Interstate business loops in Northeast

[vdeane]

Around Albany, we do use "interstate" for the interstate system, but this brings with it the problem of calling NY 787 "Interstate 787" despite the at-grades.  And then there's "Alternate Route 7".

[kalvado]

Around Albany, we do use "interstate" for the interstate system, but this brings with it the problem of calling NY 787 "Interstate 787" despite the at-grades.  And then there's "Alternate Route 7".

DOn't forget Northway and Thruway.  And I had people giving me directions to interstate 85 in Albany.
For local one-time driving taking a penalty of non-highway routing isn't that bad. And people tend to smarten up and find a good, if not the best, road for their daily, and even weekly, trips anyway. So I don't think confusion on road type is that bad in general, but having an intersection of 81 and 81 is a bad idea.

[roadman65]

I've always thought of Business Loops as something most common in the West, and to a certain extent, the South. Also, MI (a Midwestern state) has Business Loops, but none of the states bordering it do.

Michigan also decommissions US routes like the western states do with none around it does. Although one can argue Ohio as it decommissioned both US 21 and US 25, but nonetheless it has a big gap between it and the west with many states that don't decommission routes.

[Rothman]

Around Albany, we do use "interstate" for the interstate system, but this brings with it the problem of calling NY 787 "Interstate 787" despite the at-grades.  And then there's "Alternate Route 7".

Alt 7...

[webny99]

At least in NY, it seems like the parts of NY that are north of NJ differentiate interstates from state and US routes, while the parts north of PA don't.  Rochester in particular talks about "Route 390", "Route 490", "Route 590", and "the Thruway" instead of I-390/NY 390, I-490, I-590/NY 590, and I-90.

I actually don't hear "route" that often; it's usually just the number with no descriptor, such as "I hit traffic on 590" or "Take 104 west". To your point, there's almost never a distinction made between the interstate and state route portions of 390 and 590. And I certainly agree that I-90 is always "the Thruway".

[wilbur_the_goose]

And the Buffalo region calls everything "The".  "The 33".  "The 290".  Etc.   It's like they collectively decided to copy Los Angeles lingo

[Sam]

And the Buffalo region calls everything "The".  "The 33".  "The 290".  Etc.   It's like they collectively decided to copy Los Angeles lingo

Toronto lingo, probably

[DavidBoyce]

I know this is set in stone but the "BL 81"  designation really bugs the hell out of me. If you don't want "81"  going through downtown, you don't get "81" , whether it's a green Interstate shield or a traditional Interstate marker. It should either go back to US 11 between the I-81/I-481 junctions or it should become two odd numbered 3di routes. The whole "BL 81"  label doesn't match anything else in New York State and could be misleading for the traveling public who's going to end up on a boulevard in the middle of the city. This is a whole "have your cake and eat it too"  situation for the viaduct cheerleaders and honestly it's deceiving.

I feel like this makes sense as a business loop. It connects to I-81 on both ends and provides access to businesses (restaurants, gas stations, etc.). Business loops are normally surface streets, so it doesn't seem deceiving to me.

Part of the problem is that "business loop" is something totally uncommon for northeast. As far as I can tell, there are none in NY, 2 in PA, one in NH, and maybe 2 in CT. It makes too little sense for most locals.

I think the BLs in Connecticut were decommissioned years ago. There was BL-84 which ran through Newtown. The western end was at I-84 Exit 9. It followed Route 25 south to US-6, then east on US-6, back to I-84 at Exit 10. The other BL I believe (someone correct me if I'm wrong), was BL-95 that was in and around Groton...maybe New London/Waterford, but somehwere around there, IIRC. I don't know of any other BLs in CT that existed.

it's maybeeee...