Recent posts

#1

Mid-Atlantic / Re: West Virginia

Last post by seicer - Today at 10:34:26 AM

People were so distraught over his death that other bridges have been unceremoniously renamed elsewhere. 😉

We also talked about the Pink Bridge at 8th Street, which had been painted pink by some rogue resident tired of the bridge's flaking white hues. It still has a pin referring to it on Google Maps.

#2

Off-Topic / Re: Who Needs GPS? The Forgott...

Last post by kurumi - Today at 10:34:23 AM

Another article that overlaps the Fast Company piece (some of the same photos), but still of interest: https://maphappenings.com/2024/04/11/story-of-etak/

Bonuses: A Thomas map scan old enough to predate I-110 in Los Angeles; the true origin of the "your vehicle is here" symbol

#3

Central States / Re: Is a Trafficway only a Kan...

Last post by J N Winkler - Today at 10:31:38 AM

I vaguely recall a road in Topeka, KS which had a trafficway designation, but don't know which road it was. It may have been US 24 because everything else is a street, avenue, or boulevard that I remember. Of course, Topeka also falls within the cultural orbit of Kansas City.

Google Maps does label US 24 (which has been developed almost completely to freeway standard) as the Charles Sheldon Trafficway.  Topeka also has the Jefferson Trafficway and the Branner Trafficway, the latter of which is referenced on several I-70 interchange sequence signs.

#4

Off-Topic / Re: Technology Random Access T...

Last post by SEWIGuy - Today at 10:29:12 AM

To that grade school/junior high/high school teacher who insisted that calculators be banned and that we had to figure it out manually,

This was "that one teacher" of mine in seventh grade.

I don't know when you went to school, but I was never allowed to use a calculator in math class until I had a scientific one for trig in high school. This was the mid to late 80s.

#5

Mid-Atlantic / Re: Francis Scott Key Bridge (...

Last post by epzik8 - Today at 10:23:51 AM

I can still do the street view and it says "temporarily closed" on the main map.

I hope the street view stays forever. It's all we have resembling a real trip along the bridge now.

Roadwaywiz, Mileage Mike, and Roadsounder99 amongst others have that taken care of for you. 

As it happens, I have video of my own last trip across the bridge from this past Christmas.

#6

Off-Topic / Re: Technology Random Access T...

Last post by epzik8 - Today at 10:22:59 AM

To that grade school/junior high/high school teacher who insisted that calculators be banned and that we had to figure it out manually,

This was "that one teacher" of mine in seventh grade.

#7

Pacific Southwest / Old CA 58 North Barstow

Last post by Max Rockatansky - Today at 09:51:20 AM

Old Highway 58 is a relinquished portion of what was once US Route 466 in the North Barstow area.  US Route 466 served the North Barstow area from 1933 until it was truncated to Baker during June 1964.  The segment would become the easternmost portion of California State Route 58 which remained as an active highway until 1996 when freeway south of downtown Barstow opened.  Old Highway 58 has numerous remaining Caltrans signs and more or less functions as an alternative northern bypass of downtown Barstow. 

https://www.gribblenation.org/2024/04/legacy-of-us-route-466-part-5-old.html?m=1

#8

Traffic Control / Re: HAWK Thread

Last post by JoePCool14 - Today at 09:50:27 AM

Yikes. At least one of the options for compliance appears to be RRFBs. Still requires more electrical work, but not as substantial as full hybrid beacons. It's too bad there wasn't a pedestrian traffic study need as an option to bypass the requirement. It's not worth installing if you get perhaps a few dozen pedestrians per day crossing.

As for PROWAG, I'm scheduled to attend some seminars on it for work in a couple weeks. It'll be interesting to see if this is addressed.

#9

Off-Topic / Re: Layoffs at Tesla

Last post by 1995hoo - Today at 09:35:53 AM

Regarding Musk, I'm 36 percent of the way through Walter Isaacson's biography of him. It's a very interesting read. Worth getting a copy if you're interested in Tesla, SpaceX, or Musk generally. I had previously read Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs and I found it worthwhile, so when I saw he had written one about Musk I decided to read that as well.

(Back in 2017 or so I read an earlier Musk biography by Ashlee Vance. It was a good read as well, but Isaacson's is far more up-to-date given the whole Twitter saga of the last few years, Tesla's rollout of additional vehicle models, SpaceX's manned missions, and the Boring Company. The line in that one that stands out to me was when he talked about Musk's penchant for setting unrealistic deadlines and not recognizing that people cannot simply work nonstop without breaks. A colleague told Mush something along the lines of, "Look, Elon, sometimes a person just has to take a really big dump.")

Anyone who is considering buying a Tesla ought to consider renting one from Hertz for a couple of days before taking the plunge. The driving experience is very different from a conventional car, and not just because of the electrification and the "one-pedal driving." Just about everything, and I do mean everything, runs through the touchscreen. I think I read that in the newest vehicles (including the newest iterations of existing models) they're even trying to eliminate the two stalks on the steering column that you use to shift gears, activate the turn signals, and operate the windshield wipers.

#10

Off-Topic / Re: Technology Random Access T...

Last post by SEWIGuy - Today at 09:35:31 AM

I am naturally good at math, but I use a calculator all of the time. I care more about accuracy than anything else, and its not any sort of badge of honor to do things in my head or on paper when I can get a 100% accurate answer in less time.

I also stopped writing in cursive as soon as they allowed me to and don't think it should be taught in schools at all.