AASHTO Fall 2021 meeting

[rickmastfan67]

US-301 Alt. in Florida has been approved

Bypass*

[Avalanchez71]

I thought that they were going to do the BUS LOOP I-81 thing in NY.

[Avalanchez71]

Another rubber stamp committee.

[Rothman]

I thought that they were going to do the BUS LOOP I-81 thing in NY.

NY is.  I don't see how what AASHTO did was contrary to the plan...especially when I know NYSDOT's representative...

[hbelkins]

Another rubber stamp committee.

AASHTO has no power. It's a voluntary group. There's no reason they shouldn't approve what a state wants. And a state can defy them, or bypass their approval process entirely, without any repercussions.

[zzcarp]

Another rubber stamp committee.

AASHTO has no power. It's a voluntary group. There's no reason they shouldn't approve what a state wants. And a state can defy them, or bypass their approval process entirely, without any repercussions.

IMHO, AASHTO lost whatever route integrity credibility they once had when they approved Colorado's truncating US 85 to an overpass over I-25 with no exit or signage. Yes, they have "no power" but it seems like they could look at an application from the "does this make sense" perspective and at least send some of the more ridiculous ones back for review.

[Avalanchez71]

I wonder how much it took to grease a palm to approve US 412 as "412"?

[zzcarp]

I wonder how much it took to grease a palm to approve US 412 as "412"?

Exactly. US 412 could be an x64, US 425 should be an x65, and US 400 should be a state route  (or really an x-50 or x-54 or even a newly-commissioned x66).

Perhaps the real question is how to get more roadgeeks into the DOTs and appointed as AASHTO reps to strengthen the integrity of the system. I'm too far into my private site civil engineering career to switch to transportation/route planning with a state DOT, but maybe some of the younger folks on this forum could take that on. Maybe we need a private advocacy group pressuring our DOTs and AASHTO. I don't know the answer but I'd love to hear other's thoughts.

[SEWIGuy]

I wonder how much it took to grease a palm to approve US 412 as "412"?

Exactly. US 412 could be an x64, US 425 should be an x65, and US 400 should be a state route  (or really an x-50 or x-54 or even a newly-commissioned x66).

Perhaps the real question is how to get more roadgeeks into the DOTs and appointed as AASHTO reps to strengthen the integrity of the system. I'm too far into my private site civil engineering career to switch to transportation/route planning with a state DOT, but maybe some of the younger folks on this forum could take that on. Maybe we need a private advocacy group pressuring our DOTs and AASHTO. I don't know the answer but I'd love to hear other's thoughts.

The "integrity of the system?" The system is by and large just fine...as is US-412.

[vdeane]

I wonder how much it took to grease a palm to approve US 412 as "412"?

Exactly. US 412 could be an x64, US 425 should be an x65, and US 400 should be a state route  (or really an x-50 or x-54 or even a newly-commissioned x66).

Perhaps the real question is how to get more roadgeeks into the DOTs and appointed as AASHTO reps to strengthen the integrity of the system. I'm too far into my private site civil engineering career to switch to transportation/route planning with a state DOT, but maybe some of the younger folks on this forum could take that on. Maybe we need a private advocacy group pressuring our DOTs and AASHTO. I don't know the answer but I'd love to hear other's thoughts.

The "integrity of the system?" The system is by and large just fine...as is US-412.

I guess changing how people view the system would be something an advocacy group would do.  I tend to think of the interstate system as the backbone of automotive transportation in this country, and the numbering as a valuable navigational tool that adds a sense of place to every spot in the system, but it seems like even here that's a minority view, and a practically unheard of view elsewhere - people outside this forum tend to see interstates, at best, as corridors that happen to meet certain standards and political will to get the red, white, and blue shield, or worse, a brand meant to promote business development.

As a DOT employee, I can't form such a group or help run it, but I believe I made a similar comment in the past.

(personal opinion)

[kphoger]

The "integrity of the system?" The system is by and large just fine...as is US-412.

You know, the system that, since the beginning, has had two separate routes numbered US-2.  And US-41 to the east of US-31 all the way from Nashville to the Gulf.  And US-17 to the east of US-1 for–well, for its entirety, right?  Yep, that's the numbering system whose integrity needs to be maintained.

[SEWIGuy]

The "integrity of the system?" The system is by and large just fine...as is US-412.

You know, the system that, since the beginning, has had two separate routes numbered US-2.  And US-41 to the east of US-31 all the way from Nashville to the Gulf.  And US-17 to the east of US-1 for–well, for its entirety, right?  Yep, that's the numbering system whose integrity needs to be maintained.

Exactly.

[SEWIGuy]

I wonder how much it took to grease a palm to approve US 412 as "412"?

Exactly. US 412 could be an x64, US 425 should be an x65, and US 400 should be a state route  (or really an x-50 or x-54 or even a newly-commissioned x66).

Perhaps the real question is how to get more roadgeeks into the DOTs and appointed as AASHTO reps to strengthen the integrity of the system. I'm too far into my private site civil engineering career to switch to transportation/route planning with a state DOT, but maybe some of the younger folks on this forum could take that on. Maybe we need a private advocacy group pressuring our DOTs and AASHTO. I don't know the answer but I'd love to hear other's thoughts.

The "integrity of the system?" The system is by and large just fine...as is US-412.

I guess changing how people view the system would be something an advocacy group would do.  I tend to think of the interstate system as the backbone of automotive transportation in this country, and the numbering as a valuable navigational tool that adds a sense of place to every spot in the system, but it seems like even here that's a minority view, and a practically unheard of view elsewhere - people outside this forum tend to see interstates, at best, as corridors that happen to meet certain standards and political will to get the red, white, and blue shield, or worse, a brand meant to promote business development.

Your opinion is your opinion and that's fine, but advocating for the "integrity of the system" seems very anachronistic to me in this day and age when people care much more about the items you list in your last sentence. (And I don't think there is anything wrong with using interstates as a brand for economic development.)

[Scott5114]

With regards to US-412, at this point the ship has sailed, docked at a foreign port, come back, sailed again, been put in drydock for repair, been sold, bought, sailed again, etc...

What I want is just an explanation of why the number 412 was chosen! Even if it's a dumb reason, I just want to know why that number!