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Control Cities

Started by geoking111, February 10, 2009, 07:16:16 PM

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Scott5114

It's sort of funny how some states will designate dozens of smallish towns as control points (like Missouri) and how some states only use a few (Oklahoma has 3 control cities in the entire state: Tulsa, Okla. City, and Lawton). I think that if ODOT followed the same policies as MoDOT did we would also have control cities of Chickasha, Miami, Weatherford, and of course Ardmore (which probably should be a control city anyway).

Speaking of control cities, one time I saw a letter in the Oklahoman complaining about ODOT's use of "Okla. City" instead of spelling it out as "Oklahoma City". Seems they thought it was disrespectful to the name of the city or something... I think that's a bit silly, myself, but KTA and TxDOT do both spell out "Oklahoma City" on their signage.
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Greybear

Where needed, Arkansas also spells out "Oklahoma City" on its signage.

SSOWorld

Quote from: Scott5114 on February 13, 2009, 05:42:06 AM
It's sort of funny how some states will designate dozens of smallish towns as control points (like Missouri) and how some states only use a few (Oklahoma has 3 control cities in the entire state: Tulsa, Okla. City, and Lawton). I think that if ODOT followed the same policies as MoDOT did we would also have control cities of Chickasha, Miami, Weatherford, and of course Ardmore (which probably should be a control city anyway).

Speaking of control cities, one time I saw a letter in the Oklahoman complaining about ODOT's use of "Okla. City" instead of spelling it out as "Oklahoma City". Seems they thought it was disrespectful to the name of the city or something... I think that's a bit silly, myself, but KTA and TxDOT do both spell out "Oklahoma City" on their signage.

Wisconsin does the same for cities containing the state name:   Wisconsin Dells is "Wis Dells", Wisconsin Rapids is "Wis Rapids"

Only one sign (an overhead BGS on the triple Interstate at US 151) spells it out.  Old signs (since replaced) used to spell it out.
Scott O.

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Ah, the open skies, wind at my back, warm sun on my... wait, where the hell am I?!
As a matter of fact, I do own the road.
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Wisconsin - out-multiplexing your state since 1918.

FreewayDan

Quote from: voyager on February 10, 2009, 08:52:02 PM
605 in CA - Thru Traffic.

Also used on California 91 westbound approaching the 605.
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ARROW ONLY

mightyace

Quote from: FreewayDan on February 13, 2009, 11:34:10 AM
Quote from: voyager on February 10, 2009, 08:52:02 PM
605 in CA - Thru Traffic.

Also used on California 91 westbound approaching the 605.
I-95 in Wilmington, DE also used "Thru Traffic" way back in the 70s.  But, I haven't traveled it since it was rebuilt.
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DrZoidberg

What do you guys suppose is the control city with the smallest population.  My guess would be Tucumcari, NM as the control city on I-40 in the Texas panhandle.
"By the way...I took the liberty of fertilizing your caviar."

Alex

Fort Chiswell for Interstate 77 northbound.

mightyace

Quote from: DrZoidberg on February 13, 2009, 03:01:28 PM
What do you guys suppose is the control city with the smallest population.  My guess would be Tucumcari, NM as the control city on I-40 in the Texas panhandle.

Popluation figures are from U.S. Census Bureau http://www.census.gov/
Tucumcari 2000 census 5,989
2007 Estimate 5,123

The Census 2000 population for Fort Chiswell CDP, Virginia is 911.

I think we may have a winner!
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I'm out of this F***KING PLACE!

deathtopumpkins

I've seen the Downtowns before... not that common though.

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)
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rawr apples

Highway 26 in west portland uses 'Ocean Beaches' as a control city.

There is also 'Canada' used on signs in Detroit
Now shut up and drivee

Bryant5493

Quote from: deathtopumpkins on February 13, 2009, 10:59:20 PM
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)

GDOT uses "Air Cargo" on some signage on I-75 southbound, just south of Downtown Atlanta. Also, "Atlanta Airport" is used on some signage on I-85 southbound, just south of Downtown.


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Bryant
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Alex

Interstate 195 uses the control point of "Shore Points" in New Jersey.

WillWeaverRVA

Quote from: mightyace on February 13, 2009, 03:19:59 PM
Quote from: DrZoidberg on February 13, 2009, 03:01:28 PM
What do you guys suppose is the control city with the smallest population.  My guess would be Tucumcari, NM as the control city on I-40 in the Texas panhandle.

Popluation figures are from U.S. Census Bureau http://www.census.gov/
Tucumcari 2000 census 5,989
2007 Estimate 5,123

The Census 2000 population for Fort Chiswell CDP, Virginia is 911.

I think we may have a winner!

Not quite, Hennepin, IL (I-180) has only 707 people.
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Scott5114

I think nobody actually lives in Breezewood!
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

rawr apples

nah, the actual town of breezewood is just to the west of all the chaos.

Now shut up and drivee

brad2971

Of course, we won't get into the inherent lunacy of 2 freeways and one tollway in the Denver metro area listing some truckstop known as Limon as a control city :-D

Duke87

Quote from: deathtopumpkins on February 13, 2009, 10:59:20 PM
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!
If you always take the same road, you will never see anything new.

deathtopumpkins

Quote from: Duke87 on February 14, 2009, 01:15:11 PM
Quote from: deathtopumpkins on February 13, 2009, 10:59:20 PM
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.
Disclaimer: All posts represent my personal opinions and not those of my employer.

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Chris

Please don't tell me that through traffic to New York is guided via I-95 through Philadelphia instead of the NJ Turnpike...

njroadhorse

Quote from: aaroads on February 13, 2009, 11:44:01 PM
Interstate 195 uses the control point of "Shore Points" in New Jersey.
Haha I was wondering if someone was gonna mention that one

I-280 uses "The Oranges" as its control city.  This is a real head-scratcher if you're not from Jersey  :pan:
NJ Roads FTW!
Quote from: agentsteel53 on September 30, 2009, 04:04:11 PM
I-99... the Glen Quagmire of interstate routes??

corco

Quote from: brad2971 on February 14, 2009, 04:01:32 AM
Of course, we won't get into the inherent lunacy of 2 freeways and one tollway in the Denver metro area listing some truckstop known as Limon as a control city :-D

I don't think that is too terrible- there's really absolutely nothing east of I-270 or east I-70. You could argue that E-470 should just stick with local control cities, but 270 and 70 are fine I think. You could use "Kansas" as a control "city" but Topeka and KC are too far away

deathtopumpkins

Quote from: Chris on February 14, 2009, 04:58:19 PM
Please don't tell me that through traffic to New York is guided via I-95 through Philadelphia instead of the NJ Turnpike...

No, the "Del Mem Br" signs are on 95 and US-13 at their respective interchanges with I-295, which leads over the bridge to the NJTP. I can't recall any signs directing you to take 95 to New York...
Disclaimer: All posts represent my personal opinions and not those of my employer.

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Duke87

New York doesn't appear as a control city on I-95 until the Jersey Turnpike. And even then, that's only on the entrances. On the mainline, they use...  "Thru Traffic" :spin:
Except for the split, where it's Lincoln Tunnel versus George Washington Bridge.

Amusing part with this: you can get to the bridge both ways. But not everyone knows that and the spur signed for it (western) goes down to four lanes at the north end while the other (eastern) maintains six. So what do you do if you know what you're doing? Take the eastern spur and laugh at the people that get caught in traffic on the western spur, either due to meadowlands traffic or just plain congestion.

Both branches are signed as I-95 but apparently according to the FHWA log it's the eastern spur (the original route) that's I-95 while the western spur (added later) is secretly actually I-95W. Who knew?
If you always take the same road, you will never see anything new.

Alex

Del Mem Br is used consistently along signage for Interstate 295 from all junctions (Interstates 95 and 495, U.S. 13 & 40, Delaware 9). The cop-put for New York is "NJ-NY". Otherwise there is one New York City mentioning on a mileage sign of Interstate 295 northbound after its split with Interstate 95 north.

Scott5114

#74
Quote from: corco on February 14, 2009, 05:15:44 PM
Quote from: brad2971 on February 14, 2009, 04:01:32 AM
Of course, we won't get into the inherent lunacy of 2 freeways and one tollway in the Denver metro area listing some truckstop known as Limon as a control city :-D

I don't think that is too terrible- there's really absolutely nothing east of I-270 or east I-70. You could argue that E-470 should just stick with local control cities, but 270 and 70 are fine I think.

Why not use Salina, KS? It's not really a big town, but it's the site of the I-135 junction, so it might be useful. If that seems unpalatable, just go ahead and sign it to Topeka–long control cities never hurt anyone, and I'd rather see a far away place that I know of than a closer one that I've never heard of.

Quote from: corco on February 14, 2009, 05:15:44 PM
You could use "Kansas" as a control "city"

MoDOT already does on I-635.  :rolleyes:
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