Hello! I had joined a few days ago and wanted to introduce myself to the others on the forum. I actually have been a "lurker" for a number of years, so I have become acquainted with some of the *interesting* personalities here.
I probably have been a road geek for 50 years or so, although I didn't know that there was a name for it. In the 1960's, while still of elementary school age, my dad would chart the family vacations that we took - pretty much a paper-and-pencil spreadsheet (of course this was before the advent of home computers). This fascinated me, and he showed me how he created them, along with reading maps and counting the mileage between points. I soon took to making my own chart, and following along with his. Where many kids my age would nap or read (again, no smartphones then to bury your nose in!) and not care about much until their destination, I would be constantly watching where we were going, what route we were on, and following our progress on a hand-me-down map that I had.
I had pretty much maintained my love of roads and travel all these years, and was pleased to find there were communities of people that shared this interest.
Some of my interests - I have an interest in recording highway clinches and county clinches, and have accounts on the popular sites for those. (Is it within forum rules to put hyperlinks to those in a signature?) I've traveled a decent amount in the US east of the Mississippi River, not so much west of it. I have also visited and driven in Canada and Iceland. I also have a fascination for long and/or unusual bridges, especially those with an "industrial" look (lots of iron etc).
I'm not too much into fictional highways and mass renumbering of highways just to fit a grid. While it would appease a small fraction of people, (just my opinion) it would just confuse a much larger group. But that's just me - I see that many of you enjoy that!
Anyway, better stop before I got too long-winded.
Welcome!
Welcome from Florida!
Welcome from Massachusetts! I notice your avatar has I-97. What do you think about it being so short?
A hearty welcome from elsewhere in the Old Line state!
Quote from: dlsterner on December 19, 2018, 10:51:21 PM
I have become acquainted with some of the *interesting* personalities here.
:hmmm: Twenty bucks says I'm one of them...
Welcome to the forum! Clothing is optional after 10 PM.
Quote from: dlsterner on December 19, 2018, 10:51:21 PM
Hello! I had joined a few days ago and wanted to introduce myself to the others on the forum. I actually have been a "lurker" for a number of years, so I have become acquainted with some of the *interesting* personalities here.
I probably have been a road geek for 50 years or so, although I didn't know that there was a name for it. In the 1960's, while still of elementary school age, my dad would chart the family vacations that we took - pretty much a paper-and-pencil spreadsheet (of course this was before the advent of home computers). This fascinated me, and he showed me how he created them, along with reading maps and counting the mileage between points. I soon took to making my own chart, and following along with his. Where many kids my age would nap or read (again, no smartphones then to bury your nose in!) and not care about much until their destination, I would be constantly watching where we were going, what route we were on, and following our progress on a hand-me-down map that I had.
I had pretty much maintained my love of roads and travel all these years, and was pleased to find there were communities of people that shared this interest.
Some of my interests - I have an interest in recording highway clinches and county clinches, and have accounts on the popular sites for those. (Is it within forum rules to put hyperlinks to those in a signature?) I've traveled a decent amount in the US east of the Mississippi River, not so much west of it. I have also visited and driven in Canada and Iceland. I also have a fascination for long and/or unusual bridges, especially those with an "industrial" look (lots of iron etc).
I'm not too much into fictional highways and mass renumbering of highways just to fit a grid. While it would appease a small fraction of people, (just my opinion) it would just confuse a much larger group. But that's just me - I see that many of you enjoy that!
Anyway, better stop before I got too long-winded.
Am I "interesting"?
Quote from: kphoger on December 20, 2018, 01:26:21 PM
Quote from: dlsterner on December 19, 2018, 10:51:21 PM
I have become acquainted with some of the *interesting* personalities here.
:hmmm: Twenty bucks says I'm one of them...
Welcome to the forum! Clothing is optional after 10 PM.
It's 10pm somewhere...
Welcome from Oregon!
LG-TP260
Quote from: 1 on December 20, 2018, 08:00:16 AM
Welcome from Massachusetts! I notice your avatar has I-97. What do you think about it being so short?
Well, no matter how many short 2di's you may eliminate, there will always be a 2di that is the shortest of the bunch. :bigass:
But seriously... The Baltimore-Annapolis corridor is needed and well traveled. Hate the number, if you must, but don't hate the asphalt.
I guess the highway needed to be called something. Before I-97 was built, that route wasn't a single number, but "head south on MD 3 and turn left on MD 178". I suppose it was desirable to give it a single number for its whole length. It could have been I-995, or part of a "V" shaped I-595. I suppose it could have been given a state number instead (the single digit MD 9 was and is available).
After 25 plus years as I-97, it would probably be pointless to change it now. Getting into Fictional territory, but if I-97 is ever extended down the US 301 corridor over the Governor Nice bridge (which is being replaced by a 4 lane span in the 2020s) to meet I-95 north of Richmond VA, I think that would make I-97 legitimate in most people's eyes. There may be too much sprawl for that now. Could also extend it on the north side through the Harbor Tunnel (truncating I-895) to meet I-95 at the north end.
Short answer - in my opinion, using I-97 may not have been the best solution, but it was far from the worst solution. I'm OK with it.
Quote from: kphoger on December 20, 2018, 01:26:21 PM
Quote from: dlsterner on December 19, 2018, 10:51:21 PM
I have become acquainted with some of the *interesting* personalities here.
:hmmm: Twenty bucks says I'm one of them...
Welcome to the forum! Clothing is optional after 10 PM.
Have you ever even been on the forum after 10 PM? :-D
Quote from: webny99 on December 21, 2018, 04:55:57 PM
Quote from: kphoger on December 20, 2018, 01:26:21 PM
Quote from: dlsterner on December 19, 2018, 10:51:21 PM
I have become acquainted with some of the *interesting* personalities here.
:hmmm: Twenty bucks says I'm one of them...
Welcome to the forum! Clothing is optional after 10 PM.
Have you ever even been on the forum after 10 PM? :-D
LOL
Quote from: webny99 on December 21, 2018, 04:55:57 PM
Quote from: kphoger on December 20, 2018, 01:26:21 PM
Quote from: dlsterner on December 19, 2018, 10:51:21 PM
I have become acquainted with some of the *interesting* personalities here.
:hmmm: Twenty bucks says I'm one of them...
Welcome to the forum! Clothing is optional after 10 PM.
Have you ever even been on the forum after 10 PM? :-D
Yes, but my clothing is
always optional.
Quote from: kphoger on December 21, 2018, 04:59:22 PM
Quote from: webny99 on December 21, 2018, 04:55:57 PM
Quote from: kphoger on December 20, 2018, 01:26:21 PM
Quote from: dlsterner on December 19, 2018, 10:51:21 PM
I have become acquainted with some of the *interesting* personalities here.
:hmmm: Twenty bucks says I'm one of them...
Welcome to the forum! Clothing is optional after 10 PM.
Have you ever even been on the forum after 10 PM? :-D
Yes, but my clothing is always optional.
So only new members have to wait until 10 PM. :hmmm:
Welcome from a former Marylander.
Greetings from northwest Georgia! :wave:
I'm not a fan of the I-97 numbering, but I love the way you put that - "hate the number but not the asphalt." That is absolutely true. I-97's numbering does not and should not affect how I think of the road itself with the number put aside (its scenery, interesting aspects about it, how useful it is for the transportation system, etc.), and it cannot take away from all the other things about the interstate.
I am looking forward to seeing you around on the forum! :nod:
Welcome to the board! I was one of those kids that would stare out the window and look at the road on family trips during my childhood as well. Once I got a road atlas of my own, I would usually thumb through it on those trips to chart out what was ahead or where intersecting roads traveled.
Just the same on those childhood trips, I do recall loathing the really long exit less stretches on the PA Turnpike NE Extension. The monotony of traveling that to Upstate NY from Delaware every year without taking any other road would lead me to counting down the miles. On the really long stretches, I would resort to looking out the back window at the button copy signs as we departed from one exit and deducting one, than two miles to the next exit.
Quote from: dlsterner on December 21, 2018, 01:13:26 AM
I guess the highway needed to be called something. Before I-97 was built, that route wasn't a single number, but "head south on MD 3 and turn left on MD 178". I suppose it was desirable to give it a single number for its whole length. It could have been I-995, or part of a "V" shaped I-595. I suppose it could have been given a state number instead (the single digit MD 9 was and is available).
I redrove all of I-97 southbound on my way back south at Christmas time. Was last on it in 2010...
Delving into its history, which I covered on IGuide (http://www.interstate-guide.com/i-097.html), I-97 was part of a 1970s plan to add US 50 to the Interstate system as I-68. There was also a I-197 proposed along US 50 east from I-97 to MD 70, and I-297 along MD 3 between US 50/301 and MD 32. These were all approved by AASHTO in 1975, but never posted of course.
Things changed again in 1981 when a new proposal outlined I-197 as I-168. Again, none of this came to pass, and I-97 and hidden I-595 is what we ultimately got in 1989.
Welcome from another newbie.