New York

[Rothman]

Sentinel Heights bridge over I-81, south of Syracuse, opens tomorrow with a ceremony on the east side of the bridge at 2 p.m with NYSDOT Regional Director and Onondaga Nation Chief in attendance.  Bridge is decorated with the Hiawatha Belt.

[crispy93]

I wrote a letter requesting that NYSDOT install an Added Lane sign on the southbound Taconic, at US 6 in Yorktown: https://goo.gl/maps/dQYEm1NqVaHwpREw7 Curiously, there is an Entering Added Lane sign on the ramp, but not the mainline.

Here's the reply I received: https://i.imgur.com/2kAWUqS.jpg
Am I crazy for thinking there should still be an added lane sign here? It's an added lane!

There's a similar setup on 84 in Fishkill at US 9: one added lane ramp (from 9 sb) followed by a merge (from 9 nb) and yet there is an Added Lane sign on the 84 mainline. 

[Alps]

I wrote a letter requesting that NYSDOT install an Added Lane sign on the southbound Taconic, at US 6 in Yorktown: https://goo.gl/maps/dQYEm1NqVaHwpREw7 Curiously, there is an Entering Added Lane sign on the ramp, but not the mainline.

Here's the reply I received: https://i.imgur.com/2kAWUqS.jpg
Am I crazy for thinking there should still be an added lane sign here? It's an added lane!

There's a similar setup on 84 in Fishkill at US 9: one added lane ramp (from 9 sb) followed by a merge (from 9 nb) and yet there is an Added Lane sign on the 84 mainline. 

I'm on your side with this. You would see added lane before the first ramp THEN a merge sign for the second.

[machias]

It'd be nice if we could get all the relevant regions in NYSDOT to understand that "Thruway" makes for a poor control city in 2022.  Region 4 likes to replace like in kind; add a TOLL banner to keep it compliant.

[SignBridge]

Some may consider the Thruway itself to be a kind of destination, even though it's not strictly compliant with the Manual.

[storm2k]

It'd be nice if we could get all the relevant regions in NYSDOT to understand that "Thruway" makes for a poor control city in 2022.  Region 4 likes to replace like in kind; add a TOLL banner to keep it compliant.

Old habits will forever die hard. Even though the New Jersey Turnpike Authority finally adopted official control cities for both the Turnpike and Parkway like 7-8 years ago and now signs them more consistently than they ever used to, NJDOT will forever sign interchanges for either toll road as simply "New Jersey Turnpike" or "Garden State Parkway" even when signing them with appropriate shields. Some things may never change. The difference in agencies may play a big role for both NJ and NY.

[amroad17]

It'd be nice if we could get all the relevant regions in NYSDOT to understand that "Thruway" makes for a poor control city in 2022.  Region 4 likes to replace like in kind; add a TOLL banner to keep it compliant.

I would like to see the signs posted like this...

  TOLL  NY Thruway     TOLL  NY Thruway     TOLL  NY Thruway
    90        Logo             90        Logo             87        Logo
       Albany                       Buffalo                    New York
       Buffalo                         Erie                        Albany

These can be either ground-mounted or on overheads with the appropriate exit number if and where needed.

By doing this, a motorist will know that they are going to be entering the NY Thruway and will have control cities to go by before exiting the road that they are on currently.

[roadman65]

https://goo.gl/maps/SJVYiz4PQChzG8a58
I see that the Welcome you get to Niagara Fallls on I-190 is sine salad.

https://goo.gl/maps/6Ja1P99SjUeA48BW8
Plus a second welcome sign on the far side of the Grand Island Bridge as well.

[machias]

It'd be nice if we could get all the relevant regions in NYSDOT to understand that "Thruway" makes for a poor control city in 2022.  Region 4 likes to replace like in kind; add a TOLL banner to keep it compliant.

I would like to see the signs posted like this...

     TOLL  NY Thruway     TOLL  NY Thruway     TOLL  NY Thruway
       90        Logo             90        Logo             87        Logo
          Albany                       Buffalo                    New York
          Buffalo                         Erie                        Albany

These can be either ground-mounted or on overheads with the appropriate exit number if and where needed.

By doing this, a motorist will know that they are going to be entering the NY Thruway and will have control cities to go by before exiting the road that they are on currently.

Region 3 includes Albany-Buffalo on interchange signing for the Thruway. Region 1 includes New York-Buffalo sporadically, though they didn't on the new signs on I-890. Region 4 doesn't include control cities at all, but there's a few interstate-to-interstate interchanges where they don't include control cities there either, but I think Region 5 does include Albany-Erie. I'm not sure about the downstate regions.

I can see the Thruway being a destination 70 years ago, but times have changed and the Thruway has been part of the Interstate System for many decades. Years ago a NYSDOT engineer said they were unnecessary because once you pass through the toll booths there's control cities there, but that doesn't make for good guidance for motorists just looking for I-90 west toward Buffalo from another Interstate. There's no reason not to include control cities other than "Thruway" other than perpetuating what was done in the past and just replacing signs with the same message decade after decade. Laziness.

[webny99]

Region 4 doesn't include control cities at all, but there's a few interstate-to-interstate interchanges where they don't include control cities there either ...

Region 4 has gotten much better about using Thruway control cities with sign replacements since the AET conversion. They included Albany-Buffalo at both ends of I-490 and NY 332, although they're still lacking on mainline I-390.

[kirbykart]

Region 5 does use control cities well. Something I find odd is that NYSTA tries to use Rochester at Exit 53 in Buffalo, and at I-190 Exit 16, but then fails to do so anywhere else. The control for I-290 is Thru Traffic.

Another strange thing, this time by Syracuse (no idea what Region this would be) the control cities for the Thruway from I-81 are Buffalo-Boston, skipping Albany entirely!

[amroad17]

Region 5 does use control cities well. Something I find odd is that NYSTA tries to use Rochester at Exit 53 in Buffalo, and at I-190 Exit 16, but then fails to do so anywhere else. The control for I-290 is Thru Traffic.

Another strange thing, this time by Syracuse (no idea what Region this would be) the control cities for the Thruway from I-81 are Buffalo-Boston, skipping Albany entirely!

Syracuse is in Region 3.

Where are you seeing signs posted for Buffalo-Boston?  All I see on GSV (July 2022) is Buffalo-Albany.

[machias]

Region 5 does use control cities well. Something I find odd is that NYSTA tries to use Rochester at Exit 53 in Buffalo, and at I-190 Exit 16, but then fails to do so anywhere else. The control for I-290 is Thru Traffic.

Another strange thing, this time by Syracuse (no idea what Region this would be) the control cities for the Thruway from I-81 are Buffalo-Boston, skipping Albany entirely!

There's definitely no signs for Boston in the Syracuse area. The mileage signs on the Thruway are Utica-Albany-Buffalo to the east of Syracuse, and the NYSDOT signs leading up to the Thruway are for Albany-Buffalo, aside from a straggler or two that wasn't replaced in the last sign rehab project.

[roadman65]

https://goo.gl/maps/nK8DwFXEJL95mhg18
Why is North GrandIsland Bridge Truss Less? I always wondered why it's counterpart on the south end has a stringed cantilever Chanel span, but the North Crossing doesn't feature one.

Same river, with same ship traffic.

[kirbykart]

Region 5 does use control cities well. Something I find odd is that NYSTA tries to use Rochester at Exit 53 in Buffalo, and at I-190 Exit 16, but then fails to do so anywhere else. The control for I-290 is Thru Traffic.

Another strange thing, this time by Syracuse (no idea what Region this would be) the control cities for the Thruway from I-81 are Buffalo-Boston, skipping Albany entirely!

Syracuse is in Region 3.

Where are you seeing signs posted for Buffalo-Boston?  All I see on GSV (July 2022) is Buffalo-Albany.

This is really bizarre. I can't find one on GSV but I know I saw one!

[vdeane]

The only Buffalo-Boston instances I can think of are at interchanges with free 90.

[kirbykart]

The only Buffalo-Boston instances I can think of are at interchanges with free 90.

Yeah I know of those, it's just that I could have sworn I saw one in Syracuse.

[webny99]

https://goo.gl/maps/nK8DwFXEJL95mhg18
Why is North GrandIsland Bridge Truss Less? I always wondered why it's counterpart on the south end has a stringed cantilever Chanel span, but the North Crossing doesn't feature one.

Same river, with same ship traffic.

Maybe for a better view of Niagara Falls. On a clear day you can often see a plume of mist along with the Niagara Falls, ON skyline.

[webny99]

The only Buffalo-Boston instances I can think of are at interchanges with free 90.

Yeah I know of those, it's just that I could have sworn I saw one in Syracuse.

Also not Syracuse, and not NYSTA, but Buffalo and Boston both appear on the same sign here as well.

[TMETSJETSYT]

Some may consider the Thruway itself to be a kind of destination, even though it's not strictly compliant with the Manual.

The Thruway signs should say 90/87 and above that shield say North/South/East/West, and then have the Thruway shield and have that yellow toll sign above it and have an actual control city on the sign such as Albany, New York City, Buffalo, Syracuse, or Rochester. Ive always been confused on why they never (rarely) do this, but I did hear that they are trying to phase out the Thruway signs, so I can see why they arent putting the shield on signs, but I personally don't agree with it.

[kalvado]

Some may consider the Thruway itself to be a kind of destination, even though it's not strictly compliant with the Manual.

The Thruway signs should say 90/87 and above that shield say North/South/East/West, and then have the Thruway shield and have that yellow toll sign above it and have an actual control city on the sign such as Albany, New York City, Buffalo, Syracuse, or Rochester. Ive always been confused on why they never (rarely) do this, but I did hear that they are trying to phase out the Thruway signs, so I can see why they arent putting the shield on signs, but I personally don't agree with it.

One reason I could see is that all traffic to/from any Thruway exit is funneled into a single toll plaza. So it doesn't make sense to show east-west before the booth (except for a few spots, like exit 24). Any traffic goes to that toll booth first, and would be making a choice after the booth only.  Things are a bit different with AET, but the single entry point still exists.

[vdeane]

The only Buffalo-Boston instances I can think of are at interchanges with free 90.

Yeah I know of those, it's just that I could have sworn I saw one in Syracuse.

Also not Syracuse, and not NYSTA, but Buffalo and Boston both appear on the same sign here as well.

That one also had Albany and New York, so it's not exactly skipping over Albany, is it?  Plus I did say "interchanges with free 90", after all.

[webny99]

The only Buffalo-Boston instances I can think of are at interchanges with free 90.

Yeah I know of those, it's just that I could have sworn I saw one in Syracuse.

Also not Syracuse, and not NYSTA, but Buffalo and Boston both appear on the same sign here as well.

That one also had Albany and New York, so it's not exactly skipping over Albany, is it?  Plus I did say "interchanges with free 90", after all.

Yes, I knew what you meant, I was just trying to think of examples where both were on the same sign in hopes of helping the OP's quest.

[kirbykart]

^Welp... it seems I must have been misremembering. It happens to everyone at one point or another. 

[froggie]

Something I noticed on my way home yesterday is that every VMS that wasn't on the Thruway was advertising for NYSDOT plow drivers.

Every Thruway VMS, meanwhile, was announcing a commercial vehicle ban west of Buffalo beginning at 4pm yesterday.