Control Cities

[Greybear]

Speaking of MoDOT . . . on I-44, the control city for US 71 South uses "Fort Smith AR" instead of Fayetteville, AR. What's the deal with that?

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[Scott5114]

And there's the MoDOT practice of just capitalising the first letter of state abbreviations (Fort Smith Ar, Tulsa Ok, Baxter Springs Ks, etc.)

When I'm drawing up signs I'm going to use the "traditional" abbreviations (Tulsa, Okla., Ft Smith, Ark.) They look a lot more professional, in my opinion.

[Greybear]

I tend to agree.

[WillWeaverRVA]

VDOT normally does a decent job with control cities (except in Richmond and other places where "THRU TRAFFIC" is used; for some reason they changed a US 250 east BGS's control city from "Richmond" to "Broad Street". Sure, US 250 is Broad Street here, but the US 250 west signs use "Short Pump", so that doesn't exactly make much sense. The way the signs are laid out, it looks like US 250's control cities are Short Pump and some nonexistent town called Broad Street.

[mightyace]

I don't see what the problem is.  I looked up that exit and US 250 is on Broad St.  I don't have a problem with street names on BGS in urban areas especially when the road stays withing city limits.

[WillWeaverRVA]

It's just that VDOT usually lists the street name first on overhead signage.

[NJTurnpike]

1. On the Pennsylvania Turnpike extension of the NJ Turnpike, the control cities are New York and North, and Camden and South.  No mention of Delaware!

2. The Control city of the Clearview Expressway is Hillside Avenue.

3. After 78 splits from 81 in PA, there is a mileage sign for New York City.

4. I also remember a NYC mileage sign around Toledo on the Ohio Turnpike!

[Alex]

1. On the Pennsylvania Turnpike extension of the NJ Turnpike, the control cities are New York and North, and Camden and South.  No mention of Delaware!

2. The Control city of the Clearview Expressway is Hillside Avenue.

3. After 78 splits from 81 in PA, there is a mileage sign for New York City.

4. I also remember a NYC mileage sign around Toledo on the Ohio Turnpike!

There are control points for the N.J. Turnpike entrance ramps that reflect Delaware at least.

Interstate 80 in the Youngstown area also reflects New York City on mileage signs, see this example.

Remember when Interstate 78's westbound control point used to read "Clinton"? Those were changed to Easton at some point around 2000.

[Revive 755]

You could use "Kansas" as a control "city"

MoDOT already does on I-635. 

MoDOT also uses "Illinois" around Downtown St. Louis:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=38.612285,-90.215521&spn=0,359.989014&z=17&layer=c&cbll=38.612353,-90.21525&panoid=yDgOpdnAdKBXDbHXeqqNqg&cbp=12,102.76414108318036,,0,-2.1191406249999996 (Older version of the middle sign also had I-70 East and only used Illinois for a control.)

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=38.623358,-90.18827&spn=0,359.989014&z=17&layer=c&cbll=38.62328,-90.18831&panoid=eUEOwjvMMgNOVamxrcfwbA&cbp=12,166.53573964216363,,0,-0.1855468749999999

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=38.630366,-90.209963&spn=0,359.989014&z=17&layer=c&cbll=38.631513,-90.20999&panoid=badVE3BfV1wCj7O5RF1bJQ&cbp=12,276.49654844642595,,0,3.5058593749999987

[mightyace]

MoDOT also uses "Illinois" around Downtown St. Louis:

I looked at that one.  It's kinda funny to me since it says "Downtown Illinois."

I didn't know a state could have a downtown!   

[yanksfan6129]

MoDOT also uses "Illinois" around Downtown St. Louis:

I looked at that one.  It's kinda funny to me since it says "Downtown Illinois."

I didn't know a state could have a downtown!   

Well, in some states one big city dominates all of the economy, so its like a downtown.

[DrZoidberg]

Are there any control cities that are duplicated?  The only 2 I can think of would be Portland, OR and Portland, ME  plus the duplication of Charleston's (WV and SC).

[74/171FAN]

Are there any control cities that are duplicated?  The only 2 I can think of would be Portland, OR and Portland, ME  plus the duplication of Charleston's (WV and SC).

I would also think that at least the Springfield's in Missouri and Illinois would be recognized as a control city.

[mightyace]

Is Las Vegas, NM a control point on I-25?

That would pair it up, of course, with Las Vegas, NV.

[Alex]

I asked ALDOT about the use of Pascagoula as a control city for Interstate 10. Here is the response I received:

Question 2, Control Cities for interstate signage has to do with population more so than location. If you follow the signage East out of New Orleans you will notice Pascagoula is signed from there as well. The list of control cities was developed as the interstate was developed.

Looking at my page, I see a mileage sign with:
Bay St. Louis (the control point from Slidell east), Gulfport and Mobile
followed by Pass Christian, Gulfport, and Mobile
then Menge Avenue, Gulfport, and Mobile
Then when in Gulfport, the pull-through panel indicates Biloxi and Gulfport
Next mileage sign blows off Biloxi for Lorraine Road (now MS-605), I-110, and Mobile, swap out Lorraine Road for Woolmarket following that.
Once at Interstate 110, the control city is Mobile (Not Pascagoula!)

[Alex]

Is Las Vegas, NM a control point on I-25?

That would pair it up, of course, with Las Vegas, NV.

Yes, it is north from Santa Fe.

[mightyace]

How about Somerset, PA by exit 110 off the PA Turnpike and
Somerset, KY at the east end of the Louie B. Nunn (Cumberland) parkway?

[Alex]

How about Interstate 255 north from Interstate 55/70 south/west with its "TO I-270" in text?

[akotchi]

Another candidate for duplicate control cities. . .

I-70 in Pennsylvania has Washington westbound from the Pa Turnpike at New Stanton, and Washington eastbound from the Pa Turnpike at Breezewood.  Luckily they distinguish them (Washington Pa and Washington DC).

[Revive 755]

I would also think that at least the Springfield's in Missouri and Illinois would be recognized as a control city.

Springfield IL is a secondary control city; Springfield MO is kind of secondary - I don't think Tulsa reappears on the signs until Joplin.

What about Jackson, MS, and Jackson, TN, with the latter maybe as a secondary control?

I-64 has Lexington as a control city twice (KY and VA).  Picture of the latter:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=37.815487,-80.429026&spn=0,359.648438&z=12&layer=c&cbll=37.815562,-80.42895&panoid=kuCkjyVv2_EgQGlDNI2cLA&cbp=12,79.73889923943179,,0,4.6484375

I-77 uses Charleston twice - WV and SC - even though it doesn't reach the latter.  I think I-57 may use Charleston, MO, as a secondary control city.

Maybe Columbus, OH and Columbus, GA (I-185?)

Then there's Lincoln, NE, and Lincoln, IL:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=40.623122,-89.492912&spn=0,359.978027&z=16&layer=c&cbll=40.623053,-89.492765&panoid=x7F_Wm9GGC39PgCosNg0BQ&cbp=12,113.41533820156373,,0,-4.4921875

And Jacksonville, FL with Jacksonville, IL:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=39.733759,-89.643234&spn=0,359.989014&z=17&layer=c&cbll=39.734064,-89.644037&panoid=ErQ4tq-f7ps4AVXhSoFMxg&cbp=12,14.663718208546625,,0,5

[Greybear]

Let's not forget Jacksonville, AR.

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[akotchi]

Let's add Newark (New Jersey and Delaware) to the list.

[yanksfan6129]

Let's add Newark (New Jersey and Delaware) to the list.

Any place that lists Newark, NJ as a control city when driving eastward should instead give NYC via ___ as the control city

[74/171FAN]

But is it common elsewhere to use something other than a town as a control city? Here we like to use other things like "Naval Sta." (I-564 WB) or "Oceanfront" (I-264 EB)

In New York City you see bridges and tunnels used as control points very often. And then you have stuff like "Sound View Pk" (Bronx River Pkwy), "NY Airports" (I-678), "Eastern L.I." (I-495), and, of course, the aforementioned "Upstate". Seeing actual cities as control points is the exception here rather than the norm!

Well because those are the landmarks that people know where are. They see that they're heading towards the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, for instance, and they realize, "Oh, I know where I am."

I also noticed that on I-95 in Delaware "Del Mem Br" is used as a control city... the Delaware Memorial Bridge.

I am surprised this hasn't been mentioned but "Bay Bridge" is a control city on I-595/US 50 East/US 301 North

[Voyager]

Is it normal to use control cities that are over 300 miles away? US 101 uses Eureka in areas even south of Santa Rosa, where it's over 300 miles away. There are many other cities that could be used that are closer.