Streets and highways with similar names confusingly close to each other

Started by Molandfreak, April 28, 2013, 03:44:27 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

skluth

Quote from: djsekani on February 12, 2019, 05:34:18 PM
Quote from: skluth on February 12, 2019, 03:12:28 PM
Palm Springs has the grouping of West Palm Canyon Drive, East Palm Canyon Drive, and South Palm Canyon Drive. The main traffic flow is from East Palm Canyon to South Palm Canyon. About one mile north, South Palm Canyon turns into North Palm Canyon and runs parallel to Indian Canyon. Palm Canyon and Indian Canyon are parallel one-way streets running north-south through downtown.

Going north on Indian Canyon, there is this collection within five blocks while going through downtown - Arenas, Andreas, Amado, Alejo.

There are two consecutive I-10 exits for Date Palm Drive and Palm Drive. Palm Drive is the main N-S road in Desert Hot Springs. Date Palm Drive is the main N-S road through Cathedral City.

Calling any cul-de-sac off a street by the same name here is so common it's not worth talking about.

I also find the habit of naming streets with the full name of famous locals humorous. My route to/from Costco frequently involves taking Gerald Ford to Bob Hope to Dinah Shore. People don't shorten them to Ford, Hope, or Shore.

Lived in Palm Springs for 15 years and never found anything really confusing other than Amado and Alejo. Took me forever to remember which one came before the other.

I don't have any problems with Andreas. Probably because it's so short. But I get the other three mixed up frequently. Maybe because I just moved here last summer.


Rothman

Quote from: US 89 on February 12, 2019, 06:39:42 PM
Quote from: Rothman on February 12, 2019, 05:47:42 PM
Quote from: Mark68 on February 12, 2019, 01:36:09 PM
Quote from: kphoger on February 12, 2019, 01:23:28 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on February 12, 2019, 10:07:04 AM
Manistee and Eastlake have the following streets: 1st St, 2nd St, 3rd St, 4th St, 5th St, 6th St
Manistee and Stronach have the following streets: 1st Ave, 2nd Ave, 3rd Ave, 4th Ave, 5th Ave, 6th Ave

Common.  Check out Manhattan, New York.

Or almost any town in Utah & southeastern Idaho.
Nah.  The difference is that in the "Mormon grids" people refer to "1st East," "2nd North," etc.  It is actually quite intuitive.

In Queens, you say "19th" without a suffix like New Yorkers do, it could pertain to all sorts of streets

Thing is, out-of-towners will come in and not realize that the directions actually mean something, and you really do need all four pieces of information in an address, in that order.

In Salt Lake at least (and probably elsewhere in the state, though other grids aren't usually big enough for this) locals will usually leave off the directional of nearby streets unless there's obvious ambiguity (like where 900 East and 900 South intersect). Plus, outside of any particular contexts, the directionals for major streets will often be left off. It's common to hear "7th", "114th", or "56th", and it's assumed they're talking about 700 East, 11400 South, 5600 West. Either the other streets with a matching coordinate number are relatively minor (like 700 W and 700 S), or they don't actually exist (there is no other 11400, for example).
Or you can tell which street they're talking about due to context (e.g., there's little confusing 6th South with 6th North).  I have lived in the area myself.

It isn't half as confusing out there as in NYC (I live in the Northeast).  In fact, once you take the 30 seconds or so to learn the layout, you can get to nearly any address one way or another.  You may not take the fastest way, but you'll get there.

As a tangent, I am finding that in recent years Utahns have been adopting old jokes from the Midwest and East in an attempt to increase their originality.  They now joke about "if you don't like the weather, just wait a minute" or the old joke that their seasons are winter and construction.  It is very odd, especially when Utah Mormon culture has its own very unique quirks...and, of course, green Jell-O.  They should stick to joking about them.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

cwf1701

Another Michigan example, in St. Clair Shores, there is a (Greater) Mack Ave and Little Mack Ave. Greater Mack Ends at 10 Mile and Little Mack goes from 9 Mile and Harper to 14 Mile and Gratiot. Greater Mack is a continuation of Mack Ave. in Detroit.

Flint1979

Quote from: cwf1701 on February 20, 2019, 04:34:44 PM
Another Michigan example, in St. Clair Shores, there is a (Greater) Mack Ave and Little Mack Ave. Greater Mack Ends at 10 Mile and Little Mack goes from 9 Mile and Harper to 14 Mile and Gratiot. Greater Mack is a continuation of Mack Ave. in Detroit.
Both are discontinuous streets. North of 9 Mile though Greater Mack starts becoming a residential side street so it's importance decreases. Greater Mack actually picks up again several blocks south of 11 Mile then has another discontinuous part before it ends at 13 Mile (the actual street ends a little further north at Harper as Avon Blvd.).

Little Mack branches off of Harper 1/4 of a mile north of 9 Mile and starts out as a 5 lane street stops at Gratiot, then right away picks up at 14 Mile and curves into Nunneley Road ending just south of the intersection of 16 Mile and Gratiot. The entire stretch north of 14 Mile is residential.

As to why these two streets have similar names is beyond me. The title of Greater and Little Mack helps a little though but I can see where it might be confusing.


Flint1979

I know this is the case in Manhattan as well with the Avenues and Streets. In Flint, Michigan there is a set of streets going north of downtown that are numbered as Streets such as 1st Street, 2nd Street and so on. South of downtown there is a set of streets that are numbered as Avenues such as 1st Avenue, 2nd Avenue and so on. I can also see where this could get confusing since the these Streets and Avenues run the same direction. At least in Manhattan they run in different directions.

thspfc


Verlanka


mgk920

How many people sometimes confuse Kingery Highway with the Kingery Expressway in Chicagoand?

Also, the story of how Chicago got its ridiculously easy to navigate addressing grid is truly amazing - an average guy (Edward P. Brennan) who's job entailed constantly finding addresses all day long as part of his regular duties (he was a bill collector), someone who in reality was no different than anyone in this forvm, got fed up with the city's previous addressing mess, a mess that was so bad that it was even crimping the Post Office's style, and did something about it.  I consider him to be an inspiration for us to keep playing around with ideas and making it a point to push the good ones towards fruition.

:nod:

(A lot of other midwestern cities, including my hometown City of Appleton, WI, were readdressed at about that time, too, that idea was that good.)

Mike

kphoger

Quote from: mgk920 on March 31, 2019, 11:11:25 AM
How many people sometimes confuse Kingery Highway with the Kingery Expressway in Chicagoland?

I lived in the Chicago area for a total of 16 years, and I didn't know until your post that there was such a thing as the Kingery Expressway.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

Flint1979

Quote from: mgk920 on March 31, 2019, 11:11:25 AM
How many people sometimes confuse Kingery Highway with the Kingery Expressway in Chicagoand?

Also, the story of how Chicago got its ridiculously easy to navigate addressing grid is truly amazing - an average guy (Edward P. Brennan) who's job entailed constantly finding addresses all day long as part of his regular duties (he was a bill collector), someone who in reality was no different than anyone in this forvm, got fed up with the city's previous addressing mess, a mess that was so bad that it was even crimping the Post Office's style, and did something about it.  I consider him to be an inspiration for us to keep playing around with ideas and making it a point to push the good ones towards fruition.

:nod:

(A lot of other midwestern cities, including my hometown City of Appleton, WI, were readdressed at about that time, too, that idea was that good.)

Mike
I don't think many because the Kingery Expressway is usually called the Tri-State still and Kingery Highway is a state highway running north and south.

I do love how Chicago's address system is.

roadman65

Wibur Cross Parkway and Wilbur Cross Highway in CT?  I imagine no one calls the latter by name being its part of I-84.  I know the former is called by name as no one (according to Wiki) calls the Merit Parkway or that by its number Route 15.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

GreenLanternCorps

Beavercreek, Ohio has Colonial Drive and Colonial Parkway within a mile of each other in adjacent developments:

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.6984158,-84.0423557,15.58z

Colonial Drive is in the upper left and has been around for over 30 years.  Colonial Parkway is in he lower right and is around 20 years old.

Used to live in B-creek on Colonial Drive and the Colonial Parkway sign threw me off the first time I saw it going up Factory Road...

ipeters61

In Dover DE, we have South Little Creek Road and North Little Creek Road (DE-8).  They are two distinct, parallel roads (two longish blocks apart) which enter Little Creek on the south and north ends of town.

In Newark DE, there's an Orchard Road and an Orchard Avenue.

In the area of Harrington/Milford DE, the "DuPont Highway" name switches from US-13 to US-113 (US-13 becomes Sussex Highway south of this point).  The problem, though, is that the name doesn't really transfer seamlessly (prior to the 1990s, US-113 ended at US-13, but about 20 miles north in Dover...now US-113 ends at DE-1 in Milford).

In South Windsor CT, there are two Ellington Roads (CT-30 and CT-74), which used to connect until about 1993.

Oh, and my favorite, US-13 Business is Salisbury Boulevard and US-50 Business is Salisbury Parkway in Salisbury MD.
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed on my posts on the AARoads Forum are my own and do not represent official positions of my employer.
Instagram | Clinched Map

MikieTimT

Bentonville, AR has got to be one of the most confusing for out of towners.  At the downtown square, Main St. and Central Ave. intersect, making the center of the street grid in town.  The N/S streets are letters and the E/W streets are numbers.  The town is essentially divided into quadrants.  For example, the street to the SE of the square is SE 2nd St., which intersects SE A St.  Letters and numbers get progressively larger as you get further from the square, but within about a 3 block radius of the square, you have to be really careful to note the full address, else you'll be a few blocks from your destination.  So, in summary, there are 4 2nd streets, 4 A streets, 4 3rd streets, 4 B streets, etc. all with a very short walk from each other, but progressively further apart the further from the square you get.

kphoger

Quote from: MikieTimT on April 03, 2019, 04:39:43 PM
Bentonville, AR has got to be one of the most confusing for out of towners.  At the downtown square, Main St. and Central Ave. intersect, making the center of the street grid in town.  The N/S streets are letters and the E/W streets are numbers.  The town is essentially divided into quadrants.  For example, the street to the SE of the square is SE 2nd St., which intersects SE A St.  Letters and numbers get progressively larger as you get further from the square, but within about a 3 block radius of the square, you have to be really careful to note the full address, else you'll be a few blocks from your destination.  So, in summary, there are 4 2nd streets, 4 A streets, 4 3rd streets, 4 B streets, etc. all with a very short walk from each other, but progressively further apart the further from the square you get.

That sounds like an excellent system, actually.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

1995hoo

The Bentonville system sounds largely similar to DC. The quadrant is the key in telling you which of four possible addresses it is.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

ftballfan

I-96 has consecutive exits with Alden Nash Ave (Exit 52) and Nash Hwy (Exit 59)

US 89

Reminds me of I-40 west of Albuquerque. There's an exit for Atrisco Vista Blvd, and then the very next exit to the east is Arroyo Vista Blvd.

The funny part is Atrisco Vista Blvd was renamed from Paseo del Volcan sometime in the early 2010s, to avoid confusion with a new-construction Paseo del Volcan to the north in Rio Rancho.


kphoger

Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

djsekani


Kulerage

Does it count if it was once a complete road but a bunch of new construction have caused it to become fragmented into a bunch of pieces?

MikieTimT

Quote from: kphoger on April 03, 2019, 04:48:06 PM
Quote from: MikieTimT on April 03, 2019, 04:39:43 PM
Bentonville, AR has got to be one of the most confusing for out of towners.  At the downtown square, Main St. and Central Ave. intersect, making the center of the street grid in town.  The N/S streets are letters and the E/W streets are numbers.  The town is essentially divided into quadrants.  For example, the street to the SE of the square is SE 2nd St., which intersects SE A St.  Letters and numbers get progressively larger as you get further from the square, but within about a 3 block radius of the square, you have to be really careful to note the full address, else you'll be a few blocks from your destination.  So, in summary, there are 4 2nd streets, 4 A streets, 4 3rd streets, 4 B streets, etc. all with a very short walk from each other, but progressively further apart the further from the square you get.

That sounds like an excellent system, actually.

It's actually pretty handy once you've gotten your head around it.  I could be put in a car blindfolded and dropped off at pretty much any intersection and easily (assuming I wasn't dropped 28 blocks from the square) walk back to the square.  The issue becomes when someone from out of town comes by and wants to park in your driveway for a half-marathon on a Saturday and picks the wrong C St. to park in bright and early on race day to get around parking congestion.  He parked at NW C St. instead of SE C St., so was in a random stranger's driveway all morning.  Thankfully they weren't home, so he didn't block anyone in or get towed.  For the life of me, I can't understand the need to torture one's self by running 13.1 miles around town.  Makes my joints hurt to think about it.

kphoger

Quote from: djsekani on April 09, 2019, 10:15:05 AM
I could be put in a car blindfolded and dropped off at pretty much any intersection and easily (assuming I wasn't dropped 28 blocks from the square) walk back to the square. 

SE 28th Street (Tractor Supply) is only two miles from the square.  That's certainly not too far to walk.  I used to walk that far every day to work and then home again in the evening.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

Terry Shea

Quote from: kphoger on April 08, 2019, 01:13:31 PM
Quote from: Terry Shea on April 06, 2019, 10:05:50 PM
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Aylesworth+St+SE+%26+Patterson+Ave+SE,+Grand+Rapids+Charter+Township,+MI+49546/@42.9445789,-85.552036,3a,90y,90h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sMbclyi-9LROFCu8djXDpXA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!4m5!3m4!1s0x8818526565650e03:0x364ccd612a22a7a1!8m2!3d42.9447009!4d-85.551526

Zooming out of street view, it looks like that's just a street that turns the corner.  Cutter Pkwy to the west and south, Aylesworth to the east.
Correct.  But the sign has read Cutter Parkway on both sides for most of the last 55 years, at least.  Several years ago they changed the sign to Cutter Parkway/Aylesworth, but then changed it back a few years ago.  I never did understand it.



Opinions expressed here on belong solely to the poster and do not represent or reflect the opinions or beliefs of AARoads, its creators and/or associates.