US = Interstate, and other non-roadgeek mistakes

[roadman]

Let me add a historical note here - The original Route 128 station (it's been replaced "on-site" since) was actually built and named as "Route 128" by the New Haven Railroad in the mid-1950s.  It was part of then-New Haven president Patrick McGinnis's attempt to introduce high-speed train service between Boston and New York City.  The plan called for three-hour service between the new Route 128 station and a similar station to be constructed outside of New Rochelle (that station was never built).

Simply put, the plan turned out to be a huge disaster.  Three prototype trains - all from different manufacturers, were placed into service.  All proved horribly unreliable (one of the new trains actually caught fire on its press run, which thoroughly screwed up all trains leaving Grand Central Terminal during afternoon rush hour), and were generally unpopular with passengers (the ride was fast but horribly uncomfortable).  So, the plan was offically cancelled - shortly after McGinnis was forced to resign from the New Haven (he also controlled the Boston and Maine at the same time, which the ICC had major issues with).

[WillWeaverRVA]

People around here refer to VA 288 as "I-288" on an alarmingly regular basis (whenever they don't just call it "288").

[Takumi]

^ I'm one of those who just calls it 288, but I can see why people would think it's an interstate. It may as well be an x95.

[Scott5114]

Or I-366.

[PHLBOS]

That might be the same reason for these - the interchange is one of the last on the 95/128 multiplex. I'm 95% certain that the sign at the southbound onramp has a 128 shield too though.

Back up a sec.  Is the MA 128 shield you saw indeed on the paddle sign itself or mounted on the same post but below the paddle (in a trailblazer layout)?  Given the history, (no 128 shields on ANY paddle signs in that area since the mid-70s); my guess would be that you likely saw the latter.

The below-photo from Google Earth (taken at the Salem St./Audubon Rd. intersection) proves otherwise... at least on approach to the I-95 South ramps:



The only case where I've seen either a MA 128 shield (or text) on a LGS paddle post-1977 along Salem St. was further east at the US 1/MA 129 interchange (for US 1 North paddle signage) near the S. Lynnfield/Saugus border.

While the Salem St. (Exit 42) is near the I-95/MA 128 split (Exit 45), there are still 2 interchanges between them.  I know that the paddle signs at Walnut St. have only I-95 on them (w/supplemental MA 128 trailblazers) and the BGS' at the US 1 interchange only has MA 128 shields on the BGS' for the northbound direction.

Why would MassDOT do the Salem St. interchange signs differently than the others nearby?

In contrast, the fore-mentioned Wyoma Square examples are located south (and slightly east) of the I-95/MA 128 split.

Update:

As of this past Labor Day, that LGS in the earlier-Google Earth pic is still there.  The LGS' that have MA 128 shields next to I-95 shields are at the following locations:

1. Entrance ramps for I-95 South at Audubon & Pleasure Island Roads, including one advance-LGS just before the overpass (to the left of that Google Earth pic but out of range).

2. Entrance ramp for I-95 North at Walnut St. (note: a nearby LGS w/only I-95 shields is also present).

3. Approach LGS' along Salem St. near Walnut St.

The above-mentioned LGS' all appear to be of the same vintage.

Note: the LGS at the I-95 Northbound entrance ramp at Salem St. only has I-95 shields on them.  A supplemental LGS facing Montrose Ave. is a 1977-vintage LGS for I-95 South that lists, TO SOUTH 95 BURLINGTON w/a right-arrow.

Unfortunately, I did not have an opportunity to take photos of the above.

[texaskdog]

I was watching Alice Season 1 (don't judge me) on DVD yesterday.  The opening where they were coming from New Jersey to Phoenix is clearly EASTBOUND I-10.

[jwolfer]

I was watching Alice Season 1 (don't judge me) on DVD yesterday.  The opening where they were coming from New Jersey to Phoenix is clearly EASTBOUND I-10.

I remember watxhing that with my grandparents.. I loved the BGS in the beginning, same with "One Day at a Time" and the BGS showing 70 east

LGMS428

[TheStretchofFreeways]

I saw a business sign on Texas Highway 6 driving back from College Station this weekend. Had a U.S. 6 shield on it.  Would've taken a picture of it if I'd had my camera.

This is even somewhere within the Houston Metro Area

SM-N915T

[bzakharin]

I remember a map (it would have been either a phone book or AAA local map) referring to NJ 90 as I-90. This would have been 20 years ago. I'm pretty sure I-90 is prominent enough nationally that nobody thinks it goes through New Jersey.

Closer to the MA 128 example above, former NJ 24 (before the NJ 24 freeway was built in 1992) now carries various state and county designations, but is still popularly called "24" including by business names. See http://www.mendhamhealthclub.com/directions/ also http://www.delbarton.org/about/directions although that has many other oddities. No one uses C and S prefixes before numbers. I assume they mean C- to be county and S to be state, but "C-124" is a state route and "S-202" is a US route.

[Occidental Tourist]

I was watching Alice Season 1 (don't judge me) on DVD yesterday.  The opening where they were coming from New Jersey to Phoenix is clearly EASTBOUND I-10.

Close.  It's the I-19 terminus at I-10 in Tucson.  The left-hand lanes proceed to 1-10 west to Phoenix. An exit lane on the right goes to I-10 east to El Paso.  The interchange has since been widened and rebuilt, although the exit configuration is the same.

Apparently, if the opening credits were canon, Alice and her son took a detour to Nogales on the way west from Socorro.

[jwolfer]

I was watching Alice Season 1 (don't judge me) on DVD yesterday.  The opening where they were coming from New Jersey to Phoenix is clearly EASTBOUND I-10.

Close.  It's the I-19 terminus at I-10 in Tucson.  The left-hand lanes proceed to 1-10 west to Phoenix. An exit lane on the right goes to I-10 east to El Paso.  The interchange has since been widened and rebuilt, although the exit configuration is the same.

Apparently, if the opening credits were canon, Alice and her son took a detour to Nogales on the way west from Socorro.

Roads used in movies are done for the scene, background lighting etc not to be accurate.

The 1979 "Amityville Horror" was filmed around Ocean County NJ. There was a scene where she was driving frantically home she was crossing bridges that would have put her in circles and driving 20 miles out of the way.

And obviously it was not Long Island.

LGMS428

[ColossalBlocks]

I noticed on FourSquare  that US 67 at Beebe, Arkansas was listed as I-67

This is insulting.

[ColossalBlocks]

I once saw an advertisement on YouTube for a car dealer in Cape Girardeau, it showed a map with US 61 as SR 61, and I-55 as US 55. I nearly puked because of how bad it was.

[TheStretchofFreeways]

Tx-87 is listed as US 87 in Galveston
There are also these mistakes in Valpak, and Money Mailer, where I-69/US 59 is labeled as I-59, and on TX-6 it says I-6.
Its just frustrating these design and marketing businesses don't get maps right, even though they are paied premium prices.