Recent posts

#1

Great Lakes and Ohio Valley / Re: Indiana Notes

Last post by tdindy88 - Today at 06:24:57 PM

Yeah, wasn't this done like not too long ago, maybe not from I-70 northwards but the entire southeastern quadrant? What exactly needs to be done on that stretch, the concrete doesn't seem that bad along that stretch of roadway. But who knows, maybe a highway that's just had a year's worth of stuff done with the new speed limit signs and ramp metering needs even more work done on it.

Also, is the concrete section from US 31 to the White River in that bad of shape to require work done on it too?

#2

Off-Topic / Re: Minor things that bother y...

Last post by SEWIGuy - Today at 06:04:06 PM

But it is not required that returned merchandise be returned for cash. (It's almost always in-store credit - which is basically a gift card.) So I have no idea why gift cards should be. I mean these are gifts.

That has not been my experience.  On the few occasions I have returned things for a refund, I have typically received a chargeback on the card I used to pay.  I can't remember the last time I was asked to settle for in-store credit or a voucher that I could spend only at the business concerned.

If YOU purchased yes. But if you are given a gift with a gift receipt, it's almost always returned only for in store credit.

#3

Great Lakes and Ohio Valley / Re: Illinois: Round Mile Mark...

Last post by Brandon - Today at 05:45:12 PM

State maintained =/= state route.

Wat.

It's state-maintained and it's a route. It's a state route.  It may not be a State Route, but it's a state route. The adjective "state" and the noun "route" are both correct.

IDOT maintains plenty of roads that are not signed routes. Besides signed numerical designations, there is a separate internal set of numerical designations for various roads across Illinois, state-maintained and otherwise (shown as "FAP", "FAU", etc.). But I don't think that's even what appears at the top of these mile markers.  The process of deciding these numbers for the top of these mile markers has always been a mystery to me. Such numbers are usually in the 8000s or 900s (though 316 is an oddball).

Bill Burmaster's (rmsandw) site has covered a plethora of these unsigned state highways: https://www.billburmaster.com/rmsandw/illinois/misc/il900.html

And these are just the ones IDOT marks in the wild.  District 1 has a number of unmarked state routes that lack any sort of signage whatsoever to denote them as state routes, including the circular postmiles.  The spur of the IL-53 freeway between Dundee Road and Lake-Cook Road comes to mind as just one example.

#4

Northwest / Re: Washington

Last post by jakeroot - Today at 05:39:54 PM

Likewise, I don't think of a 40 mph arterial with three hundred traffic lights as a "speedway".

Something brand new would be way cooler. Maybe "Terminal Way".

[AGAIN?]

#5

Great Lakes and Ohio Valley / Re: Indiana Notes

Last post by Interstate 69 Fan - Today at 05:34:07 PM

Speaking of which, the east side of Interstate 465 from the southern junction of I-65 to the US 31 interchange (excluding the current ClearPath 465 project) will be undergoing a concrete pavement restoration (CPR) project that will involve a 21-day directional closure from I-70 to I-65.

Time-wise, the 21-day directional closures (weather permitting) will begin with I-465 SB/WB closed between May 29-June 30 and I-465 NB/EB closed between July 5-August 4. Completion date is Fall 2025 with the project being split up into phases.

So they're closing the entirety of the southeast side AGAIN? Seems like every damn year at this point it's closed for a month for "concrete work."

#6

Great Lakes and Ohio Valley / Re: Indiana Notes

Last post by Great Lakes Roads - Today at 05:16:21 PM

Speaking of which, the east side of Interstate 465 from the southern junction of I-65 to the US 31 interchange (excluding the current ClearPath 465 project) will be undergoing a concrete pavement restoration (CPR) project that will involve a 21-day directional closure from I-70 to I-65.

Time-wise, the 21-day directional closures (weather permitting) will begin with I-465 SB/WB closed between May 29-June 30 and I-465 NB/EB closed between July 5-August 4. Completion date is Fall 2025 with the project being split up into phases.

#7

Mid-South / Re: April bid openings: $1.09 ...

Last post by Plutonic Panda - Today at 05:13:27 PM

Oh I'm very familiar with that law. CAHWYGUY told me all about it. It's one of the dumbest laws I've seen. So how orange county manage to continously widen its roads? How does caltrans figure this would increase VMTs on this section of I-15? I do believe induced demand exists to an extent and that there can be an argument made widening urban freeways would increase VMTs but is just on that particular road? Tens of thousands of parking spaces are being constructed in LA alone. Will that not increase VMTs? Will refusing to widen a road have unintended consequences because idling cars and stop and go traffic will emit just as much if not more pollution than free flowing traffic? I don't know nothing about that law makes a lick of sense to me. Someday I'll do more research on it to find out what it actually says. It's not a small document, at least what I came across one night.

But I am skeptical it will raise VMTs. It's mostly about truck traffic tying up automobile traffic. They're also supposedly actually working on Brightline West now so I'd imagine that will cut down on some car trips but they should still widen it to at least 3 lanes each way. If I had my way it'd be four lanes each way.

I also think the AG check point on I-15 at least should be removed for cars. That seems to be a huge source for backups. If they really cared they could do something but they give a shit. They had a project to open a shoulder to traffic during specific times. Big whoop. California just doesn't give a shit. They won't even do a study for crying out loud.

#8

Off-Topic / Re: Minor things that bother y...

Last post by J N Winkler - Today at 05:08:47 PM

But it is not required that returned merchandise be returned for cash. (It's almost always in-store credit - which is basically a gift card.) So I have no idea why gift cards should be. I mean these are gifts.

That has not been my experience.  On the few occasions I have returned things for a refund, I have typically received a chargeback on the card I used to pay.  I can't remember the last time I was asked to settle for in-store credit or a voucher that I could spend only at the business concerned.

Okay, but what does "never expire" really mean?  Businesses don't stay around forever.  They don't have any way of knowing how to get ahold of people who have gift cards they issued, and I wouldn't want to be on their mailing list if they did.

"Never expires" means that the value of the card (or other deferred-redemption instrument) would remain a liability against the business indefinitely.  Realistically, I think it would have to be dischargeable in bankruptcy, even if this meant that customers would have to settle for pennies on the dollar.

In cases where small businesses local to me have simply stopped trading, they have often put out the word through local newspaper coverage that people who hold gift certificates from them should get in touch.  I don't know if the liability persists if it is not cleared before liquidation finishes.

One key benefit of not allowing gift certificates to expire, and requiring them to be redeemable for cash at full face value, is preventing abuses such as a large blue-chip merchandiser like Amazon declaring them void after one year, as I have had happen to me.  There is no realistic prospect of Amazon declaring bankruptcy over such a short time horizon, and a customer should not be pressured to buy something just to redeem value that would otherwise be lost.

#9

Traffic Control / Re: Erroneous road signs

Last post by 74/171FAN - Today at 05:00:52 PM

SC 322 WB at SC 274 WB in Rock Hill (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10220256398520636&set=a.10220256482402733)

#10

Traffic Control / Re: Unique, Odd, or Interestin...

Last post by 74/171FAN - Today at 04:56:54 PM

Some different speed limit text on Route 1 in Colonial Heights, VA:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/bVhXxi9n3qPxZiAo6

That signage has been around for my entire life, probably much longer than that.

On Springhill Farm Blvd east of US 21 in Fort Mill, SC (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10220256407480860&set=a.10220256482402733)



In the Ballantyne Village Parking Garage (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10220256425201303&set=a.10220256482402733)