50K+ urban areas not connected to the Interstate system by four-lane highways

[NE2]

From the June 1983 AHTD meeting:

WHEREAS, the chief purpose of the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways is to build an interconnected system of high quality roads linking the nation's major population centers and defense establishments; and
WHEREAS, there are only 41 urbanized areas of over 50,000 population in the nation which are not on the Interstate System and are not connected to the system by a 4-lane divided highway; and WHEREAS, Arkansas contains one such urbanized area, the Fayetteville-Springdale Urbanized Area; and
WHEREAS, the Fayetteville-Springdale Urbanized Area's main connection to the Interstate System is the existing 2-lane Highway 71; and WHEREAS, due to funding restraints the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department is limited to making only spot improvements to the existing route; and
WHEREAS, the costs of the needed new 4-lane divided facility far outstrip the Department's State and Federal funding sources; and
WHEREAS, a major dedicated funding program is needed to ensure construction of a usable length of new highway, made difficult by the rugged terrain and remote system of feeder routes.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Director is authorized to work with the State's Legislators and Congressional Delegation and with the other States who have unserved urbanized areas to seek special funding for connecting all urbanized areas to the Interstate System with a minimum of 4-lane divided highways.

Anyone know if such a law was passed? How many current urban areas have no four-lane access to the Interstate system? All I can find above 70K on a quick look are Seaside-Monterey, CA, Chico, CA, Bend, OR and Lebanon, PA.

[hotdogPi]

Ithaca, NY just barely reaches the 50000 requirement.

[TEG24601]

Well, that would easily include both Hillsboro and Beaverton in Oregon, and give an excuse for at least renumbering US 26 as either I-505 or an extension of I-84.  Each are around 70k.


Bremerton, WA's metro area, including the bases and Port Orchard are just over 50K, which would provide a great excuse for either moving I-705 to SR 16/3 or replacing SR 3 with I-3.

[NE2]

This is about four-lane connections...

(Also, Hillsboro and Beaverton are part of the Portland urban area.)

[TEG24601]

This is about four-lane connections...

(Also, Hillsboro and Beaverton are part of the Portland urban area.)

I guess I misread the question, I was reading missing Interstate connections.


In that case, Whidbey Island, population 50k+, 24 hour connection, a two lane bridge, build in 1932.

[TheCatalyst31]

It wasn't anywhere near 50k people in 1983, but would Lake Havasu City, AZ count? While it's only about 10 miles from I-40, the only connection to it is via AZ 95, which isn't a four-lane highway.

[NE2]

It wasn't anywhere near 50k people in 1983, but would Lake Havasu City, AZ count? While it's only about 10 miles from I-40, the only connection to it is via AZ 95, which isn't a four-lane highway.

Yes, that counts (check the list). The Census's definition of urban area isn't perfect (you get weird exurban clumps such as Deltona, FL or Avondale-Goodyear, AZ due to a bit of separation from the main urban area), but for population it's a lot more meaningful than city limits or MSAs (which are restricted to entire counties, so Barstow, Needles, and Yucca Valley are forced to be with San Berdoo).

In that case, Whidbey Island, population 50k+, 24 hour connection, a two lane bridge, build in 1932.

And mostly rural.

[Brandon]

Going through the list, other than the ones already mentioned,

Kahului, HI - special case, would require nothing short of an engineering miracle to connect even to I-H1.

There's quite a few just below 50,000 on the mircopolitian area list such as Del Rio, TX and Freeport, IL, and a few above 50,000 such as Eagle Pass, TX and Marquette, MI.  Just how urban these micropolitan areas may be is up for debate though.

[NE2]

Micropolitan areas (which are restricted to entire counties) are not comparable to urban areas. Try the "urban clusters": http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/ua/ua_list_uc.txt

[SectorZ]

Lynn, MA, the population is just around 90K, but also has a border within a mile of I-95.

[NE2]

Lynn, MA, the population is just around 90K, but also has a border within a mile of I-95.

Did you read anything before posting this?

[bing101]

Fresno,Ca is the Largest city in California not connected to an interstate. They are dependent on CA-99 for agriculture traffic.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fresno

[NE2]

What the fuck is wrong with people?

[kphoger]

I'm having a good LOL trying to picture @NE2's face getting all red and frustrated. It's not easy since I have no idea what he looks like.

[formulanone]

Zephyrhills, Florida is another (between 50K [thread title] and 70K [later mentioned]) doesn't quite have a full-length 4-lane connection to any interstate.

A bit pedantic, since one can take either FL 54 or US 301 and get to I-75. To be honest, I had no idea 66,000+ lived in that area; it always seems quite sleepy. Probably counts nearly the whole of Pasco County now that I think about it.

[SD Mapman]

Anyone know if such a law was passed? How many current urban areas have no four-lane access to the Interstate system? All I can find above 70K on a quick look are Seaside-Monterey, CA, Chico, CA, Bend, OR and Lebanon, PA.

Now I think Walla Walla, WA would work, but I have no idea what would define as the "urban area", as the wiki list had like 55k and the town population is 37k.

And just to help,

WHEREAS, there are only 41 urbanized areas of over 50,000 population in the nation which are not on the Interstate System and are not connected to the system by a
4-lane divided highway;

Can this be made any more obvious?

[corco]

Wenatchee, Washington.

[NE2]

I've gone through more systematically and come up with the current list (excluding Alaska and islands), along with 1980 population (pp. 236-248):

*276 Seaside-Monterey, CA (115K)
*306 Chico, CA (52K)
*344 Bend, OR (N/A - 17K in city limits)
*366 Lebanon, PA (N/A - 3K in city limits, but that's not in any way comparable to the urban area) (technically disqualified, since the urban area stretches north to US 22)
*394 Porterville, CA (N/A - 20K in city limits)
*412 Wenatchee, WA (N/A - 17K in city limits)
*415 Zephyrhills, FL (N/A - 6K in city limits, but that's not in any way comparable to the urban area)
*448 Pittsfield, MA (58K)
*464 Walla Walla, WA-OR (N/A - 26K in city limits)
*473 Ithaca, NY (N/A - 3K in city limits)
*476 Lake Havasu City, AZ (N/A - 16K in city limits)
*483 Lewiston, ID-WA (N/A - 28K in city limits)

This means Seaside-Monterey was the largest back then to never receive four-lane access (and still is the largest).

[SectorZ]

Lynn, MA, the population is just around 90K, but also has a border within a mile of I-95.

Did you read anything before posting this?

Sorry I bothered your sensitivities, it's a city of 50K people, 15+ miles from Boston, that has no 4 lane connection to an interstate. Call it "Metro Boston" if you like, but when it takes an hour to get from one to another it's barely part of Boston to me.

[NE2]

Lynn, MA, the population is just around 90K, but also has a border within a mile of I-95.

Did you read anything before posting this?

Sorry I bothered your sensitivities, it's a city of 50K people, 15+ miles from Boston, that has no 4 lane connection to an interstate.

Where does 1A go down to two lanes south of Lynn?

[SectorZ]

Lynn, MA, the population is just around 90K, but also has a border within a mile of I-95.

Did you read anything before posting this?

Sorry I bothered your sensitivities, it's a city of 50K people, 15+ miles from Boston, that has no 4 lane connection to an interstate.

Where does 1A go down to two lanes south of Lynn?

Could've just corrected my mistake the first time.

[NE2]

Your mistake was in treating Lynn separately. By any definition it's part of the Boston urban area.

[Pete from Boston]

Lynn, MA, the population is just around 90K, but also has a border within a mile of I-95.

Did you read anything before posting this?

Sorry I bothered your sensitivities, it's a city of 50K people, 15+ miles from Boston, that has no 4 lane connection to an interstate. Call it "Metro Boston" if you like, but when it takes an hour to get from one to another it's barely part of Boston to me.

It can take an hour at rush hour, but other than that, you're doing it wrong.

In any case, it's "inside 128," which is all Metro Boston as a given.  Between there and 495 you could debate a few towns, but the way these definition work, not many.

[TheCatalyst31]

Porterville, CA seems to qualify. It even has its own four-lane expressway (CA 65), it just drops to two lanes once you get far enough away from the area.

I think Lompoc, CA qualifies too, but those are the only other ones in California.

[NE2]

I think Lompoc, CA qualifies too, but those are the only other ones in California.

SR 1-135 appears to be four lanes all the way to Santa Maria and US 101. Not the most direct connection, but it's there.