A simple premise-of two interstates that you or someone else chooses, which one is better?
I will go first, and will start with two that run through my neck of the woods.....I-77 vs. I-81. For me, I would choose I-81, as it is one of the most scenic routes east of the Mississippi, although 77 through the mountains of West Virginia isn't anything to sneeze at
I-495 over I-95 in Delaware for its avoidance of downtown Wilmington, its promotion as the through route for the corridor, and the (sometimes) lower traffic volume.
In the Twin Cities, I would choose I-35W over I-35E. That parkway section of the latter in St. Paul, though scenic, is the dealbreaker for me. I mean, 45 is set as the speed limit on that interstate? No thanks.
I-470 over I-70 in Wheeling, WV. Although I love the tunnels, the child is more suited as a through route to get from PA to OH.
Further West in KC, I-670 over I-70. I-70 is longer and has the substandard TOTSO.
When I lived in Sacramento, I used unsigned I-305 (US 50/Route 99/former I-80 and later former Business 80) a lot more than mainline I-80 by virtue of where my apartments were located, and by how often I'd drive out to Placerville Speedway. Even before that, I generally preferred just going straight on the old 80 route instead of the Natomas bypass just because seeing downtown and midtown Sacramento and the Arden area was always more interesting to me.
I prefer 215 to 15 in the Inland Empire for similar reasons too.
In San Diego, 5 and 805 serve different enough purposes that I use one or the other primarily dependent on where my next stop would be.
Green Bay to Milwaukee- I-43 over I-41 unless your destination is on the far west side of the Milwaukee area.
Quote from: Big John on June 19, 2024, 06:15:51 PMGreen Bay to Milwaukee- I-43 over I-41 unless your destination is on the far west side of the Milwaukee area.
Obviously you haven't been on I-43 lately. It is an absolute mess due to heavy construction. Even before, it was notorious for bottlenecks. And it goes through downtown Milwaukee. We shall see what happens after construction is completed, but I prefer I-41.
BTW, I live halfway between the two highways in the Milwaukee area.
No comment yet on STL-'Nati...I don't make the trip often, but right now I'd probably lean via 70&74 and Indy over via 64&71 and Louisville
I always preferred I-88 over I-80 for Chicagoland west suburbs and the Quad Cities, even with the toll
In New Jersey on the NJ Turnpike I would often take the Eastern Spur ( Future I-695) through the Hackensack Meadowlands over the Western Spur only because my parents when I was growing up always used the west leg and never hardly used the east leg.
Plus the Eastern Spur north of the 16E-18E toll plaza was pretty empty compared to the other Spur.
Having used I-90 and I-94 between Chicago and Madison, I like I-94 because the tolls are less expensive due to its shorter length compared to I-90.
Going south to Memphis, I'd take I-55 more often than I-57, what with the ability to get off at a random exit and exploring Old Route 66, and also being greeted by the Gateway Arch every time I come through St. Louis.
Quote from: ilpt4u on June 19, 2024, 07:36:48 PMNo comment yet on STL-'Nati...I don't make the trip often, but right now I'd probably lean via 70&74 and Indy over via 64&71 and Louisville
I haven't done that exact trip between those two cities, but this year I have done STL to Lexington and back on one occasion and Columbus to Nashville and back on another, so I can say with certainty that the I-71 construction NE of Louisville and the I-64 construction throughout Louisville and west of Mt. Vernon are both reasons why I would agree with you and take 70 to 74 via Indy.
Oregon doesn't have too many options.
I guess if I had to choose, I'd go with I-84 because the Columbia River Gorge is beautiful, and actually the rugged terrain east of Pendleton is pretty cool.
I-5 has scenic areas too, but loses points because the stretch from Wilsonville to just south of Eugene is boring!!
Are talking about routes that serve the same general region or just a preference between two interstates in general?
Because for me, I always choose Future interstate 49 (US 90) when driving from Houston to New Orleans over Interstate 10. Avoids that 20 mile speed trap bridge and the nightmare that is Baton Rouge. And when heading to visit in laws in the middle part of the rio grande valley, I prefer to use I-69E and then I-2
In the west, the Interstates are so far apart that we really don't face that sort of decision. The only comparable choice is between I-5 and CA-99, and I choose 99.
The only exception I can think of is I-880 vs I-580 or I-680 in the Bay Area, but those are short stretches very close to each other, and you normally choose by looking at the traffic.
Going through/around Richmond, VA with I-64 or I-295. (Example: Charlottesville to Norfolk)
I would usually choose I-295 when it comes to the example I used. I'd only choose I-64 if I'm going anywhere south of Richmond (ex: Fayetteville, NC), though you could use I-295 to get down there by clinching the full interstate.
Quote from: ilpt4u on June 19, 2024, 07:36:48 PMNo comment yet on STL-'Nati...I don't make the trip often, but right now I'd probably lean via 70&74 and Indy over via 64&71 and Louisville
- The I-64/I-71 option has better scenery.
- Traffic wise I think it's a wash. The I-64/I-71 option doesn't have to deal with I-70 between Terre Haute and Indianapolis, but then there's that joint stretch of I-71 and I-75 that could use an alternate.
- Louisville does not seem to have a full interstate closure every year like Indianapolis? Although the Sherman Minton Bridge does not seem to be that reliable . . .
Marshall, MI to Port Huron, MI: I-69 around Lansing and through Flint instead of I-94 through Detroit. The latter is a perpetual parking lot, and through Ann Arbor is often not much better.
I-295 over I-95 around Providence RI, Portland ME, and Richmond VA.
I-88 and I-86 in NY instead of I-90/NY State Thruway.
This trip I took last week introduced me to another one:
If heading to Texas from California, or vice versa, I prefer to head down I-15 and then take I-8 to go through Imperial County
I-90 on the Chicago Skyway was my favored Route over I-94 to approach/leave Chicago. I-90 was tolled but I-94 punished you for cheapness in the form of horrendous levels of traffic. The Skyway at the time also had the tollbooth McDonalds.
Back in 2017, for a trip to St. Louis we took I-64 westbound (connecting via I-81 south to I-64 because I wanted to get a clinch) and then I-70 eastbound for most of the trip home. For future trips that way, I'd use I-64 over I-70 every time due primarily to far less traffic, though I'd modify the route to use I-68 to I-79 to I-70 instead of going out of the way down I-81 (I will admit I enjoyed the West Virginia Turnpike part of the longer route, though).
Quote from: OCGuy81 on July 31, 2024, 04:25:05 PMOregon doesn't have too many options.
I guess if I had to choose, I'd go with I-84 because the Columbia River Gorge is beautiful, and actually the rugged terrain east of Pendleton is pretty cool.
I-5 has scenic areas too, but loses points because the stretch from Wilsonville to just south of Eugene is boring!!
Agree on both! I-84 through the Gorge is a route I've taken a lot, lots of nice scenery, great views of the river, and of course every Oregon Trail players favorite town, The Dalles.
I-5 from Eugene to Albany is just basically nothing. Even though it's not a very big distance, Albany to Salem has some pretty solid scenery, especially southbound as you sort of climb down a hill. Then it just goes right back to boring scenery from Salem to Portland.
Back when I was at UMaine, I'd typically choose I-295 over I-95/Maine Turnpike between Scarborough - West Gardiner. Although the time and distance saved is negligible, the toll is cheaper using this route ($1.50 per one way trip vs $4.55 NB/$3.55 SB using MeTA E-ZPass). Additionally, the I-295 routing counts as two trips towards the MeTA volume discount, per one way (southern portion, then another portion from 103-109 to Augusta).
Some notes:
- To get to I-295 depends on where I start. If I started at Exit 25, then I'd use Exit 45 and use the ME 703 ramp to 295 NB. If Exit 32, then I'll use 44 directly.
Both of the routes previously mentioned are only $1.00 - if I used 25 - 44, they charge $1.50 instead of $1 (as MeTA uses virtual ticket system for MeTA E-ZPass tagholders only).
- Heading back home SB, I can either use I-295 Exit 11 and bypass Downtown Portland via the Falmouth Spur and the Turnpike or just stay on I-295 until Scarborough. Both options from either starting point to Exits 36, 32, 25 or 19 is $1.00 for all users. Though, if I was heading to York and south, I'd use the latter option, as 44-York Toll Plaza is $2.95 instead of $3.60 via the Spur.
How about a combination of interstates between two destinations?
From Lexington to Indianapolis, I-64/I-65 vs. I-75/I-74.
Both involve crossing the Ohio River in a city, although the I-275 bypass avoids downtown Cincinnati.
I-90 between Chicago and Madison over I-94
I-69 between Marshall and Port Huron over I-94
Quote from: fwydriver405 on November 07, 2024, 10:06:43 AMBoth of the routes previously mentioned are only $1.00 - if I used 25 - 44, they charge $1.50 instead of $1 (as MeTA uses virtual ticket system for MeTA E-ZPass tagholders only).
- Heading back home SB, I can either use I-295 Exit 11 and bypass Downtown Portland via the Falmouth Spur and the Turnpike or just stay on I-295 until Scarborough. Both options from either starting point to Exits 36, 32, 25 or 19 is $1.00 for all users. Though, if I was heading to York and south, I'd use the latter option, as 44-York Toll Plaza is $2.95 instead of $3.60 via the Spur.
Sounds like the virtual ticket system tolls aren't nearly so exact as I would have assumed. I thought they just used a per-mile rate like every other toll road but I guess they just split the York, New Gloucester, West Gardner, I-295, and Falmouth tolls a bit more than they do for cash and out of state customers. I would have never imagined that there would be benefits for even MeTA E-ZPass holders to game where they get on and off!
Quote from: vdeane on November 07, 2024, 12:39:11 PMQuote from: fwydriver405 on November 07, 2024, 10:06:43 AMBoth of the routes previously mentioned are only $1.00 - if I used 25 - 44, they charge $1.50 instead of $1 (as MeTA uses virtual ticket system for MeTA E-ZPass tagholders only).
- Heading back home SB, I can either use I-295 Exit 11 and bypass Downtown Portland via the Falmouth Spur and the Turnpike or just stay on I-295 until Scarborough. Both options from either starting point to Exits 36, 32, 25 or 19 is $1.00 for all users. Though, if I was heading to York and south, I'd use the latter option, as 44-York Toll Plaza is $2.95 instead of $3.60 via the Spur.
Sounds like the virtual ticket system tolls aren't nearly so exact as I would have assumed. I thought they just used a per-mile rate like every other toll road but I guess they just split the York, New Gloucester, West Gardner, I-295, and Falmouth tolls a bit more than they do for cash and out of state customers. I would have never imagined that there would be benefits for even MeTA E-ZPass holders to game where they get on and off!
If I recall correctly, as of Nov. 1, 2021 (https://www.maineturnpike.com/News/Recent-News/Maine-Turnpike-Authority-announces-plans-for-Fall.aspx#:~:text=This%20will%20increase%20toll%20revenue,7.7%20cents%20to%208.0%20cents.), the Maine E-ZPass is set to $0.0800/mi ($0.0497/km), while preserving the $0.50 minimum toll and capping each MeTA E-ZPass charge at the cash/non-MeTA E-ZPass charge applicable to the same movement.
Example routes, excluding any volume discounts:Exit 25,
to 44, 18.5 mi (29.77 km): Cash/Non-MeTA: $2.00, MeTA E-ZPass: $1.50 (calculated per-distance MeTA E-Z rate $1.48)
to 45, 19.23 mi (30.95 km): Cash/Non-MeTA and MeTA E-ZPass: $1.00 (calculated per-distance MeTA E-Z rate $1.54)
Exit 32,
to 44, 12.42 mi (19.99 km): Cash/Non-MeTA: $2.00, MeTA E-ZPass: $1.00 (calculated per-distance MeTA E-Z rate $0.99)
to 45, 13.15 mi (21.16 km): Cash/Non-MeTA and MeTA E-ZPass: $1.00 (calculated per-distance MeTA E-Z rate $1.05)
Exit 103 - 109, 6.84 mi (11.00 km): Cash/Non-MeTA: $2.00, MeTA E-ZPass: $0.50 (calculated per-distance MeTA E-Z rate $0.55)
The below routes exclude two toll free segments: the first southern 6.79 mi (10.93 km) from the NH/ME border - Exit 7, and a 10.74 mi (17.28 km) segment from Exits 75 - 86. The Cash/Non-MeTA NB rate in the 25-109 example is $1.00 higher because of the entry toll paid at Kennebunk.
Exit 25 to 109, 72.34 mi (116.42 km)
Northbound: Cash/Non-MeTA: $5.00, MeTA E-ZPass: $4.55 (calculated per-distance MeTA E-Z rate $5.79)
Southbound: Cash/Non-MeTA: $4.00, MeTA E-ZPass: $3.55 (calculated per-distance MeTA E-Z rate $5.79)
Exit 7 to 109, 90.56 mi (145.74 km): Cash/Non-MeTA: $8.00, MeTA E-ZPass: $6.70 (calculated per-distance MeTA E-Z rate $7.24)
I-8 has more interesting desert scenery than I-10 within California.
Indiana doesn't have interstates unless you are heading to Indianapolis. There's not even an interstate between Fort Wayne and Chicago.
Quote from: SignGeniusPTOE on November 15, 2024, 10:01:14 PMIndiana doesn't have interstates unless you are heading to Indianapolis. There's not even an interstate between Fort Wayne and Chicago.
What about I-64, I-80, I-90, and I-94? Those all go through Indiana without going through Indianapolis.
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