Quote from: tdindy88 on December 30, 2020, 05:46:45 PM
Interstate 69 and Indiana 37 are now the quickest way between Indianapolis and Evansville. But according to Google Maps I-70 and US 41 via Indiana 641 is only eight miles and 15 minutes longer (and with the upcoming 2021 closure in Martinsville that may be enough to close the gap.)
Quote from: hbelkins on December 31, 2020, 06:26:48 PM
The primary argument against building I-69 was that a decent alternative (I-70 and US 41) already existed. And that was before IN 641.
Quote from: SkyPesos on December 31, 2020, 08:10:57 PM
I-69 also serve Bloomington, which is where Indiana University is. I think Bloomington was also one of the largest cities in the US not served by Interstate before I-69. So unless the people opposing think that Bloomington is not important enough for an interstate and that the IN 37 expressway was enough, they probably only thought about Indy-Evansville traffic.
Though this brings up an interesting potential new thread topic: What are some large universities not served by Interstate, or even a 4 lane expressway?
I've always felt that the University of Pittsburgh was not well served by the highway system in Pittsburgh, given its relative close proximity to the Parkway East (I-376) and even I-279. I'm sure that there are other large universities in urban areas that are worse off.
Texas A&M is the second largest university in the country, and it does not have an Interstate within 50 miles.
Cornell (Ithaca, NY), no 4-lane connection
Ohio University (Athens, OH)
Appalachian State University (Boone, NC)
(They're easy to see on a 2016 or 2020 election county map – they're all blue counties surrounded by red counties.)
EDIT: University of New Hampshire has no 4-lane connection, either.
For fun, read this (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=14911.0) thread by NE2 (50K+ urban areas not connected to the Interstate system by four-lane highways). Some people just don't get it.
Quote from: thspfc on December 31, 2020, 09:19:26 PM
Texas A&M is the second largest university in the country, and it does not have an Interstate within 50 miles.
2nd largest in terms of what?
Quote from: thspfc on December 31, 2020, 09:19:26 PM
Texas A&M is the second largest university in the country, and it does not have an Interstate within 50 miles.
That's probably not what the OP was thinking, but it looks like the TX-6 freeway doesn't connect to any other freeways in either direction.
Quote from: Hot Rod Hootenanny on December 31, 2020, 09:24:18 PM
Quote from: thspfc on December 31, 2020, 09:19:26 PM
Texas A&M is the second largest university in the country, and it does not have an Interstate within 50 miles.
2nd largest in terms of what?
Enrollment.
Quote from: Dirt Roads on December 31, 2020, 09:27:37 PM
Quote from: thspfc on December 31, 2020, 09:19:26 PM
Texas A&M is the second largest university in the country, and it does not have an Interstate within 50 miles.
That's probably not what the OP was thinking, but it looks like the TX-6 freeway doesn't connect to any other freeways in either direction.
You are the OP. So you're talking in third person? :-D
Quote from: thspfc on December 31, 2020, 09:31:13 PM
You are the OP. So you're talking in third person? :-D
Quote from: SkyPesos on December 31, 2020, 08:10:57 PM
I-69 also serve Bloomington, which is where Indiana University is. I think Bloomington was also one of the largest cities in the US not served by Interstate before I-69. So unless the people opposing think that Bloomington is not important enough for an interstate and that the IN 37 expressway was enough, they probably only thought about Indy-Evansville traffic.
Though this brings up an interesting potential new thread topic: What are some large universities not served by Interstate, or even a 4 lane expressway?
Wish I were the OP, but SkyPesos should get full credit for this thread. This came from the "Different Routes between 2 Metro Areas" thread.
Quote from: thspfc on December 31, 2020, 09:19:26 PM
Texas A&M is the second largest university in the country, and it does not have an Interstate within 50 miles.
Quote from: Dirt Roads on December 31, 2020, 09:27:37 PM
That's probably not what the OP was thinking, but it looks like the TX-6 freeway doesn't connect to any other freeways in either direction.
In the same vein, Clemson University is not well served by I-85 and the Tiger Parkway freeway (US-123) drops out through the western part of Greenville before connecting with I-385 downtown.
Quote from: Dirt Roads on December 31, 2020, 09:41:50 PM
Quote from: thspfc on December 31, 2020, 09:19:26 PM
Texas A&M is the second largest university in the country, and it does not have an Interstate within 50 miles.
Quote from: Dirt Roads on December 31, 2020, 09:27:37 PM
That's probably not what the OP was thinking, but it looks like the TX-6 freeway doesn't connect to any other freeways in either direction.
In the same vein, Clemson University is not well served by I-85 and the Tiger Parkway freeway (US-123) drops out through the western part of Greenville before connecting with I-385 downtown.
US 76 is only 10 miles to I-85 and 4+ lanes the entire way.
Indiana concocted the greater 69 and Bloomington to justify the freeway because 8 miles was well.....it was good enough to win the lawsuits.
Illinois does have at least a 4 lane to all the major Universities. Western Illinois was the last with 67 though it really isn't major anymore
Northwestern Loyola DePaul and University of Chicago are between the Expressways and LSD. Loyola just North Northwestern even farther but the Edens runs near Evanston.
All have transit access . Most of the major downstate schools also have Amtrak.
Quite a few have commercial air service.
Texas A&M might actually be the winner in the clubhouse. TX-6 is the major highway thru Aggieland. US 190 doesn't particularly lead anywhere.
See, there was a reason for I-99.
While we're at it, how close to an interstate does an OSU have to be to be served by said interstate? :hmmm:
What's the threshold here, how far does a university need to be from an on ramp to be considered "not served"?
Quote from: kernals12 on December 31, 2020, 10:19:58 PM
What's the threshold here, how far does a university need to be from an on ramp to be considered "not served"?
There seem to be two criteria here:
1. No 4-lane connection to the Interstate system. Cornell and UNH qualify here.
2.
Really far away. Ohio University is 42 miles from I-77, and Appalachian State University is 44 miles from I-40, but both have a 4-lane connection.
"Large university" also needs to be defined. Are we talking Division I status or an arbitrary enrollment, say 10K?
Quote from: Road Hog on December 31, 2020, 10:27:47 PM
"Large university" also needs to be defined. Are we talking Division I status or an arbitrary enrollment, say 10K?
I would go by enrollment. Division I limits it to sports universities, leaving out the ones known for their academics.
Quote from: 1 on December 31, 2020, 10:24:21 PM
Quote from: kernals12 on December 31, 2020, 10:19:58 PM
What's the threshold here, how far does a university need to be from an on ramp to be considered "not served"?
There seem to be two criteria here:
1. No 4-lane connection to the Interstate system. Cornell and UNH qualify here.
2. Really far away. Ohio University is 42 miles from I-77, and Appalachian State University is 44 miles from I-40, but both have a 4-lane connection.
I guess UCONN then, it's 8 miles on 2 lane roads to I-84. One time, I got a flat tire on a torn up curb. What could've been (http://www.kurumi.com/roads/ct/ct32.html)
I think these universities would count for this question:
University of Georgia, Athens
Oklahoma State University, Stillwater
University of Colorado, Boulder (pretty far away from I-25)
Utah State University, Logan
Mississippi State University, Starkville
The first four are somewhat debatable, but I think MSSU could be one of the winners of this thread, as it is really far from I-55 (or I-20)
Washington State University in Pullman (enrollment around 20K) and the University of Idaho in Moscow (10K) are about 6 miles apart, and roughly 75 miles from I-90 in Spokane.
Fresno State at 25k enrolled is off of CA 168 and not anywhere close to an Interstate.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on December 31, 2020, 11:44:46 PM
Fresno State at 25k enrolled is off of CA 168 and not anywhere close to an Interstate.
I'd put Fresno State at about 50 miles from I-5. Others in California include UC Santa Barbara (24K enrollment, about 80 miles from I-405) and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (21K, about 90 miles from I-5).
Why are we limiting this to interstates? Are non-interstate freeways just not good enough for you?
UMass Amherst was historically a little off the beaten path (I-91) until the Coolidge Bridge was widened and MA 9 four-laned through Hadley.
Even with the MA 116 freeway, most people still just drove MA 9 to University Drive to get to the Southwest dorms.
Quote from: DTComposer on January 01, 2021, 12:51:23 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on December 31, 2020, 11:44:46 PM
Fresno State at 25k enrolled is off of CA 168 and not anywhere close to an Interstate.
I'd put Fresno State at about 50 miles from I-5. Others in California include UC Santa Barbara (24K enrollment, about 80 miles from I-405) and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (21K, about 90 miles from I-5).
Both of those are very close to US 101, and I don't see why we need to limit ourselves to the freeways that Federal Government decides are interstates. If Boston had gotten the Southwest and Northeast Expressways finished, then Route 128 wouldn't have been signed as I-95 and a whole lot of colleges would join the category of not being near an interstate.
Utah State University in Logan is about a half-hour from I-15, though US 91 is fully 4-laned from Logan to the interstate.
Quote from: kernals12 on January 01, 2021, 01:03:33 AM
Why are we limiting this to interstates? Are non-interstate freeways just not good enough for you?
Because that's the point of the thread? Duh.
Quote from: kernals12 on January 01, 2021, 01:12:37 AM
Quote from: DTComposer on January 01, 2021, 12:51:23 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on December 31, 2020, 11:44:46 PM
Fresno State at 25k enrolled is off of CA 168 and not anywhere close to an Interstate.
I'd put Fresno State at about 50 miles from I-5. Others in California include UC Santa Barbara (24K enrollment, about 80 miles from I-405) and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (21K, about 90 miles from I-5).
Both of those are very close to US 101, and I don't see why we need to limit ourselves to the freeways that Federal Government decides are interstates. If Boston had gotten the Southwest and Northeast Expressways finished, then Route 128 wouldn't have been signed as I-95 and a whole lot of colleges would join the category of not being near an interstate.
That's not the point of the thread. It would be pretty boring if any old freeway could be included in the criteria.
Quote from: US 89 on January 01, 2021, 01:14:14 AM
Utah State University in Logan is about a half-hour from I-15, though US 91 is fully 4-laned from Logan to the interstate.
Always felt longer than that between Brigham City and Logan.
It looks like Oxford, Ohio, home of Miami University (aka Miami of Ohio), does not have a 4 lane connection to an interstate.
If I recall correctly, Michigan Tech is the state school farthest from an Interstate in the entire country. Although it would hardly qualify as "large".
Others in Michigan not on Interstates are Northern, Central and Ferris State.
Quote from: GaryV on January 01, 2021, 07:56:52 AM
If I recall correctly, Michigan Tech is the state school farthest from an Interstate in the entire country. Although it would hardly qualify as "large".
University of Alaska has three locations: Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau. Two of these three are nowhere near an Interstate.
Quote from: 1 on January 01, 2021, 08:01:35 AM
Quote from: GaryV on January 01, 2021, 07:56:52 AM
If I recall correctly, Michigan Tech is the state school farthest from an Interstate in the entire country. Although it would hardly qualify as "large".
University of Alaska has three locations: Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau. Two of these three are nowhere near an Interstate.
Just the one in Juneau...the Richardson Highway is A-2 east of Fairbanks, and that’s no more than a few miles from where the campus is located. Anchorage has both A-1 and A-3.
Quote from: GaryV on January 01, 2021, 07:56:52 AM
If I recall correctly, Michigan Tech is the state school farthest from an Interstate in the entire country. Although it would hardly qualify as "large".
Others in Michigan not on Interstates are Northern, Central and Ferris State.
I would not count Central or Ferris as they are on freeways (US-127 and US-131). For an enrollment comparison, Tech is at 7,200 now, and Northern is at 6,700. Both are D1 hockey schools, but neither are huge when compared to some of the other on this list. They are big when compared to the size of the municipality each is in (Houghton: 7,700; Marquette: 21,000)
Quote from: Scott5114 on January 01, 2021, 01:15:33 AM
Quote from: kernals12 on January 01, 2021, 01:03:33 AM
Why are we limiting this to interstates? Are non-interstate freeways just not good enough for you?
Because that's the point of the thread? Duh.
This tends to be an issue primarily in the east, especially the northeast. For a large portion of the country, most freeways are just interstates, and people can forget that they are freeways besides interstates. Stockton University in Galloway, NJ, which doesn't really meet the "large university" requirement here, is within 6 miles of 2, 6 lane freeways, yet over 40 miles from one that actually has an interstate shield on it.
When you post a thread that is "xxx served by Interstates", the point is to examine the Interstate System itself and see what is served by that system.
For the same reason that it's interesting that Jefferson City, MO is not served by any Interstates. It is served by four-lane highways, but it is interesting that the flagship freeway system of the United States does not serve a state capital, which you would expect because it is the flagship freeway system of the United States.
It is not so much that transportation planners forgot to provide a four-lane facility or even a freeway there, as it is that the destination was not considered major enough by the initial Interstate planners to warrant inclusion in the Interstate System, and it hasn't ever become a priority since then, even when freeway facilities are eventually built.
Also by limiting it to Interstates you avoid the obnoxious but inevitable fights about whether something REALLY qualifies as a freeway because it has X deficient feature.
Quote from: Brandon on January 01, 2021, 01:22:26 PM
Quote from: GaryV on January 01, 2021, 07:56:52 AM
If I recall correctly, Michigan Tech is the state school farthest from an Interstate in the entire country. Although it would hardly qualify as "large".
Others in Michigan not on Interstates are Northern, Central and Ferris State.
I would not count Central or Ferris as they are on freeways (US-127 and US-131). For an enrollment comparison, Tech is at 7,200 now, and Northern is at 6,700. Both are D1 hockey schools, but neither are huge when compared to some of the other on this list. They are big when compared to the size of the municipality each is in (Houghton: 7,700; Marquette: 21,000)
If we're counting D1 hockey schools though then Clarkson and St. Lawrence Universities in Upstate New York can be added to the list. Both are served by US 11 but aren't remotely close to an interstate. They're both very small schools though and if you've heard of them, it's probably because of college hockey.
East Carolina University is an answer to this but that's only temporary since I-587 will soon be signed along US 264.
Quote from: Scott5114 on January 01, 2021, 05:44:22 PM
Also by limiting it to Interstates you avoid the obnoxious but inevitable fights about whether something REALLY qualifies as a freeway because it has X deficient feature.
Not for nothing, but even the OP didn't limit it to Interstates.
Quote from: Dirt Roads on December 31, 2020, 09:14:08 PM
Though this brings up an interesting potential new thread topic: What are some large universities not served by Interstate, or even a 4 lane expressway?
And by saying "...or even a 4 lane expressway", appears to forget that there certainly are freeways that aren't interstates, unless he somehow intended to skip over an entire classification of roadways generally faster, and with more lanes, than expressways.
Quote from: Hot Rod Hootenanny on December 31, 2020, 10:13:25 PM
While we're at it, how close to an interstate does an OSU have to be to be served by said interstate? :hmmm:
I wanted to take some time to explain this topic a bit more before posting a thread, but didn't know someone beat me to the thread creation already. We could do like tiers based on distance. Columbus as a city is definitely served by interstate, unlike Ithaca (Cornell) and College Station (Texas A&M) mentioned. The closest interstate to Ohio State is I-71, about 1.3 miles east of the eastern edge of campus, which is still good. And then there's the possibility of including non-interstate freeways in. If we include that, Ohio State is served extremely well with 2 direct exits (Medical Center and Lane Ave) off OH 315.
For example, one metro area that is served by interstate or 4 lane expressway, but I think the campus isn't really, is Purdue. From what I see, there are 3 exits that is most used to get from I-65 to Purdue: 168 (IN 38) from the south, 178 (IN 43) from the north and 172 (IN 26) for either direction. From exit 168, IN 38 is a 4 lane road, but then you turn onto Veterans Memorial Pkwy, a 2-4 lane surface road for 6 miles, before turning north onto the US 231 expressway. From exit 178, there's 5 miles of 2 lane IN 43 before you arrive at West Lafayette. From exit 172, the first 2 miles of South St is a divided 4 lane, but then you go through 2 miles of a 2-4 lane city street through downtown Lafayette before crossing the bridge into West Lafayette.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on January 01, 2021, 05:59:13 PM
And by saying "...or even a 4 lane expressway", appears to forget that there certainly are freeways that aren't interstates, unless he somehow intended to skip over an entire classification of roadways generally faster, and with more lanes, than expressways.
That was intentional, I was thinking of everything in between expressways and interstates, so non-interstate freeways definitely fit in.
And for the expressways, I'm thinking of connections to interstates outside of the university city/town as well. Like NY 13 has a freeway section in Ithaca (Cornell), but it's not connected to either I-81 or I-86/NY 17 as an expressways, so that freeway section alone wouldn't count towards being served by an expressway/freeway
Quote from: GaryV on January 01, 2021, 07:56:52 AM
If I recall correctly, Michigan Tech is the state school farthest from an Interstate in the entire country.
Distance to an Interstate highway from the Administration building on Michigan Tech's campus:
189 miles to the I-39/US-51/Hwy 29 interchange in Rothschild, WI (just south of Wausau)
204 miles to the I-41 terminus in Green Bay, WI
213 miles to the I-535 terminus in Superior, WI
(Note that ALL of the above are outside Michigan)
If you do not leave the state:
253 miles to I-75 in Dafter, MI (just south of Sault Ste. Marie)
255 miles to I-75 @ M-123 near St. Ignace, MI
259 miles to I-75 in St. Ignace, MI.
And, if we're discussing farthest distance from a non-Interstate freeway:
145 miles to the US-51 freeway bypass of Tomahawk, WI (@ US-8)
165 miles to US-51 @ Lincoln Drive outside Merrill, WI (at the point the highway becomes uninterrupted freeway to I-39)
164 miles to the beginning of the US-141 freeway bypass of Coleman and Pound, WI
188 miles to US-141 @ County E in Abrams (at the point the highway becomes uninterrupted freeway to I-41)
200 miles to the US-2/US-53 interchange in South Range, WI.
At one point, there was a 1/2 mile stretch of US-41/M-28 "freeway" in Marquette, MI. That may be charitable since it has roundabouts at each end and a speed limit of 45, but it has freeway-style vehicle restrictions (no pedestrians, bikes, motorcycles under 125cc). If we're counting that as a freeway, we're at 98 miles.
Quote from: Scott5114 on January 01, 2021, 05:44:22 PM
Also by limiting it to Interstates you avoid the obnoxious but inevitable fights about whether something REALLY qualifies as a freeway because it has X deficient feature.
I know of at least one thread that did, in fact, have that fight concerning interstates. Of course, the posts in question concerned Canada and border crossings... but, still (one thing I learned in that experience is that people from Ontario are obnoxiously pedantic, even by the standards of this forum).
Quote from: SkyPesos on January 01, 2021, 06:35:32 PM
For example, one metro area that is served by interstate or 4 lane expressway, but I think the campus isn't really, is Purdue. From what I see, there are 3 exits that is most used to get from I-65 to Purdue: 168 (IN 38) from the south, 178 (IN 43) from the north and 172 (IN 26) for either direction. From exit 168, IN 38 is a 4 lane road, but then you turn onto Veterans Memorial Pkwy, a 2-4 lane surface road for 6 miles, before turning north onto the US 231 expressway. From exit 178, there's 5 miles of 2 lane IN 43 before you arrive at West Lafayette.
Actually, when coming from the northwest via I-65, the best exit to reach the Purdue campus is exit 193. There has always been a sign before the exit advising Purdue football traffic to exit there. Granted (and it may support your point), to reach the campus, you have to first drive about 13 miles of rural 2 lane US 231, and then a few more miles of 4 lane divided US 52/231, but then you're on the new bypass west of West Lafayette which easily delivers you to West State Street.
My 1962 Rand McNally Road Atlas shows a proposed route for I-65 that would have paralleled this stretch of US 231 a couple of miles to the west, and passed by the Greater Lafayette area to the west, rejoining the route that was eventually built just north of Lebanon. That would have constituted some serious access to the Purdue campus. By a couple of years later, the maps depict the current route, albeit still proposed.
Quote from: Rothman on January 01, 2021, 01:08:15 AM
UMass Amherst was historically a little off the beaten path (I-91) until the Coolidge Bridge was widened and MA 9 four-laned through Hadley.
Even with the MA 116 freeway, most people still just drove MA 9 to University Drive to get to the Southwest dorms.
Speaking of Amherst (and another school located there), their big rival, Williams College, is certainly far from any interstate. It's over 30 miles to I-787 in Troy, NY or I-90 in Lee, and 40+ miles to I-91 in Greenfield.
Huh. Just thought of SUNY Potsdam, which is certainly in the middle of nowhere.
Quote from: Konza on January 02, 2021, 05:03:08 PM
Quote from: SkyPesos on January 01, 2021, 06:35:32 PM
For example, one metro area that is served by interstate or 4 lane expressway, but I think the campus isn't really, is Purdue. From what I see, there are 3 exits that is most used to get from I-65 to Purdue: 168 (IN 38) from the south, 178 (IN 43) from the north and 172 (IN 26) for either direction. From exit 168, IN 38 is a 4 lane road, but then you turn onto Veterans Memorial Pkwy, a 2-4 lane surface road for 6 miles, before turning north onto the US 231 expressway. From exit 178, there's 5 miles of 2 lane IN 43 before you arrive at West Lafayette.
My 1962 Rand McNally Road Atlas shows a proposed route for I-65 that would have paralleled this stretch of US 231 a couple of miles to the west, and passed by the Greater Lafayette area to the west, rejoining the route that was eventually built just north of Lebanon. That would have constituted some serious access to the Purdue campus. By a couple of years later, the maps depict the current route, albeit still proposed.
Hmm that’s interesting. But if they were to plan to build I-65 on a western alignment through Lafayette, instead of going between Lafayette and Indy via Lebanon, it only adds at most 3 miles to go through Crawfordsville and enter Indianapolis on a concurrency with I-74. Or having I-65 entirely on that new alignment via West Lafayette and Lebanon and I-74 diverted east of Crafordsville to enter Indy on an concurrency with I-65.
Personally I think Lafayette/West Lafayette could use an interstate loop like Fort Wayne has, which would help with the access to Purdue. The only number available would be I-665, which would inspire lots of "across the street from the Beast" jokes.
For Massachusetts, the biggest that is not close at all to an interstate is Bridgewater State U which is ninth in enrollment amongst Mass schools. Given it's close enough to be served by the 6-lane freeway that is MA 24, your next choices that aren't arguably served by a freeway at all are Salem State (arguable given its kinda close to I-95 and MA 128's expressway section), then the ones in Berkshire County (Berkshire CC, Williams, and Mass College of Liberal Arts).
Quote from: Finrod on January 16, 2021, 07:34:05 PM
Personally I think Lafayette/West Lafayette could use an interstate loop like Fort Wayne has, which would help with the access to Purdue. The only number available would be I-665, which would inspire lots of "across the street from the Beast" jokes.
INDOT could ask for an Odd x65 as a Loop if they really wanted to avoide 665 (which they supposedly did for what became 865) - I doubt AASHTO would say "no"
The Even/Odd 3di rule is more like a guideline, anyway
Quote from: SectorZ on January 16, 2021, 08:35:06 PM
For Massachusetts, the biggest that is not close at all to an interstate is Bridgewater State U which is ninth in enrollment amongst Mass schools. Given it's close enough to be served by the 6-lane freeway that is MA 24, your next choices that aren't arguably served by a freeway at all are Salem State (arguable given its kinda close to I-95 and MA 128's expressway section), then the ones in Berkshire County (Berkshire CC, Williams, and Mass College of Liberal Arts).
I think Williams is further away from I-91 than Bridgewater is from I-95 or I-495.
Here are a few that might be considered mid-majors:
Troy State University
Western Carolina University
Liberty University
Coastal Carolina University
Cornell University
Washington State University
University of Idaho
Quote from: SectorZ on January 16, 2021, 08:35:06 PM
For Massachusetts, the biggest that is not close at all to an interstate is Bridgewater State U which is ninth in enrollment amongst Mass schools. Given it's close enough to be served by the 6-lane freeway that is MA 24, your next choices that aren't arguably served by a freeway at all are Salem State (arguable given its kinda close to I-95 and MA 128's expressway section), then the ones in Berkshire County (Berkshire CC, Williams, and Mass College of Liberal Arts).
Just wondering, what is the main access road to UMass Amherst and Amherst College from the interstate highways system? From what I see on google maps, there is not a divided 4 lane road, but a couple of 2 lane options from I-90 and I-91.
Quote from: SkyPesos on January 16, 2021, 10:26:05 PM
Quote from: SectorZ on January 16, 2021, 08:35:06 PM
For Massachusetts, the biggest that is not close at all to an interstate is Bridgewater State U which is ninth in enrollment amongst Mass schools. Given it's close enough to be served by the 6-lane freeway that is MA 24, your next choices that aren't arguably served by a freeway at all are Salem State (arguable given its kinda close to I-95 and MA 128's expressway section), then the ones in Berkshire County (Berkshire CC, Williams, and Mass College of Liberal Arts).
Just wondering, what is the main access road to UMass Amherst and Amherst College from the interstate highways system? From what I see on google maps, there is not a divided 4 lane road, but a couple of 2 lane options from I-90 and I-91.
MA 9 is four lanes now into Hadley from I-91. Used to be two west of Hadley Center...then it's two for a short section and then four again...
MA 116 was designed to provide the main access to UMass (freeway section).
Quote from: Rothman on January 16, 2021, 09:20:54 PM
Quote from: SectorZ on January 16, 2021, 08:35:06 PM
For Massachusetts, the biggest that is not close at all to an interstate is Bridgewater State U which is ninth in enrollment amongst Mass schools. Given it's close enough to be served by the 6-lane freeway that is MA 24, your next choices that aren't arguably served by a freeway at all are Salem State (arguable given its kinda close to I-95 and MA 128's expressway section), then the ones in Berkshire County (Berkshire CC, Williams, and Mass College of Liberal Arts).
I think Williams is further away from I-91 than Bridgewater is from I-95 or I-495.
Yes, but I was putting them in order by their size. Bridgewater is the biggest school of those. It has an enrollment five times that of Williams.
UC Santa Cruz is far from an interstate 27 Miles away from I-880, & I-280.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_State_Route_17 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_State_Route_17)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_State_University,_Monterey_Bay (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_State_University,_Monterey_Bay)
CSU Monterey, Sonoma State, CSU Stanislaus and CSU Channel Islands are universities not located near an interstate
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_State_University,_Bakersfield (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_State_University,_Bakersfield)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonoma_State_University (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonoma_State_University)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_State_University,_Stanislaus (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_State_University,_Stanislaus)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_State_University_Channel_Islands (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_State_University_Channel_Islands)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_California,_Merced (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_California,_Merced)
UC Merced is the other UC not located near an Interstate.
Using NCAA Division I FBS membership as sufficient criteria for being "large", and "an interstate passes through the county/equivalent in which it is located" as sufficient criteria for being "served by", we have the following list:
School, County, State
Appalachian State, Watuauga, NC
Central Michigan, Isabella, MI
Coastal Carolina, Horry, SC
Colorado, Boulder, CO
East Carolina, Pitt, NC
Georgia, Athens-Clarke, GA
Liberty, City of Lynchburg, VA
Mississippi State, Oktibbeha, MS
Mississippi, Lafayette, MS
Ohio, Athens, OH
Oregon State, Benton, OR
Texas A&M, Brazos, TX
Troy, Pike, AL
Washington State, Whitman, WA
Adding in state-flagship universities:
New Hampshire (FCS), Strafford, NH
South Dakota (FCS), Clay, SD
Idaho (FCS), Latah, ID
Alaska (DII), Fairbanks North Star, AK*
* - not including the on-paper Alaska interstates
Quote from: Thing 342 on January 17, 2021, 03:32:51 PM
Using NCAA Division I FBS membership as sufficient criteria for being "large", and "an interstate passes through the county/equivalent in which it is located" as sufficient criteria for being "served by", we have the following list:
Clemson (Pickens County, SC)
Utah State (Cache County, UT)
Quote from: SectorZ on January 17, 2021, 08:08:19 AM
Quote from: Rothman on January 16, 2021, 09:20:54 PM
Quote from: SectorZ on January 16, 2021, 08:35:06 PM
For Massachusetts, the biggest that is not close at all to an interstate is Bridgewater State U which is ninth in enrollment amongst Mass schools. Given it's close enough to be served by the 6-lane freeway that is MA 24, your next choices that aren't arguably served by a freeway at all are Salem State (arguable given its kinda close to I-95 and MA 128's expressway section), then the ones in Berkshire County (Berkshire CC, Williams, and Mass College of Liberal Arts).
I think Williams is further away from I-91 than Bridgewater is from I-95 or I-495.
Yes, but I was putting them in order by their size. Bridgewater is the biggest school of those. It has an enrollment five times that of Williams.
I'm confused by this- Bridgewater State is 3 miles from 495. The exit is off 24, sure, but it's the immediate exit off of 495 exit 7A. Williams is about an hour drive from the Mass Pike or I-91, and UMass is further from 91 (or 90) than Bridgewater is from 495.
Quote from: US 89 on January 17, 2021, 04:59:53 PM
Quote from: Thing 342 on January 17, 2021, 03:32:51 PM
Using NCAA Division I FBS membership as sufficient criteria for being "large", and "an interstate passes through the county/equivalent in which it is located" as sufficient criteria for being "served by", we have the following list:
Clemson (Pickens County, SC)
Utah State (Cache County, UT)
I'd add Fresno State, which is 50-60 miles away from I-5.
It should be noted that Texas A&M is not only not served by an Interstate, there is no freeway route to Bryan/College Station at all. TX State Highway 6 has a freeway bypass of B/CS, but once you get outside of town (unless it's been upgraded since I was last there a few years back), Highway 6 is just your typical two-lane at-grade Texas state highway.
The other major way to get to College Station (coming from either Dallas or Houston) is to take I-45 to Madisonville and then take US 190 (which is also just a two-lane) from Madisonville to College Station. If you're coming from Dallas, this is actually the preferred way, because the other option (I-35 to Waco, and Highway 6 to B/CS) involves a lot more stops. B/CS is a lot closer to Houston than Dallas, though, so coming from Houston it's faster to take the more direct route.
I once had a very interesting experience on that route, when a wheel bearing failed in my 1965 Mustang (a pox upon the mechanic who had told me that sound was just "noisy gears"!) and had the right rear wheel try to come off the car on US 190 just outside of Madisonville. At 55 mph. At night (which is why I was actually driving the speed limit, that old Mustang did not have the best headlights ever). It was an... interesting experience. By the time the I got the car stopped, the wheel and a good length of axle were extended out from the right side of the car like an outrigger (which made getting onto the right shoulder a little interesting, too!). That was... my freshman year at A&M, I think? Something like 1994. My girlfriend and I had gone on a day trip to Houston and were on our way home; we had taken Highway 6 down to Houston, and so we had decided to make the return trip the other way.
The part of that experience that really sticks in my memory, though, was hearing the sound of it coming loose, feeling the car get really squirrelly all of the sudden, and my girlfriend sticking her head out the window (I only have lap belts in that Mustang - which I still have, not shoulder harnesses) to see what had happened and then looking back at me and looking like she'd seen a ghost. She wasn't actually able to explain to me what she'd seen until I had the car stopped and could go look for myself, but I knew from her expression that I needed to get the car stopped really quickly!
My family has jokes about Fairfield, Buffalo, and Madisonville forming the "Bermuda Triangle of Texas" (even though that would make a very thin triangle, as they are all on I-45 between Dallas and Houston) from all the different car and motorcycle problems my father and I had in those three towns during our years at Texas A&M - him in the '70's, and me in the '90's.
Quote from: Dirt Roads on December 31, 2020, 09:27:37 PM
Quote from: thspfc on December 31, 2020, 09:19:26 PM
Texas A&M is the second largest university in the country, and it does not have an Interstate within 50 miles.
That's probably not what the OP was thinking, but it looks like the TX-6 freeway doesn't connect to any other freeways in either direction.
Quote from: Stormwalker on February 23, 2021, 04:50:17 PM
It should be noted that Texas A&M is not only not served by an Interstate, there is no freeway route to Bryan/College Station at all. TX State Highway 6 has a freeway bypass of B/CS, but once you get outside of town (unless it's been upgraded since I was last there a few years back), Highway 6 is just your typical two-lane at-grade Texas state highway.
:nod:
Quote from: kphoger on February 23, 2021, 05:01:16 PM
Quote from: Dirt Roads on December 31, 2020, 09:27:37 PM
Quote from: thspfc on December 31, 2020, 09:19:26 PM
Texas A&M is the second largest university in the country, and it does not have an Interstate within 50 miles.
That's probably not what the OP was thinking, but it looks like the TX-6 freeway doesn't connect to any other freeways in either direction.
Quote from: Stormwalker on February 23, 2021, 04:50:17 PM
It should be noted that Texas A&M is not only not served by an Interstate, there is no freeway route to Bryan/College Station at all. TX State Highway 6 has a freeway bypass of B/CS, but once you get outside of town (unless it's been upgraded since I was last there a few years back), Highway 6 is just your typical two-lane at-grade Texas state highway.
:nod:
Whoops, somehow I saw the original comment on Texas A&M, and saw the "freeway" vs. "Interstate" discussion, but missed that the note about Highway 6 had already been made.
Quote from: thspfc on December 31, 2020, 09:19:26 PM
Texas A&M is the second largest university in the country, and it does not have an Interstate within 50 miles.
Quote from: Dirt Roads on December 31, 2020, 09:27:37 PM
That's probably not what the OP was thinking, but it looks like the TX-6 freeway doesn't connect to any other freeways in either direction.
Quote from: Stormwalker on February 23, 2021, 04:50:17 PM
It should be noted that Texas A&M is not only not served by an Interstate, there is no freeway route to Bryan/College Station at all. TX State Highway 6 has a freeway bypass of B/CS, but once you get outside of town (unless it's been upgraded since I was last there a few years back), Highway 6 is just your typical two-lane at-grade Texas state highway.
Quote from: kphoger on February 23, 2021, 05:01:16 PM
:nod:
The OP (in a different thread) asked "What are some large universities not served by Interstate, or even a 4 lane expressway?" But in a similar vein, the concept of having a freeway out of town doesn't necessarily mean that the city/university is served by the freeway system.
I've slowly been pulling together a listing of cities and towns that are underserved by both the Interstate system and their respective State DOTs. The data includes the impact of traffic generators such as colleges, ports/intermodal facilities, large airports and other factors. Depending on whether you rank peak inbound/outbound traffic generator or population as more important, College Station and Bend, Oregon swap places at the top of this list. This study flagged College Station in both directions (same routes described by Stormwalker), so I'm also wondering if there needs to be a new focus for places that are underserved in multiple directions.
Quote from: Dirt Roads on February 23, 2021, 07:34:22 PM
Quote from: thspfc on December 31, 2020, 09:19:26 PM
Texas A&M is the second largest university in the country, and it does not have an Interstate within 50 miles.
Quote from: Dirt Roads on December 31, 2020, 09:27:37 PM
That's probably not what the OP was thinking, but it looks like the TX-6 freeway doesn't connect to any other freeways in either direction.
Quote from: Stormwalker on February 23, 2021, 04:50:17 PM
It should be noted that Texas A&M is not only not served by an Interstate, there is no freeway route to Bryan/College Station at all. TX State Highway 6 has a freeway bypass of B/CS, but once you get outside of town (unless it's been upgraded since I was last there a few years back), Highway 6 is just your typical two-lane at-grade Texas state highway.
Quote from: kphoger on February 23, 2021, 05:01:16 PM
:nod:
The OP (in a different thread) asked "What are some large universities not served by Interstate, or even a 4 lane expressway?" But in a similar vein, the concept of having a freeway out of town doesn't necessarily mean that the city/university is served by the freeway system.
I've slowly been pulling together a listing of cities and towns that are underserved by both the Interstate system and their respective State DOTs. The data includes the impact of traffic generators such as colleges, ports/intermodal facilities, large airports and other factors. Depending on whether you rank peak inbound/outbound traffic generator or population as more important, College Station and Bend, Oregon swap places at the top of this list. This study flagged College Station in both directions (same routes described by Stormwalker), so I'm also wondering if there needs to be a new focus for places that are underserved in multiple directions.
I believe it. One of the reasons I haven't been to an A&M football game in years (haven't been to Kyle Field since the latest renovations, in fact) is that gameday traffic on the way into town from Dallas was kinda nightmarish last time I did make it to one. At least my fellow Aggies are usually friendlier than other random people on the road, but when there's only one lane going your way on either route for quite some distance, it's less a matter of friendliness and more a matter of too blasted many cars on too little pavement.
Depending on how exactly we're defining "large universities", the University of Wisconsin-Platteville is close to 100 miles give-or-take a few to the nearest Interstate in all directions. However, US-151 runs right by town, which is a 4-lane expressway with grade separation at major intersections.
Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia is 57 miles from I-64 in Zion Crossroads, although there is a freeway bypass of Farmville (US 15/460). Although Longwood isn't particularly large (enrollment of around 6,000), it is one of the oldest colleges in Virginia.
Quote from: JoePCool14 on February 24, 2021, 09:50:25 AM
Depending on how exactly we're defining "large universities", the University of Wisconsin-Platteville is close to 100 miles give-or-take a few to the nearest Interstate in all directions. However, US-151 runs right by town, which is a 4-lane expressway with grade separation at major intersections.
It seems like we're using D1 colleges for "˜large', though I'll look through USNWR's T150 colleges list for this thread later, since some of those colleges are not D1.
EDIT: List of USNWR Top 150 universities (2021 list) more than 7 miles from the nearest interstate exit:
1 - Princeton
18 - Cornell
30 - UC Santa Barbara (US 101 is a freeway east to LA)
47 - University of Georgia
49 - Pepperdine
63 - University of Connecticut
66 - Texas A&M
74 - Virginia Tech (US 460 is a freeway to I-81)
88 - SUNY Stony Brook
97 - UC Merced
97 - UC Santa Cruz
103 - Miami University
103 - University of Colorado Boulder (US 36 is a freeway to Denver)
124 - Clarkson University
143 - University of New Hampshire
Quote from: SkyPesos on February 24, 2021, 11:26:02 AM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on February 24, 2021, 09:50:25 AM
Depending on how exactly we're defining "large universities", the University of Wisconsin-Platteville is close to 100 miles give-or-take a few to the nearest Interstate in all directions. However, US-151 runs right by town, which is a 4-lane expressway with grade separation at major intersections.
It seems like we're using D1 colleges for "˜large', though I'll look through USNWR's T150 colleges list for this thread later, since some of those colleges are not D1.
I thought we were going by attendance. Limiting it to D1 excludes schools that value their academics more than their sports.
Can we have this thread moved to General Highway Talk since we are talking about highways in this thread? I made a school one and it's there.
Anyways. ECU in Greenville, NC was one of them until I-587 got approved.
Coastal Carolina University in Myrtle Beach is also another one until I-73 gets there.
California state University in Fresno, CA is another one.
Quote from: JoePCool14 on February 24, 2021, 09:50:25 AM
Depending on how exactly we're defining "large universities", the University of Wisconsin-Platteville is close to 100 miles give-or-take a few to the nearest Interstate in all directions. However, US-151 runs right by town, which is a 4-lane expressway with grade separation at major intersections.
not quite that large - it's one of the smaller ones.. now.
Northwestern is near I-94 but I would not say it is well served by it.
Quote from: SkyPesos on February 24, 2021, 11:26:02 AM
EDIT: List of USNWR Top 150 universities (2021 list) more than 7 miles from the nearest interstate exit:
1 - Princeton
18 - Cornell
30 - UC Santa Barbara (US 101 is a freeway east to LA)
47 - University of Georgia
49 - Pepperdine
63 - University of Connecticut
66 - Texas A&M
74 - Virginia Tech (US 460 is a freeway to I-81)
88 - SUNY Stony Brook
97 - UC Merced
97 - UC Santa Cruz
Huh. I got my PhD at one of these and work at another.
Quote from: tolbs17 on March 16, 2022, 10:05:50 PM
Can we have this thread moved to General Highway Talk since we are talking about highways in this thread? I made a school one and it's there.
Anyways. ECU in Greenville, NC was one of them until I-587 got approved.
Coastal Carolina University in Myrtle Beach is also another one until I-73 gets there.
California state University in Fresno, CA is another one.
Fresno is only about half an hour from I-5...
How about Cal Poly Humbolt, they're about 3 hours from I-5.
Quote from: Rothman on January 01, 2021, 01:08:15 AM
UMass Amherst was historically a little off the beaten path (I-91) until the Coolidge Bridge was widened and MA 9 four-laned through Hadley.
Even with the MA 116 freeway, most people still just drove MA 9 to University Drive to get to the Southwest dorms.
Yes, as a UMass alum, I have many fond memories of using many side streets in Hadley to avoid Route 9 back in the days before it was widened.
UConn in Storrs and URI in Kingston are a fair distance away from Interstates 84 and 95, respectively.
Quote from: Ted$8roadFan on March 17, 2022, 05:35:07 AM
Quote from: Rothman on January 01, 2021, 01:08:15 AM
UMass Amherst was historically a little off the beaten path (I-91) until the Coolidge Bridge was widened and MA 9 four-laned through Hadley.
Even with the MA 116 freeway, most people still just drove MA 9 to University Drive to get to the Southwest dorms.
Yes, as a UMass alum, I have many fond memories of using many side streets in Hadley to avoid Route 9 back in the days before it was widened.
They've since put speed humps and the like between West Street and 47. Speed enforcement on Rocky Hill has also been stepped up from what was already aggressive to militant...
SkyPesos flagged Virginia Tech as being one of the top universities located more than 7 miles off of the Interstate system. I should point out a quirk of the Interstate System (capital S, in this case) whereby Virginia Tech operates the Virginia Smart Road (also known as the Smart Highway). The Smart Road is a proving ground for vehicle technologies, pavement, tire friction, advanced communications systems and other things that budding Roadgeeks can get their hands on. The two-lane Virginia Smart Road is technically the western end of construction for I-781 (now part of future I-73), and therefore part of the Interstate System (capital S). Of course, that is not connected to the Interstate system (lower case s), and may never be connected.
Even back when I was in Blacksburg in the early 1980s, there was a big push to convert Ellett Road into the co-called Ellett Valley Expressway.
Southern Illinois University is about 20 miles of I-57, but there's a four-lane highway that leads to I-57.
The Indira Gandhi National Open University, with over 3 million students, is served by no interstates. In fact it's online so no interstates serve it even in my plans :bigass:
Quote from: Thing 342 on January 17, 2021, 03:32:51 PM
Using NCAA Division I FBS membership as sufficient criteria for being "large", and "an interstate passes through the county/equivalent in which it is located" as sufficient criteria for being "served by", we have the following list:
School, County, State
Appalachian State, Watuauga, NC
Central Michigan, Isabella, MI
Coastal Carolina, Horry, SC
Colorado, Boulder, CO
East Carolina, Pitt, NC
Georgia, Athens-Clarke, GA
Liberty, City of Lynchburg, VA
Mississippi State, Oktibbeha, MS
Mississippi, Lafayette, MS
Ohio, Athens, OH
Oregon State, Benton, OR
Texas A&M, Brazos, TX
Troy, Pike, AL
Washington State, Whitman, WA
Adding in state-flagship universities:
New Hampshire (FCS), Strafford, NH
South Dakota (FCS), Clay, SD
Idaho (FCS), Latah, ID
Alaska (DII), Fairbanks North Star, AK*
* - not including the on-paper Alaska interstates
Vermillion, where the University of South Dakota is, is only 8 miles from I-29 and has a 4 lane divided highway connecting the two. It's safe to say everyone from Sioux Falls uses it to go there.
Quote from: golden eagle on March 17, 2022, 02:20:42 PM
Southern Illinois University is about 20 miles of I-57, but there's a four-lane highway that leads to I-57.
15 miles is pretty much the distance from campus to I-57 along IL 13 in Marion. About 24 miles if taking US 51 south, mostly a 2 lane road here, to reach I-57 south of Anna
It is actually a 6 lane highway, for almost all of its length between Carbondale and Marion. The penultimate 4 lane section is currently in the midst of a multi-year widening project near the Reed Station Rd Intersection/Stoplight on IL 13 on the eastern approach into Carbondale, and the final section will be from the Williamson/Jackson County line to Cambria - this is the hardest/most expensive section, as this is where IL 13 crosses over parts of Crab Orchard Lake. The route that the current version of IL 13 takes, only has a few short bridges over the northern fingers of the lake, but all of them will need widened.
Once east of the Crab Orchard Lake birdges, IL 13 is 6 lane to east of I-57. And it is 6 lane into Carbondale
The old routing of IL 13, of which the driveable portions are still called and signed as "Old 13" and IDOT-maintained, but not shielded as a regular state route, has a decent portion of which that is at the bottom of Crab Orchard Lake. There are marinas/boat ramps at both the Carbondale side of Old 13 and the Carterville side of Old 13, where the roadway ends at Crab Orchard Lake