Recent posts

#1

Northeast / Re: Massachusetts

Last post by SectorZ - Today at 05:25:34 PM

I'll ask to pardon my ignorance on this, but are states allowed to willy-nilly toll interstates? I know they've wanted to, and I thought the only way they could was with Lexus lanes. Things like 93 and 95 in NH pre-date their route numbering.

#2

Traffic Control / Re: Erroneous road signs

Last post by roadman65 - Today at 05:18:29 PM

https://maps.app.goo.gl/v6bm5RFum1f9udjk9
Newport, RI. RI Route 138 turns right here, and not left. Contractor error during the removal of the former interchange.

#3

General Highway Talk / Re: Most Bestest EZ-Pass Trans...

Last post by paulthemapguy - Today at 04:46:21 PM

I know a bunch of out-of-staters that use Illinois Tollway's IPass because of how convenient it is.  You can walk up to the customer service desk at any old Jewel grocery store in Chicagoland and request one. There is no fee to pay for the transponder per se; they will ask for $10 up front, but that money will go into your tollway account toward future tolls. There is no monthly fee. They give you all you need to stick the transponder to your vehicle--though I suppose that isn't a difficult feat now that the new transponders they issue ARE just stickers.  IPasses are just a daily part of life for a lot of Chicagolanders, so Illinois Tollway knows they would be hearing it if they didn't make it as convenient as possible. Not to be a shill... but you can learn more here: https://www.illinoistollway.com/about-ipass

#4

Great Lakes and Ohio Valley / Re: Illinois: Round Mile Mark...

Last post by paulthemapguy - Today at 04:24:27 PM

State maintained =/= state route.

Wat.

It's state-maintained and it's a route. It's a state route.  It may not be a State Route, but it's a state route. The adjective "state" and the noun "route" are both correct.

IDOT maintains plenty of roads that are not signed routes. Besides signed numerical designations, there is a separate internal set of numerical designations for various roads across Illinois, state-maintained and otherwise (shown as "FAP", "FAU", etc.). But I don't think that's even what appears at the top of these mile markers.  The process of deciding these numbers for the top of these mile markers has always been a mystery to me. Such numbers are usually in the 8000s or 900s (though 316 is an oddball).

Bill Burmaster's (rmsandw) site has covered a plethora of these unsigned state highways: https://www.billburmaster.com/rmsandw/illinois/misc/il900.html

Here are a few I have found in the wild:


IL-8677 by Paul Across America, on Flickr


IL-905WR-I-474 by Paul Across America, on Flickr


IL-911-0MI by Paul Across America, on Flickr


IL-919 by Paul Across America, on Flickr

#5

Traffic Control / Re: Unique, Odd, or Interestin...

Last post by Amaury - Today at 04:12:05 PM

This is on US Route 2 at the Idaho and Montana border. I don't think I've seen a sign that actually said state line: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZbUjEXdFeByQtAuR8

Much more commonly, it's a unique welcome to the state sign, as seen farther up in that capture. Sometimes, it's also a generic "Entering State," like at the Washington and Oregon state lines in a couple places, such as the Interstate 5 bridge between Vancouver and Portland.

That Idaho sign is also kind of wrong by having "standard" in there. Just have Pacific Time Zone, like the Montana side does in the other direction, except it's Mountain instead of Pacific. And what's with the hyphens?

#6

Central States / Re: Cashless Tolling coming so...

Last post by okroads - Today at 04:11:08 PM

I'm a little surprised that the Turner will not be the last to go cashless as it is the most traveled rural turnpike in the state and believe the plan was for it to convert last. There was an accident at one of the toll booths near Stroud recently, and I wonder if that pushed the Turner Turnpike to convert earlier than originally planned.

#7

Sports / Re: NFL (2024 Season)

Last post by epzik8 - Today at 04:08:19 PM

All of a sudden, Jayden Daniels doesn't appear headed to Landover after whatever that quarterback visit was.

I think this might end up benefiting the Vikings efforts to trade up. I have a hunch Daniels might fall a bit, perhaps into an easier range for the Vikings to trade into.

I feel it would be a coup for the Vikings. I'm really uninterested in any of the QBs below Drake Maye, so that would have me feeling a lot better.

I just don't want us (Commanders) to trade the second pick to the Raiders as some are suggesting, if it means we have to wait another year for a top prospect who may not be as capable as any of this year's.

Well it sounds like this mess has been averted.

#8

Southeast / Re: I-40 in North Carolina

Last post by ARMOURERERIC - Today at 04:05:54 PM

The design year traffic volume is at least 20 years from the time construction is planned to start. The design year is 2040 for this project, which is now the estimated let date. The problem is the final planning document was signed by the FHWA in 2018. Things kind of get etched into stone at that point. The final design plans can't deviate very much from what was complete when the planning document was signed without starting the planning and review process all over again. Design and planning is expensive and lead to further delays. An updated traffic forecast may still happen, but unless the forecast shows the proposed design won't operate at an acceptable level of service in the new design year, the design is unlikely to change. So, unless there are drastic changes to the land use in the area and/or significant increases in traffic volumes, the design probably won't change at this point. Traffic counts at the interchange from the past several years don't really reflect that, but the latest counts are from 2022.

I can think of several other projects off hand that have traffic forecasts that are many years old with no sign of construction starting within the next decade and have wondered if they will remain unchanged or not.

I still don't know why a SPUI wasn't considered for this location and why NCDOT doesn't build them now. They specifically cited the right-of-way limitations at this interchange as a reason for not going with a different design than what was selected. It's been several years (decade?) since a SPUI was constructed in North Carolina, and I only know of one that is still proposed at Glenwood Ave./Brier Creek Pkwy. in Raleigh. Yeah, they're expensive, but it seems like these types of locations would warrant the compact design and associated cost.

When I saw the SPUI plan, I noted it was $18m construction, $27m row.  The constraints they have are:  Historically protected structure in SE corner, major power substation in NE corner and a a multi story hotel in the NW corner that was going to be torn down for the SPUI plan.  Now at one point there was a design wherein there was to be a 40w to 64w loop ramp placed behind the motel,  ut that's not the loop they need, they need 64w to 40e for all the school traffic.  You noted a 2022 traffic study update... the UNC western school for Math and Science and the foothills occupation training center have bot opened since then with a few hundred additional college students dumping onto 64 w.

#9

Mid-Atlantic / Re: Maryland

Last post by epzik8 - Today at 04:04:59 PM

Looking at google maps, it appears there is a very easy ROW to accomodate the ICC being extended to at least the BW Parkway.  Has that ever been discussed and why has that not been done, it would seem to be an obvious addition.

"Very easy" except for a development of townhouses just opposite US 1 and MARC from the ICC's east end...

I live not too far from there and am quite familiar with that area. 
The smart way to deal with that is a short bored tunnel (not cheap
but can be done with relatively little or no impact on those homes
or the CSX Capital Sub.

Nice to know.

#10

Northeast / Re: New York

Last post by webny99 - Today at 03:40:24 PM

It's too bad I-87 doesn't have any CC sites between Glens Falls and Plattsburgh. Eclipse day saw 92k total near Saratoga and 82k near Glens Falls, but that six-lane section sees plenty of traffic already. The numbers north of Lake George relative to typical traffic were probably historic.

The Binghamton area also has a surprising lack of CC sites, particularly the I-81/86 overlap (seems important), and I-81 near the PA line (especially weird because almost all major routes to/from other states have a CC site, and many also have a WIM site). 

Admittedly, I'm a bit obsessed with getting my hands on more data, but I'm so disappointed about 81/86 that I'm even considering looking into camera footage instead. I just can't believe NYSDOT has not established a CC location anywhere on I-81 south of Whitney Point, so there's essentially no historical traffic count data for the Binghamton area.

On a more positive note though, it's great to see that NYSDOT has reactivated the CC site on I-490 just east of downtown Rochester.