AARoads Forum

National Boards => General Highway Talk => Topic started by: ComputerGuy on January 18, 2009, 02:09:22 PM

Title: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: ComputerGuy on January 18, 2009, 02:09:22 PM
Maybe in Chicago they could rename a freeway or highway in honor of Barack?
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: Chris on January 18, 2009, 02:13:24 PM
It's Chicago, so I guess it would be an "expressway" ;) (although they have one freeway, the "Bishop Ford Freeway")

However, it's too soon in my opinion. I would suggest renaming freeways/expressways after his presidency.
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: John on January 18, 2009, 02:20:01 PM
Yeah I agree, although there is a George Bush Turnpike in Texas.
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: Alex on January 18, 2009, 02:23:09 PM
Quote from: John on January 18, 2009, 02:20:01 PM
Yeah, although there is a George Bush Expy in Texas.

There's the President George Bush Turnpike, but its named for his father.
We started a guide for it but have not finished it nor made what was done public: https://www.aaroads.com/texas/pgb_tpk.html
A few trailblazers are pictured there (old and new designs).
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: Chris on January 18, 2009, 02:23:19 PM
George Bush Turnpike, but I believe that one's named after George H.W. Bush, and not the current U.S. president. Although it might be named after Bush sr. when he was still in office.

edit: just too late ;)
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: Anthony_JK on January 18, 2009, 10:14:21 PM
Considering that he will be the first President of color, it would be worthy...but probably better to wait until he is out of office.

And...I don't think that Chicagoans would like to give up the Dan Ryan or the Stevenson monikers for their freeways.  More likely, a boulevard or major city street.


Anthony
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: deathtopumpkins on January 18, 2009, 10:53:51 PM
heh, my next freeway in SimCity 4 will now be named the Barack Obama Freeway.
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: Chris on January 19, 2009, 03:06:59 AM
Quote from: Anthony_JK on January 18, 2009, 10:14:21 PM
And...I don't think that Chicagoans would like to give up the Dan Ryan or the Stevenson monikers for their freeways.  More likely, a boulevard or major city street.

Rename the Eisenhower, that way Chicago has no Republican expressways anymore  :)
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: Bryant5493 on January 23, 2009, 01:37:11 PM
I'm sure President Obama will get something in the state he represented named in his honor: a major thoroughfare, building, etc.
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: Freewayjim on January 24, 2009, 04:04:11 PM
Rename I-395 within the DC city limits after him once he leaves office, even if he's a bust as a president he will always be a historical figure and deserve the recognition.
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: Duke87 on January 24, 2009, 04:44:31 PM
Personally, it bothers me that daddy Bush already has stuff named after him.
Isn't it supposed to be proper etiquette that you don't name something after someone who's still alive?

Go ahead and name something after Barack, by all means, but wait for him to die first.
Oh, and make it something new. Don't rename something that already has a perfectly good name. *glares at Triborough Robert F. Kennedy Bridge*
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: agentsteel53 on January 24, 2009, 04:47:02 PM
I'm sick of naming things after people.  Triboro Bridge is fine.  Or Triborough?  Well, it would be fine if I knew how to spell it. 

*casually attempts to book a trip to Idlewild Airport, fails, and throws himself headlong off the Danielle Van Dam Memorial Overpass*
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: Chris on January 24, 2009, 04:59:17 PM
New York is divided in boroughs, so it's the Triborough bridge  :colorful:
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: agentsteel53 on January 24, 2009, 05:01:10 PM
I've seen it seen "Boro" in a lot of places... there was a movement in the early 20th century to simplify American place names - it resulted in Pittsburgh being renamed to Pittsburg.  Some places kept the change, others did not.  There is now a Pittsburg in California, and a Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania.  Marlboro cigarettes exist, but the town in Massachusetts is Marlborough.  It's next to Worcester, which is not to be confused with Wooster, Ohio.

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2Fthumb%2Fe%2Fe9%2FHonusWagnerCard.jpg%2F336px-HonusWagnerCard.jpg&hash=196f7965561421a65068154cf4d9a121aa02a167)
that's not a lopsided image crop, or a fold in his uniform...
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: Alex on January 24, 2009, 11:37:59 PM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on January 24, 2009, 04:47:02 PM
I'm sick of naming things after people.  Triboro Bridge is fine.  Or Triborough?  Well, it would be fine if I knew how to spell it. 

*casually attempts to book a trip to Idlewild Airport, fails, and throws himself headlong off the Danielle Van Dam Memorial Overpass*

Couldn't agree with you more. I refuse to call the Delaware 1 C & D Canal Bridge the U.S. Senator William V. Roth, Jr. Bridge. Its the canal bridge, what more does it need to be called?
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: akotchi on January 25, 2009, 06:02:58 PM
Do you know how hard it is to retrofit "Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.," or any of many derivatives, on overhead guide signs?
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: travelinmiles on January 25, 2009, 08:07:54 PM
Maybe the Barack Obama New Jersey Turnpike!
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: leifvanderwall on May 03, 2010, 01:55:59 PM
I would have no problem naming a freeway or tollway after our 44th President. I think the I-355 tollway should be called the Barack Obama Turnpike.
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: Brandon on May 03, 2010, 02:21:47 PM
Quote from: leifvanderwall on May 03, 2010, 01:55:59 PM
I would have no problem naming a freeway or tollway after our 44th President. I think the I-355 tollway should be called the Barack Obama Turnpike.

Absolutely not!  It now has a name, the Veterans Memorial Tollway.
Why name a road after a still living person?  I've never understood why we do that.
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: huskeroadgeek on May 03, 2010, 03:58:21 PM
On the subject of renaming highways for people-the worst example I can think of is the Kentucky Parkways. Why did they feel the need to add the name of a politician to most of them? And most, if not all of them are still alive(or were when they were renamed). For that matter, Hal Rogers is still in office(which I guess that isn't that unusual since it seems like about half of the public works projects in West Virginia are named after Robert Byrd). And do people use the extra name much? I know a friend who travels often on the "Edward T. Breathitt Pennyrile Parkway", but he still just calls it the "Pennyrile".
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: agentsteel53 on May 03, 2010, 10:14:51 PM
each time we name something after our 44th president, we must name something else after our 55th.

no renamings allowed, so you'd better get it right.
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: tdindy88 on May 03, 2010, 11:35:15 PM
Isn't I-57 (maybe 55 I don't remember) not currently named. I recall of all the Chicago Expressways there was one that was still refered to by number and not name, that would seem to be a logically route to name, it would be close to the Southside too.
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: Revive 755 on May 04, 2010, 12:09:22 AM
Quote from: tdindy88 on May 03, 2010, 11:35:15 PM
Isn't I-57 (maybe 55 I don't remember) not currently named. I recall of all the Chicago Expressways there was one that was still refered to by number and not name, that would seem to be a logically route to name, it would be close to the Southside too.

I-55 is the Stevenson Expressway.  Neither I-57 nor I-80 appear to have names.  IMHO it would be better to wait until a current politician is out of office before naming stuff after them - though I would prefer to see more names from other features or figures - there probably isn't an Einstein Expressway anywhere.

Illinois could also name the new I-70 Mississippi river bridge for Obama, but I don't see Missouri liking it.
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: huskeroadgeek on May 04, 2010, 01:13:19 AM
Part of I-80 in the Chicago area is named-the portion of it that is part of the Tri-State Tollway, and the portion multiplexed with I-94 to the IN border is the Kingery Expressway.
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: Brandon on May 04, 2010, 10:49:09 AM
Quote from: Revive 755 on May 04, 2010, 12:09:22 AM
Quote from: tdindy88 on May 03, 2010, 11:35:15 PM
Isn't I-57 (maybe 55 I don't remember) not currently named. I recall of all the Chicago Expressways there was one that was still refered to by number and not name, that would seem to be a logically route to name, it would be close to the Southside too.

I-55 is the Stevenson Expressway.  Neither I-57 nor I-80 appear to have names.  IMHO it would be better to wait until a current politician is out of office before naming stuff after them - though I would prefer to see more names from other features or figures - there probably isn't an Einstein Expressway anywhere.

Illinois could also name the new I-70 Mississippi river bridge for Obama, but I don't see Missouri liking it.

I-80 is the Moline Expressway and I-57 is the West Leg Dan Ryan Expressway.  There's still some rather peeved people after the Calumet Expressway got renamed for some guy in Chicago called Bishop Ford.  A fair number of us still use the 'Cal' name for I-94 there.

/We tend to prefer keeping the old name here in Chicagoland, hence you'll rarely hear "Willis Tower" on the street.
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: RustyK on May 04, 2010, 10:54:32 AM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on May 03, 2010, 10:14:51 PM
each time we name something after our 44th president, we must name something else after our 55th.

no renamings allowed, so you'd better get it right.

Just for that 2nd part.  If we go and name a highway after the man, and then he does something dispicable in the eyes of most Americans, we'll have to name it again.  See the Mark McGuire ... errr Mark Twain freeway in St. Louis! 
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: mgk920 on May 04, 2010, 12:08:01 PM
And besides, what if he turns out to be a complete failure?  How many 'Jimmy Carter' or 'Bill Clinton' Freeways (or other notable things) are there, even in their home states?

Mike
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: papaT10932 on May 04, 2010, 01:59:25 PM
I disagree with most people. I think we don't name roads, etc. after people OFTEN ENOUGH. In keeping with the tradition of the other Hudson River Crossings (The Franklin D Roosevelt- Mid Hudson Bridge, the Hamilton Fish- Newbugh Beacon Bridge and the Malcolm Wilson- Tappan Zee Bridge) This is my proposal for the GWB:

The Barack Obama Eliot Spitzer David Patterson Henry Hudson Madonna Rudy Guliani Captain Kangaroo Millard Fillmore Elvis Presley Larry King Denver the Lost Dinosaur Charlie Brown Adam and Eve Dion and the Belmonts Andrew Jackson Uncle Floyd Harry Truman Moses Hurricane Agnes Clark Gable Henry Ford Sally Jesse Raphael Korean War Veterans Memorial - George Washington Bridge.


:-D :-D :-D
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: US71 on May 04, 2010, 04:13:18 PM
Quote from: papaT10932 on May 04, 2010, 01:59:25 PM
I disagree with most people. I think we don't name roads, etc. after people OFTEN ENOUGH.

You're right! We need more Dr Martin Luther King Jr Streets ;)

Or, as I saw in Mississippi back in March: DRMLKST  :biggrin:
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: ShawnP on May 04, 2010, 04:49:33 PM
Not in my party but if BO can get I-49 built from Ft. Smith to Texarkana I'd say name it for him.
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: Stephane Dumas on May 04, 2010, 05:09:33 PM
Quote from: mgk920 on May 04, 2010, 12:08:01 PM
And besides, what if he turns out to be a complete failure?  How many 'Jimmy Carter' or 'Bill Clinton' Freeways (or other notable things) are there, even in their home states?

Mike

Jimmy Carter got a librairy and the Freedom parkway was shortly once named "Jimmy Carter parkway" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Carter_Library_and_Museum 

Not a president, but the ill-fated mayor de Detroit Coleman A. Young got the City airport and the city hall named after him.
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: agentsteel53 on May 04, 2010, 08:18:03 PM
Clinton was a successful president.  That whole "let's cram a house down everyone's throat even if they can't afford it" deal only blew up in the country's face well after his successor, from a rival party, was in office - and said successor has taken the brunt of the blame.  If that's not political success, I don't know what is.
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: huskeroadgeek on May 04, 2010, 11:49:23 PM
Quote from: US71 on May 04, 2010, 04:13:18 PM
Quote from: papaT10932 on May 04, 2010, 01:59:25 PM
I disagree with most people. I think we don't name roads, etc. after people OFTEN ENOUGH.

You're right! We need more Dr Martin Luther King Jr Streets ;)

Or, as I saw in Mississippi back in March: DRMLKST  :biggrin:
I always thought the way they have it signed on I-630 in Little Rock is interesting. The words "King" and "Dr." are in big letters while "Dr. Martin Luther" and "Jr." are in small letters. Most locals just say "MLK" or some older ones might still call it "High St.".
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: US71 on May 05, 2010, 12:00:29 AM
Quote from: huskeroadgeek on May 04, 2010, 11:49:23 PM

I always thought the way they have it signed on I-630 in Little Rock is interesting. The words "King" and "Dr." are in big letters while "Dr. Martin Luther" and "Jr." are in small letters. Most locals just say "MLK" or some older ones might still call it "High St.".

West Memphis is the same way along I-55 :

Dr Martin Luther King Jr Dr
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: BigMattFromTexas on May 05, 2010, 12:17:32 AM
He can have some pot-hole infested street that no one drives on...
BigMatt
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: bulldog1979 on May 05, 2010, 03:50:45 AM
There's quite the history related to the MLK Blvd in Lansing, MI in the late 1980s. A religious group proposed renaming Logan Street for the late civil rights leader, but the proposal wasn't well received. A second proposal was to rename Allegan Street since it was shorter, ran through the historic black neighborhood and wouldn't impact as many people with the renaming. That idea was even less well received. Allegan Street is one of a number of east-west streets in Lansing named for the counties of Michigan when the city was platted in 1847. A third proposal was to rename the entire Capitol Loop in King's honor. The last idea failed because MDOT had just designed the unique Capitol Loop markers and was about to install them.

Finally, they went back to the first plan and modified it. Logan Street was dual-named for King and General John A. Logan, a Civil War general from Michigan. The street was dual-named until 1994, when the Logan name was dropped.
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: Chris on May 05, 2010, 04:58:32 AM
Was the Ronald Reagan Freeway (CA 118) named after him while he was still in office?
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: papaT10932 on May 05, 2010, 10:16:30 AM
Quote from: US71 on May 04, 2010, 04:13:18 PM
Quote from: papaT10932 on May 04, 2010, 01:59:25 PM
I disagree with most people. I think we don't name roads, etc. after people OFTEN ENOUGH.

You're right! We need more Dr Martin Luther King Jr Streets ;)


Bless his heart, my dad always used to say, "How come there aren't any LYNDON JOHNSON BLVDs?!?"
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: US71 on May 05, 2010, 10:28:18 AM
Quote from: papaT10932 on May 05, 2010, 10:16:30 AM

Bless his heart, my dad always used to say, "How come there aren't any LYNDON JOHNSON BLVDs?!?"

Lyndon B Johnson St in Manor, TX
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&client=opera&q=13500+Lyndon+B+Johnson+St,+Manor,+Travis,+Texas+78653&ie=UTF8&cd=1&geocode=FcUxzwEdS9Yv-g&split=0&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=23.875,57.630033&hq=&hnear=13500+Lyndon+B+Johnson+St,+Manor,+Travis,+Texas+78653&ll=30.355324,-97.526944&spn=0.011165,0.016458&z=16
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: huskeroadgeek on May 05, 2010, 01:31:50 PM
Quote from: Chris on May 05, 2010, 04:58:32 AM
Was the Ronald Reagan Freeway (CA 118) named after him while he was still in office?
No. It was named for him in 1994, 5 years after he left office.
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: bugo on May 06, 2010, 08:48:48 PM
Quote from: Chris on May 05, 2010, 04:58:32 AM
Was the Ronald Reagan Freeway (CA 118) named after him while he was still in office?
What about the Ronald Reagan highway in Cincinnati?
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: andrewkbrown on May 06, 2010, 09:27:40 PM
Quote from: bugo on May 06, 2010, 08:48:48 PM
Quote from: Chris on May 05, 2010, 04:58:32 AM
Was the Ronald Reagan Freeway (CA 118) named after him while he was still in office?
What about the Ronald Reagan highway in Cincinnati?

The official name dedication was 1994, replacing Cross County Highway. Total highway was complete in 1997.
Title: Re: Barack Obama Freeway?
Post by: golden eagle on May 07, 2010, 12:29:57 PM
There's the Ronald Reagan Parkway in Snellville, GA. It opened in the 90s.