Regional terminology for frontage roads

[Pink Jazz]

There are many different ways to refer to frontage roads, and different terms seem to be predominant in different regions.  I would like to know which terms are dominant in specific regions.  Here is what I know:

   
• Arizona - Frontage road
• New Mexico - Frontage road
• New York - Service road
• Puerto Rico - Calle Marginal
• Texas (Houston) - Feeder
• Texas (DFW) - Service road
• Texas (San Antonio) - Access road
• Texas (Elsewhere) - Frontage road
• Virginia - Service road

[Flint1979]

In Michigan they are called service drives.

[Flint1979]

This is at Nevada Street and Chrysler Service Drive. It's called Chrysler Service Drive because it's the Service Drive to the Chrysler Freeway (I-75).
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.4249949,-83.0927661,3a,75y,40.8h,89.42t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sxVKn2oHAMGnU2q-S5Vdh4A!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[kphoger]

   
• Texas (Houston) - Feeder
• Texas (DFW) - Service road
• Texas (San Antonio) - Access road
• Texas (Elsewhere) - Frontage road

I'm not so sure it's all that clear-cut.  I lived with a guy from Dallas who called them access roads.

[kphoger]

México – Lateral / Calle Lateral / Carriles Laterales

[Pink Jazz]

   
• Texas (Houston) - Feeder
• Texas (DFW) - Service road
• Texas (San Antonio) - Access road
• Texas (Elsewhere) - Frontage road

I'm not so sure it's all that clear-cut.  I lived with a guy from Dallas who called them access roads.

This was from Wikipedia, so perhaps I should take it with a grain of salt.

[jp the roadgeek]

CT: On CT 9 in Berlin and on I-95 in East Haven, they are referred to as frontage roads.  In Hartford along I-91, they are referred to as service roads.

NJ: Like NY, also calls them service roads, such as those along NJ 3 in Secaucus.

[US 89]

In Utah, they are typically referred to as frontage roads.

[TheArkansasRoadgeek]

Arkansas: I mainly hear access frontage road(s).


iPhone

[webny99]

It is correct that we call them service roads here in New York. Across the border in Ontario, they also call them service roads, although theirs are typically two-way and do not interfere with, or provide access to, interchanges.

[US71]

Arkansas: I mainly hear access frontage road(s).

I hear "service roads" on occasion, but not often. Probably some out of state "foreigner"

Illinois predominantly uses "Frontage Road" as does Mississippi.

[formulanone]

I pretty much say frontage road, unless some sign designates it "service road" or "access road".

It's not quite a regional thing like soda/pop or how you pronounce pin from pen: what I've seen on linguistic maps, it's more about what the local/state DOT calls it. After that, there's going to be a few folks that will call it whatever term they originally learned, and carry that along.

[Eth]

I pretty much say frontage road, unless some sign designates it "service road" or "access road".

It's not quite a regional thing like soda/pop or how you pronounce pin from pen: what I've seen on linguistic maps, it's more about what the local/state DOT calls it. After that, there's going to be a few folks that will call it whatever term they originally learned, and carry that along.

Yep. That's why the most natural term to me is "frontage road", because I grew up on the south side of Atlanta and that's what the old exit 79 on I-75 was signed as. (That exit was closed sometime in the '90s, but the road still exists between exits 235 and 238.) Yet that's probably not even the most common term among Atlantans, because many more are familiar with the I-85 Access Road between exits 89 and 99.

[Mapmikey]

There are many different ways to refer to frontage roads, and different terms seem to be predominant in different regions.  I would like to know which terms are dominant in specific regions.  Here is what I know:

   
• Virginia - Service road

Hmmm...since Virginia's frontage roads actually have their own F-series route numbers and referred to as frontage routes in VDOT's description of them, I will surmise the Wikipedia source may be overlooking something.

I'm sure you can find the term service road in Virginia, but...

There was also a time Virginia actually marked roads this way (in addition to an F-route).  A few are still signed as such...

https://goo.gl/maps/De5SDkZAH2B2

[jp the roadgeek]

It is correct that we call them service roads here in New York. Across the border in Ontario, they also call them service roads, although theirs are typically two-way and do not interfere with, or provide access to, interchanges.

At least on Long Island they're called service roads, such as those that run along the LIE and Sunrise Highway in Suffolk County.

[Pink Jazz]

There are many different ways to refer to frontage roads, and different terms seem to be predominant in different regions.  I would like to know which terms are dominant in specific regions.  Here is what I know:

   
• Virginia - Service road

Hmmm...since Virginia's frontage roads actually have their own F-series route numbers and referred to as frontage routes in VDOT's description of them, I will surmise the Wikipedia source may be overlooking something.

I'm sure you can find the term service road in Virginia, but...

There was also a time Virginia actually marked roads this way (in addition to an F-route).  A few are still signed as such...

https://goo.gl/maps/De5SDkZAH2B2

I remember that in Virginia Beach, on Laskin Road (US 58), the local media referred to the parallel streets as service roads.

[SSOWorld]

Wisconsin: Frontage Road

They even have a standard sign for it

[Beltway]

There are many different ways to refer to frontage roads, and different terms seem to be predominant in different regions.  I would like to know which terms are dominant in specific regions.  Here is what I know:

   
• Virginia - Service road

Hmmm...since Virginia's frontage roads actually have their own F-series route numbers and referred to as frontage routes in VDOT's description of them, I will surmise the Wikipedia source may be overlooking something.
I'm sure you can find the term service road in Virginia, but...
There was also a time Virginia actually marked roads this way (in addition to an F-route).  A few are still signed as such...
https://goo.gl/maps/De5SDkZAH2B2

I suppose that depends on where they are being discussed.  When I worked in VDOT roadway design in the early 1980s they were most commonly called service roads by the designers.

Probably both terms are used in various contexts in the state.

[Otto Yamamoto]

San Bernardino county: Outer Highway

P00I

[SSOWorld]

San Bernardino county: Outer Highway

P00I

Funny - sounds the opposite of the frontage road along the LSD in Chicago

Main Road: Outer Drive
Frontage Road: Inner Drive

[cjk374]

Most of north Louisiana calls them service roads. Ruston even signs them as such:

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.539445,-92.6253816,0a,75y,1.39h,90.73t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sXwcDvLdDUxnT7hvE7tujPQ!2e0

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.5407062,-92.6325007,0a,75y,271.8h,91.66t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sE0gu3t1cLTvP5hSgk2MJhA!2e0

[slorydn1]

Service roads here.

[1995hoo]

There are many different ways to refer to frontage roads, and different terms seem to be predominant in different regions.  I would like to know which terms are dominant in specific regions.  Here is what I know:

   
• Virginia - Service road

Hmmm...since Virginia's frontage roads actually have their own F-series route numbers and referred to as frontage routes in VDOT's description of them, I will surmise the Wikipedia source may be overlooking something.
I'm sure you can find the term service road in Virginia, but...
There was also a time Virginia actually marked roads this way (in addition to an F-route).  A few are still signed as such...
https://goo.gl/maps/De5SDkZAH2B2

I suppose that depends on where they are being discussed.  When I worked in VDOT roadway design in the early 1980s they were most commonly called service roads by the designers.

Probably both terms are used in various contexts in the state.

I've even heard DC-area traffic reporters incorrectly using the term "service roads" to refer to C/D roads on occasion (perhaps because listeners may not know what C/D roads are?).

[Truvelo]

Over here we refer to them as service roads.

[Mapmikey]

I suppose that depends on where they are being discussed.  When I worked in VDOT roadway design in the early 1980s they were most commonly called service roads by the designers.

Probably both terms are used in various contexts in the state.

There is an operational difference where the distinction might be made...

On Laskin Rd, there are accesses to the service road at places that are not otherwise intersections with Laskin Rd ( for example:  https://goo.gl/maps/eH1i9oqqY6B2).  Frontage Roads actually signed as F-xxxx do not to my recollection have these kinds of connections - only actual intersections.  Even Arlington County has F-routes (signed even in some cases, that meet this definition).


I do vaguely now recall the use of service road when I lived in Va Beach in 1991.

I also seem to recall seeing somewhere that F-routes are meant to be for providing access to property that is no longer accessible due to the configuration of a primary route.