Business Route That Misses It's Mark as a Business Route

[NWI_Irish96]

My understanding is that interstate business routes were invented by the feds with the intent of preserving small town businesses that were being bypassed.  Whether all states used them that way (or if one used to function that way but the businesses are now gone) is a different story.  Personally, I'm not exactly a fan of them (or bannered routes, for that matter).  If something really needs a number, give it a state route.

I don't know if that's why they were invented, but to me, that's the way that they should be used. A business route should be a brief route off the fastest route where you can find gas stations, restaurants and drug stores. A 10+ mile long business route doesn't make a lot of sense to me. It's impractical to follow through to the other end just to find a place to get gas and lunch.

See, you're looking at business routes from the perspective of a tourist, whereas I'm looking at them from the perspective of a truck driver.

Maybe truck drivers could have their own type of routes. Someone should invent a "Truck" designation for that purpose.

[kphoger]

Maybe truck drivers could have their own type of routes. Someone should invent a "Truck" designation for that purpose.

Isn't that designation for roads that truckers are supposed to take instead of the un-bannered route?  In the case of business routes, they're free to take whichever they want, based on whether they're going into town or heading elsewhere in the state.

[Terry Shea]

My understanding is that interstate business routes were invented by the feds with the intent of preserving small town businesses that were being bypassed.  Whether all states used them that way (or if one used to function that way but the businesses are now gone) is a different story.  Personally, I'm not exactly a fan of them (or bannered routes, for that matter).  If something really needs a number, give it a state route.

I don't know if that's why they were invented, but to me, that's the way that they should be used. A business route should be a brief route off the fastest route where you can find gas stations, restaurants and drug stores. A 10+ mile long business route doesn't make a lot of sense to me. It's impractical to follow through to the other end just to find a place to get gas and lunch.

See, you're looking at business routes from the perspective of a tourist, whereas I'm looking at them from the perspective of a truck driver.

Then why do most business routes have services like gas, food and lodging listed on signs approaching the exit instead of a list of trucking companies.  Truckers generally know where they are going and where they meed to exit to get where they're going, but truckers need services like food and gas too.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

My understanding is that interstate business routes were invented by the feds with the intent of preserving small town businesses that were being bypassed.  Whether all states used them that way (or if one used to function that way but the businesses are now gone) is a different story.  Personally, I'm not exactly a fan of them (or bannered routes, for that matter).  If something really needs a number, give it a state route.

I don't know if that's why they were invented, but to me, that's the way that they should be used. A business route should be a brief route off the fastest route where you can find gas stations, restaurants and drug stores. A 10+ mile long business route doesn't make a lot of sense to me. It's impractical to follow through to the other end just to find a place to get gas and lunch.

See, you're looking at business routes from the perspective of a tourist, whereas I'm looking at them from the perspective of a truck driver.

Maybe truck drivers could have their own type of routes. Someone should invent a "Truck" designation for that purpose.

Assuming states and cities can correctly apply that title to their designated roads.

[Dirt Roads]

My understanding is that interstate business routes were invented by the feds with the intent of preserving small town businesses that were being bypassed.  Whether all states used them that way (or if one used to function that way but the businesses are now gone) is a different story.  Personally, I'm not exactly a fan of them (or bannered routes, for that matter).  If something really needs a number, give it a state route.

I don't know if that's why they were invented, but to me, that's the way that they should be used. A business route should be a brief route off the fastest route where you can find gas stations, restaurants and drug stores. A 10+ mile long business route doesn't make a lot of sense to me. It's impractical to follow through to the other end just to find a place to get gas and lunch.

See, you're looking at business routes from the perspective of a tourist, whereas I'm looking at them from the perspective of a truck driver.

There is certainly a need to inform truckers of where there are suitable services that can reasonably accommodate 18-wheelers.  Almost weekly, we see truckers exit at the two Hillsborough exits, give up and hop back on.  Some is the signage, since northbound traffic at both exits prohibits through trucks.  But a quick glance also shows that there is no place for truckers to park. 

The Efland exit is a similar story.  Many truckers stop in search of a parking space in front of Missy's Grill.  There is one wide mud puddle along the fence that is long enough for one big rig to straddle the swail.  I'm pretty sure that most truckers get out by backing up onto the westbound off-ramp, or by doing a short back-up and making a wide U-turn in the old Amoco lot (which is now a small taquiero that just opened a few months ago).  Once again, most truckers look, give up and hop back on.

Because of my railroading career, I have occasionally needed to upgrade to Trucker Atlases.  But I've never seen anything showing where truckers looking for a quick break could stop.  Most just show weigh stations (and some show their brand of truck stops).

[bing101]

CA 51 is a worthless Business I-80 given it's a freeway.

How much of this is that CA-99 is rumored to be I-7 or I-9 and CA-51 is keeping the Business 80 designation until they have to renumber into CA-51 or CA-x07 / CA-x09.

[Max Rockatansky]

CA 51 is a worthless Business I-80 given it's a freeway.

How much of this is that CA-99 is rumored to be I-7 or I-9 and CA-51 is keeping the Business 80 designation until they have to renumber into CA-51 or CA-x07 / CA-x09.

Problem there is that CA 51 isn't Interstate standard.   That's why I-80 shifted to I-880 in the first place. 

[TheHighwayMan3561]

BUS US 24 in Goodland?

[bing101]

CA 51 is a worthless Business I-80 given it's a freeway.

How much of this is that CA-99 is rumored to be I-7 or I-9 and CA-51 is keeping the Business 80 designation until they have to renumber into CA-51 or CA-x07 / CA-x09.

Problem there is that CA 51 isn't Interstate standard.   That's why I-80 shifted to I-880 in the first place.

True that's why i am thinking of CA-51 is supposed to be a 3 digit number for CA-x07 or CA-x09 as a state route connected to to the proposed interstate 7 or 9. It's kind of like CA-210 connecting to I-10 in the Inland Empire or the former CA-480 that was connected to I-80.

[Max Rockatansky]

CA 51 is a worthless Business I-80 given it's a freeway.

How much of this is that CA-99 is rumored to be I-7 or I-9 and CA-51 is keeping the Business 80 designation until they have to renumber into CA-51 or CA-x07 / CA-x09.

Problem there is that CA 51 isn't Interstate standard.   That's why I-80 shifted to I-880 in the first place.

True that's why i am thinking of CA-51 is supposed to be a 3 digit number for CA-x07 or CA-x09 as a state route connected to to the proposed interstate 7 or 9. It's kind of like CA-210 connecting to I-10 in the Inland Empire or the former CA-480 that was connected to I-80.

Considering US 50 between I-80 and CA 51/99 is already FHWA I-305 I would say just use that number for field signage.  The number is available and wouldn't require a bunch of highways be renumbered to implement it in field.  I would say drop the I-80 Business facade and just sign CA 51 at that point.

[kphoger]

My understanding is that interstate business routes were invented by the feds with the intent of preserving small town businesses that were being bypassed.  Whether all states used them that way (or if one used to function that way but the businesses are now gone) is a different story.  Personally, I'm not exactly a fan of them (or bannered routes, for that matter).  If something really needs a number, give it a state route.

I don't know if that's why they were invented, but to me, that's the way that they should be used. A business route should be a brief route off the fastest route where you can find gas stations, restaurants and drug stores. A 10+ mile long business route doesn't make a lot of sense to me. It's impractical to follow through to the other end just to find a place to get gas and lunch.

See, you're looking at business routes from the perspective of a tourist, whereas I'm looking at them from the perspective of a truck driver.

Then why do most business routes have services like gas, food and lodging listed on signs approaching the exit instead of a list of trucking companies.  Truckers generally know where they are going and where they meed to exit to get where they're going, but truckers need services like food and gas too.

Because states sign such services at all exits–whether the intersecting route is a business route, a trunk highway, or a local road.  And because states don't sign factories and transportation dispatch centers at any exit–whether the intersecting route is a business route, a trunk highway, or a local road.

Services signage has nothing to do with the function of a road.

[Terry Shea]

My understanding is that interstate business routes were invented by the feds with the intent of preserving small town businesses that were being bypassed.  Whether all states used them that way (or if one used to function that way but the businesses are now gone) is a different story.  Personally, I'm not exactly a fan of them (or bannered routes, for that matter).  If something really needs a number, give it a state route.

I don't know if that's why they were invented, but to me, that's the way that they should be used. A business route should be a brief route off the fastest route where you can find gas stations, restaurants and drug stores. A 10+ mile long business route doesn't make a lot of sense to me. It's impractical to follow through to the other end just to find a place to get gas and lunch.

See, you're looking at business routes from the perspective of a tourist, whereas I'm looking at them from the perspective of a truck driver.

Then why do most business routes have services like gas, food and lodging listed on signs approaching the exit instead of a list of trucking companies.  Truckers generally know where they are going and where they meed to exit to get where they're going, but truckers need services like food and gas too.

Because states sign such services at all exits–whether the intersecting route is a business route, a trunk highway, or a local road.  And because states don't sign factories and transportation dispatch centers at any exit–whether the intersecting route is a business route, a trunk highway, or a local road.

Services signage has nothing to do with the function of a road.

No, but the function of the road has everything to do with the service signage.

[kphoger]

Services signage has nothing to do with the function of a road.

No, but the function of the road has everything to do with the service signage.

Disagree.  They're only tangentially related.

Services are located at highway exits because of zoning, real estate prices, nearby competition, and traffic patterns and volumes–regardless of what supposed function the crossroad serves.  Is the crossroad a business spur, a bypass, a trunk highway, a local street, a six-block-long stretch of urban renewal?  The business owners don't particularly care, so long as the customer volume at that location exceeds the cost of operations sufficiently to turn a profit.

And, wherever those services end up being located–business spur or otherwise–highway signage for them is erected.  Because travelers in need of services don't particularly care what supposed function the crossroad serves either, so long as they can find the services they need in the close vicinity of the exit.