When states changed to mile-based exits, how did businesses deal with it?

[KCRoadFan]

Throughout the late nineties and early aughts (not sure when exactly), several large states - namely Georgia, Florida, and Pennsylvania - changed their exit numbers from sequential numbers (Exit 1, 2, 3, and so on) to the mileage-based system used in most states throughout the country. I know that for a time, the exit signs had temporary tabs showing the old exit numbers (I've seen pictures of such, and also saw them firsthand in PA). What I would like to know, however, is this: how did businesses throughout those states manage to respond to that massive overhaul of their states' exit numbers? I'm talking about the changes that would have needed to be made on billboards, as well as in tourist brochures and on business cards, and in TV and radio advertisements, just to name a few. How did businesses communicate those facts to their clientele, especially travelers from out of state? Also, how much would this have all cost them? I'm sure it ran into the millions of dollars overall - did the states reimburse the businesses for those costs, at least partially? I'd love to know more - maybe there's some folks in GA, FL, or PA who might be able to tell me something about it.

[jeffandnicole]

Throughout the late nineties and early aughts (not sure when exactly), several large states - namely Georgia, Florida, and Pennsylvania - changed their exit numbers from sequential numbers (Exit 1, 2, 3, and so on) to the mileage-based system used in most states throughout the country. I know that for a time, the exit signs had temporary tabs showing the old exit numbers (I've seen pictures of such, and also saw them firsthand in PA). What I would like to know, however, is this: how did businesses throughout those states manage to respond to that massive overhaul of their states' exit numbers? I'm talking about the changes that would have needed to be made on billboards, as well as in tourist brochures and on business cards, and in TV and radio advertisements, just to name a few. How did businesses communicate those facts to their clientele, especially travelers from out of state? Also, how much would this have all cost them? I'm sure it ran into the millions of dollars overall - did the states reimburse the businesses for those costs, at least partially? I'd love to know more - maybe there's some folks in GA, FL, or PA who might be able to tell me something about it.

I guess it would be just like an area code change, logo update, a new highway came thru that didn't exist before, or even a new route number.  For many businesses, change has always occurred; this was just one more change to deal with.

Usually they would have just updated their next batch of commercials or print ads, brochures and other travel literature with the new information, which they often need to do anyway to promote new enhancents to the business. Businesses with billboards would've needed new signs which, again, are periodically updated, or a touch-up over the old exit number.

The cost may be in the millions *overall*. But on an individual basis, for most small businesses, the cost was probably in the hundreds or less, with the larger businesses (that probably already had larger budgets) maybe needing to spend into the thousands.

[GaryV]

I recall after I-69 in northern IN added 200 to the exit numbers, there were still several billboards with the old exit number for quite some time.  We haven't been down that way for a while now.  Perhaps some of the billboards still haven't been changed.

[democratic nole]

Throughout the late nineties and early aughts (not sure when exactly), several large states - namely Georgia, Florida, and Pennsylvania - changed their exit numbers from sequential numbers (Exit 1, 2, 3, and so on) to the mileage-based system used in most states throughout the country. I know that for a time, the exit signs had temporary tabs showing the old exit numbers (I've seen pictures of such, and also saw them firsthand in PA). What I would like to know, however, is this: how did businesses throughout those states manage to respond to that massive overhaul of their states' exit numbers? I'm talking about the changes that would have needed to be made on billboards, as well as in tourist brochures and on business cards, and in TV and radio advertisements, just to name a few. How did businesses communicate those facts to their clientele, especially travelers from out of state? Also, how much would this have all cost them? I'm sure it ran into the millions of dollars overall - did the states reimburse the businesses for those costs, at least partially? I'd love to know more - maybe there's some folks in GA, FL, or PA who might be able to tell me something about it.

For several years after the change, Florida left up signs on the new exit signs displaying the old exit number. Eventually, those came down.

With the internet, I think the switch to mile marker exits was not particularly difficult because many people were already using Google/Yahoo/etc. to search for business information and it is easy to provide that information on a company website. It would have been much more difficult in the pre-internet days where phone books and other resources were used.

[epzik8]

The Wendy's off I-83 exit 28 in Pennsylvania hasn't, since their sign still reads exit 12.

[mapman1071]

AZ in the last 20 Years has tried to change the exit #'s of I-19  from Km and Meters To Miles with all signs and exits in Miles. Business have fought back to keep metric. (note with the reconstruction of The I-19/I-10 Interchange I-19 from Ajo Way to I-10 is signed in Miles but the exit #'s are KM Based)

[ethanhopkin14]

I think a lot of it depends on your region.  In Texas, the exit number isn't as important as the highway (or street) the exit is for.  Most Texans will say "Take the Highway XX exit on I-10" as opposed to "It's Exit 766 on I-10", and that is reflected in billboards, business names and such as.  There are, of course, some exceptions (Like a truck stop/gas station in Buda on I-35 was named Dorset's 221 because it was at exit 221).   It wasn't until I talked to people from New England that I realized exit numbers were as important to navigation as the actual highway number.  I always looked at exit numbers as something myself as a roadgeek geeked out on, and not something normal people actually take notice of.  Is it because Texas is so large and has so many exits and so many very large numbered exits in contrast to New England having fewer exits in smaller states and they are also sequential so you might not even get out of the 20s in a state making it much easier to keep track of?  I don't know.

[Henry]

CA is a special case, because many of its freeways didn't have exit numbers until the turn of the millennium. So it's a lot like TX in this regard in that the exit number doesn't matter to its residents if they're asked for directions. As it is, "take the 5 to Route/Highway (insert number here)" is much more common than "Exit 451 off the 5", to give out an example.

[vdeane]

Growing up around Rochester, not many people used exit numbers either.  Turns out the exit numbers were only put in a few years before I was born after the completion of I-390 and I-590, so for most of the time that the freeways existed there wouldn't have been numbers to reference.

Meanwhile, exit numbers are quite commonly used across the Capital District (where they've been around long enough that 5A and 8A exist, and building exit 3 was considered a great accomplishment).  It will be interesting to see how things go if/when the mile-based conversion happens.

[bulldog1979]

The Ramada in Marquette, Michigan, advertised itself as being on "Business [US] 41" for over a decade after that designation was decommissioned and removed from current maps.

[ethanhopkin14]

The Ramada in Marquette, Michigan, advertised itself as being on "Business [US] 41" for over a decade after that designation was decommissioned and removed from current maps.

On that note, it's like all the businesses that advertised being on "Route 66".  At least after the decommissioning, the "Historic Route 66" moniker made it so those business could still capitalize on the notoriety and they didn't have to change the name. 

[ftballfan]

Heading eastbound on the PA Turnpike, I saw a billboard for the Quality Inn at Breezewood advertising it as being Exit 12, which is the old exit number. I saw this billboard in 2019, nearly 20 years after the conversion to mile-based exits in PA.

[WillWeaverRVA]

Businesses in Virginia were fairly slow at updating their signs/billboards when exit numbering changed from sequential to mileage-based in 1992. If memory serves me correctly, they mostly had it figured out by 1994 but there were a few stragglers in remote locations.

[HighwayStar]

They didn't, changing the numbers on some signs proved to be such an insurmountable mental challenge that firms went out of business left and right. Entire states were decimated, unemployment surged to 90%, mass civil disorder reigned for years, it was so bad they don't event talk about it today. That is proof that renumbering is impossible!
/s