Something that I've always looked at in cities is how their freeway systems look in terms of aesthetics. For example, I love the freeway layout of Greenville, SC:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.southeastroads.com%2Fimages%2Fgreenville_map.gif&hash=3769af86e023ae75c17a94f127a2689a9e1b086d)
Also, one of my favorites is based off of Seattle, WA.
Anyone have any that they find to be "good looking"?
Oh, and Las Vegas is another city whose freeway system I like.
(https://www.aaroads.com/west/images/las_vegas_map.gif)
I must say Hampton Road's is pretty aesthetically pleasing. It's a pear-shaped loop (the Beltway) with some lines across it and radiating outward...
(https://www.aaroads.com/mid-atlantic/images/hroads.gif)
My maps are so out of date!
Yeah, I love that one as well for sure. San Diego has a very nice one, I forgot about that.
As for places I've been, I'd have to say Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth and Shreveport.
I don't know what constitutes "best looking", but my favorite freeway system to delve into is Los Angeles'.
Pittsburgh is a nice one too, especially the way the freeways are laid out around downtown. Gets kinda sprawly outside of that though.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.northeastroads.com%2Fimages%2Fpitt_map.gif&hash=51fbbf9209bd7fde0f38643df47eded6e4b3df21)
Quote from: aaroads on January 20, 2009, 12:17:38 AM
I don't know what constitutes "best looking", but my favorite freeway system to delve into is Los Angeles'.
Most pleasing to the eye on a map, I suppose.
oh blah.
Hartfords is odd, but definitely neat.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.northeastroads.com%2Fimages%2Fhartford_map.gif&hash=6c8c1dbad99e498d6189b6988ec57e80b57b24fc)
I also really like Knoxville's freeway layout.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.southeastroads.com%2Fimages%2Fknoxville_map.gif&hash=e141791d4adbe52e7143959c31218432f568e7ec)
the thing that gets me about Knoxville is why 75 was routed the way it was. I'd have brought it down 275 and began the multiplex with 40 earlier, leaving 640 alone.
I've always been fond of Portlands
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.westcoastroads.com%2Foregon%2Fimages%2Fportland_focus_map.jpg&hash=238561ee183da41c2c33fbf6c6681314de4b52ef)
The way 205 is routed just makes Portland look strange. Without it, then I think Portland would be one of my favorites.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on January 20, 2009, 12:32:10 AM
the thing that gets me about Knoxville is why 75 was routed the way it was. I'd have brought it down 275 and began the multiplex with 40 earlier, leaving 640 alone.
Thats how it was originally laid out, but they moved it in the 1970s IIRC. FWIW they modified most of the full-cloverleaf interchanges on Interstate 275 in recent years to reduce weaving traffic movements. If you look on aerials, every interchange was a full-cloverleaf originally.
Houston, a classical radial system. Also reminds me of the Madrid Autopista system :)
(https://www.aaroads.com/texas/images/houston_map.gif)
I like how Oklahoma City's is laid out. Can't find a decent map of it though.
Topeka, KS has a neat little freeway system.
I'd go with Houston, Atlanta & DFW.
If I-83 & I-70 had been completed Baltimore would rate very high IMO.
I like Philly's, Boston's, and Jacksonville's now that the 9A is complete
No system is perfect, but I like Houston's. The Bay Area isn't so bad either, I think San Antonio's is nice as well, (minus 1604). I think many systems in the north east could be not necessarily expanded but modernized.
Seattle's is also fairly appealing to the eye, especially with the way 90 and 520 cross the lake.
Quote from: njroadhorse on January 24, 2009, 09:51:25 AM
I like Philly's, Boston's, and Jacksonville's now that the 9A is complete
Philadelphia's is missing several components, such as Interstate 695, Woodaven Road's extension, the freeway leading northwest from the Betsy Ross Bridge, etc. etc. Think of how bad the traffic problems on the Surekill Expressway, and there is no room to expand that unfortunately.
Not to mention the "Surface portion" of I-676 to the Ben Franklyn Bridge
Quote from: voyager on January 27, 2009, 01:06:13 PM
Seattle's is also fairly appealing to the eye, especially with the way 90 and 520 cross the lake.
I know! They also tried to get a third bridge, from Renton to Mercer Island and then Mercer Island to Medina (home of Bill Gates).
Quote from: aaroads on January 27, 2009, 02:14:29 PM
Quote from: njroadhorse on January 24, 2009, 09:51:25 AM
I like Philly's, Boston's, and Jacksonville's now that the 9A is complete
Philadelphia's is missing several components, such as Interstate 695, Woodaven Road's extension, the freeway leading northwest from the Betsy Ross Bridge, etc. etc. Think of how bad the traffic problems on the Surekill Expressway, and there is no room to expand that unfortunately.
Some of the plan was over kill, but the "Surekill" is a complete and total mess. I really wish they had continued with the plans from the 80's or even do an all HOV system during peak times...but with the truck traffic that will never happen.
QuoteMinneapolis/St. Paul has a freeway for everybody :). We have LOTS!
Yeah, but I've never really found any part of it that I've liked. All looks like a big box to me.
Quote from: njroadhorse on January 24, 2009, 09:51:25 AM
I like Philly's, Boston's, and Jacksonville's now that the 9A is complete
Soon to be I-295 come early 2010!! :-D
Quote from: flaroadgeek on January 28, 2009, 02:18:32 PM
Quote from: njroadhorse on January 24, 2009, 09:51:25 AM
I like Philly's, Boston's, and Jacksonville's now that the 9A is complete
Soon to be I-295 come early 2010!! :-D
Another I-295? :rolleyes:
Quote from: deathtopumpkins on January 28, 2009, 08:49:22 PM
Quote from: flaroadgeek on January 28, 2009, 02:18:32 PM
Quote from: njroadhorse on January 24, 2009, 09:51:25 AM
I like Philly's, Boston's, and Jacksonville's now that the 9A is complete
Soon to be I-295 come early 2010!! :-D
Another I-295? :rolleyes:
No, Interstate 295 will grow to encompass a full beltway of Jacksonville when signs are changed in 2010.
I agree with V'Ger that Portland would be nice without the "U" shape I-205. I particularly like the 405 hexagon and the 217 triangle. I also like how straight 26 is in the NW.
I would like 3-City, Washington if 395 were a freeway between 82 and 240. I like that the triangle around the 3-City looks like a small version of the I-90 - I-82 - US 395 triangle.
You just revived a 9 year old thread.
That said, I like the look of the Denver and Phoenix freeway systems. I also like the look of Salt Lake City’s system, which will look even better once all the freeway projects (proposed and ongoing) are completed.
Quote from: Alex on January 20, 2009, 12:48:41 AM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on January 20, 2009, 12:32:10 AM
the thing that gets me about Knoxville is why 75 was routed the way it was. I'd have brought it down 275 and began the multiplex with 40 earlier, leaving 640 alone.
Thats how it was originally laid out, but they moved it in the 1970s IIRC. FWIW they modified most of the full-cloverleaf interchanges on Interstate 275 in recent years to reduce weaving traffic movements. If you look on aerials, every interchange was a full-cloverleaf originally.
I-75 was routed along I-640 to encourage through traffic to use it rather than to go on 275. 275 was substandard for many years when it originally carried I-75 and traffic would frequently back up at the split in the city. When I-640 opened, the 40/275 interchange had not been improved.
Quote from: mrpablue on February 22, 2018, 11:07:52 PM
I agree with V'Ger that Portland would be nice without the "U" shape I-205. I particularly like the 405 hexagon and the 217 triangle. I also like how straight 26 is in the NW.
Quote from: rawr apples on January 20, 2009, 12:32:39 AM
I've always been fond of Portlands
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.westcoastroads.com%2Foregon%2Fimages%2Fportland_focus_map.jpg&hash=238561ee183da41c2c33fbf6c6681314de4b52ef)
I like Portlands a lot if you're talking about downtown west but I like the Tri-Cities and Eugene's better for the PNW. The teiangle for the tri cities, and the 105/OR126 bowl in Eugene.
I don't live in Chicago (been there once!) but I could look at a map of its freeways for hours on end
Quote from: roadguy2 on February 22, 2018, 11:27:48 PM
You just revived a 9 year old thread.
Not to mention that there's a much more recent one (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=20420.0) that I started specifically instead of reviving this one. Thread merge?
Before a bunch of additions were built, DFW's freeway system looked like this. (Hint: picture a little larger version with the south end of the I-35 branches.)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.patternsandprinciples.com%2Frs%2Fmap-dfw.jpg&hash=6b6a48728528161ad5f1a738d922482da0bc2079)
Quote from: OrangeLantern on February 23, 2018, 11:55:29 PM
I don't live in Chicago (been there once!) but I could look at a map of its freeways for hours on end
I concur! The Windy City has the best-looking freeway system in all of America.
Quote from: V'Ger on January 27, 2009, 01:06:13 PM
Seattle's is also fairly appealing to the eye, especially with the way 90 and 520 cross the lake.
That would be my second-best system of all.
Rounding out the top five are Charlotte, Los Angeles and Raleigh (once 540 is completed all the way around).
Quote from: mrpablue on February 22, 2018, 11:07:52 PM
I agree with V'Ger that Portland would be nice without the "U" shape I-205. I particularly like the 405 hexagon and the 217 triangle. I also like how straight 26 is in the NW.
I find Portland's to be pleasing to the eye precisely because of how the 205 curves around the foothills of the Tualatins. It helps the entire layout have a rigid and structured look.
I like drawing maps of freeway systems to flex on my friends, and my go-to's are my hometown of Salt Lake City, Houston, Miami, and (showing some love for Canada) Toronto! However, there are some cities I wish had some more freeways for overall evenness:
- NYC: some improved version of the West Side Highway as a freeway
- Boston: US 3, I-95, and Concord Turnpike
- Atlanta: I-420/Lakewood Freeway/Langford Pkwy, I-675 extension, Stone Mountain Freeway
- Washington, DC: I-95/I-395 extension
Of course there are many more!
My favorite is Dallas/Fort Worth, because it looks like a penis and a scrotum.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dfwfreeways.com%2Fimages%2FDFW-clickable-map700x500.png&hash=017acc6127a366a29bea74f95b83a9c7c36b8691)
Quote from: Gnutella on March 10, 2018, 12:15:24 PM
My favorite is Dallas/Fort Worth, because it looks like a penis and a scrotum.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dfwfreeways.com%2Fimages%2FDFW-clickable-map700x500.png&hash=017acc6127a366a29bea74f95b83a9c7c36b8691)
LOL
Z981
Quote from: roadguy2 on February 22, 2018, 11:27:48 PM
You just revived a 9 year old thread.
That said, I like the look of the Denver and Phoenix freeway systems. I also like the look of Salt Lake City's system, which will look even better once all the freeway projects (proposed and ongoing) are completed.
And if he started a new best looking freeway system thread, there's a few here that would complain that it already existed. Guess you can't win.
I'm kinda partial to the freeway system around Lansing, MI. Not much congestion. Freeways in 6 different directions.
You can get just about anywhere in southern Michigan in 2 hours or less.
70 mph speed limits throughout (with 75 mph limits on US-127 North or I-69 East).
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1263.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fii629%2FJREwing78%2FLansing.png&hash=5f5eaff5ed8505506f21b1f0e0f4fed5cf799499)
Quote from: JREwing78 on March 10, 2018, 07:59:53 PM
I'm kinda partial to the freeway system around Lansing, MI. Not much congestion. Freeways in 6 different directions.
You can get just about anywhere in southern Michigan in 2 hours or less.
70 mph speed limits throughout (with 75 mph limits on US-127 North or I-69 East).
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1263.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fii629%2FJREwing78%2FLansing.png&hash=5f5eaff5ed8505506f21b1f0e0f4fed5cf799499)
Lansing is pretty much the crossroads of the state and I-75 doesn't even go anywhere near it go figure.
I like Milwaukee's, and find it easy to navigate. A small bypass on 41-43-894, 43 going north, 94-41 going south, 94 going west.
Quote from: OCGuy81 on March 13, 2018, 11:48:27 AM
I like Milwaukee's, and find it easy to navigate. A small bypass on 41-43-894, 43 going north, 94-41 going south, 94 going west.
I-894 is entirely redundant, though, and I-41 is redundant south of (and while overlapped with) I-43.
Quote from: 1 on March 13, 2018, 11:53:19 AM
Quote from: OCGuy81 on March 13, 2018, 11:48:27 AM
I like Milwaukee's, and find it easy to navigate. A small bypass on 41-43-894, 43 going north, 94-41 going south, 94 going west.
I-894 is entirely redundant, though, and I-41 is redundant south of (and while overlapped with) I-43.
Milwaukee is missing a freeway bypass across the north side of the metro. Add that and it would be perfect.
RCT6873W42M_F7
Quote from: Bickendan on February 27, 2018, 08:43:06 PM
Quote from: mrpablue on February 22, 2018, 11:07:52 PM
I agree with V'Ger that Portland would be nice without the "U" shape I-205. I particularly like the 405 hexagon and the 217 triangle. I also like how straight 26 is in the NW.
I find Portland's to be pleasing to the eye precisely because of how the 205 curves around the foothills of the Tualatins. It helps the entire layout have a rigid and structured look.
People put down the "U" shape of I-205, but that actually makes the portion between I-5 and West Linn one of the most beautiful freeway drives in the city. (Top honors goes to US-26 descending through the canyon to the Vista Ridge Tunnel.) Also, that part of I-205 was very controversial when it was first planned. Originally it was gonna barrel through Lake Oswego, but the rich people there put their foot down, so it instead skirts the Urban Growth Boundary south of Tualatin, Lake-O and West Linn.