Most Worthless Control Cities

[Flint1979]

Albany is also potentially ambiguous – I-75 gets a lot of people from outside the area. If someone from Michigan sees Albany and isn't aware there's one in Georgia, they're going to be confused.

I think this is a big one for control city choice. It's a reason why I-44 WB in St Louis uses Tulsa instead of Springfield as a control, because it can get confused with Springfield, IL in the opposite direction (and US 66 used to go through both).

Most states get around the confusion issue by including the state if it could be ambiguous, such as Jackson TN for I-40 east from Memphis (never mind that I think it should just be Nashville).

Jackson is a regional trade center for western Tennessee. There are multiple universities there, it is a notable city along I-40 between Memphis and Nashville. Now would you like to argue that Jackson, TN could be confused with Jackson, MS?

[Flint1979]

The reality is, the Interstate system was built based on what the major cities were in the 1950s. We shouldn't continue to act like all the cities off the Interstate system are non-major and the ones on the route should be the only control cities. If you look at, for example, media markets, Albany GA is important enough to have a media market while Valdosta and Tifton do not.

That's what exit destination signs are for. There would be a sign for Albany at US 82 going north and GA 300 going south.

I'd say it's mentioned pretty good. You could also get off at exit 16 for Waycross.
https://www.google.com/maps/@31.444906,-83.5289427,3a,15y,332.54h,94.34t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s5qxcJP63VrTMbo82w-z8hg!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3D5qxcJP63VrTMbo82w-z8hg%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D47.194695%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.com/maps/@31.9387868,-83.7483363,3a,15y,177.21h,93.79t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sPaHQoRdECDy7giL4GMwi4g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[wriddle082]

Albany is also potentially ambiguous – I-75 gets a lot of people from outside the area. If someone from Michigan sees Albany and isn't aware there's one in Georgia, they're going to be confused.

I think this is a big one for control city choice. It's a reason why I-44 WB in St Louis uses Tulsa instead of Springfield as a control, because it can get confused with Springfield, IL in the opposite direction (and US 66 used to go through both).

Most states get around the confusion issue by including the state if it could be ambiguous, such as Jackson TN for I-40 east from Memphis (never mind that I think it should just be Nashville).

Jackson is a regional trade center for western Tennessee. There are multiple universities there, it is a notable city along I-40 between Memphis and Nashville. Now would you like to argue that Jackson, TN could be confused with Jackson, MS?

Did they just change the control cities?  For as long as I can remember, I-40 east from Memphis has always had Nashville as its control city.  I-55 south from Memphis has always had "Jackson Miss"  as it's control city, at least while in Tennessee, then when you cross into MS it changes to Grenada because that's MS being MS.

[Flint1979]

Albany is also potentially ambiguous – I-75 gets a lot of people from outside the area. If someone from Michigan sees Albany and isn't aware there's one in Georgia, they're going to be confused.

I think this is a big one for control city choice. It's a reason why I-44 WB in St Louis uses Tulsa instead of Springfield as a control, because it can get confused with Springfield, IL in the opposite direction (and US 66 used to go through both).

Most states get around the confusion issue by including the state if it could be ambiguous, such as Jackson TN for I-40 east from Memphis (never mind that I think it should just be Nashville).

Jackson is a regional trade center for western Tennessee. There are multiple universities there, it is a notable city along I-40 between Memphis and Nashville. Now would you like to argue that Jackson, TN could be confused with Jackson, MS?

Did they just change the control cities?  For as long as I can remember, I-40 east from Memphis has always had Nashville as its control city.  I-55 south from Memphis has always had "Jackson Miss"  as it's control city, at least while in Tennessee, then when you cross into MS it changes to Grenada because that's MS being MS.

I don't think so. To my knowledge Nashville is the EB I-40 control city after Memphis.

[fillup420]

Used to be I-485 with "Rock Hill SC" - they've fixed it now  to NCDOT

BUT I-85 between Charlotte and High Point is still "Kannapolis (arrow here)" on directional signs for exit ramps

Some of the control cities around the 485 loop still don't really make sense. at the E John St exit, the controls are Concord and Columbia, but at the US 74 exit, just 1 mile north, the controls are Huntersville and Pineville. the 74 eastbound signs used to be for Greensboro and Columbia, but were updated sometime in 2018.

[Roadgeekteen]

Do we really think that Albany GA should be used on I-75? It's not that big of a city and it's not even on I-75.

[Flint1979]

Do we really think that Albany GA should be used on I-75? It's not that big of a city and it's not even on I-75.

No

[ran4sh]

Do we really think that Albany GA should be used on I-75? It's not that big of a city and it's not even on I-75.

If we only want very large cities/urban areas to be used, then the cities for that part of I-75 should be Atlanta and Tampa (possibly alternating with Orlando). Albany is large enough to have its own media market.

[US 89]

Do we really think that Albany GA should be used on I-75? It's not that big of a city and it's not even on I-75.

If we only want very large cities/urban areas to be used, then the cities for that part of I-75 should be Atlanta and Tampa (possibly alternating with Orlando). Albany is large enough to have its own media market.

Okay, and so is the shining metropolis of Glendive, MT (pop. 4,873 in 2020). And there are media markets that should exist but don't because of population change from when markets were first laid out. See southern Utah - there should absolutely be a TV market in Cedar City or St George, but a lot of the population growth there is recent and the SLC stations will never let go of that area because $. So that's a poor comparison.

That said, the point of control cities is to give an idea of where a route goes. If you're going to use a city that isn't on the route, it should at least be on a logical extension of it. Stuff like Las Vegas for I-70 in Utah, Chattanooga for I-59, or Grand Jct for I-76 in Denver. And I wouldn't even object to cities that aren't really on a route but are basically "served" by it. Rochester MN is a good example of that - it isn't really on I-90, but I-90 is pretty damn close, and I wouldn't argue if it were an I-90 control (based on a quick GSV scan, it isn't).

Albany, GA meets none of those. It is nowhere near I-75, which keeps on going right past it. Same with Orlando.

[Flint1979]

Do we really think that Albany GA should be used on I-75? It's not that big of a city and it's not even on I-75.

If we only want very large cities/urban areas to be used, then the cities for that part of I-75 should be Atlanta and Tampa (possibly alternating with Orlando). Albany is large enough to have its own media market.

Smaller cities are ok and not against the rules but Albany is well off I-75 and not really that big. Having it's own media market don't mean much when I-75 doesn't get you that close to Albany at all. There are signs for Albany at the US-82 exit and GA-300 exit. Orlando shouldn't be used either, the control cities are actually fine the way they are along I-75.

[Mergingtraffic]

"I-95 South Chester"  as in Chester, PA on signs in Philadelphia, PA.  Wouldn't Wilmington or Baltimore work?

[ran4sh]

Mileage signs are usually omitted in urban areas if there are other signage that is more important in the vicinity. But yes, the SB control city from Philadelphia should be Baltimore.

"the point of control cities is to give an idea of where a route goes"

For directional signs, maybe. But control cities are also specified to be used on mileage/distance signs. For that purpose a good control city is an actual location that people are traveling to and people would be interested in knowing the distance to. Even if the driver must change to a different route to get there.

[Roadgeekteen]

Mileage signs are usually omitted in urban areas if there are other signage that is more important in the vicinity. But yes, the SB control city from Philadelphia should be Baltimore.

"the point of control cities is to give an idea of where a route goes"

For directional signs, maybe. But control cities are also specified to be used on mileage/distance signs. For that purpose a good control city is an actual location that people are traveling to and people would be interested in knowing the distance to. Even if the driver must change to a different route to get there.

I would use Wilmington as it's the largest city in Delaware

[Flint1979]

Should be Wilmington then Baltimore.

[hbelkins]

Keep in mind that northbound on I-95 in Maryland, three states (Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey) are skipped in favor of NYC.

[Roadgeekteen]

Keep in mind that northbound on I-95 in Maryland, three states (Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey) are skipped in favor of NYC.

Maryland assumes that the "through route" is the Del Memorial Bridge (which is what I'm guessing), which is why they skip Wilmington and Philadelphia.

[tolbs17]

Keep in mind that northbound on I-95 in Maryland, three states (Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey) are skipped in favor of NYC.

Maryland assumes that the "through route" is the Del Memorial Bridge (which is what I'm guessing), which is why they skip Wilmington and Philadelphia.

New York is more of a destination city so therefore it's reasonable.

Wilmington isn't that big really.

[tolbs17]

I would replace "Nashville" with "Raleigh" on this sign since it's much bigger.

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.8882482,-77.5420135,3a,28.8y,269.24h,95.41t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sJdqgfbwlLaMbpHzWdjrrBA!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DJdqgfbwlLaMbpHzWdjrrBA%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D6.96386%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

[MATraveler128]

I don't really like the use of Portsmouth, NH in Massachusetts. I wish they'd use Portland, Maine instead.

[CtrlAltDel]

Malvern? Where the hell is Malvern?

[Roadgeekteen]

Malvern? Where the hell is Malvern?

It's a secondary makes sense

[jbnv]

Malvern? Where the hell is Malvern?

West of Little Rock.

[hobsini2]

But anyway, I-75 has none of those cities as control cities and those are not ideal control cities for I-75. From Sault Ste. Marie to Miami the control cities are/should be in this order:
St. Ignace at the International Bridge, then Mackinac Bridge takes over, then after that Saginaw, Flint, Detroit, Toledo, Dayton, Cincinnati, Lexington, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Atlanta, Macon, Tifton, Valdosta, Lake City, Gainesville, Ocala, Tampa, Naples, Miami. Why would you use Albany, Tallahassee and Jacksonville when I-75 takes you to none of those cities?

Georgia doesn't even use Tifton as a control city, so I have no idea why you would want to add it. Albany is certainly more important despite not being on the route.

Where did I say that they do use Tifton? And how exactly is Albany a better control city on I-75 than Tifton? I-75 actually goes through Tifton, it does not go through or even lead you to Albany. You are telling me you have no idea why I would want to add a city that is actually on the Interstate when you suggest that a city that is 40 miles west of it should be a control city?

Why are you suggesting control cities that aren't even on the route? Like you suggest the other day that Virginia should use Richmond and Washington on I-81 and then suggested that Wichita be added as a control city on I-70.

You sidestepped the question. You acknowledge that Georgia doesn't use Tifton, and you suggest that Tifton should be used, so the clearly implied question is *why*? Is the existing usage of Macon and Valdosta not good enough for you?

What do you mean good enough for me? What's wrong with using Tifton as a control city? You want to use Albany which isn't even on the route. Why would you use a control city that isn't on the route? What sense does that make?

Well I-5 has the control city for San Francisco even though it never touches the city.  Mainly it's a reference that to reach San Francisco you either have to exit at I-580 west from the northbound direction of I-5 in the Tracy area or exit at US-50 west , I-80 West or I-505 south if you are in the Sacramento Valley area trying to reach the Bay Area.
Likewise Los Angeles gets used as a control city for I-40 west and I-15 south it's used as a reference to get to I-10, or CA-60 west or CA-210 west to get to Los Angeles.

HUUUUUGGGGGEEEEE difference between utilizing an interstate that goes towards a major metro area of importance and using a control city for a minor city that is miles off the highway.
I-5 using San Francisco, I-40 using Los Angeles and I-70 using Las Vegas makes a ton of sense. I-75 using Albany GA that at it's closest point is 70 miles away is a joke. Just stop yourself.

[ran4sh]

Albany is not "minor". It has its own media market and I-75 passes through that media market, thus, it is a reasonable control city. As I've said before, today's population/major cities are not necessarily the same ones that were major when the Interstate system was designed.

Who gets to decide what the "major metro areas of importance" are? I'm using media markets. (There is some relation between media markets and metro/urban areas, but the advantage of media markets is that most if not all places in the country are located within one.) You seem to be using some other kind of probably more arbitrary criteria.

[Ted$8roadFan]

I-76 W in Philadelphia uses Valley Forge. It's not worthless, but it's not really a city.