NJ Turnpike upgrading signing

[NJRoadfan]

So far these have only been installed south of Exit 6. The NJTP now has proper pull through BGSes wth control cities at interchanges. The "next exit XX miles" banner has been moved to under the actual exit signs (a few other toll roads already do this). The pull through signs that used to say "Thru Traffic/Next Exit XX Miles" signs have been replaced with "(NJTP Shield) South/Wilmington" or "(NJTP Shield) North/New York". Interesting that they use Wilmington as a control city. NJDOT sticks with "Del Mem Bridge" or "Delaware" on I-295. Adding Baltimore would have been logical for the Turnpike (DRBA does it on the Delaware side of the bridge) but I guess that won't happen. Hopefully Newark makes an appearance northbound eventually.

[akotchi]

^ ^ ^ I saw this at Interchange 5, but did not get any further south.  Have all of the southern interchanges been changed out?  I have yet to see any changes north of Interchange 9 (6 to 8A are being taken care of through the current widening construction).

Interestingly, the proposed Interchange 6 signing for southbound includes Camden (at least on the plans), but it immediately disappears at the next interchange south.  Do the northbound signs say New York or New York City?  BTW, Newark did not appear on the proposed Interchange 6 northbound signing plans.

I say Bravo!  Many of those signs down south were older and needed to be changed out anyway.

[agentsteel53]

Hopefully Newark makes an appearance northbound eventually.

I would put NYC.  Yes, Newark is in the same state, but really, nobody cares about Newark.



except maybe SAS Scandinavian Airlines...

[NJRoadfan]

Do the northbound signs say New York or New York City?  BTW, Newark did not appear on the proposed Interchange 6 northbound signing plans.

Just New York. Newark is more important to airlines due to its airport.

[agentsteel53]

Just New York. Newark is more important to airlines due to its airport.

right, there are no airports in NYC.

[jwolfer]

I

So far these have only been installed south of Exit 6. The NJTP now has proper pull through BGSes wth control cities at interchanges. The "next exit XX miles" banner has been moved to under the actual exit signs (a few other toll roads already do this). The pull through signs that used to say "Thru Traffic/Next Exit XX Miles" signs have been replaced with "(NJTP Shield) South/Wilmington" or "(NJTP Shield) North/New York". Interesting that they use Wilmington as a control city. NJDOT sticks with "Del Mem Bridge" or "Delaware" on I-295 adding Baltimore would have been logical for the Turnpike (DRBA does it on the Delaware side of the bridge) but I guess that won't happen. Hopefully Newark makes an appearance northbound eventually.

I agree with Baltimore as Control City on SB NJTP and I-295 south of Camden.

If it were up to me it would be Baltimore and Washington DC  NB would be Newark and New York

[jwolfer]

Hopefully Newark makes an appearance northbound eventually.

I would put NYC.  Yes, Newark is in the same state, but really, nobody cares about Newark.



except maybe SAS Scandinavian Airlines...

Poor NJ.  No one cares about any of the cities.  Everyone only cares about NYC. ON I-95 in Maryland they use New York as the control city North of Baltimore.

I havent spent a lot of time in PA but I recall control cities on I-80 of Stroudsburg who the hell is going there?

Or NC using Dunn or Benson when really it should be Richmond on I-95

[agentsteel53]

I recall control cities on I-80 of Stroudsburg who the hell is going there?

or Delaware Water Gap.  There really isn't much in the way of large cities on I-80 west of NY until you get to Cleveland. 

[NJRoadfan]

right, there are no airports in NYC.

Closest airport to Manhattan is Newark. Its also Continental....eh.. United's east coast hub.

[Brandon]

"Delaware" and "New York" would be fine, IMHO, as the control cities.  If "Wisconsin" and "Indiana" are good enough for the ISTHA... 

[njroadhorse]

I recall control cities on I-80 of Stroudsburg who the hell is going there?

or Delaware Water Gap.  There really isn't much in the way of large cities on I-80 west of NY until you get to Cleveland. 

It gets worse when you get into Pennsylvania.

[NE2]

I recall control cities on I-80 of Stroudsburg who the hell is going there?

or Delaware Water Gap.  There really isn't much in the way of large cities on I-80 west of NY until you get to Cleveland. 

Scranton would work.

[Michael in Philly]

Hopefully Newark makes an appearance northbound eventually.

I would put NYC.  Yes, Newark is in the same state, but really, nobody cares about Newark.



except maybe SAS Scandinavian Airlines...

Poor NJ.  No one cares about any of the cities.  Everyone only cares about NYC. ON I-95 in Maryland they use New York as the control city North of Baltimore.

I havent spent a lot of time in PA but I recall control cities on I-80 of Stroudsburg who the hell is going there?

Or NC using Dunn or Benson when really it should be Richmond on I-95

[snarls at Maryland for not realizing that 95 goes through Philadelphia, which is actually quite a large city.]    Seriously, would it kill American highway authorities to occasionally use two "control cities" on a sign - "95 North, Philadelphia, New York"?  "Control cities" is in quotes because it might make sense to actually think of them as destinations, which is what I imagine they are to most motorists.

I've said so before, but New Jersey is remarkably resistant to posting out-of-state points as control cities/destinations.  Even New York and Philadelphia are rare.

[Michael in Philly]

I recall control cities on I-80 of Stroudsburg who the hell is going there?

or Delaware Water Gap.  There really isn't much in the way of large cities on I-80 west of NY until you get to Cleveland. 

Scranton would work.

Scranton would only work until 380, and then you'd have people here complaining about how "indirect" it is.  :-)
As suggested in my previous post, we could do pairs.  Between 380 and 81, for example, "Bloomsburg, Cleveland" going west and "Stroudsburg, New York" going east.  The Cleveland and New York could be the same all the way across the state while the local points change.

[hbelkins]

Scranton would only work until 380, and then you'd have people here complaining about how "indirect" it is.  :-)
As suggested in my previous post, we could do pairs.  Between 380 and 81, for example, "Bloomsburg, Cleveland" going west and "Stroudsburg, New York" going east.  The Cleveland and New York could be the same all the way across the state while the local points change.

Not Cleveland. Youngstown.

[njroadhorse]

Scranton would only work until 380, and then you'd have people here complaining about how "indirect" it is.  :-)
As suggested in my previous post, we could do pairs.  Between 380 and 81, for example, "Bloomsburg, Cleveland" going west and "Stroudsburg, New York" going east.  The Cleveland and New York could be the same all the way across the state while the local points change.

Not Cleveland. Youngstown.

Cleveland would make more sense because it's the bigger hub for people.  Youngstown would make sense after about the Oil City exit maybe, or after Mercer.

[hbelkins]

Cleveland would make more sense because it's the bigger hub for people.  Youngstown would make sense after about the Oil City exit maybe, or after Mercer.

Well, I-80 doesn't really go to Cleveland, and Youngstown is an intersection point for two 2di's so IMNSHO it's  more logical than Cleveland for I-80.

[/quote]

[NE2]

Well, I-80 doesn't really go to Cleveland

So? It's still the best way to get to Cleveland. It doesn't really go to Youngstown either (or NYC for that matter).

[Michael in Philly]

Well, I-80 doesn't really go to Cleveland

So? It's still the best way to get to Cleveland. It doesn't really go to Youngstown either (or NYC for that matter).

Exactly.  That's my point.  If the place names that appear on signs are meant to be informative to motorists trying to get to the next major city, which is what I'm suggesting, rather than to...well, whatever the point of "control cities" currently is, passing through suburbs is close enough.  If you're in Toledo or Des Moines, does the fact that I-80 actually misses the city of Chicago by five miles, and the downtown by 20, mean that "Chicago" is not a reasonable indication of where it goes? 
(And I-80 gets closer to Cleveland than 76 does; if "Cleveland" can appear as a westbound destination on 76 in the Pittsburgh area - which it does - why can't it appear on I-80?  For that matter, there are plenty of signs for Pittsburgh on 76 even though it doesn't enter the city limits....)

[Michael in Philly]

Hopefully Newark makes an appearance northbound eventually.

I would put NYC.  Yes, Newark is in the same state, but really, nobody cares about Newark.



except maybe SAS Scandinavian Airlines...

Poor NJ.  No one cares about any of the cities.  Everyone only cares about NYC. ON I-95 in Maryland they use New York as the control city North of Baltimore.

I havent spent a lot of time in PA but I recall control cities on I-80 of Stroudsburg who the hell is going there?

Or NC using Dunn or Benson when really it should be Richmond on I-95

Actually, you'd be surprised about Stroudsburg - with US 209 and PA 611 passing through, and the Poconos being a resort area, at least regionally, a lot of people coming from New York and North Jersey - and not just from there - will be getting off 80 there, I'd think.

[signalman]

^ You're right.  I-80 across northern NJ carries a lot of traffic from NYC and North Jersey to the Pocono mountains around the year.  It's a major weekend escape destination. During the week I-80 is loaded with commuters who live in the Poconos, but work in North Jersey or New York. So, with that said Delaware Water Gap and Stroudsburg aren't bad control cities.  One that is within New Jersey and useless is Netcong.  It's not directly along the interstate and it definitely is not a major town.  There really aren't any big places that I-80 passes through in NJ west of Paterson.  They're mostly small bedroom communities of NYC that grew because of I-80.  Farming used to predominate, now they're McMansion communities.

[The Premier]

It doesn't really go to Youngstown either.

That's I-680's job.

[SSOWorld]

When I took the NJTP from NY to PA TPK Ext, I saw no new signs.

[PAHighways]

(And I-80 gets closer to Cleveland than 76 does; if "Cleveland" can appear as a westbound destination on 76 in the Pittsburgh area - which it does - why can't it appear on I-80?  For that matter, there are plenty of signs for Pittsburgh on 76 even though it doesn't enter the city limits....)

Like we'd acknowledge Cleveland.

"Ohio," "Ohio and West," and "Youngstown OH" are the only control "cities" that are used on I-76 or its intersecting routes.

[Michael in Philly]

(And I-80 gets closer to Cleveland than 76 does; if "Cleveland" can appear as a westbound destination on 76 in the Pittsburgh area - which it does - why can't it appear on I-80?  For that matter, there are plenty of signs for Pittsburgh on 76 even though it doesn't enter the city limits....)

Like we'd acknowledge Cleveland.

"Ohio," "Ohio and West," and "Youngstown OH" are the only control "cities" that are used on I-76 or its intersecting routes.

I could have sworn there's a "76 West - Cleveland" for non-exiting traffic at Monroeville.  (And a "Columbus Ohio [sic]" on a supplemental sign approaching New Stanton.)  Of course, our beloved Commonwealth won't even acknowledge its largest city west of Harrisburg.  I mean, it won't acknowledge, west of Harrisburg, its largest city.  As opposed to its largest city that's west of Harrisburg, which is like a fifth as large as the former.