Does anyone else like to draw completely fictitious maps?

[oscar]

Just ask every notebook I've had since Middle School.  You could tell how boring the class was based on how many interchanges and made up towns were sketched in the margins.  Now in the workplace I occasionally find my self in meetings doing the same thing.

Same here.  It will be interesting if some of my hypothetical interchange doodles at work ever get made public in response to a FOIA request, or if I have to turn them over to opposing counsel in pretrial discovery.  At the very least, it will be a distraction from trying to decipher my awful handwriting.

[D-Dey65]

Some of you might've seen this before, but here's one of a couple of variations of the Pelham Interchange:


As you see, it's unfinished. It combines the New England Thruway, the formerly proposed extension of the Sheridan Expressway, the formerly proposed City Line and Bronx-Mahopac Expressways,  Boston Post Road, and the terminus of the IRT Dyre Avenue Line. No connecting ramps to US 1 or the Baychester Avenue Station, of course.

[kj3400]

One I made last year, there's plenty more where that one came from....just need a scanner .

[D-Dey65]

As I've mentioned on another board, FDOT wants to widen I-75 northeast of Tampa, and one of the proposals involves redesigning the interchange with US 98/SR 50(Exit 301) in Ridge Manor West. They have their designs, and the neighborhood NIMBYists have their "alternatives," but I say it should be like this;



This way, there's no truck traffic on US 98 blocking those short left-turn lanes at the interchange itself.

I've also got some ideas on how Exit 309(Sumter CR's 476B and 673) should be rebuilt, which is similar to how I thin Exit 293(Pasco CR 41) should be rebuilt.

[Truvelo]

When anyone draws their own maps the one thing they all have in common is they always contain massive interchanges with tangles of ramps and direct connectors. My designs are no exception. This one is of a real location but the interchange has been heavily improved from what actually exists

[Icodec]

I enjoy drawing fictional road signs in my imaginary country of Delstein. It has a system of interstates and freeways designed to get its citizens around as quickly as possible. In other words, you could call me a transportation geek.

[BigMattFromTexas]

I'm bored, I'll go draw some then scan them onto my computer..

Let's try a 6-8 level.. I don't even know if that's possible!!
BigMatt

[Alps]

I'm bored, I'll go draw some then scan them onto my computer..

Let's try a 6-8 level.. I don't even know if that's possible!!
BigMatt

A perfect stack interchange between three freeways would be 9 levels.

[D-Dey65]

When anyone draws their own maps the one thing they all have in common is they always contain massive interchanges with tangles of ramps and direct connectors.

A lot of times, yes. But I don't think this is the case with my new version of Exit 301 on I-75. All you've got is a standard diamond interchange with the west-to-southbound access replaced by a single flyover, and some connecting ramps. The same thing already exists at Bruce B. Downs Highway, but the connecting ramps to that flyover are all wrong.

[froggie]

Might do better with a SPUI than with a single flyover at I-75/US 98.  For one, you'd only have one signal instead of two along US 98.

[florida]

Absolutely, yes! (In response to the original question.) I sometimes like to envision how the place would look in real life and draw up a little history about it.

[BigMattFromTexas]

I'm doin one right now, I need some help on what type of interchange I should draw..
BigMatt

[D-Dey65]

Might do better with a SPUI than with a single flyover at I-75/US 98.  For one, you'd only have one signal instead of two along US 98.

True, but you'd still need to extend the left-turn lanes in the divider. The only problem with that is that you'd interfere with some nearby intersections.

FDOT's existing plans include leading the flyovers from the median either west-to-south, or north-to-west.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

I'm doin one right now, I need some help on what type of interchange I should draw..
BigMatt

Use your illusion II

[Ian]

I'll have to scan a few of these pages, but I have a few of my own sketch books where I have drawn things from complex interchanges, to little towns, to even my own road sign creations. Most of my interchange ideas come from exsisting ones, but I like to add my own touches. For example, I just drew a copy of I-790 in Utica, NY, except I changed the Utica streets a little bit.

[BigMattFromTexas]

8 level stack.
I made a normal freeway, added HOV lanes on the inside of the normal freeway lanes, then made a stack for the normal lanes, then a stack for the HOV lanes. And the frontage roads have a intersection controlled by a stoplight.

BigMatt

[agentsteel53]

intersection controlled by a stoplight.

I was with you until that.

[BigMattFromTexas]

Lemme change that to "intersection uncontrolled, also named the "death trap". There is also no speed limit on the frontage road, the rules of the frontage road is 'every man for himself"..
Better?
BigMatt

[agentsteel53]

or just grade-separate the frontage roads without intersecting.  Amply sign the approach so that if someone wanted to change directions, they'd know to get on the freeway.

[BigMattFromTexas]

I'm just doing that cause that's what they did on the High Five interchange, and I like that better..
BigMatt

[rickmastfan67]

Hey BigMatt, I dare you to make a 16 stack interchange.

[BigMattFromTexas]

Aghh, I'll try that tonight before I go to bed.. That's gonna suck.. Better get more colored pencils out.....

It turned into a 19 level stack.... No frontage roads this time...

BigMatt

[BrynM65]

I too draw entirely fictional roads in my spare time - I created a country called Brunswick where I tried to mix my favourite elements from numerous countries' road systems.

I still doodle it these days, it used to have a website but currently it's offline pending me replacing it. The neighbouring fictional country, Arransia, can be found here though: http://arransia.speedlimit.org.uk/

It began as an excuse to design road signs, and spiralled into what could well be a novel. I really should put it all back together and online soon...

[rte66man]

When I was in grade school, I used to draw fictional maps on the inside covers of my notebooks. I even had a couple of kids PAY ME to draw ones on their notebooks. How nerdy is that?

[burgess87]

I guess you could say I dabble in this: