Saw this on a Facebook group and made me wonder:
When you're talking about a route, or reading a sign to yourself, how do you pronounce or say the route. For example, Alternate US 90, or Loop 336
For me it's:
"US xx, US xx alternate, Business US xx"
"Interstate xx, interstate xx business"
"(State name) xx, loop xx, spur xx, (state name) xx business"
Single digits (or single syllables, I'm not close enough to 7, 10, or 12 to know which) are Route [number]. Everything else is solely the number. No differentiation between types of routes.
Full names:
Interstate XX, Interstate XX Business
US Route XX, US Route XX Alternate, Route US XX Business
State Route XX, State Route XX Business
Shortened names:
I-XX, I-XX Business
US XX, US XX Alternate, US XX Business
SR-XX, SR-XX Business (SR replaced with any state, example; VA-20. I refer to VA Secondary Routes as SR-XXX)
If I'm talking to a local or someone related to me, I'll probably say just the number, or "Route XX".
Depending on where I'm at. When I lived in New Jersey it was Route x no matter the designation including interstates. I-280 was Route 280 and I-287 was Route 287.
When I moved to Florida I got strange looks calling I-4 by Route 4. Then I learned no one says " Route" down here, but either says " Highway" or designation or like " Three oh one" for US 301 and " Four forty-one" for US 441.
Then concurrencies are only referred to one number as well. In New Jersey we almost always referred to concurrent routes by both hence US 1 and 9 were " One and nine" or US 202 and 206 were " two oh two and two oh six." Only one the US 1/9/46 concurrency is referred to as Route 46 as most people in New Jersey think that Routes 1 & 9 don't exist north of the Pulaski Skyway in Jersey City. I'm not sure about the US 40 & 322 concurrency in South Jersey to know what it's called.
In Florida all routes in Central Florida concurrent with US 441 are referred to just "Highway 441" or "four forty one." Like the US 17 & 92 overlap over US 441 or both US 27 and US 301 get ignored in the Leesburg/ Ocala area for just 441.
US 98 is ignored on its long overlap with US 19. Plus US 17 & US 92 get ignored overlapping FL 50 in Orlando. That's very odd cause US routes always take precedence over state routes and in some cases don't get signed on US / State overlaps.
I just say the route number around normal people in California. When I lived in Michigan I had to differentiate between US Route, Trunkline and Interstate.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on November 08, 2024, 05:31:48 PMWhen I lived in Michigan I had to differentiate between US Route, Trunkline and Interstate.
Which were called US-xx, M-xx and I-xx, respectively.
Not that it makes that much difference, except for knowing that I-xx is a freeway. There aren't many duplicate numbers that are close enough to really matter; US-24 and M-24 being one exception, I-75 and M-75 as well. Sure there are 2 69's, 2 45's, 2 96's, 2 94's and maybe a few others. But not close enough that they'd be confused very often.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on November 08, 2024, 05:31:48 PMI just say the route number around normal people in California. When I lived in Michigan I had to differentiate between US Route, Trunkline and Interstate.
Yes, California's one state that eschews duplicate numbers in different road categories (unless they're actually the same road, like 15, 110, 210, 238), so that works here. But having come from Massachusetts, I say the prefix "I" for interstates, "U.S." for United States routes, "route" for state routes, and "A" suffix for alternates. I pretty much never say "interstate" or "United States route", or "highway", or "state route", or "alternate". I don't refer to business routes that often, and there aren't any back where I come from, so I don't have a preferred locution for those.
For Interstate highways, I refer to them as "The I-#".
For US and state highways, I refer to them as "Route #".
For county roads, I refer to them as "County Route #".
Quote from: pderocco on November 08, 2024, 06:32:42 PMQuote from: Max Rockatansky on November 08, 2024, 05:31:48 PMI just say the route number around normal people in California. When I lived in Michigan I had to differentiate between US Route, Trunkline and Interstate.
Yes, California's one state that eschews duplicate numbers in different road categories (unless they're actually the same road, like 15, 110, 210, 238), so that works here. But having come from Massachusetts, I say the prefix "I" for interstates, "U.S." for United States routes, "route" for state routes, and "A" suffix for alternates. I pretty much never say "interstate" or "United States route", or "highway", or "state route", or "alternate". I don't refer to business routes that often, and there aren't any back where I come from, so I don't have a preferred locution for those.
I can't bring myself to insert "the" before the highway number. That kind of slang is straying too close to something like "The Ohio State" for my tastes.
I say I for interstates, but in Texas I say IH.
State Road for state highways, except up north where Route prevails and still used to that from early days.
US for US routes except up north I still call them Route x.
County Road or County Route for county designations.
In Texas and Oklahoma it's State Highway x. FM x for Farm To Market designations in Texas. Then in Kansas it's K- X or M- X in Michigan as they use the state letter as a prefix.
I just typically say the number of the road when I'm in Oregon(I.e 84, 26, etc.), the only exception being I-5, I do not call it "5" rather just "I-5". When I'm in other states I typically refer to the State Highways as SR or *insert state here* Highway(I.e SR 99, Texas Highway 1), but I refer to US and Interstates as just their number,
MN:
Interstates are often just the number. All other non-Interstate routes are generally Highway X.
It depends on to whom I am speaking and whether I'm giving directions. If I'm giving directions, I will use I-# and US-# for those classes of road. For Virginia state routes, if the directions are in writing I'll use VA-#, but if they're spoken I'll use "Route #" (pronounced "rout," not "root"). If I'm referring to a state route in another state I'll use the state's name when giving spoken directions: "Maryland state route #." In written directions, all abbreviated references always have the hyphen as shown in this paragraph.
If I'm not giving directions, I may not bother with the class of road and I may or may not use "Route," mainly depending on whether the listener is a local resident. For example, if I were speaking to a neighbor and referring to Dolce Vita, a restaurant in Fairfax City, I might say, "It's a short distance east of the intersection of 50, 29, and 236."
References like "Alternate" or "Business" come after the number: "29 Business" or "US-29 Business," though depending on where it is I may use the street name (Emmet Street or JPA when referring to US-29 Business in Charlottesville, for example).
No road is ever "Highway #" and no number ever has a "the" before it except when referring to European roads like the M4 in England.
In casual conversation, I will just refer to the route number by itself. 11, 52, 460, 64, 75, etc. For the Mountain Parkway, the nearest freeway to me, it's just "the parkway." Even at work, the Mountain Parkway is just "the parkway" and the Hal Rogers Parkway gets the full name treatment.
In writing, it's KY ##, US ###, and I-##.
Usually Interstate ##, "The Interstate," or "The freeway" locally or if up in Chicagoland, by the Expressway/Tollway name
US and IL routes locally usually just "Route ##." If it is an area where there are parallel "New" and "Old" alignments of said numbered route, then will refer to as "New ##" or "Old ##". In the Carbondale area US 51 and IL 13 both have "New" and "Old" alignments out of town
The major county routes usually have a (town name) Rd formal name that said road goes to/from, but typically locally referred to as (town name) Blacktop. Ava Blacktop. Elkville Blacktop. Herrin Blacktop (which is an unnumbered state route for most of its length). Johnston City Blacktop. Etc etc. I don't think the suffix "Blacktop" is ever an official designation but I could be wrong
Indiana:
I-xx or simply the number (unless it's the Borman or the ITR)
US Route xx, Route xx, or US xx
SR xx (exceptions: the Lloyd in Evansville and Cline Ave in NW Indiana)
Quote from: Great Lakes Roads on November 09, 2024, 10:11:35 PMIndiana:
I-xx or simply the number (unless it's the Borman or the ITR)
US Route xx, Route xx, or US xx
SR xx (exceptions: the Lloyd in Evansville and Cline Ave in NW Indiana)
If one is "of a certain age" (read: remembers the 1960s and earlier), all state highways were referred to as "Road." For example, IN 37 was "Road 37," the pre-465 never-finished Indy bypass was "Road 100," and the like. I don't remember US highways being referred to that way, nor were Interstates. That practice was gone after 1970 or so.
Arizona:
All freeways are called "The 10," "The 101," and the like, regardless of whether they are Interstates, US highways, or state highways.
Surface highways are either called by their proper number (US 93, SR 260, etc.) or by the highway's given name, such as "The Beeline Highway" for SR 87 north of Mesa, or "Grand Avenue" for US 60 between Phoenix and Wickenburg. This may be strictly a metro Phoenix thing, though.
Usually around here people just say the route number, like for US-10 it's just 10, I-75 is just 75 (and in the concurrency with US-23 is never referred to as US-23, not 75/23 or I-75/US-23 it's I-75). For the state highways using just the route number is common and so is using the M in front of it like M-46 or 46. Funny how Google Maps calls M-46 State Route 46 while saying Michigan instead of State Route for the rest of them. In the Detroit area I call the freeways by their given names instead of route numbers like I'll call I-94 the Ford, I-75 the Fisher and Chrysler, M-10 the Lodge, M-39 the Southfield, M-8 the Davison, I-96 the Jeffries and so on. Always call M-1 Woodward instead of M-1 and 8 Mile instead of M-102.
I-95, Route 1, and when business routes are involved, Business Route 1 and Regular Route 1.
In Oklahoma, I-x, US-x, and Highway x.
In Nevada, I'm an incoherent mess. I-15, probably I-11 (although it's kind of easy to lose the I sound in the beginning of 11 so maybe that'll change), but "the 215" because the difference between I-215 and CC-215 is usually academic; I pretend US-95 and I-515 don't exist (since they're already both I-11 on paper and the signs are going up Any Day Now so I don't want to get used to calling it anything to do with 515/95), and then just "613", which most people probably wonder what the hell that is when I say it since the signage for it sucks but it's shorter than saying "Summerlin Parkway".
Here in CT, and for me, it could be either "I-" before interstates and "Route" before US and state highways, or just the number. No number duplication between different types, no alternate or business routes I know of, no county routes. Never "The" with a number!
number or letter(s) only, except I sometimes use I- in front of an interstate.
Generally just "the #." Otherwise "Route #."
Over here it's mostly "la xx" (literally "the xx", but in French), or the name of the highway. Surface routes usually won't be referred to by number but by name, and names might also be used to refer to certain segments of highways (e.g. Autoroute de la Capitale is used to refer to A-40 between A-573 and the easternmost A-440). I mostly follow that naming and numbering scheme, but unlike most people I'll acknowledge numbers.
We just use the numbers here. You don't hear route being used usually unless it's something like Route 1, Route 2, etc.
Quote from: MATraveler128 on November 10, 2024, 10:25:10 PMWe just use the numbers here.
Or the former numbers (https://wiki.aaroads.com/wiki/Massachusetts_Route_128).
Quote from: MATraveler128 on November 10, 2024, 10:25:10 PMWe just use the numbers here. You don't hear route being used usually unless it's something like Route 1, Route 2, etc.
Love the blatant contradiction in this post.
At least where I grew up in MA, it was a hodgepodge. Route 9, 5 and 10, the Pike, 91 or I-91, 202...no real rhyme or reason.
Quote from: Rothman on November 12, 2024, 07:07:24 AMQuote from: MATraveler128 on November 10, 2024, 10:25:10 PMWe just use the numbers here. You don't hear route being used usually unless it's something like Route 1, Route 2, etc.
Love the blatant contradiction in this post.
At least where I grew up in MA, it was a hodgepodge. Route 9, 5 and 10, the Pike, 91 or I-91, 202...no real rhyme or reason.
I think what I said before about "Route" being used for single syllable numbers matches both what you said and what you quoted.
Here in NY or at least upstate, major roads are almost always just the number regardless of route type. We never use "I-XX" and this is amplified in Rochester by two of our interstates also being state routes. Any need for specificity will come from other context, so it's just 390 or 590 regardless of what part of the route you're talking about.
One major exception: I-90 is always "the Thruway"
Another exception: Local roads (even if they're state routes), are usually just the name, often with no suffix. For example, NY 404 is "Ridge" or "Empire" depending on what part, NY 286 is "Browncroft", meanwhile NY 252 is "Jefferson Road". The suffix often gets dropped for unnumbered routes too, but not always.
Major state routes that aren't freeways are kind of toss-ups. NY 441 is sometimes just 441 and sometimes "Penfield Road". NY 31 is "Monroe Ave" in the city and Brighton but usually just 31 east of there. And NY 104 in Greece is sometimes "West Ridge Road" and sometimes just "104 in Greece" which everyone understands to mean the worst stretch of roadway in the area. LOL.
Around the Capital District non-interstates are often "route X" but sometimes just the number, especially for three digit routes. For interstates, the free portion of I-90 is I-90, the free portion of I-87 is both I-87 and the Northway, the toll portions of I-87 and I-90 are the Thruway, I-88 is I-88, I-890/NY 890 is just 890, and I-787/NY 787 is just 787. The freeway portion of NY 7 is often called "alternate route 7".
Quote from: webny99 on November 12, 2024, 10:46:24 AMFor example, NY 404 is "Ridge" or "Empire" depending on what part, NY 286 is "Browncroft",
I usually hear "Ridge Road", "Empire Boulevard", and "Browncroft Boulevard". Then again, I usually hear Winton and Westfall with no suffix, so maybe it depends on where you live? Monroe Ave is still Monroe Ave, however.
Quote from: webny99 on November 12, 2024, 10:46:24 AMNY 441 is sometimes just 441 and sometimes "Penfield Road".
Probably because Penfield Road splits off heading west from the village.
Quote from: webny99 on November 12, 2024, 10:46:24 AMNY 31 is "Monroe Ave" in the city and Brighton but usually just 31 east of there.
Probably because "Monroe Ave" ends at the Village of Pittsford. It's State Street in the village and Pittsford-Palmyra Road east of there.
For highways in general:
Verbally:
Interstates: "Interstate X" or "I-X"
US Routes: "US X", "US Route X", or "US Highway X", sometimes just "Route X" or "Highway X"
State Routes: "State Route/Highway X", sometimes including the state or sometimes just "Route X" or "Highway X"
County Routes: "County Route X" or "County Road X", sometimes including the county name
In text:
Interstates: "I-X"
US Routes: "US X"
State Routes: "<state abbreviation> X" (i.e. AL 53, TN 7, GA 20, etc.)
County Routes: "CR X"
Others:
US 231 across Huntsville is "Memorial Parkway" or just "the Parkway"
AL 255 is "Research Park Boulevard" or even just "Research Park"
AL 53 is "Jordan Lane"
AL 67 in Decatur is "Beltline Road" or just "the Beltline"
I-565 and I-459 sometimes have their "I-" prefixed dropped
Quote from: vdeane on November 12, 2024, 12:44:27 PMQuoteFor example, NY 404 is "Ridge" or "Empire" depending on what part, NY 286 is "Browncroft",
I usually hear "Ridge Road", "Empire Boulevard", and "Browncroft Boulevard". Then again, I usually hear Winton and Westfall with no suffix, so maybe it depends on where you live? Monroe Ave is still Monroe Ave, however.
It would make sense that the suffix gets dropped in more localized contexts, considering I am indeed closer to the three I listed, and your family is closer to Winton and Westfall (IIRC). I never hear or use Boulevard for either of the two I mentioned, because it's just long and clunky, and almost always obvious from the context.
Quote from: vdeane on November 12, 2024, 12:44:27 PMQuoteNY 31 is "Monroe Ave" in the city and Brighton but usually just 31 east of there.
Probably because "Monroe Ave" ends at the Village of Pittsford. It's State Street in the village and Pittsford-Palmyra Road east of there.
Well, right, but I've never heard it called by either of those latter two road names. As you head east there is a shift from it being considered a local road to being considered a major long-distance highway and therefore getting the "route number only" treatment, particularly east of I-490 Exit 26.
WV:
Interstate: I XX
US: US XX or Route XX used about equally
WV: WV XX or Route XX used about equally
Alternate, Spur, Business, etc. used before the name as "Alternate WV XX"
WV Turnpike is "the Turnpike" not I-77 or I-64/77
No named roads that are not actual city streets are ever used (the various signs proclaiming this or that road the this or that politician whatever are ignored)
Three digit numbers pronounced X-XX (i.e. US Four Sixty)
Most people over 40 will refer to the Appalachian Corridors by their project letter (i.e. "Corridor G" not "US 119") or if no specification is needed because the context is clear just as "the corridor"
Quote from: SP Cook on November 12, 2024, 02:07:35 PMWV:
Interstate: I XX
US: US XX or Route XX used about equally
WV: US XX or Route XX used about equally
Alternate, Spur, Business, etc. used before the name as "Alternate WV XX"
WV Turnpike is "the Turnpike" not I-77 or I-64/77
No named roads that are not actual city streets are ever used (the various signs proclaiming this or that road the this or that politician whatever are ignored)
Three digit numbers pronounced X-XX (i.e. US Four Sixty)
Most people over 40 will refer to the Appalachian Corridors by their project letter (i.e. "Corridor G" not "US 119") or if no specification is needed because the context is clear just as "the corridor"
And county routes are referred to mostly by name, not by number.
I pretty much just always say the number. Since there aren't any overlaps in Colorado where you'd get confused, I don't find it necessary to say "I-", "US", etc. If I were talking to a roadgeek, I'd specify more.
Quote from: JayhawkCO on November 12, 2024, 03:48:17 PMSince there aren't any overlaps in Colorado where you'd get confused
US 36/CO 36 and US 40/CO 40 are close enough to be very confusing.
In our state, folks here only use the #. 49 is really the only route that is both an Interstate and US highway, and being that they are on opposite sides of the state, it isn't really an issue.
Quote from: LilianaUwU on November 12, 2024, 04:09:11 PMQuote from: JayhawkCO on November 12, 2024, 03:48:17 PMSince there aren't any overlaps in Colorado where you'd get confused
US 36/CO 36 and US 40/CO 40 are close enough to be very confusing.
The CO versions of those routes, especially 40, are such local routes that you have to be trying to use them.
When I grew up, I always followed the Chicago custom of using road names in lieu of route designations (Dan Ryan, Tri-State, Lake Shore Drive, etc.). As far as outside the city was concerned, I used "Route" for non-Interstate highways, but in Los Angeles and Seattle, I've added "Highway" to my vocabulary, plus I also had to learn "the ##" for freeways in the former city.
On this forum, with respect to State routes, I usually prefer "SR ##". If it's clear from the context that I'm talking about a portion of SR 28 in Nevada, then "SR 28" is fine. There's also a continuing segment of SR 28 in California, though, so if a reader wouldn't instantly know which state's highway I'm referring to, I'll use "CA 28" or "NV 28".
Outside the roadgeek community, "28", "50", "395", "580", etc. I find that nobody out there pays much attention to the shape of or colors on the shield.
Like most Mass people, it's just "route" for us/state highways and "I-" for Interstates.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan3561 on November 12, 2024, 04:31:28 PMQuote from: LilianaUwU on November 12, 2024, 04:09:11 PMQuote from: JayhawkCO on November 12, 2024, 03:48:17 PMSince there aren't any overlaps in Colorado where you'd get confused
US 36/CO 36 and US 40/CO 40 are close enough to be very confusing.
The CO versions of those routes, especially 40, are such local routes that you have to be trying to use them.
Exactly. They're basically frontage roads.
Interstate X or I-X for Interstates
U.S. Route X or Route X for U.S. Routes
Route X for State Routes
I mostly just call it the number here in Iowa. The Avenue of the Saints, aka Iowa Highway 27, is always just the Avenue. I do know that some people who have always lived here in Mason City still refer to Iowa Highway 122 as 18, as in US 18.
Quote from: hbelkins on November 12, 2024, 03:46:23 PMAnd county routes are referred to mostly by name, not by number.
Totally. There are more people on this board that understand the WV county route system than exist outside it. It is just a method for accounting not for route signing as other forms of route numbering are. It is not intended to be a method of direction assisting.
CR 17/45 would 100% of the time be "Jim Bailey Farm Road".
As a Southern Californian, it's always "The XX" (i.e., take the 101 to the 405 to the 118 to the 5). I have traveled to other states and do the same thing there, and people get so confused.
Quote from: RZF on November 16, 2024, 02:57:49 AMAs a Southern Californian, it's always "The XX" (i.e., take the 101 to the 405 to the 118 to the 5). I have traveled to other states and do the same thing there, and people get so confused.
Southern California also sometimes uses "The ## Freeway" for a freeway with multiple route designations(I.e. Ventura Fwy), though I'm pretty sure this is kinda far gone by now.
Quote from: Henry on November 13, 2024, 10:02:48 PMWhen I grew up, I always followed the Chicago custom of using road names in lieu of route designations (Dan Ryan, Tri-State, Lake Shore Drive, etc.). As far as outside the city was concerned, I used "Route" for non-Interstate highways, but in Los Angeles and Seattle, I've added "Highway" to my vocabulary, plus I also had to learn "the ##" for freeways in the former city.
In the Chicago area, I pretty much only use the Interstate numbers (without the "I-") as opposed to the names, so I would take 55 to 294, for example, although others would take the Stevenson to the Tri-State. Past that, I've observed that no one really uses US routes or state route numbers, at least for those in the area. So, it's Lake Shore Drive, and not US-41, and North Avenue, and not IL-64. For routes outside the area, my experience has been that no one really talks about them all that much, except for the interstates.
Having grown up in Northern California, and settled in Southern CA, my references are an inconsistent mix.
I would usually say "the 405", but just "280". For the N/S routes, it's "101" and "the 5" -- partly because we used 101 a lot growing up, but I'm also more likely to use "the" on monosyllabic numbers.