Recent posts

#1

Northeast / Re: Massachusetts

Last post by RobbieL2415 - Today at 12:10:27 PM

I'm assuming they are referring to putting them up on US 3, since it becomes the Everett Turnpike, which is already tolled.

#2

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

Last post by mgk920 - Today at 12:10:13 PM

Similarly, places where you CAN'T book an appointment online. My doctor recently retired, so I needed to find a new practice to get a physical. Almost no doctor's offices near me let me book appointments online.

Agreed in general, but doctor's offices feel like a potential the exception to the rule. They usually have fairly rigorous approval and sign up processes for new patients (if they're even accepting them at all) so it makes sense they would want to speak to you first and verify personal information etc.

I think most primary-care physicians force new patients to jump through more hoops because initial appointments take much longer.

I wonder how much of that is due to language in recent federal laws?

Mike

#3

Northeast / Re: Connecticut News

Last post by RobbieL2415 - Today at 12:07:35 PM

So... for some reason, ConnDOT seems to think that "Merging Traffic (symbol)" signs are no longer necessary and has omitted them from recent sign replacement projects and replacement of "sheet aluminum" signs.  We now have large sections of I-91 and most of CT 2 and CT 9 without any merging traffic signs.  The only ones that were kept were those where there's a short acceleration lane. 

This afternoon, I spotted where some of them may have gone to... the "merging traffic" graveyard      where there's not 1, not 2, but 3, yup 3 merging traffic signs, of varying sizes, on I-95 NB in West Haven:
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.2827128,-72.9528576,3a,31.3y,75.26h,85.2t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sMLoh_i2EVXMJEea8jev3IQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

So, does the MUTCD require a sign where a ramp merges onto the mainline, or is it mearly a suggestion?  Relying solely on pavement markings seems short-sighted (no pun intended).

I mean, if they invested into sturdier aluminum signage and went to I-beams for support (as MassDOT has started to do here ), maybe they wouldn't have to replace them as often.

#4

Off-Topic / Re: My idea for US currency re...

Last post by mgk920 - Today at 12:04:59 PM

The blue star and red torch on the $50 and $10 respectively both use the metallic ink, and the number in the lower-right corner of the obverse changes from copper to green when tilted, as the numbers on the lower-right of the $100 and $20 do. (On the 1996-style N-type bills, this was green to black. However, the maker of this ink limits sells each color pair to only one country at a time, and the one North Korea got was similar enough to the green-black that it is theorized they were using it to counterfeit US notes. So we changed to green-copper with the 2004 series.)

The $5 has no color-changing or metallic ink because it's such a low denomination. And the ink on the back of the $100 isn't metallic; that's just plain mustard-yellow ink that's printed in a pattern that suggests a metallic appearance.

In fact, the latest redesign of the $5 was mainly to increase the security of the previous design $100, this do to bad guys 'bleaching' the paper from previous design $5s to print up fake C-notes, the watermarks were so similar.

Mike

#5

Great Lakes and Ohio Valley / Re: Ohio

Last post by Rothman - Today at 12:03:45 PM

Oh brother.

Consideration of plantings is required through federal environmental processes (e.g., NEPA).  That said, there is a waiver to doing so that is frequently implemented by DOTs, but the policy still stands.

#6

Southeast / Re: North Carolina

Last post by bob7374 - Today at 11:56:21 AM

Approved 3/13/24: NC 121 south is truncated and rerouted to the I-587/US 258 interchange northeast of Farmville.

https://xfer.services.ncdot.gov/gisdot/DOTDELetters/2024/03_March/Div02/HTO_040_03-24.pdf

This is already posted - https://maps.app.goo.gl/d9RQx571SCoJc23EA

Here is a link to the entire ordinance document explaining the reason for the change and a map of the entire NC 121 rerouting (on p. 12):
https://connect.ncdot.gov/resources/safety/Ordinance%20Packages/2024/2024_03_13.pdf

#7

General Highway Talk / Re: Roads that you have been o...

Last post by Dough4872 - Today at 11:40:21 AM

Not really a major disaster, but I was on the I-495 bridge over Christina River in Wilmington, DE the day before it was closed due to tilting support columns in 2014. In addition, I've been on the section of I-95 in Philly that collapsed in 2023 numerous times.

#8

Traffic Control / Re: Department of Redundancy D...

Last post by GaryV - Today at 11:37:34 AM

Two signs for I-295 found in Washington, DC:

My guess? Someone had a contract to put up new signs. Nothing in the contract said anything about taking down the old ones.

#9

Traffic Control / Re: Department of Redundancy D...

Last post by Hunty2022 - Today at 11:35:01 AM

Two signs for I-295 found in Washington, DC:


4/21/24.

#10

Pacific Southwest / Re: CA 51/I-80 Business Loop

Last post by Max Rockatansky - Today at 11:28:52 AM

I'm just using the names the freeway segments originally had.  I tend to find they are better at describing where things are on CA 51.  But yes, Ben Ali was one of many communities which has been annexed into Sacramento.