AARoads Forum

National Boards => General Highway Talk => Topic started by: PastTense on December 11, 2019, 12:29:20 PM

Title: Online Maps of U.S. Four Lane Highways?
Post by: PastTense on December 11, 2019, 12:29:20 PM
What are the best online maps showing U.S. four lane highways (that is a four lane highway has different makings from a two lane highway)? The only things I have found are 1. the individual state official highway maps or 2. satellite view of Google maps where you focus on a very small segment. [Note I am referring to all four lane highways, not just Interstates.]

Thanks.
Title: Re: Online Maps of U.S. Four Lane Highways?
Post by: NE2 on December 11, 2019, 06:36:12 PM
There used to be one pulling data from OSM (https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Ito_Map), but it's been down for a while.
Title: Re: Online Maps of U.S. Four Lane Highways?
Post by: usends on December 11, 2019, 08:57:18 PM
Quote from: PastTense on December 11, 2019, 12:29:20 PM
What are the best online maps showing U.S. four lane highways (that is a four lane highway has different makings from a two lane highway)? The only things I have found are 1. the individual state official highway maps or 2. satellite view of Google maps where you focus on a very small segment. [Note I am referring to all four lane highways, not just Interstates.]
I agree, this is one of the shortcomings of online maps.  This is one of the few remaining reasons I still buy Rand McNally atlases, because they do a pretty good job of differentiating non-interstate four-lane highways.
Title: Re: Online Maps of U.S. Four Lane Highways?
Post by: skluth on December 12, 2019, 12:44:12 PM
This would be difficult. Many four lane highways are short-lived. Short segments can be found in many cities and towns, often only a mile long or less. Others are in busy commercial stretches of road, near major intersections and freeway interchanges, around major employers, and through busier hilly/ mountainous terrain. Once you add restrictions (like no segments less than a mile) you may miss an important road like the I-270 spur near DC. (This may be longer than a mile. Don't be overly pedantic when this point is about parameters, not about a specific road.)

Not saying it's impossible. Just saying that automating this would be quite difficult.
Title: Re: Online Maps of U.S. Four Lane Highways?
Post by: PastTense on December 12, 2019, 10:03:53 PM
Quote from: skluth on December 12, 2019, 12:44:12 PM
Many four lane highways are short-lived.

Huh? Give some examples.
Title: Re: Online Maps of U.S. Four Lane Highways?
Post by: dlsterner on December 12, 2019, 11:32:02 PM
Quote from: PastTense on December 12, 2019, 10:03:53 PM
Quote from: skluth on December 12, 2019, 12:44:12 PM
Many four lane highways are short-lived.

Huh? Give some examples.

I think "skluth" meant short-lived in distance as opposed to short-lived in time.  For example, lots of four lane highway sections that are less than a mile or so long.
Title: Re: Online Maps of U.S. Four Lane Highways?
Post by: froggie on December 14, 2019, 09:00:12 AM
^ As an example, until it was fully 4-laned between Windom and St. James over the past few years, MN 60 had short 4-lane segments in Mountain Iron (about 4 miles) and Butterfield (about 3/4 mile).

In my neck of the woods, US 2 in St. Johnsbury has a 4-lane segment that's just under 2 miles in length.
Title: Re: Online Maps of U.S. Four Lane Highways?
Post by: capt.ron on January 18, 2020, 02:35:05 PM
Quote from: usends on December 11, 2019, 08:57:18 PM
Quote from: PastTense on December 11, 2019, 12:29:20 PM
What are the best online maps showing U.S. four lane highways (that is a four lane highway has different makings from a two lane highway)? The only things I have found are 1. the individual state official highway maps or 2. satellite view of Google maps where you focus on a very small segment. [Note I am referring to all four lane highways, not just Interstates.]
I agree, this is one of the shortcomings of online maps.  This is one of the few remaining reasons I still buy Rand McNally atlases, because they do a pretty good job of differentiating non-interstate four-lane highways.
I've always liked Rand McNally's colors. Red-yellow for 4 lane divided / multilane highways (includes 5 laners); blue-purple for controlled access; and green for toll highways. Google maps needs to take a page from them.