That exists!
74
Nexus 6P
"Least important" and "major" are contradictory.
If you mean "Of I-10, I-20, I-40, I-70, I-80, and I-90, which is least important?", I would probably say I-20.
Quote from: silverback1065 on June 02, 2017, 02:18:18 PM
74
Nexus 6P
I don't know, I-14 may have I-74 beat. :bigass:
I-140.
I-50
I-60 as well.
Current: I-790 or I-990 in NY
Former: I-170 in MD
^You forgot I-180 in IL and WY.
Quote from: Bickendan on June 02, 2017, 06:14:03 PM
^You forgot I-180 in IL and WY.
Those are both north-south.
How is I-30 not important? It's the main route from Texas to the northeast. It might not be very long but that doesn't mean that it's not important.
Quote from: bugo on June 02, 2017, 06:34:56 PM
How is I-30 not important? It's the main route from Texas to the northeast. It might not be very long but that doesn't mean that it's not important.
Will be even moreso, if/when the I-57 corridor makes it from Sikeston to Walnut Ridge and then Little Rock, since I-30 and I-57 combined will essentially be a Dallas-Chicago SW-NE Diagonal Corridor
Quote from: bugo on June 02, 2017, 06:34:56 PM
How is I-30 not important? It's the main route from Texas to the northeast. It might not be very long but that doesn't mean that it's not important.
I-30 is short (367 miles, while the others "0" interstates that exist are at least 1500 miles in length), and it serves a limited area (2 states). The others are either coast to coast or pass from within 750 miles of the west coast to within 100 miles of the east coast. It's basically what I-45 is to the other "5" interstates
I-80 is pretty unimportant.
Think about it: it passes through Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, and Iowa. How many people live in those places? Not very many. It's concurrent through Indiana and Ohio for almost 300 miles, so that's unnecessary, then goes through rural Pennsylvania; again, no one lives there. Then it ends in quite possibly the least important city on the planet, New York.
Case closed. :spin:
Quote from: csw on June 02, 2017, 08:48:52 PM
I-80 is pretty unimportant.
Think about it: it passes through Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, and Iowa. How many people live in those places? Not very many. It's concurrent through Indiana and Ohio for almost 300 miles, so that's unnecessary, then goes through rural Pennsylvania; again, no one lives there. Then it ends in quite possibly the least important city on the planet, New York.
Case closed. :spin:
It takes one to San Francisco, once & future home of the Warriors (yay), site of arguably the best Chinese cuisine in the Western Hemisphere (pretty much all sub-varieties of this can be found there!), and where some of the best music from the late 60's originated and was recorded. I-80
is quite important, even if farther east it doesn't pass through a lot of "destination" cities, so to speak (skirting Chicago to the south as it does) and doesn't quite make it to NY, dying an ignominious death at not even the NJT, but a northern extension thereof! But it connects to essentially everything else in the northern half of the country and likely serves, in terms of its segments, to disperse traffic to everything except the far southern tier. In terms of AADT, no segment of I-80 features as sparse traffic as I-90 in central SD (too many other routes feed into it!).
I could go on -- but the premise of the thread is itself a bit bizarre; I-30's where it is because under the original plan (the 40-41K plan eventually adopted, not the more thorough 48.3K plan discussed in another thread) there was really no other place to put it unless a full renumbering of the E-W "majors", resulting in no through Northern Tier routes, was instituted. The numbering problems begin with (a) the Great Lakes (b) the codicil that all but forbade duplication of US and Interstate numbers within a particular state, and (c) the fact that the U.S. West Coast is quite a bit farther north than the East Coast in terms of pure latitude. IMO, I-10 shouldn't have been coast-to-coast -- and neither should have been I-90 (like their US counterparts). That forced "squeezing" all the other E-W routes into areas that varied in terms of N-S axis as one moved east or west across the country. And politicians from various cities & states whined whenever their area wasn't served by a "major" (-5, -0) route, leading to the original smorgasbord of suffixes. The folks who came up with the numbering system circa 1957-58 attempted to do too much and please too many parties with what they were given (the detritus of this can primarily be seen in the upper Midwest).
Oh well, 60 years later we're all still bitching about this or that designation -- at least it gives us something to talk about! I don't think
anyone will ever be completely satisfied with the Interstate network -- whether you consider the system to be a
fait accompli or something "organic" that can and will evolve as the need arises -- or, more accurately, is perceived by any number of actors in the arena!
Quote from: sparker on June 02, 2017, 10:39:30 PM
Quote from: csw on June 02, 2017, 08:48:52 PM
I-80 is pretty unimportant.
Think about it: it passes through Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, and Iowa. How many people live in those places? Not very many. It's concurrent through Indiana and Ohio for almost 300 miles, so that's unnecessary, then goes through rural Pennsylvania; again, no one lives there. Then it ends in quite possibly the least important city on the planet, New York.
Case closed. :spin:
It takes one to San Francisco, once & future home of the Warriors (yay), site of arguably the best Chinese cuisine in the Western Hemisphere (pretty much all sub-varieties of this can be found there!), and where some of the best music from the late 60's originated and was recorded. I-80 is quite important, even if farther east it doesn't pass through a lot of "destination" cities, so to speak (skirting Chicago to the south as it does) and doesn't quite make it to NY, dying an ignominious death at not even the NJT, but a northern extension thereof! But it connects to essentially everything else in the northern half of the country and likely serves, in terms of its segments, to disperse traffic to everything except the far southern tier. In terms of AADT, no segment of I-80 features as sparse traffic as I-90 in central SD (too many other routes feed into it!).
I could go on -- but the premise of the thread is itself a bit bizarre; I-30's where it is because under the original plan (the 40-41K plan eventually adopted, not the more thorough 48.3K plan discussed in another thread) there was really no other place to put it unless a full renumbering of the E-W "majors", resulting in no through Northern Tier routes, was instituted. The numbering problems begin with (a) the Great Lakes (b) the codicil that all but forbade duplication of US and Interstate numbers within a particular state, and (c) the fact that the U.S. West Coast is quite a bit farther north than the East Coast in terms of pure latitude. IMO, I-10 shouldn't have been coast-to-coast -- and neither should have been I-90 (like their US counterparts). That forced "squeezing" all the other E-W routes into areas that varied in terms of N-S axis as one moved east or west across the country. And politicians from various cities & states whined whenever their area wasn't served by a "major" (-5, -0) route, leading to the original smorgasbord of suffixes. The folks who came up with the numbering system circa 1957-58 attempted to do too much and please too many parties with what they were given (the detritus of this can primarily be seen in the upper Midwest).
Oh well, 60 years later we're all still bitching about this or that designation -- at least it gives us something to talk about! I don't think anyone will ever be completely satisfied with the Interstate network -- whether you consider the system to be a fait accompli or something "organic" that can and will evolve as the need arises -- or, more accurately, is perceived by any number of actors in the arena!
pretty sure he was just trolling you there :-D
Quote from: silverback1065 on June 02, 2017, 11:07:17 PM
pretty sure he was just trolling you there :-D
More to the point, he was trolling the OP! I just chimed in to (a) attempt to de-troll the thread and (b) try to make a point that the original premise of "major" and "minor" Interstates is a bit overemphasized -- and that the way the original system was configured functionally made a mockery of the notion of ranking Interstates by their quintile divisibility. :-P
Quote from: bugo on June 02, 2017, 06:34:56 PM
How is I-30 not important? It's the main route from Texas to the northeast. It might not be very long but that doesn't mean that it's not important.
To be fair to the OP, "least important" is not the same as "not important."
According to Kurumi, it's I-20: http://www.kurumi.com/roads/rank2di.html
Quote from: csw on June 02, 2017, 08:48:52 PM
I-80 is pretty unimportant.
Think about it: it passes through Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, and Iowa. How many people live in those places? Not very many.
The residents of the Salt Lake City metro, Omaha - Council Bluffs metro (~900,000 per Google) and Des Moines metro (~600,000 per Google) would disagree with you. Plus it serves the Iowa City - Cedar Rapids area and Lincoln, Nebraska areas, both of which are growing at a decent rate, and provide another access to the Denver area via I-76.
For at least west of Chicagoland, I think a better case could be made for I-90 than I-80 given - off the top of my head without checking the numbers - the lack of population served between Spokane and eastern Minnesota.
I-220. Does Shreveport really need a bypass?
Quote from: roadguy2 on June 03, 2017, 11:40:34 PM
I-20, simply because it doesn't go west of Texas.
And also because the only major cities it serves are Dallas-Ft. Worth and Atlanta.
My answer is also I-20
I-20, although Columbia, Atlanta, Birmingham, Jackson, Dallas and Fort Worth might beg to differ.
I would say, in order of importance:
I-80
I-40
I-10
I-70
I-90
I-20
I-30
Quote from: roadguy2 on June 11, 2017, 11:37:22 PM
I would say, in order of importance:
I-80
I-40
I-10
I-70
I-90
I-20
I-30
I-40 should not be above I-90.
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on June 11, 2017, 11:39:40 PM
Quote from: roadguy2 on June 11, 2017, 11:37:22 PM
I would say, in order of importance:
I-80
I-40
I-10
I-70
I-90
I-20
I-30
I-40 should not be above I-90.
Agreed, I-90 is more important in this case. I mean just the Mass Pike alone is more important than I-40.
Quote from: JJBers on June 12, 2017, 11:45:31 AM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on June 11, 2017, 11:39:40 PM
Quote from: roadguy2 on June 11, 2017, 11:37:22 PM
I would say, in order of importance:
I-80
I-40
I-10
I-70
I-90
I-20
I-30
I-40 should not be above I-90.
Agreed, I-90 is more important in this case. I mean just the Mass Pike alone is more important than I-40.
If the Mass Pike alone is more important than I-40, then I-40 would be at the bottom of the list, even below I-30. Obviously, this isn't the case.
Quote from: 1 on June 12, 2017, 12:24:33 PM
Quote from: JJBers on June 12, 2017, 11:45:31 AM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on June 11, 2017, 11:39:40 PM
Quote from: roadguy2 on June 11, 2017, 11:37:22 PM
I would say, in order of importance:
I-80
I-40
I-10
I-70
I-90
I-20
I-30
I-40 should not be above I-90.
Agreed, I-90 is more important in this case. I mean just the Mass Pike alone is more important than I-40.
If the Mass Pike alone is more important than I-40, then I-40 would be at the bottom of the list, even below I-30. Obviously, this isn't the case.
The Mass Pike and the New York Thruway give I-90 its importance. Take those two pieces away and it may battle I-30 for least important. You can make a case for the Indiana Toll Road and Ohio Turnpike, but the fact it's duplexed with I-80 diminishes it somewhat. West of Chicago, I-90 is a lot less significant. I would put I-10 and I-70 ahead of I-40 though.
I-40 does not really go through much either.
I-40 is a massive truck transportation route across the country from California to the East Coast. In places it's bumper-to-bumper with trucks at all hours. If the New Madrid lets go and takes out the bridge at Memphis, commerce is in a world of hurt. I-40 is extremely important.
Quote from: Road Hog on June 12, 2017, 09:08:13 PM
I-40 is a massive truck transportation route across the country from California to the East Coast. In places it's bumper-to-bumper with trucks at all hours. If the New Madrid lets go and takes out the bridge at Memphis, commerce is in a world of hurt. I-40 is extremely important.
I can't find a source right now, but IIRC I-40 is the busiest trucking corridor in the country.
Quote from: roadguy2 on June 12, 2017, 10:17:32 PM
I can't find a source right now, but IIRC I-40 is the busiest trucking corridor in the country.
Really? I don't have any data to check that, but I would have guessed I-95 and I-75 and I-5 for N-S, and I-70 and I-80 for E-W, and possibly I-10, due to the nearby Gulf Ports
Any time I've driven I-70 or I-80, its like a Concrete/Asphalt Railroad of Semis
The #1 and #2 busiest ports (http://www.inboundlogistics.com/cms/article/top-10-us-container-ports/) in the U.S. are the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach–both in southern California. Combined, they process nearly three times the volume of the #3 port, the Port Authority of NY/NJ. A considerable volume of the "Made in China" consumer goods people across the country buy make their way eastward from southern California ports via I-40.
The only Gulf port that shows up in the top 10 is Houston (#8), and much of its volume is related to the petrochemical industry.
Quote from: briantroutman on June 12, 2017, 11:00:52 PM
The #1 and #2 busiest ports (http://www.inboundlogistics.com/cms/article/top-10-us-container-ports/) in the U.S. are the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach–both in southern California. Combined, they process nearly three times the volume of the #3 port, the Port Authority of NY/NJ. A considerable volume of the "Made in China" consumer goods people across the country buy make their way eastward from southern California ports via I-40.
The only Gulf port that shows up in the top 10 is Houston (#8), and much of its volume is related to the petrochemical industry.
Makes sense. Probably especially the "US 66" portions of I-40, that represent the LA-Chicago route? In addition to going further East and up the Eastern Seaboard
Tho wouldn't I-15/I-70 get some of that Eastbound traffic out of Southern Cali? Or is the distance/time to reach the Upper Midwest and Northeast US that much higher, using the I-15/I-70(/possibly up to I-80 east of Denver) route? Google Maps estimates 27 Hours, for LA to STL, using either I-40/I-44 or I-15/I-70, and I-40/I-44 is only listed as 39 miles shorter -- but the I-40 route does hit fewer population centers, at a quick glance anyway. Albuquerque and Oklahoma City vs Las Vegas, Denver, and Kansas City
It'd be interesting to see the Traffic Counts, and especially Truck Traffic Counts, on the Transcontinental Interstates
Quote from: ilpt4u on June 12, 2017, 10:43:58 PM
Quote from: roadguy2 on June 12, 2017, 10:17:32 PM
I can't find a source right now, but IIRC I-40 is the busiest trucking corridor in the country.
Really? I don't have any data to check that, but I would have guessed I-95 and I-75 and I-5 for N-S, and I-70 and I-80 for E-W, and possibly I-10, due to the nearby Gulf Ports
Any time I've driven I-70 or I-80, its like a Concrete/Asphalt Railroad of Semis
To clarify: I think it might have been the busiest
east-west trucking corridor.
But I do agree with your observations about I-80, especially in WY. I believe more than half of the traffic on that road is trucks.
how does the truck traffic on the borman (80/94) compare with the country? is it top 10?
To my great surprise, I learned that I-65 in Kentucky carries more truck traffic than I-75.
As for the I-40 vs. I-90 debate, I-40 hands-down because of its role in the LA to NY trucking corridor. 15-40-81-78 Why do you think everyone complains about truck traffic on 81 in Virginia but you don't hear anything about truck traffic north of Harrisburg?
Quote from: hbelkins on June 13, 2017, 10:33:44 PM
To my great surprise, I learned that I-65 in Kentucky carries more truck traffic than I-75.
As for the I-40 vs. I-90 debate, I-40 hands-down because of its role in the LA to NY trucking corridor. 15-40-81-78 Why do you think everyone complains about truck traffic on 81 in Virginia but you don't hear anything about truck traffic north of Harrisburg?
Interesting on I-65 vs I-75 for Truck Traffic, at least in KY. But since KY is pretty central to the N-S routes, probably a good sampling point
15-40-81-78>?15-40-44-70-78?, or even 15-70-78?, or perhaps 15-70-76-80?
Google Maps picked 15-70-76-80 by time, but 15-40-44-70-78 by mileage (very close on both; 40 vs 41 hours, and 2789 vs 2777 miles, respectively). 15-70-78 comes in at 41 hours/2808 miles
Google didn't even show me 15-40-81-78. Do truckers prefer it as a Shunpike route? When I "dragged" one of the routes, 15-40-81-78 clocks in at 43 hours/2892 miles
Perhaps better suited for the Fictional board, but how about co-signing Interstate 100 or Interstate 00 for the most direct NYC-LA Interstate route?
I-70 goes through very high elevation mountain passes (which means trucks would climb the hills slowly) in Colorado, and frequently gets a lot of snow in the winter. I-40 is farther south, and stays at a much lower elevation and is a more gentle road much less likely to encounter weather related issues.
In a passenger car in the summer it might be about the same, but for trucks I-40 is the easy choice.
The 15-40-44-70-78 route still uses I-40/44 (US 66) to reach the Midwest, and is shorter than the 15-40-81-78 route.
Granted, I-70 has the miserable section around WV and Eastern PA...
I haven't driven on I-40, 81, or 78, so no data on those
Quote from: ilpt4u on June 14, 2017, 07:06:12 PM
The 15-40-44-70-78 router still uses I-40/44 (US 66) to reach the Midwest, and is shorter than the 15-40-81-78 route.
Granted, I-70 has the miserable section around WV and Eastern PA...
I haven't driven on I-40, 81, or 78, so no data on those
One major point against 44-70 (and in favor of 40-81) is the presence of tolls on I-44 in Oklahoma and on I-70/76 in Pennsylvania. I was surprised to find out how toll-averse some major trucking companies are. I know the truck toll rates are very expensive, but I would have thought that the savings of time, mileage, labor, and fuel costs would justify using shorter toll routes.
But apparently not: I know someone who drove for a major interstate freight carrier based in Iowa, and the company would regularly route him on various rural two-laners just to avoid the Kansas and Oklahoma turnpikes. Though you will find lots of trucks on the toll roads from Illinois through Pennsylvania and on into the Northeast, it seems many freight carriers will avoid them unless it's nearly impossible to do so.
Quote from: briantroutman on June 14, 2017, 11:04:17 PM
Quote from: ilpt4u on June 14, 2017, 07:06:12 PM
The 15-40-44-70-78 router still uses I-40/44 (US 66) to reach the Midwest, and is shorter than the 15-40-81-78 route.
Granted, I-70 has the miserable section around WV and Eastern PA...
I haven't driven on I-40, 81, or 78, so no data on those
One major point against 44-70 (and in favor of 40-81) is the presence of tolls on I-44 in Oklahoma and on I-70/76 in Pennsylvania. I was surprised to find out how toll-averse some major trucking companies are. I know the truck toll rates are very expensive, but I would have thought that the savings of time, mileage, labor, and fuel costs would justify using shorter toll routes.
But apparently not: I know someone who drove for a major interstate freight carrier based in Iowa, and the company would regularly route him on various rural two-laners just to avoid the Kansas and Oklahoma turnpikes. Though you will find lots of trucks on the toll roads from Illinois through Pennsylvania and on into the Northeast, it seems many freight carriers will avoid them unless it's nearly impossible to do so.
I mean, the roads could take a toll on their bank account.
So Shunpiking is an element here, too. Not too surprising
If it is really due to Tolls forcing Truckers to take a longer route by 100-150 miles, then perhaps the PA and OK Turnpikes need to rethink their Truck Toll rates...Then again, what is 150 miles on a ~2800 mile trip?
Good old Supply and Demand
As far as KS or OK routing on 2 lane highways, if they are rural and don't go thru too many small towns, its probably not a huge time cost vs using a Limited Access Freeway/Toll Road. The terrain should be pretty open and flat.
PA, might be a bit more adventurous, using local 2 lane roads instead of the PA Turnpike (or I-80 further north)
Trucking companies are allowed to pick their preferred routes on whatever criteria they choose. So be it.
On another note, I had never really considered the travel time from LA to NYC by drive time...Interesting that its just a smidge beyond 40 hours for the trip...Its a work week crossing the country on the Interstates between the USA's two largest cities
I-40 might have more truck traffic, but I-10, I-80, and I-90 probably have higher AADT overall since they go through much larger cities.
Also, length doesn't equate to higher importance. For the I-x5 Interstates, I-85 is one of the shortest, but is a very important and busy corridor for southern United States, making it probably more important than longer I-x5s such as I-15 or I-25 which mostly serve smaller cities.
Quote from: Pink Jazz on June 15, 2017, 01:46:37 AM
I-40 might have more truck traffic, but I-10, I-80, and I-90 probably have higher AADT overall since they go through much larger cities.
Also, length doesn't equate to higher importance. For the I-x5 Interstates, I-85 is one of the shortest, but is a very important and busy corridor for southern United States, making it probably more important than longer I-x5s such as I-15 or I-25 which mostly serve smaller cities.
You would call San Diego, Denver, Vegas, SLC, the Inland Empire, and Albuquerque small?
I would say that those western interstates are probably
more important, since they are the only major roads for hundreds of miles.
Quote from: roadguy2 on June 15, 2017, 10:45:16 AM
Quote from: Pink Jazz on June 15, 2017, 01:46:37 AM
I-40 might have more truck traffic, but I-10, I-80, and I-90 probably have higher AADT overall since they go through much larger cities.
Also, length doesn't equate to higher importance. For the I-x5 Interstates, I-85 is one of the shortest, but is a very important and busy corridor for southern United States, making it probably more important than longer I-x5s such as I-15 or I-25 which mostly serve smaller cities.
You would call San Diego, Denver, Vegas, SLC, the Inland Empire, and Albuquerque small?
I would say that those western interstates are probably more important, since they are the only major roads for hundreds of miles.
You have a point about I-15. However, I-25 doesn't seem that important. Its major cities are Denver, Colorado Springs, Albuquerque, and (using corridor, but not on I-25 itself) El Paso, with many empty areas in between. You generally wouldn't use I-25 for any significant distance on a trip where both endpoints are nowhere near the I-25 corridor, unlike I-85, where I-95 to I-85 is reasonable for many trips from the Northeast to the Southeast.
Quote from: 1 on June 15, 2017, 10:56:15 AM
Quote from: roadguy2 on June 15, 2017, 10:45:16 AM
Quote from: Pink Jazz on June 15, 2017, 01:46:37 AM
I-40 might have more truck traffic, but I-10, I-80, and I-90 probably have higher AADT overall since they go through much larger cities.
Also, length doesn't equate to higher importance. For the I-x5 Interstates, I-85 is one of the shortest, but is a very important and busy corridor for southern United States, making it probably more important than longer I-x5s such as I-15 or I-25 which mostly serve smaller cities.
You would call San Diego, Denver, Vegas, SLC, the Inland Empire, and Albuquerque small?
I would say that those western interstates are probably more important, since they are the only major roads for hundreds of miles.
You have a point about I-15. However, I-25 doesn't seem that important. Its major cities are Denver, Colorado Springs, Albuquerque, and (using corridor, but not on I-25 itself) El Paso, with many empty areas in between. You generally wouldn't use I-25 for any significant distance on a trip where both endpoints are nowhere near the I-25 corridor, unlike I-85, where I-95 to I-85 is reasonable for many trips from the Northeast to the Southeast.
Colorado front range traffic uses I-25.
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on June 15, 2017, 01:55:09 PM
Quote from: 1 on June 15, 2017, 10:56:15 AM
Quote from: roadguy2 on June 15, 2017, 10:45:16 AM
Quote from: Pink Jazz on June 15, 2017, 01:46:37 AM
I-40 might have more truck traffic, but I-10, I-80, and I-90 probably have higher AADT overall since they go through much larger cities.
Also, length doesn't equate to higher importance. For the I-x5 Interstates, I-85 is one of the shortest, but is a very important and busy corridor for southern United States, making it probably more important than longer I-x5s such as I-15 or I-25 which mostly serve smaller cities.
You would call San Diego, Denver, Vegas, SLC, the Inland Empire, and Albuquerque small?
I would say that those western interstates are probably more important, since they are the only major roads for hundreds of miles.
You have a point about I-15. However, I-25 doesn't seem that important. Its major cities are Denver, Colorado Springs, Albuquerque, and (using corridor, but not on I-25 itself) El Paso, with many empty areas in between. You generally wouldn't use I-25 for any significant distance on a trip where both endpoints are nowhere near the I-25 corridor, unlike I-85, where I-95 to I-85 is reasonable for many trips from the Northeast to the Southeast.
Colorado front range traffic uses I-25.
That's 1's point. Front range traffic does use 25, but you wouldn't be using 25 unless your trip starts or ends near it.
Quote from: roadguy2 on June 15, 2017, 04:43:13 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on June 15, 2017, 01:55:09 PM
Quote from: 1 on June 15, 2017, 10:56:15 AM
Quote from: roadguy2 on June 15, 2017, 10:45:16 AM
Quote from: Pink Jazz on June 15, 2017, 01:46:37 AM
I-40 might have more truck traffic, but I-10, I-80, and I-90 probably have higher AADT overall since they go through much larger cities.
Also, length doesn't equate to higher importance. For the I-x5 Interstates, I-85 is one of the shortest, but is a very important and busy corridor for southern United States, making it probably more important than longer I-x5s such as I-15 or I-25 which mostly serve smaller cities.
You would call San Diego, Denver, Vegas, SLC, the Inland Empire, and Albuquerque small?
I would say that those western interstates are probably more important, since they are the only major roads for hundreds of miles.
You have a point about I-15. However, I-25 doesn't seem that important. Its major cities are Denver, Colorado Springs, Albuquerque, and (using corridor, but not on I-25 itself) El Paso, with many empty areas in between. You generally wouldn't use I-25 for any significant distance on a trip where both endpoints are nowhere near the I-25 corridor, unlike I-85, where I-95 to I-85 is reasonable for many trips from the Northeast to the Southeast.
Colorado front range traffic uses I-25.
That's 1's point. Front range traffic does use 25, but you wouldn't be using 25 unless your trip starts or ends near it.
Billings-Van Horn?
I'd have to say I-70. It seems like I could choose another route and accomplish the same thing. West of Denver it's pretty useless especially in Utah.
I-42
I-38
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wordforge.net%2Fimages%2Fsmilies%2Fwhistling2.gif&hash=20325fa56e1cc97cb200eac19ec14123e3fef20c)
Quote from: NE2 on June 02, 2017, 03:41:53 PM
I-140.
Nobody has given anything less important than either I-140. Looks like I win.
Quote from: NE2 on August 10, 2017, 03:28:28 PM
Quote from: NE2 on June 02, 2017, 03:41:53 PM
I-140.
Nobody has given anything less important than either I-140. Looks like I win.
How about I-180 in WY, which isn't even up to Interstate standards?
Quote from: roadguy2 on August 10, 2017, 07:25:50 PM
Quote from: NE2 on August 10, 2017, 03:28:28 PM
Quote from: NE2 on June 02, 2017, 03:41:53 PM
I-140.
Nobody has given anything less important than either I-140. Looks like I win.
How about I-180 in WY, which isn't even up to Interstate standards?
If I'm not mistaken, it's signed N-S, not E-W.
I'm not sure that three digit interstates should count. It seems like the question is directed towards I-10, I-20, I-40, I-70, I-80 and I-90.
I-16*
*I don't live in Georgia, so this is probably wrong.
Quote from: Quillz on August 10, 2017, 11:06:29 PM
I-16*
*I don't live in Georgia, so this is probably wrong.
Since when does I-16 or I-16* end in 0?
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on June 12, 2017, 09:00:36 PM
I-40 does not really go through much either.
WTF? 40 goes from Wilmington, NC to just outside of LA. When I've traveled it, it was full to the brim with semis and other vehicles.
Some cities served:
Knoxville, TN
Nashville, TN
Memphis, TN
Little Rock, AR
OKC
Amarillo, TX
Quote from: CapeCodder on August 11, 2017, 09:23:09 AM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on June 12, 2017, 09:00:36 PM
I-40 does not really go through much either.
WTF? 40 goes from Wilmington, NC to just outside of LA. When I've traveled it, it was full to the brim with semis and other vehicles.
Some cities served:
Knoxville, TN
Nashville, TN
Memphis, TN
Little Rock, AR
OKC
Amarillo, TX
But the cities that it serves are mostly smaller than those on I-10, I-80, and I-90. This may actually be the reason why truckers prefer it over the others, to avoid the traffic in the major cities served by I-10/80/90, plus potential winter weather on I-80/90.
Quote from: Pink Jazz on August 11, 2017, 09:58:34 AM
Quote from: CapeCodder on August 11, 2017, 09:23:09 AM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on June 12, 2017, 09:00:36 PM
I-40 does not really go through much either.
WTF? 40 goes from Wilmington, NC to just outside of LA. When I've traveled it, it was full to the brim with semis and other vehicles.
Some cities served:
Knoxville, TN
Nashville, TN
Memphis, TN
Little Rock, AR
OKC
Amarillo, TX
But the cities that it serves are mostly smaller than those on I-10, I-80, and I-90. This may actually be the reason why truckers prefer it over the others, to avoid the traffic in the major cities served by I-10/80/90, plus potential winter weather on I-80/90.
I-40, correct me if I'm wrong, seems like a pretty important corridor [in the U.S. highway system].
Quote from: 1 on August 11, 2017, 07:58:37 AM
Quote from: Quillz on August 10, 2017, 11:06:29 PM
I-16*
*I don't live in Georgia, so this is probably wrong.
Since when does I-16 or I-16* end in 0?
And what does living in Georgia have to do with this?
Quote from: Pink Jazz on August 11, 2017, 09:58:34 AM
Quote from: CapeCodder on August 11, 2017, 09:23:09 AM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on June 12, 2017, 09:00:36 PM
I-40 does not really go through much either.
WTF? 40 goes from Wilmington, NC to just outside of LA. When I've traveled it, it was full to the brim with semis and other vehicles.
Some cities served:
Knoxville, TN
Nashville, TN
Memphis, TN
Little Rock, AR
OKC
Amarillo, TX
But the cities that it serves are mostly smaller than those on I-10, I-80, and I-90. This may actually be the reason why truckers prefer it over the others, to avoid the traffic in the major cities served by I-10/80/90, plus potential winter weather on I-80/90.
The major cities along I-40 generate plenty of traffic too. Just because they are smaller than cities along I-10, I-80 and I-90 doesn't mean I-40 doesn't see any traffic. What city along I-80 would you consider bigger than a city along I-40? I don't consider I-80 to go through NYC or Chicago either. I-80 misses a lot of bigger cities that aren't really that far away from it but you can't consider that they actually go through those cities.
Quote from: Flint1979 on August 11, 2017, 10:15:37 AM
Quote from: Pink Jazz on August 11, 2017, 09:58:34 AM
Quote from: CapeCodder on August 11, 2017, 09:23:09 AM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on June 12, 2017, 09:00:36 PM
I-40 does not really go through much either.
WTF? 40 goes from Wilmington, NC to just outside of LA. When I've traveled it, it was full to the brim with semis and other vehicles.
Some cities served:
Knoxville, TN
Nashville, TN
Memphis, TN
Little Rock, AR
OKC
Amarillo, TX
But the cities that it serves are mostly smaller than those on I-10, I-80, and I-90. This may actually be the reason why truckers prefer it over the others, to avoid the traffic in the major cities served by I-10/80/90, plus potential winter weather on I-80/90.
The major cities along I-40 generate plenty of traffic too. Just because they are smaller than cities along I-10, I-80 and I-90 doesn't mean I-40 doesn't see any traffic. What city along I-80 would you consider bigger than a city along I-40? I don't consider I-80 to go through NYC or Chicago either. I-80 misses a lot of bigger cities that aren't really that far away from it but you can't consider that they actually go through those cities.
But if I would guess, the total AADT (including both cars and trucks) is higher on I-10, I-80, and I-90 due to their cities being larger.
Quote from: Pink Jazz on August 11, 2017, 10:56:42 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on August 11, 2017, 10:15:37 AM
Quote from: Pink Jazz on August 11, 2017, 09:58:34 AM
Quote from: CapeCodder on August 11, 2017, 09:23:09 AM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on June 12, 2017, 09:00:36 PM
I-40 does not really go through much either.
WTF? 40 goes from Wilmington, NC to just outside of LA. When I've traveled it, it was full to the brim with semis and other vehicles.
Some cities served:
Knoxville, TN
Nashville, TN
Memphis, TN
Little Rock, AR
OKC
Amarillo, TX
But the cities that it serves are mostly smaller than those on I-10, I-80, and I-90. This may actually be the reason why truckers prefer it over the others, to avoid the traffic in the major cities served by I-10/80/90, plus potential winter weather on I-80/90.
The major cities along I-40 generate plenty of traffic too. Just because they are smaller than cities along I-10, I-80 and I-90 doesn't mean I-40 doesn't see any traffic. What city along I-80 would you consider bigger than a city along I-40? I don't consider I-80 to go through NYC or Chicago either. I-80 misses a lot of bigger cities that aren't really that far away from it but you can't consider that they actually go through those cities.
But if I would guess, the total AADT (including both cars and trucks) is higher on I-10, I-80, and I-90 due to their cities being larger.
It probably is in those cities but outside of those cities I would assume it's about the same. Since I-40 is a cross country highway it's pretty useful.
Note that in addition to traffic, in the cases of I-80 and I-90, another reason why they are not favored for truck traffic is due to the potential for extreme winter weather. I-40 can see some winter weather as well in some areas, but it generally isn't as bad as I-80 or I-90.
Quote from: Pink Jazz on August 11, 2017, 11:11:12 AM
Note that in addition to traffic, in the cases of I-80 and I-90, another reason why they are not favored for truck traffic is due to the potential for extreme winter weather. I-40 can see some winter weather as well in some areas, but it generally isn't as bad as I-80 or I-90.
That would be correct considering I-40 is much further south. I've never traveled on I-80 west of Des Moines or I-90 west of Rochester, Minnesota but I'm just assuming that in the Rockies it can get pretty bad in the winter. I-70 would be on that list too but I don't consider I-70 a "true" cross country highway since it ends in Utah.
Quote from: Flint1979 on August 11, 2017, 11:20:52 AM
Quote from: Pink Jazz on August 11, 2017, 11:11:12 AM
Note that in addition to traffic, in the cases of I-80 and I-90, another reason why they are not favored for truck traffic is due to the potential for extreme winter weather. I-40 can see some winter weather as well in some areas, but it generally isn't as bad as I-80 or I-90.
That would be correct considering I-40 is much further south. I've never traveled on I-80 west of Des Moines or I-90 west of Rochester, Minnesota but I'm just assuming that in the Rockies it can get pretty bad in the winter. I-70 would be on that list too but I don't consider I-70 a "true" cross country highway since it ends in Utah.
I-70 passes through several larger cities, though: Denver, Kansas City, St. Louis*, Indianapolis, Columbus, and Baltimore.
*St. Louis isn't actually that large, but it's still considered a major city.
Quote from: 1 on August 11, 2017, 11:26:19 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on August 11, 2017, 11:20:52 AM
Quote from: Pink Jazz on August 11, 2017, 11:11:12 AM
Note that in addition to traffic, in the cases of I-80 and I-90, another reason why they are not favored for truck traffic is due to the potential for extreme winter weather. I-40 can see some winter weather as well in some areas, but it generally isn't as bad as I-80 or I-90.
That would be correct considering I-40 is much further south. I've never traveled on I-80 west of Des Moines or I-90 west of Rochester, Minnesota but I'm just assuming that in the Rockies it can get pretty bad in the winter. I-70 would be on that list too but I don't consider I-70 a "true" cross country highway since it ends in Utah.
I-70 passes through several larger cities, though: Denver, Kansas City, St. Louis*, Indianapolis, Columbus, and Baltimore.
*St. Louis isn't actually that large, but it's still considered a major city.
I-40 almost makes it to L.A. and passes through Albuquerque, Oklahoma City, Little Rock, Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville and some bigger cities in NC like Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Durham and Raleigh. Some aren't really big cities but they are significant enough cities. I'm just saying that I-40 is pretty important.
Quote from: 1 on August 11, 2017, 07:58:37 AM
Quote from: Quillz on August 10, 2017, 11:06:29 PM
I-16*
*I don't live in Georgia, so this is probably wrong.
Since when does I-16 or I-16* end in 0?
Interstate 16.0
Quote from: Flint1979 on August 11, 2017, 10:12:40 AM
Quote from: 1 on August 11, 2017, 07:58:37 AM
Quote from: Quillz on August 10, 2017, 11:06:29 PM
I-16*
*I don't live in Georgia, so this is probably wrong.
Since when does I-16 or I-16* end in 0?
And what does living in Georgia have to do with this?
Well in addition to misreading the topic title, I don't know I-16's importance to Georgia. It struck me as a minorly important intrastate, as a lot of them tend to be.
As said before, both I-50 and I-60 are way less important than I-30.
Quote from: Quillz on August 12, 2017, 04:11:10 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on August 11, 2017, 10:12:40 AM
Quote from: 1 on August 11, 2017, 07:58:37 AM
Quote from: Quillz on August 10, 2017, 11:06:29 PM
I-16*
*I don't live in Georgia, so this is probably wrong.
Since when does I-16 or I-16* end in 0?
And what does living in Georgia have to do with this?
Well in addition to misreading the topic title, I don't know I-16's importance to Georgia. It struck me as a minorly important intrastate, as a lot of them tend to be.
i16 links the port of Savannah with i75. Links Atlanta with the coast via i75 also.
Not to mention connection between Macon and Savannah... 2 of Georgia's largest cities
LGMS428
I would say that I-16 has some importance. As mentioned it connects Savannah with I-75 and I-75 connects with Atlanta. I-16 also serves as a hurricane evacuation route for Savannah and other coastal areas that's why they have the gates like at a train crossing at the exit ramps.
The reason I-40 gets so much truck traffic is because it's the logical route between the country's two largest cities. I-40 to I-81 to I-78 or I-80 to get from LA to NYC. This is also why I-81 is often referred to as "truck infested." I-40 has an easier crossing of the Continental Divide than any of the other logical routes from LA to NYC, and there are also no tolls. If you instead use I-15 to I-70 to go east, you're paying tolls in Kansas and Pennsylvania.
How many trucks are really driving the full length between NYC and LA though? I thought shippers used distribution centers and that the really long stuff that didn't stop used rail.
Quote from: vdeane on August 13, 2017, 06:15:04 PM
How many trucks are really driving the full length between NYC and LA though? I thought shippers used distribution centers and that the really long stuff that didn't stop used rail.
I work at a place that has recently been getting deliveries from drivers coming all the way from Quebec City, so I suppose it's not all that uncommon. A lot probably depends on what is being delivered and when it's needed, distribution centers are usually more for just shipping regular product on standard intervals (at least with my experience with them).
Quote from: hbelkins on August 12, 2017, 09:07:23 PM
The reason I-40 gets so much truck traffic is because it's the logical route between the country's two largest cities. I-40 to I-81 to I-78 or I-80 to get from LA to NYC. This is also why I-81 is often referred to as "truck infested." I-40 has an easier crossing of the Continental Divide than any of the other logical routes from LA to NYC, and there are also no tolls. If you instead use I-15 to I-70 to go east, you're paying tolls in Kansas and Pennsylvania.
In addition to tolls, the I-70 route also involves five significant mountain passes in UT and CO.
Quote from: roadguy2 on August 15, 2017, 10:20:14 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on August 12, 2017, 09:07:23 PM
The reason I-40 gets so much truck traffic is because it's the logical route between the country's two largest cities. I-40 to I-81 to I-78 or I-80 to get from LA to NYC. This is also why I-81 is often referred to as "truck infested." I-40 has an easier crossing of the Continental Divide than any of the other logical routes from LA to NYC, and there are also no tolls. If you instead use I-15 to I-70 to go east, you're paying tolls in Kansas and Pennsylvania.
In addition to tolls, the I-70 route also involves five significant mountain passes in UT and CO.
I think I mentioned this before, but you can bypass the UT/CO Mountain Passes, using the "US 66" route of I-40 to I-44 to I-70 and then further East, but I was reminded that this introduces Tolls from the OK and PA Turnpikes.
But at least when I looked it up on Google Maps, the I-15/40/44/70/78 route is shorter than the I-15/40/81/78 route, and neither uses the UT/CO Mountain passes of I-70
It seems like all of the interstates with "0" endings are a bit schizophrenic, with certain segments featuring much less traffic than the adjoining ones. Having clinched all but a few miles of the "zeroes", I can safely state that the following segments fit that description:
I-10 from I-20 east to the San Antonio outskirts (Kerrville and east). Most traffic volume originates with or shifts to I-20 in West Texas.
I-20 from Dallas to Meridian, MS. Much of the traffic shifts to I-30 in order to head northeast; the other way, dissipation at Birmingham to I-22 (and US 78 before that) and at Meridian to I-59 keeps the central section relatively light-trafficked.
Even though it's short, I-30 has always seemed to have high volume, particularly in terms of commercial trucks.
I-40's "dead spot" is between OKC and Little Rock; while truckers with an East Coast destination and/or origin may use it for shunpiking purposes, those going to/from the central/upper Midwest tend to be captive to I-44 (no practical options for shunpiking there!).
As the Denver area grows, so does the traffic on I-70 west of Topeka -- even though the overall volume west of Denver tends to be seasonal. The rest of it, especially east of St. Louis, always seemed to be heavily utilized.
I-80 tends to have much shorter "dead spots" than most; the most visible of these is between I-25 and the western I-76. Also: while heavily used by commercial trucks, the lack of population on I-80 between Youngstown, OH and the I-380 junction in the Poconos tends to mitigate against heavy non-commercial use.
I-90: One big old dead spot from I-25 to Tomah, WI (I-94 jct.) with the exception of localized traffic patterns near Rapid City and Sioux Falls. What traffic there is is dominated by commercial trucks. This is largely due to the presence of I-94 via the Twin Cities (duh!).