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Author Topic: Other reasons to shun a highway  (Read 4313 times)

Dirt Roads

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Re: Other reasons to shun a highway
« Reply #25 on: April 26, 2022, 08:19:33 PM »

If I ever have the opportunity to shun I-45, I will, because of you-know-who.

Did you say You-know-HOU?
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dlsterner

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Re: Other reasons to shun a highway
« Reply #26 on: April 26, 2022, 08:22:40 PM »

I'm not going to shun a highway just because its number is 45.  Or 44 or 46 for that matter.  That's just silly IMHO.  Nor would I shun a highway just because of a bunch of political candidate signs.

There are some valid reasons, though ...

"1" hit on some valid ones - like if somebody close to you died in an accident at that spot (thankfully this has never happened to me).

When I take a trip, on my return I usually shun the route I took to get there.  Like any true roadgeek I want to see something different.

I sometimes shun downtown routes in favor of bypasses, even if they are longer and more time consuming.  The stress factor is less.

Also roads where there are notorious speed traps.

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Re: Other reasons to shun a highway
« Reply #27 on: April 26, 2022, 08:34:23 PM »

- Avoiding stoplights. You can sometimes come out ahead on time if you take a route that's further out of the way, or lower speed, but has fewer stoplights. Or even if there's one particular stoplight or intersection that always takes too long to get through. (Here in Norman, I try to avoid the section of 12th Avenue just north of Alameda for this reason–there's two closely-spaced lights, and one of them serves a Chick-Fil-A, so it's usually better to just go around it.)
- Avoiding awkward geometry. Things like curves so close to intersections that they can only hold one car between the intersection and the curve, turn lanes that are too short, etc.
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Re: Other reasons to shun a highway
« Reply #28 on: April 26, 2022, 09:06:04 PM »

I always avoid US 321 going to Johnson City from Boone, even though it's technically the quickest and most direct route (and the most fuel-efficient). The problem is that it's extremely curvy, so people not familiar with the route love to go ridiculously slow.

Trucks take the route for whatever reason and end up having to go 10 mph around all the curves while continuously bleeding into the oncoming lane. I would always get stuck behind one on that road. There's barely any opportunities to pass as well. They really need to ban trucks from that road and establish a US 321 Truck along US 421 and TN SR 67. I nearly hit a trailer going around a curve because it was halfway into the oncoming lane and I couldn't see it well around the curve. Not fun.

Because of this I always take NC 105 to NC 184 to NC 194 to US 19E to TN SR 361 to TN SR 362. It's far less direct but it saves so many headaches caused by US 321 and only adds a few minutes to the trip time, not to mention there's plenty of passing opportunities.

They don't call it Mountain City for nothing.  I like that route as well, except I stay on NC-105 to US-221/NC-181 to NC-194.  Unfortunately, I bypass all of the fun stuff in Banner Elk along the way.  Plus, I generally stay on US-19E to Elizabethton since I have friends there.  On the other hand, US-321 still takes less time even riding behind all of those trucks.  There's certainly not as many trucks on NC-105 that brave going up Grandfather Mountain, which is a smooth ride but will wear out your brakes in one trip (if you don't have a Jake brake).

I know a few people in the Tri-Cities who shun Elizabethton's roads, citing traffic and stupid drivers, but I've been there plenty of times and never encountered bad traffic and bad drivers like I do in Boone. Has it been the same for you?

The most frustrating points on my alternate route to Johnson City are still slow drivers where there's no passing opportunities (NC 105 heading down the hill comes to mind as well as NC 194 between Banner Elk and Elk Park, but usually that road is pretty deserted so it's not common) but they bother me less than 321. In the mountains you just have to learn to deal with it most of the time.

321 seems to be disliked around here. I've talked to a few random people around here about typical small talk stuff like traffic, and a few of them have complained about 321 and said they take the same route as you do which uses Newland if I'm right.
« Last Edit: April 26, 2022, 10:36:18 PM by index »
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DandyDan

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Re: Other reasons to shun a highway
« Reply #29 on: April 27, 2022, 05:09:24 AM »

During the period I lived in Omaha, my dad followed a specific route to my aunt's farm in SW Minnesota that followed county roads mostly to avoid cops that were on US 75. I also know my parents preferred I-280 around the Quad Cities over I-80 just to avoid the loop at the east end of I-280.

I wonder how many people avoid I-35E through St. Paul solely because of the reduced speed limit.
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Re: Other reasons to shun a highway
« Reply #30 on: April 27, 2022, 05:32:01 AM »

I’ll take the less direct route to avoid truck traffic
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Re: Other reasons to shun a highway
« Reply #31 on: April 27, 2022, 07:10:28 AM »

Sometimes I'll shun freeways all together and take the back road.
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kphoger

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Re: Other reasons to shun a highway
« Reply #32 on: April 27, 2022, 09:46:53 AM »

- Avoiding stoplights. You can sometimes come out ahead on time if you take a route that's further out of the way, or lower speed, but has fewer stoplights. Or even if there's one particular stoplight or intersection that always takes too long to get through.

The trick to figuring this out for a route you haven't done before is in guessing whether the stoplights in question are likely or unlikely to hold up your progress.

For example, a minor cross-road on a major four-lane thoroughfare is a lot more likely to be green–and to be short if it's red–than a series of downtown signalized intersections in a mid-sized town.

You can help mitigate the damage to your progress by planning fuel or meal stops at those locations most likely to hold you up.
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Re: Other reasons to shun a highway
« Reply #33 on: April 27, 2022, 10:30:49 AM »

In Chicago, it was the Dan Ryan because of the shootings and rock throwing incidents that took place along that expressway. And count me in as another commuter who shunned L.A. freeways whenever it was possible. Unless it was a road trip out of town (including a drive back home in my college days), I found absolutely no reason to take them.
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Re: Other reasons to shun a highway
« Reply #34 on: April 27, 2022, 10:45:04 AM »

Another reason to shun a route:  especially in an urban environment, avoiding railroad grade crossings.
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webny99

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Re: Other reasons to shun a highway
« Reply #35 on: April 27, 2022, 11:13:46 AM »

You can help mitigate the damage to your progress by planning fuel or meal stops at those locations most likely to hold you up.

That sounds like an excellent motto for Shamokin Dam, PA:biggrin:
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jdbx

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Re: Other reasons to shun a highway
« Reply #36 on: April 27, 2022, 12:09:04 PM »

I frequently shun I-80 between Sacramento and Vacaville on holiday weekends due to the severe traffic.  It's always especially bad heading west on Sundays through the US-50 merge and the various lane drops between Davis and Dixon.  My preferred way to shun this route is to use I-5 North between Sacramento and Woodland, then cut across to I-505 on one of the county roads or CA-16.  I don't believe it saves much time, but it's much more pleasant to be moving than in a bumper-to-bumper slog.
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I-55

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Re: Other reasons to shun a highway
« Reply #37 on: April 27, 2022, 12:19:52 PM »

Another reason to shun a route:  especially in an urban environment, avoiding railroad grade crossings.

I often take backroads just to see if I can get stopped by a train. One of the highlights of my childhood was visiting my grandpa who lived next to CSX tracks, and we always looked forward to watching the coal trains go by. Nowadays, I''ll sometimes drive a half hour up to Waterloo just to watch the intermodals on the Chicago Line, usually one train every 20 minutes.
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hbelkins

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Re: Other reasons to shun a highway
« Reply #38 on: April 27, 2022, 12:34:09 PM »

I always avoid US 321 going to Johnson City from Boone, even though it's technically the quickest and most direct route (and the most fuel-efficient). The problem is that it's extremely curvy, so people not familiar with the route love to go ridiculously slow.

Trucks take the route for whatever reason and end up having to go 10 mph around all the curves while continuously bleeding into the oncoming lane. I would always get stuck behind one on that road. There's barely any opportunities to pass as well. They really need to ban trucks from that road and establish a US 321 Truck along US 421 and TN SR 67. I nearly hit a trailer going around a curve because it was halfway into the oncoming lane and I couldn't see it well around the curve. Not fun.

Because of this I always take NC 105 to NC 184 to NC 194 to US 19E to TN SR 361 to TN SR 362. It's far less direct but it saves so many headaches caused by US 321 and only adds a few minutes to the trip time, not to mention there's plenty of passing opportunities.

They don't call it Mountain City for nothing.  I like that route as well, except I stay on NC-105 to US-221/NC-181 to NC-194.  Unfortunately, I bypass all of the fun stuff in Banner Elk along the way.  Plus, I generally stay on US-19E to Elizabethton since I have friends there.  On the other hand, US-321 still takes less time even riding behind all of those trucks.  There's certainly not as many trucks on NC-105 that brave going up Grandfather Mountain, which is a smooth ride but will wear out your brakes in one trip (if you don't have a Jake brake).

I need to do some more exploring in this area and try this route sometime.

I've often stated that my preferred route to Boone is to get to Abingdon, and then use US 58, VA/TN 91, and then US 421. From my starting point, it's certainly better than either US 421 out of Bristol (been that way once and don't plan to use the road again) or US 321 out of JC/Elizabethton.

As far as shunning roads in general, I try to avoid the following:

Congestion
Poor alignment or pavement condition
Familiar routes to a frequent destination if there are suitable alternates available
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Re: Other reasons to shun a highway
« Reply #39 on: April 27, 2022, 12:47:14 PM »

- Avoiding stoplights. You can sometimes come out ahead on time if you take a route that's further out of the way, or lower speed, but has fewer stoplights. Or even if there's one particular stoplight or intersection that always takes too long to get through.

The trick to figuring this out for a route you haven't done before is in guessing whether the stoplights in question are likely or unlikely to hold up your progress.

For example, a minor cross-road on a major four-lane thoroughfare is a lot more likely to be green—and to be short if it's red—than a series of downtown signalized intersections in a mid-sized town.

You can help mitigate the damage to your progress by planning fuel or meal stops at those locations most likely to hold you up.

I find stoplights can also save time in certain situations. If I have to turn left onto a large busy highway, it's almost always quicker, safer, and less stressful to do that at a light rather than wait forever at a stop sign and gun it into the road when a gap in traffic finally does show up.

JoePCool14

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Re: Other reasons to shun a highway
« Reply #40 on: April 27, 2022, 01:51:50 PM »

In Chicago, it was the Dan Ryan because of the shootings and rock throwing incidents that took place along that expressway. And count me in as another commuter who shunned L.A. freeways whenever it was possible. Unless it was a road trip out of town (including a drive back home in my college days), I found absolutely no reason to take them.

Definitely a valid reason. We haven't driven through I-90/94 on the south side for a few years now because of that. We always opt for I-294, even when going to Indiana. That's also the reason I haven't traveled I-55, I-57, or I-290 within the city much.

Also a valid reason to shun a highway: simply wanting to take a different route.
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Re: Other reasons to shun a highway
« Reply #41 on: April 27, 2022, 01:56:02 PM »

How many shootings and rock-throwing incidents were there on the Ryan?  And what is the AADT on it?  I have a moderately strong suspicion that one could have driven the Ryan every day for a year during that time and still have had a statistically greater risk of being struck by lightning.
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Re: Other reasons to shun a highway
« Reply #42 on: April 27, 2022, 02:14:14 PM »

How many shootings and rock-throwing incidents were there on the Ryan?  And what is the AADT on it?  I have a moderately strong suspicion that one could have driven the Ryan every day for a year during that time and still have had a statistically greater risk of being struck by lightning.
Eliminate the targeted shootings, and you'd have a statistically greater chance of winning the Powerball jackpot.

On our way to our Global Entry appointments this morning, we, along with a number of other vehicles, nearly got broadsided by a (likely drunk) driver of an SUV that tried to take the S-curve on southbound Lake Shore Drive while driving too fast.  Am I going to avoid southbound Lake Shore Drive at the S-curve on Wednesday mornings around 10:15?  Of course not.
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Re: Other reasons to shun a highway
« Reply #43 on: April 27, 2022, 02:39:22 PM »

I avoid crappy pavement. But that's not always possible.

And if I have a choice of a Michigan Left or not, I'll often choose the not option, all other things being equal.
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webny99

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Re: Other reasons to shun a highway
« Reply #44 on: April 27, 2022, 03:10:26 PM »

I find stoplights can also save time in certain situations. If I have to turn left onto a large busy highway, it's almost always quicker, safer, and less stressful to do that at a light rather than wait forever at a stop sign and gun it into the road when a gap in traffic finally does show up.

Concur, and not even just in busy commercial areas. This can happen in residential areas, too. Sometimes these intersections are signalized if they're busy enough, even seemingly obscure side streets like this one.
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Dirt Roads

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Re: Other reasons to shun a highway
« Reply #45 on: April 27, 2022, 04:19:33 PM »

I always avoid US 321 going to Johnson City from Boone, even though it's technically the quickest and most direct route (and the most fuel-efficient). The problem is that it's extremely curvy, so people not familiar with the route love to go ridiculously slow.

Trucks take the route for whatever reason and end up having to go 10 mph around all the curves while continuously bleeding into the oncoming lane. I would always get stuck behind one on that road. There's barely any opportunities to pass as well. They really need to ban trucks from that road and establish a US 321 Truck along US 421 and TN SR 67. I nearly hit a trailer going around a curve because it was halfway into the oncoming lane and I couldn't see it well around the curve. Not fun.

Because of this I always take NC 105 to NC 184 to NC 194 to US 19E to TN SR 361 to TN SR 362. It's far less direct but it saves so many headaches caused by US 321 and only adds a few minutes to the trip time, not to mention there's plenty of passing opportunities.

They don't call it Mountain City for nothing.  I like that route as well, except I stay on NC-105 to US-221/NC-181 to NC-194.  Unfortunately, I bypass all of the fun stuff in Banner Elk along the way.  Plus, I generally stay on US-19E to Elizabethton since I have friends there.  On the other hand, US-321 still takes less time even riding behind all of those trucks.  There's certainly not as many trucks on NC-105 that brave going up Grandfather Mountain, which is a smooth ride but will wear out your brakes in one trip (if you don't have a Jake brake).

I know a few people in the Tri-Cities who shun Elizabethton's roads, citing traffic and stupid drivers, but I've been there plenty of times and never encountered bad traffic and bad drivers like I do in Boone. Has it been the same for you?

The most frustrating points on my alternate route to Johnson City are still slow drivers where there's no passing opportunities (NC 105 heading down the hill comes to mind as well as NC 194 between Banner Elk and Elk Park, but usually that road is pretty deserted so it's not common) but they bother me less than 321. In the mountains you just have to learn to deal with it most of the time.

321 seems to be disliked around here. I've talked to a few random people around here about typical small talk stuff like traffic, and a few of them have complained about 321 and said they take the same route as you do which uses Newland if I'm right.

You are correct; my route goes through Newland.  That takes you way further south than you want to go, but it's much straighter and about the same time (and less congested, if you want to compare downtown Newland to downtown Banner Elk).

I've got a friend in Charlotte who still uses a doctor in Johnson City and he hates the road through Elizabethton.  I've never found US-321 to be a problem, but I've always gone through early morning/late night on weekends or midday during the week.
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Dirt Roads

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Re: Other reasons to shun a highway
« Reply #46 on: April 27, 2022, 04:25:45 PM »

How about when the "highway" is not the shortest route.  I've had several arguments about this on MTR and AARoads, but I still think the best route between Winchester, Virginia and Pittsburgh is US-522 -to- VA/WV-129 -to- WV-29 -to- WV-9/MD-51 -to- I-68 -to- US-40 -to- PA-51.  (Oh well, there is one short section of Interstate in that mess).  My preferred route between Winchester and Greensburg avoided all of the Interstates along the way.
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Re: Other reasons to shun a highway
« Reply #47 on: April 27, 2022, 04:28:34 PM »

I've shunned highways and roads to avoid particularly bad intersections. Best example I can think of in a non urban/suburban area is the ID-55/Banks-Lowman Rd intersection here. We went rafting last summer in Lowman, ID, and using ID-55 and Banks-Lowman Rd is the fastest way to get there from the part of Boise we started, which is what we did on the way there.

But that intersection is controlled by a 2 way stop, and ID-55 gets heavy traffic at times, particularly in the summer on the weekends. Add to that that most people are wanting to turn left onto SB ID-55. Our rafting trip was on a Friday, so by the time we were leaving, I was worried the weekend traffic up to Cascade/McCall would be in full force on 55. I have no way to know for this specific day (no cell service in the area, so you can't check Google Maps for traffic), but my suspicion is that the intersection would have been super backed up on Banks-Lowman Rd there, and we would have been stuck there for 20+ minutes.

We instead took ID-21 through Idaho City. It's not that much longer depending on what part of Boise you're trying to get to, but it was a bit longer for us, plus it's a much curvier road and goes over a much higher pass, so your average speed is lower. Traffic was minimal the whole way, which is typical for that highway. My wife who occasionally gets motion sickness was not a fan of the decision, but I think it was the smart one. Plus, I'll always take advantage of the variety in scenery/roads when it makes sense.
« Last Edit: April 27, 2022, 04:36:54 PM by doorknob60 »
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Re: Other reasons to shun a highway
« Reply #48 on: April 28, 2022, 12:43:00 PM »

I shunned a stretch of highway (US-160) in Colorado on the segment we drove from Boise City, OK to La Junta, CO because of my aversion to add 14 miles to my trip, so I barrelled down County Road W at 60MPH as it was a straight shot and cut off the aforementioned 14 miles (plus one small town).  At least it was smoother than most of the paved streets in Bentonville, AR, so other than dust that needed washing off along with the accumulated bug guts, it saved several minutes of drive time as well.
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Re: Other reasons to shun a highway
« Reply #49 on: April 28, 2022, 12:57:23 PM »

I shunned a stretch of highway (US-160) in Colorado on the segment we drove from Boise City, OK to La Junta, CO because of my aversion to add 14 miles to my trip, so I barrelled down County Road W at 60MPH as it was a straight shot and cut off the aforementioned 14 miles (plus one small town).  At least it was smoother than most of the paved streets in Bentonville, AR, so other than dust that needed washing off along with the accumulated bug guts, it saved several minutes of drive time as well.

Speaking of La Junta, I once considered but ultimately decided against shaving 3 miles off the US-50 routing through town, and having a little gravel-road fun in the process.

On the other side of the Kansas state line, I've known people who shave 4 miles off the K-25 routing through Russell Springs by taking a gravel road.  In fact, if you remove the waypoint on the map I linked to, there's a good chance that the gravel route is actually what Google Maps suggests.
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