Early Bannered Routes Who Started Them?

[Avalanchez71]

Where were bannered routes first started?  What was the oldest US Business route that was actually labeled as business?  What is the oldest business route that is still  retains nearly the same alignment?

[Mapmikey]

The oldest Business routes in places I am familiar...

Virginia's first one was in May 1958:  US 58 Business in Virginia Beach which remains unchanged (though now poorly signed) today.

North Carolina first used Business routes in 1960 as a renumbering of what used to be ALT routes.  A fair number still exist from the 1960 renumbering.

South Carolina first used Business routes in 1947, with US 76 Bus in Newberry and SC 9 Bus in Chesterfield (now both gone).  The oldest one that is still existing is US 21 Business through Fort Mill from 1948.

[Scott5114]

As far as I know they were introduced at the same time US highways were.

[TheStranger]

I may be mistaken but the earliest US business route I can think of in California is the early-1940s Business US 40 (now Route 123) along San Pablo Avenue between Oakland and Richmond.

[JasonOfORoads]

The earliest banner routes I can think of off the top of my head would be Alt US-30 and Bypass US-30 in Portland. IIRC both existed starting in the early 1930s, with Alt US-30 going away by around 1950.

[ftballfan]

Michigan used US-27A in Alma as early as the 1930s (as mainline US-27 went through nearby St. Louis instead; the current US-127 freeway cuts between the two with both communities having BUS US-127s)

[sparker]

The earliest banner routes I can think of off the top of my head would be Alt US-30 and Bypass US-30 in Portland. IIRC both existed starting in the early 1930s, with Alt US-30 going away by around 1950.

Portland seems to have always had one or two bannered US 30 derivatives; Bypass 30 is the sole survivor of that bunch.  When I was living up there ('93-'97), Burnside Ave. from I-405 to Sandy Blvd., and Sandy Blvd. NE of there all the way to Bypass 30, was bannered "Business US 30"; that facility was returned to local control circa 2000, IIRC.  The main US 30 stayed on freeways for the most part; it multiplexed with, respectively (E>W) I-84, I-5, and I-405 before utilizing the Yeon Street freeway stub (what was left of deleted I-505) to access St. Helens Road.  Ironically, the bannered Bypass US 30 has always used a series of surface streets -- it could only be considered a "bypass" in comparison with the now-defunct business route through downtown. 

[Mapmikey]

Earliest ALT routes in areas I know well...

Virginia: Sept 1934 - US 11 ALT north of Lexington (now SR 645)
North Carolina:  Oct 1934 (great renumbering) spawned several ALT routes.  However, 1933 Gen Draft maps showed a US 1 ALT in Raleigh and a US 421 ALT in Greensboro...I am more skeptical of these.
South Carolina:  They did a weird practice early on where stubs off of primary routes were ALT routes.  The earliest explicit one I can find is US 76 ALT to Long Creek in 1933.   However, an implied US 25 ALT (now S-23-13) showed up with the 1932 Official map.  This was a loop route left behind by a rerouting of US 25.
West Virginia: It appears the earliest ALT route was US 21 ALT bypassing Bluefield, appearing between 1934-37.

[bing101]

Lincoln Highway had to be the first known bannered route. But the first US Route had to be 20 years later after Lincoln was signed.

[NE2]

Lincoln Highway had to be the first known bannered route. But the first US Route had to be 20 years later after Lincoln was signed.

No.

[kphoger]

Lincoln Highway had to be the first known bannered route. But the first US Route had to be 20 years later after Lincoln was signed.

No.

I must say, NE2 is amazingly adept at funneling his vast repository of highway history knowledge down to the most concise nugget of meaningful information for others to digest.

[JasonOfORoads]

The earliest banner routes I can think of off the top of my head would be Alt US-30 and Bypass US-30 in Portland. IIRC both existed starting in the early 1930s, with Alt US-30 going away by around 1950.

Portland seems to have always had one or two bannered US 30 derivatives; Bypass 30 is the sole survivor of that bunch.  When I was living up there ('93-'97), Burnside Ave. from I-405 to Sandy Blvd., and Sandy Blvd. NE of there all the way to Bypass 30, was bannered "Business US 30"; that facility was returned to local control circa 2000, IIRC.  The main US 30 stayed on freeways for the most part; it multiplexed with, respectively (E>W) I-84, I-5, and I-405 before utilizing the Yeon Street freeway stub (what was left of deleted I-505) to access St. Helens Road.  Ironically, the bannered Bypass US 30 has always used a series of surface streets -- it could only be considered a "bypass" in comparison with the now-defunct business route through downtown.

US-30 Business actually lasted a while longer than that. It wasn't deleted from ODOT's Route Descriptions until July 5, 2007. I still think there may be a sign or two lurking around Sandy Blvd. somewhere to this day, but I remember seeing that a couple years ago. I'll have to take a drive along there this weekend or something and see if I can snap some photos.

Also, IIRC US-30 hasn't run down St. Helens Road since the late 1980s and hasn't gone through downtown since the Fremont Bridge opened in 1973.

[US71]

Where were bannered routes first started?  What was the oldest US Business route that was actually labeled as business?  What is the oldest business route that is still  retains nearly the same alignment?

The first in Arkansas (to my knowledge) was  CITY US 71 in Bentonville, circa 1960.  Later known as Business 71, later as AR 72 Spur.

[hbelkins]

West Virginia: It appears the earliest ALT route was US 21 ALT bypassing Bluefield, appearing between 1934-37.

I'm presuming that US 21 came in from the south along with US 52 on what is now Bland Avenue/Bland Road. What route did the alternate take?

[Mapmikey]

West Virginia: It appears the earliest ALT route was US 21 ALT bypassing Bluefield, appearing between 1934-37.

I'm presuming that US 21 came in from the south along with US 52 on what is now Bland Avenue/Bland Road. What route did the alternate take?

From the 1949 Mercer County map:



Today this is Cumberland Rd (US 52) and Grassy Branch Rd (CR 25).

[theline]

Michigan used US-27A in Alma as early as the 1930s (as mainline US-27 went through nearby St. Louis instead; the current US-127 freeway cuts between the two with both communities having BUS US-127s)

I just checked this out on Google and saw that BUS US-127 through Alma is incorrectly marked as BUS US-27. Which makes no sense, since there's been no US-27 around there for many years.

[bugo]

The first business route in Arkansas appears to be City US 67C in Searcy. It first appeared around 1950.

[Avalanchez71]

The earliest banner routes I can think of off the top of my head would be Alt US-30 and Bypass US-30 in Portland. IIRC both existed starting in the early 1930s, with Alt US-30 going away by around 1950.

Portland seems to have always had one or two bannered US 30 derivatives; Bypass 30 is the sole survivor of that bunch.  When I was living up there ('93-'97), Burnside Ave. from I-405 to Sandy Blvd., and Sandy Blvd. NE of there all the way to Bypass 30, was bannered "Business US 30"; that facility was returned to local control circa 2000, IIRC.  The main US 30 stayed on freeways for the most part; it multiplexed with, respectively (E>W) I-84, I-5, and I-405 before utilizing the Yeon Street freeway stub (what was left of deleted I-505) to access St. Helens Road.  Ironically, the bannered Bypass US 30 has always used a series of surface streets -- it could only be considered a "bypass" in comparison with the now-defunct business route through downtown.

US-30 Business actually lasted a while longer than that. It wasn't deleted from ODOT's Route Descriptions until July 5, 2007. I still think there may be a sign or two lurking around Sandy Blvd. somewhere to this day, but I remember seeing that a couple years ago. I'll have to take a drive along there this weekend or something and see if I can snap some photos.

Also, IIRC US-30 hasn't run down St. Helens Road since the late 1980s and hasn't gone through downtown since the Fremont Bridge opened in 1973.

I didn't realize that US BUS 30 was gone.  US BYP 30 in this silly to be marked as such. 

[kkt]

Lincoln Highway had to be the first known bannered route. But the first US Route had to be 20 years later after Lincoln was signed.

No.

I must say, NE2 is amazingly adept at funneling his vast repository of highway history knowledge down to the most concise nugget of meaningful information for others to digest.

Yes.