Most Worthless Control Cities

[Occidental Tourist]

In SoCal: Hollywood as a control city on the 170 south, Los Angeles and Artesia as control cities on the 91 west, Anaheim as a control city on the 55 north, South County as a control city on the 241, Santa Margarita as a control city on the 241 and 133.

[Katavia]

Used to be I-485 with "Rock Hill SC" - they've fixed it now  to NCDOT

BUT I-85 between Charlotte and High Point is still "Kannapolis (arrow here)" on directional signs for exit ramps

[paulthemapguy]

A couple more dumb ones in Illinois:

From I-80/94/294, the exit to IL-394 is signed as "Danville."  Danville is like 2.5 hours away down IL-1.  NOBODY is taking that exit so they can get all the way to Danville.  Labeling a town on IL-1 is fine since IL-394 connects to IL-1, but at least understand it's being used locally for towns like Crete and Beecher.  Not Danville Lol.

North of I-55/70 in Illinois, I-255 is signed as toward "Interstate 270."  They used Interstate 270 as a control city.
Perhaps sign this as toward Alton/Godfrey or even just Bethalto or Roxana.  But it'd be nice if we used an actual town!
The issue might be that I-255 and IL-255 are two different routes, so they don't want to put a control city on the sign unless it's actually on I-255.  But maybe we could change I-255 north of I-55 into a new numbered route like I-755 (and extend it to include IL-255).  Why hasn't IL-255 been upgraded to an Interstate, anyway?

[tckma]

Rocky Mount, NC, on I-95 South through Richmond.

[mrsman]

In SoCal: Hollywood as a control city on the 170 south, Los Angeles and Artesia as control cities on the 91 west, Anaheim as a control city on the 55 north, South County as a control city on the 241, Santa Margarita as a control city on the 241 and 133.

They need to use Hollywood on the 170 to distinguish the control city of Los Angeles on I-5.  But in reality, both the 170 and I-5 go to Downtown LA equally well.  (And 170 to 101 is the only way for trucks to reach the CBD without leaving freeways because of the truck restriction on the 110.) My preference though would be Los Angeles via Hollywood on the 170 and Los Angeles via Burbank on the 5, only signed where the two freeways split.

[roadman65]

In West Palm Beach, FL on US 98 & FL 80 there is the very same city the interchange is in as the NB Control city for I-95 N Bound.

[tckma]

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Baltimore,+MD/@39.3098034,-76.7450686,3a,66.8y,200.08h,94.57t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1saKk9ko3h-ochGL9Zp6GoUw!2e0!4m2!3m1!1s0x89c803aed6f483b7:0x44896a84223e758

I've heard that "Local Traffic" is where you can get on one of those buses going to "Charter."  But judging from those buses, "Charter" is a just town full of old people anyway.

[SP Cook]

IMHO, understanding the fundamental geographic illiteracy that aflicts many people, a control city should, in most cases, should be the next town with enough economic, social, political, or populational significance that a reasonablly in-tune person would have heard of, with particular "extra points" given for junctions with other routes of equal rank.  Particular importance given when two roads of equal rank diverge in the same signed direction (i.e. 77 and 79 in Charleston, WV or 85 and 95 in Petersburg, VA) . 

And, and we have had this discussion before, what exactly does one do with I-80 between Youngstown and Newark?  It is through one of the more unpopulated parts of the east and really passes through no town of any consequence.  They have to say something.  Youngstown and Newark / NYC are not helpful either.

Anyway, in and near WV, I would first nominate Fairmont.   An insignificant town of 17K used as the control city north of Clarksburg and south of Morgantown.  Really Morgantown should be that.  And then in Morgantowon, they use Washington, PA, the PA being needed because the first use is the junction with 68 so the real Washington is the exact other way.   Yes, it is the junction with 70, but really Pittsburgh is vastly more important. 

Bluefield is used on 77 for historical reasons, as it used to be a far more significant place, but really Princeton has eclipsed it and the logical way to Bluefield is not 77 at the Princeton exit.     I don't get Ohio use of Marrietta and then Cambridge on 77.  Should be Cleveland.  And I have never gotten Kentucky's use of Ashland on 64.  64 really does not go to Ashland, and Huntington is a much larger place. 

[Joe The Dragon]

Staying in Illinois, I-355 North from I-80 lists Rockford even though the interstate doesn't go anywhere near the city (it feeds into I-290, which links to I-90 that heads to Rockford). Honestly it should be labeled Schaumburg

What about someday volo or maybe even Richmond / wisconsin? When IL-53 / IL-120 is build?

[epzik8]

I know there's a section of I-80 in PA that's signed as "80 East- Bloomsburg."  What the crap is a Bloomsburg?

Well, Bloomsburg is home to the 10,000-student Bloomsburg University. Therefore, it's a college town and was probably deemed notable enough by PennDOT or whoever to be a control city.

[TXtoNJ]

I'd say if it's not part of a top 200 Primary Statistical Area per Census standards, then it doesn't belong on a control city sign.

[roadman]

Why do I-93 North signs in parts of Massachusetts say "Concord NH"? Manchester NH is closer and larger.

I assume it's because 93 goes directly through Concord, while staying away and out of sight of downtown Manchester....which is served by 3 & I-293.

The signs on I-93 used to say Salem NH.  They were changed to read Concord NH during the 1991-1992 sign replacement projects between Somerville and Methuen.  The story goes that this change was made to appease the Salem MA Chamber of Commerce, who had apparently complained to MassDPW that throngs of tourists destined for the Witch City were winding up in New Hampshire instead.

As those projects replaced the sign panels but kept the structures, Concord NH was used as a replacement instead of Manchester NH due to panel width constraints.  The latest round of I-93 sign replacements done between 2011 and 2014 kept Concord NH as the control city, although both the signs and structures were changed out.  AFAIK, the suggestion to change the signs to Manchester NH, which IMO has some merit to it, never formally came up during the design review process for the work.

[OracleUsr]

Regarding "Rocky Mount, NC" on I-95 in Virginia and "Bloomsberg(sp?)" for I-80W in PA, I'm not sure what else you would use for either as an alternative.  Same with "Benson" on I-40 (I guess Wilmington alone might work, except I-40 ends a fair distance from Wilmington proper.

[PHLBOS]

Why do I-93 North signs in parts of Massachusetts say "Concord NH"? Manchester NH is closer and larger.

I assume it's because 93 goes directly through Concord, while staying away and out of sight of downtown Manchester....which is served by 3 & I-293.

The signs on I-93 used to say Salem NH.  They were changed to read Concord NH during the 1991-1992 sign replacement projects between Somerville and Methuen.  The story goes that this change was made to appease the Salem MA Chamber of Commerce, who had apparently complained to MassDPW that throngs of tourists destined for the Witch City were winding up in New Hampshire instead.

As those projects replaced the sign panels but kept the structures, Concord NH was used as a replacement instead of Manchester NH due to panel width constraints.  The latest round of I-93 sign replacements done between 2011 and 2014 kept Concord NH as the control city, although both the signs and structures were changed out.  AFAIK, the suggestion to change the signs to Manchester NH, which IMO has some merit to it, never formally came up during the design review process for the work.

Side bar question: the above doesn't explain why Lawrence was dropped from being an I-93 control city during the early 90s?  Many of the 70s era BGS'/LGS', that the ones from the early 90s replaced, included it w/the Salem, NH listing or even just listed Lawrence alone.

[roadman]

Why do I-93 North signs in parts of Massachusetts say "Concord NH"? Manchester NH is closer and larger.

I assume it's because 93 goes directly through Concord, while staying away and out of sight of downtown Manchester....which is served by 3 & I-293.

The signs on I-93 used to say Salem NH.  They were changed to read Concord NH during the 1991-1992 sign replacement projects between Somerville and Methuen.  The story goes that this change was made to appease the Salem MA Chamber of Commerce, who had apparently complained to MassDPW that throngs of tourists destined for the Witch City were winding up in New Hampshire instead.

As those projects replaced the sign panels but kept the structures, Concord NH was used as a replacement instead of Manchester NH due to panel width constraints.  The latest round of I-93 sign replacements done between 2011 and 2014 kept Concord NH as the control city, although both the signs and structures were changed out.  AFAIK, the suggestion to change the signs to Manchester NH, which IMO has some merit to it, never formally came up during the design review process for the work.

Side bar question: the above doesn't explain why Lawrence was dropped from being an I-93 control city during the early 90s?  Many of the 70s era BGS'/LGS', that the ones from the early 90s replaced, included it w/the Salem, NH listing or even just listed Lawrence alone.

You can thank the FHWA regional office, which had final approval on the early 1990s sign replacements, for that one.  Or, more specifically, one particular FHWA engineer who required that a) ALL destinations on LGS and BGS signs in an Interstate highway project be approved control cities and b) insisted that all LGS signs on secondary roads (MassDPW D6/D8 panels) for the Interstate entrances have identical legends on the advance and point of turn signs - MassDPW practice for years was to provide a second destination on a point of turn D6 sign that followed an advance D8 sign.

[WillWeaverRVA]

Regarding "Rocky Mount, NC" on I-95 in Virginia and "Bloomsburg" for I-80W in PA, I'm not sure what else you would use for either as an alternative.  Same with "Benson" on I-40 (I guess Wilmington alone might work, except I-40 ends a fair distance from Wilmington proper.

I think Rocky Mount is fine as a control city for I-95. Its population is larger than Petersburg's and there's a major freeway-freeway connection to Raleigh there with US 64. If you didn't want to use it, though, there's always Fayetteville (similar to Richmond in terms of population), which actually is used as a control city on I-95 south of Rocky Mount.

[FrCorySticha]

I'd say if it's not part of a top 200 Primary Statistical Area per Census standards, then it doesn't belong on a control city sign.

By that logic, I-94 W out of Fargo, ND, and I-90 W out of Sioux Falls, SD, would have Spokane, WA as the control city. Fargo to Spokane is over 1100 miles, and Sioux Falls to Spokane is over 1200 (using the US 212 cut off through SD and MT). Bismarck on I-94, Rapid City and Sheridan, WY on I-90, and Billings on both are used as control cities currently, but no longer if the cutoff was top 200.

[jbnv]

I'd say if it's not part of a top 200 Primary Statistical Area per Census standards, then it doesn't belong on a control city sign.

That that include the smaller state capitals?

[PHLBOS]

Side bar question: the above doesn't explain why Lawrence was dropped from being an I-93 control city during the early 90s?  Many of the 70s era BGS'/LGS', that the ones from the early 90s replaced, included it w/the Salem, NH listing or even just listed Lawrence alone.

You can thank the FHWA regional office, which had final approval on the early 1990s sign replacements, for that one.  Or, more specifically, one particular FHWA engineer who required that a) ALL destinations on LGS and BGS signs in an Interstate highway project be approved control cities and b) insisted that all LGS signs on secondary roads (MassDPW D6/D8 panels) for the Interstate entrances have identical legends on the advance and point of turn signs - MassDPW practice for years was to provide a second destination on a point of turn D6 sign that followed an advance D8 sign.

Not quite the question I was asking (dual control city listings).  I was asking why Lawrence was removed as an approved control city of I-93?

As earlier stated, there were many BGS'/LGS' from the 70s (& 80s) that listed just Lawrence on the I-93 northbound signs.  The old early 70s vintage BGS' at the Woburn I-95/MA 128 interchange being one example out of many.

[hotdogPi]

Side bar question: the above doesn't explain why Lawrence was dropped from being an I-93 control city during the early 90s?  Many of the 70s era BGS'/LGS', that the ones from the early 90s replaced, included it w/the Salem, NH listing or even just listed Lawrence alone.

You can thank the FHWA regional office, which had final approval on the early 1990s sign replacements, for that one.  Or, more specifically, one particular FHWA engineer who required that a) ALL destinations on LGS and BGS signs in an Interstate highway project be approved control cities and b) insisted that all LGS signs on secondary roads (MassDPW D6/D8 panels) for the Interstate entrances have identical legends on the advance and point of turn signs - MassDPW practice for years was to provide a second destination on a point of turn D6 sign that followed an advance D8 sign.

Not quite the question I was asking (dual control city listings).  I was asking why Lawrence was removed as an approved control city of I-93?

As earlier stated, there were many BGS'/LGS' from the 70s (& 80s) that listed just Lawrence on the I-93 northbound signs.  The old early 70s vintage BGS' at the Woburn I-95/MA 128 interchange being one example out of many.

I-93 doesn't enter Lawrence.

I'd say if it's not part of a top 200 Primary Statistical Area per Census standards, then it doesn't belong on a control city sign.

That that include the smaller state capitals?

I-90 has no state capitals on the aforementioned section.

[jbnv]

I'd say if it's not part of a top 200 Primary Statistical Area per Census standards, then it doesn't belong on a control city sign.

That that include the smaller state capitals?

I-90 has no state capitals on the aforementioned section.

Um...

By that logic, I-94 W out of Fargo, ND, and I-90 W out of Sioux Falls, SD, would have Spokane, WA as the control city. Fargo to Spokane is over 1100 miles, and Sioux Falls to Spokane is over 1200 (using the US 212 cut off through SD and MT). Bismarck on I-94, Rapid City and Sheridan, WY on I-90, and Billings on both are used as control cities currently, but no longer if the cutoff was top 200.

Is Bismarck no longer the capital of North Dakota?

[hotdogPi]

I'd say if it's not part of a top 200 Primary Statistical Area per Census standards, then it doesn't belong on a control city sign.

That that include the smaller state capitals?

I-90 has no state capitals on the aforementioned section.

Um...

By that logic, I-94 W out of Fargo, ND, and I-90 W out of Sioux Falls, SD, would have Spokane, WA as the control city. Fargo to Spokane is over 1100 miles, and Sioux Falls to Spokane is over 1200 (using the US 212 cut off through SD and MT). Bismarck on I-94, Rapid City and Sheridan, WY on I-90, and Billings on both are used as control cities currently, but no longer if the cutoff was top 200.

Is Bismarck no longer the capital of North Dakota?

Bismarck has I-94, not I-90.

[jbnv]

Bismarck has I-94, not I-90.

You brought up I-90, not me.

[PHLBOS]

I-93 doesn't enter Lawrence.

I-95, in its current alignment, doesn't enter Boston either but is still signed as such.

Newer BGS' along the NJ Turnpike are signed for both Trenton & Camden, depending on location, but such doesn't go through either of those cities.

[hotdogPi]

Bismarck has I-94, not I-90.

You brought up I-90, not me.

I think I quoted the wrong person.