Conversations with non-roadgeeks

[vtk]

We're fired up and ready to go in Oklahoma! The view from I-75 in Dewey: http://yfrog.com/mglhcp

@BarackObama @OFA_OK That would be US 75, not Interstate 75. #NotTheSameThing

@vidthekid @barackobama @ofa_ok "Interstate"–when referring to highways–is synonymous with "US [sic]" #thanksforcomingoutthough

Apparently multiple other people pointed out the error, and @OFA_OK acknowledged it in the end.  But I wish Mr McGovern would cite his source, and learn the proper use of [sic] because I don't think it makes sense here – unless he thinks US is nothing but an erroneous way to say Interstate...

[hbelkins]

What is OFA_OK?

[Alps]

HB: Meet Twitter. Twitter, HB.

[hbelkins]

I'm on Twitter @hbelkins, but I didn't know what that particular ID stands for.

I'm also on Twitter professionally @KYTCDistrict10.

[bugo]

Ask him what happens to "I-75" when you get into Kansas.

[vtk]

What is OFA_OK?

Obama For America – OKlahoma

[hbelkins]

Oh well, no wonder then. He once said the US has 57 states.  How could his peeps expect to know the difference between a US Federal Route and an Interstate? (ducking...)

On a serious and related note, I had the opportunity this weekend to educate a longtime reporter for The Courier-Journal that US routes are actually glorified interstate (small I) state routes and the federal government has nothing to do with their numbering. He was familiar with AASHTO but did not realize that they approve the numbering requests of US routes. He thought that was a function of FHWA.

[Scott5114]

Meh, some social media lackey doesn't know something about something they don't care about. Is anyone surprised?

[english si]

Wow, even Obama's own side are saying Obama's made a mistake racist.

[Alps]

Wow, even Obama's own side are saying Obama's made a mistake racist.

Interstates and US Highways qualify as races now? I guess county routes are equivalent to the Untouchables caste.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

Wow, even Obama's own side are saying Obama's made a mistake racist.

Interstates and US Highways qualify as races now? I guess county routes are equivalent to the Untouchables caste.

No, that would be township roads.

[vtk]

I had the opportunity this weekend to educate a longtime reporter for The Courier-Journal that US routes are actually glorified interstate (small I) state routes

I once tried to convince my grandpa of this.  He insisted that his federal tax dollars were not and should not be used to fund state highways, which are always less-important local roads.  I brought up a few counterexamples to the latter point, but it didn't help.

[bulldog1979]

Once upon a time, I worked for the local store of a major national retailer. I was on that store's safety team and helping to prepare plans for the day after Thanksgiving. Someone mentioned that the stoplight on the highway in front of our store should be set to go fully active at 5 a.m. instead of 7 a.m. that day because the year before, too much traffic was trying to funnel through during its overnight flashing cycle. My fellow team members were appreciative, and momentarily confused, when I told that that they should call the MDOT office for our area instead of someplace else because US 41 is a state highway. MDOT appreciated that we were concerned enough to let them know how they could help with auto safety for the day. (The previous year, there was at least one accident during the early morning hours.)

[kphoger]

I recently had the opportunity to be in a "conversation with a non-roadgeek" wherein I was the non-roadgeek.  A friend of mine is a bridge engineer, so he definitely qualifies as the roadgeek in the conversation.  Wednesday evening, he and a former engineer were talking at church about upcoming plans in the area, and I asked a question about the required dimensions of a SPUI (my wife said, "a what?") on a bridge; I got a couple of points for that one.  Then we started talking about a particular area that sees traffic congestion, and why it might be that there is congestion there.  We parted ways, and then I had an idea that I thought might help alleviate the traffic congestion.  I texted my idea to him, including the term "RIRO".

Part of his response (the other part of which I am not at liberty to repeat) included the following, in all caps:
"How do you know all this??? How do you know what a Right-in, Right-out is???"

I felt good.  My wife texted back that I'm a road/map geek to the highest degree.  Of course, I'm no engineer, but it still felt good.

[jeffandnicole]

Bringing this thread back from the grave...

Had a conversation with a co-worker from Pennsylvania, near Philly: She doesn't understand all the '76' routes...making 276, 476, 76, etc.  It's too confusing to her.  She asked to confirm that 276 was the PA Turnpike...which I said it was till King of Prussia, then it's 76.  She asked if the Northeast Extention was 476...which it is.  Then she asked about the Blue Route...which I said was 476 as well.

Her comment, in regards to all the 76's: "Only in Pennsylvania".  I told her not even close...all states have various extensions off their highways, like 295 and 495 off 95 in Delaware, or 195, 495 & 695 in Maryland. 

Simply no clue...

[Roadgeekteen]

My dad still believes that freeway is only a California term.

[hbelkins]

My dad still believes that freeway is only a California term.

This reminds me of one of rancid racist Randy Hersh's lesser moments (of which there were many).

I was asking questions on MTR about the limited-access roadway system in the five boroughs of New York City, and referred to those roads as freeways.

Randy, being the jerk he was, immediately informed me that there's no such thing as a freeway in NYC, and that there they are expressways.

I don't miss him at all.

[bing101]

My dad still believes that freeway is only a California term.

Well I seen SoCal people making stops in Vacaville, CA and in their conversations they say "The 505 Freeway" but then again I can see why a Socal person would say "The-xx freeway" in my county though given that these people are really making a gas stop before going to Sacramento or San Francisco or Napa in their intended visits. Also x05 freeway is common in those areas like The 105, The 605 and the 405.

But in Solano county we use a mix of Bay Area naming of Freeways and Sacramento way of Naming freeways like Highway 505 for Bay Area people and I-505 for Sacramento people living in the area.

[Max Rockatansky]

My dad still believes that freeway is only a California term.

This reminds me of one of rancid racist Randy Hersh's lesser moments (of which there were many).

I was asking questions on MTR about the limited-access roadway system in the five boroughs of New York City, and referred to those roads as freeways.

Randy, being the jerk he was, immediately informed me that there's no such thing as a freeway in NYC, and that there they are expressways.

I don't miss him at all.

Interesting thing here is that there is an actual difference in California between the terms Freeway and Expressway.  A freeway is completely limited access while an expressway supposed controlled access which is at best a vague description.  That means there is some two-lane expressways, it's always interesting seeing how people take that in if they aren't a road person since it makes even less sense to them.

[kphoger]

Had a conversation with a co-worker from Pennsylvania, near Philly: She doesn't understand all the '76' routes...making 276, 476, 76, etc.  It's too confusing to her. 

I agree with her.  I dislike parent/child route number associations.  I first met my wife (who is from Branson, MO) in 2003, and I still have a hard time keeping all the Branson-area highway straight:  65, 165, 265, 465.

[jp the roadgeek]

Just had to play roads expert in a local Facebook discussion group.  They're replacing the signs on I-84 in my area, and people were asking how CT, with no budget in place, could afford to replace signage on the highway, and how they had to go mix everyone up by changing the exit numbers on I-395.  I had to explain to them that the signs are federally funded, they're at the end of their life span, and that there are standards now for reflectivity of the signage (didn't get into the whole Phase III reflective button copy vs. Phase IV signage), as well as a little bit about the MUTCD.  Then I had to explain about how the I-395 exit numbers changed because of federal standards that exit numbers have to be mileage based rather than sequential, and that 43 other states use that system.  Also warned them that they'll be changing these exit numbers in the next few years as well, so be prepared for Exit 31 to be Exit 44, Exit 32 to be Exit 46, etc.

My dad still believes that freeway is only a California term.

Most in the northeast don't refer to limited access roadways as freeways.  PennDOT uses Freeway Ends signs in some locations, such as this one at the east end of the US 30 expressway in Lancaster.

https://goo.gl/maps/AWWJqiwTM272 

[spooky]

Just had to play roads expert in a local Facebook discussion group.  They're replacing the signs on I-84 in my area, and people were asking how CT, with no budget in place, could afford to replace signage on the highway, and how they had to go mix everyone up by changing the exit numbers on I-395.  I had to explain to them that the signs are federally funded, they're at the end of their life span, and that there are standards now for reflectivity of the signage (didn't get into the whole Phase III reflective button copy vs. Phase IV signage), as well as a little bit about the MUTCD.  Then I had to explain about how the I-395 exit numbers changed because of federal standards that exit numbers have to be mileage based rather than sequential, and that 43 other states use that system.  Also warned them that they'll be changing these exit numbers in the next few years as well, so be prepared for Exit 31 to be Exit 44, Exit 32 to be Exit 46, etc.

I had a very similar conversation a couple days ago with a co-worker about the numbering changes taking place on I-295 in RI.

[jwolfer]

My dad still believes that freeway is only a California term.

Expressway seems to be the generic term for limited access highways used in states that had toll facilities, like the Northeast, Chicago area and Florida.

I made this connection when I was a kid. In GA and NC the term is freeway. FL it's expressway.. most major cities in FL( Jacksonville, Orlando and Miami) all had toll roads. Florida natives speak the same Southern dialect as GA and NC. So it's not a dialect difference.  (Florida, especially North and Central Florida were very Deep South 60-70 years ago for those who say FL is not the South)

Freeway is much more commonly used now, thanks to the influence of California on TV. I would not be surprised to soon hear "the 95" in common usage from Maine to Miami.



Z981

[Brandon]

My dad still believes that freeway is only a California term.

Expressway seems to be the generic term for limited access highways used in states that had toll facilities, like the Northeast, Chicago area and Florida.

I made this connection when I was a kid. In GA and NC the term is freeway. FL it's expressway.. most major cities in FL( Jacksonville, Orlando and Miami) all had toll roads. Florida natives speak the same Southern dialect as GA and NC. So it's not a dialect difference.  (Florida, especially North and Central Florida were very Deep South 60-70 years ago for those who say FL is not the South)

Freeway is much more commonly used now, thanks to the influence of California on TV. I would not be surprised to soon hear "the 95" in common usage from Maine to Miami.

"Freeway" is the technical term, and was used for a long time by other DOTs (and their predecessors) as well.  As long as I can remember, MDOT (Michigan) has always signed them as "freeways".  Even most of the names in Metro Detroit reflect this: Jeffries Freeway, Ford Freeway, Chrysler Freeway, Lodge Freeway, etc.  Only the Detroit-Toledo Expressway and Detroit Industrial Expressway buck the trend.

IDOT on the other hand usually uses "expressway" around Metro Chicago.  Only the Bishop Ford Freeway bucks that trend.

However, I sincerely doubt you'll hear "the 94" anytime soon.  Chicagoans use the name (to the exclusion of the number), and Michiganders tend to use the number (i.e. "94") or with "I" in front (i.e. "I-94").  Don't doubt the anti-California trends in most of the rest of the country.

[jwolfer]

My dad still believes that freeway is only a California term.

Expressway seems to be the generic term for limited access highways used in states that had toll facilities, like the Northeast, Chicago area and Florida.

I made this connection when I was a kid. In GA and NC the term is freeway. FL it's expressway.. most major cities in FL( Jacksonville, Orlando and Miami) all had toll roads. Florida natives speak the same Southern dialect as GA and NC. So it's not a dialect difference.  (Florida, especially North and Central Florida were very Deep South 60-70 years ago for those who say FL is not the South)

Freeway is much more commonly used now, thanks to the influence of California on TV. I would not be surprised to soon hear "the 95" in common usage from Maine to Miami.

"Freeway" is the technical term, and was used for a long time by other DOTs (and their predecessors) as well.  As long as I can remember, MDOT (Michigan) has always signed them as "freeways".  Even most of the names in Metro Detroit reflect this: Jeffries Freeway, Ford Freeway, Chrysler Freeway, Lodge Freeway, etc.  Only the Detroit-Toledo Expressway and Detroit Industrial Expressway buck the trend.

IDOT on the other hand usually uses "expressway" around Metro Chicago.  Only the Bishop Ford Freeway bucks that trend.

However, I sincerely doubt you'll hear "the 94" anytime soon.  Chicagoans use the name (to the exclusion of the number), and Michiganders tend to use the number (i.e. "94") or with "I" in front (i.e. "I-94").  Don't doubt the anti-California trends in most of the rest of the country.

Believe me I cringe whenever I hear "the 95" or " the 10" from my nephew... He went to high school in San Diego... I hope that usage does not spread but it seems to be...

Where I live near Orlando the toll roads are called " the 408" and "the 417" by traffic reporters... PLEASE STOP!!!

Z981