs, but I can't find it in my photos. Guess I'll have to personally investigate.

As Jake mentioned, Arkansas has no Alternates. If they did, they would likely be "Alternate US XX A" or "US xx A" (likely alternating between the two).

[bugo]

As Jake mentioned, Arkansas has no Alternates. If they did, they would likely be "Alternate US XX A" or "US xx A" (likely alternating between the two).

There are actually some routes in Arkansas that show up on AHTD maps as "route XX, section YYA."  These routes are business routes that have 2 different business routes within one section.  They are signed as business routes.  There was a US 79A that was shown on AHTD maps a few years ago, but I am guessing it was also signed as US 79B.

[agentsteel53]

As for Arizona, as far as I can remember, it's always been labeled as US-89A, though I bet in its first few years (when cutouts were used, from 1960-1975ish), it was labeled Alt. US-89.

cutouts were used as late as 1975?  I had been under the impression that the cutouts went away by 1961.  at least, no shield I've seen identified with a date marking has been a cutout, and those go back as far as 1962.  it is the 1961 MUTCD that introduced the "black square" so I do not believe this to be a coincidence.

when was the first US-89A (now AZ-89A) first signed?  I could swear my 1942 RMN shows it.

[ctsignguy]

Some other A's for you

www.aaroads.com/shields/show.php?image=CT19570442
www.aaroads.com/shields/show.php?image=CT19660442





And Ohio uses '20A' for the US route

[hbelkins]

Pennsylvania uses the "ALTERNATE" banner for the only such US aux route in the Commonwealth.

I didn't think US 220 Alternate existed anymore.

US 220 Alternate was re-signed in 2009 from I 80 south to Port Matilda.

Fall 2010...