I-95/Penna Turnpike Interchange

[PHLBOS]

It could also be similar to the fate that befell the NJ Turnpike and their BGSs:  Interchange names aren't MUTCD-friendly.  While that next sign replacement project you mentioned may change things, the PA Turnpike also has the interchange names on their toll tickets, so there would need to be some additional changes made if the interchange names came off the BGSs approaching the exits.

IMHO, those interchange names (at least those within the ticketed system) will likely remain until the system & related booths are completely phased out.  The Delaware Valley name for the US 13 interchange (Exit 42/formerly Exit 358) became expendable once the mainline ticketed/toll plaza was relocated west of the I-95 connection and the tolling of said-interchange ceased.

[NE2]

Getting back on topic, does anyone know if the intercity bus companies have started to use the new flyovers?

Apparently Greyhound does: http://locations.greyhound.com/bus-routes/destination/new-york-ny/philadelphia-pa

[Beltway]

Bottom line: if one's navigation system directs an AC-bound traveler from Delaware/points south to use I-95 to I-76 (due to either accident, construction or peak-travel-related delays on either the Delaware Memorial Bridge or on the NJ side of such), they're more likely to use such.  Not everybody out there is either geographically or road savvy as those here on this site.

When I got my car in 2016 it had a 6 month free trial of the full OnStar subscription.  It was going to cost about $30 per month to continue it, so I let it devolve into the lowest package which costs nothing, it has the full nav system but no traffic messages, so I won't hear about any of those delays nor will my routing be adjusted due to traffic conditions.  Given the cost I would surmise that many people do the same thing.  So we wouldn't get a routing like above.

[KEVIN_224]

I'm wondering about Greyhound and Peter Pan for Philly routes. Any time I took them to or from New York City, it always involved NJ Turnpike Exit 4 (NJ Route 73).

[PHLBOS]

Bottom line: if one's navigation system directs an AC-bound traveler from Delaware/points south to use I-95 to I-76 (due to either accident, construction or peak-travel-related delays on either the Delaware Memorial Bridge or on the NJ side of such), they're more likely to use such.  Not everybody out there is either geographically or road savvy as those here on this site.

When I got my car in 2016 it had a 6 month free trial of the full OnStar subscription.  It was going to cost about $30 per month to continue it, so I let it devolve into the lowest package which costs nothing, it has the full nav system but no traffic messages, so I won't hear about any of those delays nor will my routing be adjusted due to traffic conditions.  Given the cost I would surmise that many people do the same thing.  So we wouldn't get a routing like above.

We're going to have to agree to disagree here.  Also, keep in mind that not everyone has a vehicle that is either new enough nor is equipped with a built-in navigation system (it's optional on many models).  I've known many drivers that use their smart-phones or a separate unit for GPS/Waze/etc. systems.  My friend that kept going off-and-on Susquehanna Rd. was using the GPS on his phone.

I'm wondering about Greyhound and Peter Pan for Philly routes. Any time I took them to or from New York City, it always involved NJ Turnpike Exit 4 (NJ Route 73).

See NE2's post two replies back (reposted below).

Getting back on topic, does anyone know if the intercity bus companies have started to use the new flyovers?

Apparently Greyhound does: http://locations.greyhound.com/bus-routes/destination/new-york-ny/philadelphia-pa

Don't know whether Peter Pan bus lines has started using such.

[Beltway]

When I got my car in 2016 it had a 6 month free trial of the full OnStar subscription.  It was going to cost about $30 per month to continue it, so I let it devolve into the lowest package which costs nothing, it has the full nav system but no traffic messages, so I won't hear about any of those delays nor will my routing be adjusted due to traffic conditions.  Given the cost I would surmise that many people do the same thing.  So we wouldn't get a routing like above.

We're going to have to agree to disagree here.  Also, keep in mind that not everyone has a vehicle that is either new enough nor is equipped with a navigation system (it's optional on many models).  I've known many drivers that use GPS/Waze/etc. systems on their smart-phones.

I am not disagreeing with you ... just mentioning that there are some people like me that don't get those messages ... I have a cell phone but no smart phone.

[PHLBOS]

When I got my car in 2016 it had a 6 month free trial of the full OnStar subscription.  It was going to cost about $30 per month to continue it, so I let it devolve into the lowest package which costs nothing, it has the full nav system but no traffic messages, so I won't hear about any of those delays nor will my routing be adjusted due to traffic conditions.  Given the cost I would surmise that many people do the same thing.  So we wouldn't get a routing like above.

We're going to have to agree to disagree here.  Also, keep in mind that not everyone has a vehicle that is either new enough nor is equipped with a navigation system (it's optional on many models).  I've known many drivers that use GPS/Waze/etc. systems on their smart-phones.

I am not disagreeing with you ... just mentioning that there are some people like me that don't get those messages ... I have a cell phone but no smart phone.

Same here (regarding the cell phone).

[Beltway]

Same here (regarding the cell phone).

I spend too much time online already ... a smart phone would just it make more excessive. :-)  The cell phone has texting, calendar, calculator, alarm clock, and is a timepiece (don't need to wear a watch), so I do OK with this.

[qguy]

A pseudo-exception is the PA 29 exit. When it was completed a few years ago, it wasn't given a name, so it has no name to lose.

They could call it Devault.

A lot of people, myself included, call it the Great Valley exit, because that's what that area is called. In fact, the nearby Penn State branch campus is called the Great Valley Campus.

[Beltway]

A pseudo-exception is the PA 29 exit. When it was completed a few years ago, it wasn't given a name, so it has no name to lose.

They could call it Devault.

A lot of people, myself included, call it the Great Valley exit, because that's what that area is called. In fact, the nearby Penn State branch campus is called the Great Valley Campus.

That area is indeed called the Great Valley, but for some reason that name is not on the official state highway map.

I think that Phoenixville is the largest boro that is nearby, and I suppose they could use that for the name as well.  The interchange does provide the first good connectivity between the Turnpike and the boro.

[Roadsguy]

Or they could omit the name entirely and give it the control cities of Phoenixville and Malvern.

[qguy]

Or they could omit the name entirely and give it the control cities of Phoenixville and Malvern.

I get grief from my own son!

(I feel like I should be doing a Rodney Dangerfield impression. [Grips tie.])

[jemacedo9]

The PTC is not giving names to the EZPass-only exits (as mentioned upstream in this thread) because those exits will never appear on tickets, IMO - so there's real no need.

[PHLBOS]

That area is indeed called the Great Valley, but for some reason that name is not on the official state highway map.

That's because Great Valley (aka Chester Valley per Wiki) is more of a region than a community.

[ekt8750]

That area is indeed called the Great Valley, but for some reason that name is not on the official state highway map.

That's because Great Valley (aka Chester Valley per Wiki) is more of a region than a community.

Correct. That area is generally the Borough of Malvern and the surrounding townships all have areas that are apart of the Malvern zip code.

[jeffandnicole]

That area is indeed called the Great Valley, but for some reason that name is not on the official state highway map.

That's because Great Valley (aka Chester Valley per Wiki) is more of a region than a community.

Correct. That area is generally the Borough of Malvern and the surrounding townships all have areas that are apart of the Malvern zip code.

Didn't that name kinda originate because of 'Silicon Valley' in California, so they just wanted something more catchy than "Malvern"?

[ekt8750]

That area is indeed called the Great Valley, but for some reason that name is not on the official state highway map.

That's because Great Valley (aka Chester Valley per Wiki) is more of a region than a community.

Correct. That area is generally the Borough of Malvern and the surrounding townships all have areas that are apart of the Malvern zip code.

Didn't that name kinda originate because of 'Silicon Valley' in California, so they just wanted something more catchy than "Malvern"?

Wouldn't surprise me. There's a lot of corporate campuses in that area.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

That area is indeed called the Great Valley, but for some reason that name is not on the official state highway map.

That's because Great Valley (aka Chester Valley per Wiki) is more of a region than a community.

Correct. That area is generally the Borough of Malvern and the surrounding townships all have areas that are apart of the Malvern zip code.

Didn't that name kinda originate because of 'Silicon Valley' in California, so they just wanted something more catchy than "Malvern"?

Hey! Malvern was a catchy name back in its day. Mind you that day being over a century ago, but it had its day.

[briantroutman]

If you're intimating that the "Great Valley"  name was cut from whole cloth by some local developer or booster group seeking an easily marketable name for developable suburban land–no, that's not the case.

Great Valley is an old name for the real geological valley in this area–really, a narrow strip of "Piedmont Lowland"  running through Chester County sandwiched between two sections of "Piedmont Upland"  (See this geological map of Pennsylvania). It's roughly parallel to the much better known "Great Valley" , the wide and mostly flat area south and east of Blue Mountain that spans multiple states.

Moreover, Great Valley can't be considered a rebranding of Malvern because Malvern isn't in the valley. Take a look at a topographical map. Malvern, Paoli, Berwyn, etc. are on the ridge south of the valley. It's Exton, Tredyffrin Township, Chesterbrook, and King of Prussia that are in the valley.

[roadman65]

I guess now the MUTCD does not like the all upper case interchange name.  Too bad they cannot get rid of the Norristown department of redundancy department guide there.

That got to be as it was when I-476 never connected to the Mid- County exchange.  Germantown Pike was the way into the city from the extension plus on the mainline it was signed as one of 5 interchanges on the East- West Mainline.  When the Blue Route opened, PTC thought it was not needed to sign that exit for Philly no more with the better standard route nearby.  So it got replaced keeping the original format resulting in NORRISTOWN to Norristown exit signage.

[jemacedo9]

If you’re intimating that the “Great Valley” name was cut from whole cloth by some local developer or booster group seeking an easily marketable name for developable suburban land—no, that’s not the case.

Great Valley is an old name for the real geological valley in this area—really, a narrow strip of “Piedmont Lowland” running through Chester County sandwiched between two sections of “Piedmont Upland” (See this geological map of Pennsylvania). It’s roughly parallel to the much better known “Great Valley”, the wide and mostly flat area south and east of Blue Mountain that spans multiple states.

Moreover, Great Valley can’t be considered a rebranding of Malvern because Malvern isn’t in the valley. Take a look at a topographical map. Malvern, Paoli, Berwyn, etc. are on the ridge south of the valley. It’s Exton, Tredyffrin Township, Chesterbrook, and King of Prussia that are in the valley.

Exactly right...I learned about this in grade school being so close to the area.

From a municipality, Malvern Borough is a small borough on the southern ridge.  Paoli and Berwyn are unincorporated place names on the south ridge.
Tredyffrin, and East and West Whiteland Twps are mainly in the valley.  Chesterbrook, Great Valley, Frazer, and Exton are unincorporated place names in the valley.

US 202 uses Paoli (PA 252), Great Valley (PA 29 N), Malvern (PA 29 S), Frazer (PA 401 and US 30), and Exton (US 30/Bus US 30) as control cities on it's exits in the area.

[PHLBOS]

I guess now the MUTCD does not like the all upper case interchange name.

What makes you say that?  All the recent replacement signage (for existing interchanges) elsewhere along the PA Turnpike still feature such.
Example of a new sign at the Lansdale (PA 63) interchange (additional E-ZPass-Only slip ramps were added since this pic was taken):


Edit in blue:
As previously mentioned, the only reason why the US 13 interchange signage lost its Delaware Valley name was due to it no longer being within the tolled system of the Turnpike.

[roadman65]

Keyser Avenue is not within the system.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/54480415@N08/8152969676/in/album-72157632305207556/

[PHLBOS]

Keyser Avenue is not within the system.

Looking through Historic Aerials, this interchange, while outside the ticketed system, was constructed during the mid-1990s & prior to E-ZPass.  Toll collecting along this stretch was done similar to the Garden State Parkway (cash booths along the mainline).  The likely reason that newish interchange was named was likely tradition.

I have since edited my post to reflect the above.  That said, I would suggest that further discussion on other parts of the PA Turnpike be done on that thread.  This one IMHO has been derailed enough.

[Roadwarriors79]

As of today, the only map updates for the I-95/PA Turnpike interchange have been from Waze and Google. Apple, Bing, Mapquest have yet to show any changes.