Best and worst Control City

[agentsteel53]

Here's Las Vegas as an I-70 control city, but only at the on-ramp from Elsinore, Utah:

[photo]

that is a very strange font to be used for the text LAS VEGAS.  Seems like DM (extra-bold D) at first glance, but even then the glyphs do not look quite right.  Maybe it's DMM?

[Fleetwood Mac Attack]

I-64 near Williamsburg, VA has new Clearview signs for "Colonial Williamsburg/Norfolk" and later "Busch Gardens/Norfolk". Really? I realize that these are popular destinations, but so are other amusement parks/tourist destinations, and you don't see all of these being listed as control cities. Heck, Busch Gardens already had its own exit built along I-64 within the past decade! It just seems to me that in a heavy-through-traffic area with lots of choices for control cities (Newport News, Hampton, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Outer Banks, etc.) that these are poor choices.

[deathtopumpkins]

Actually, the signs have always used those destinations, even the old Highway Gothic ones. And as a local (grew up there anyway - currently in the process of moving to MA), I like them. Just because other places don't list major amusement parks as control points doesn't mean it's a bad practice. I feel that if millions of people are trying to get to those places, why not sign them? I'm willing to bet a HUGE portion of the traffic heading east on 64 towards Williamsburg is bound for Busch Gardens. And after the Busch Gardens exit (which, if I recall correctly, has been there a lot longer than a few years, was built to carry traffic to the park more efficiently, a purpose I don't see a problem with, and serves as a connector to US 60 and the brewery as well), the Busch Gardens control point is replaced by Hampton, which is the next significant destination. Same with Colonial Williamsburg. Both draw millions of tourists every year.

As for your suggestions of other destinations, that far out from the city I am reasonably sure far more traffic is heading for Colonial Williamsburg or Busch Gardens than say, the OBX (oh and isn't this also a tourist destination? Hmm... I smell a hypocrite), Chesapeake, Suffolk, etc. If you saw how far Busch Gardens traffic backs up 64 during the summer, I'm sure you'd agree with me.

And I would like to point out Virginia's consistent use of non-city destinations as well. I-64 and then 564 westbound in Norfolk are signed for the Naval Base, I-264 eastbound in Virginia Beach is signed for the Oceanfront, I-664 southbound in Hampton is signed for the Outer Banks actually Nags Head, with "Outer Banks" appearing on supplemental signs, and roads up in Northern Virginia have such places as the Pentagon, Dulles Airport, etc. as their control points. Are these also poor choices of destinations?

[agentsteel53]

indeed, I've always argued that the control city on I-5, if Orange County insists on something local as opposed to LA or San Diego, should be Disneyland.  nobody cares about Santa Ana.

[Fleetwood Mac Attack]

A few things:

- I-64 in this location isn't exactly the "middle of nowhere" - it connects VA's 2nd largest metropolitan area (Hampton Roads) to its 1st and 3rd largest metropolitan areas (NOVA/Richmond). It's also a 2di, which is part of my concern. I would suspect that the through traffic thoroughly outweighs the specifically-BG or specifically-Colonial-Williamsburg traffic.
- The Busch Gardens exit opened in 2002 I believe.
- As far as Busch Gardens traffic backing up I-64, I've driven both ways through here at least 3 times just within the past month, including weekends. I've encountered backups for the HRBT (both directions), on the outskirts of Newport News (when I-64 is only 2 lanes in each direction), and...West Point? Anyone want to explain that one (off-topic I suppose)? There's backups all over the place between Richmond and Hampton Roads. I-64 probably could use a 3rd lane between Richmond and Newport News.
- Heading westbound on I-64, signing for Busch Gardens/Colonial Williamsburg on the mainline makes somewhat more sense, although I'd still just go with "Williamsburg/Richmond" heading out of Newport News and then "Richmond" past Williamsburg. There are signs far in advance of exits saying which one to use for BG/which one to use for Colonial Williamsburg.
- "Oceanfront" is only used on I-264 once you're in Virginia Beach, since the actual city limits encompass an area that's pretty far inland. I'm fine with this.
- My main concern is the use of control cities on interstate signs for through traffic/"the mainline", especially on a 2di. I have no problem with a "control city" on an EXIT sign being "Colonial Williamsburg" or "Busch Gardens" or "Pentagon" or "Dulles Airport"; however, for the MAINLINE, I feel that the control city should be a city. Sure, OBX/Chesapeake would be poor choices as well (I'd go with "Newport News/Hampton/Norfolk"); I just mentioned them to make a point that there are many popular destinations in this area.
- The only other example I can think of in Virginia where a non-city is listed on the MAINLINE interstate signs is "Naval Base" along I-64 WB heading from Virginia Beach to Norfolk (don't know how I feel about that one). Any others (on 2di mainlines or I-495/I-395) that I didn't catch?

[hobsini2]

indeed, I've always argued that the control city on I-5, if Orange County insists on something local as opposed to LA or San Diego, should be Disneyland.  nobody cares about Santa Ana.

Actually i think i would use Anaheim since that is the city Disneyland is in and it is a major suburb of LA.  Santa Ana is probably used due to Orange Co Airport being there.

[deathtopumpkins]

- I-64 in this location isn't exactly the "middle of nowhere" - it connects VA's 2nd largest metropolitan area (Hampton Roads) to its 1st and 3rd largest metropolitan areas (NOVA/Richmond). It's also a 2di, which is part of my concern. I would suspect that the through traffic thoroughly outweighs the specifically-BG or specifically-Colonial-Williamsburg traffic.

Who said this is the middle of nowhere? Like I said, as someone who's lived here for 18 years, I am quite familiar with this road and the suburban nature of York / James City County And if you'll re-read my previous post, you will note that I did not say that traffic bound for CW or BG outnumbered through traffic, I said it constituted a significant portion of 64's traffic. A portion significant enough to deserve some signage.

- The Busch Gardens exit opened in 2002 I believe.

Do you have a source? I don't remember its construction, and everything I can find online (vahighways, Roads To The Future, AARoads, Googling) seems to indicate that it is original to the stretch of I-64 (which I doubt, even though Busch Gardens has been there long enough).

- As far as Busch Gardens traffic backing up I-64, I've driven both ways through here at least 3 times just within the past month, including weekends. I've encountered backups for the HRBT (both directions), on the outskirts of Newport News (when I-64 is only 2 lanes in each direction), and...West Point? Anyone want to explain that one (off-topic I suppose)? There's backups all over the place between Richmond and Hampton Roads. I-64 probably could use a 3rd lane between Richmond and Newport News.

Typically when I go to Busch during the summer (and equally significant during Howl-O-Scream in the fall), particularly in the late mornings, traffic is barely moving from the Jefferson Ave merge (exit 255) all the way to Busch, with Busch having a direct noticeable effect for the 3-5 miles preceding the exit. And I-64 could certainly use more lanes, which is why VDOT is already pretty far along in the design stages for widening I-64 to 6 and eventually 8 lanes between Jefferson Ave and I-295.

- Heading westbound on I-64, signing for Busch Gardens/Colonial Williamsburg on the mainline makes somewhat more sense, although I'd still just go with "Williamsburg/Richmond" heading out of Newport News and then "Richmond" past Williamsburg. There are signs far in advance of exits saying which one to use for BG/which one to use for Colonial Williamsburg.

The signage is for just Williamsburg / Richmond all the way through Hampton and Newport News and even into the Counties. The only sign that differentiates Colonial Williamsburg heading westbound is one pull-through at the VA 199 exit, which is because VA 199's control city is Williamsburg, and VDOT wants motorists to know that the actual non-touristy city of Williamsburg is most easily accessed using VA 199, while the tourist destinations are most easily accessed by staying on I-64 at that point.

- "Oceanfront" is only used on I-264 once you're in Virginia Beach, since the actual city limits encompass an area that's pretty far inland. I'm fine with this.

Well as I just pointed out, Colonial Williamsburg is only used on I-64 once you're in the immediate Williamsburg area (I'm not sure as to the exact city limits) and have the potential to confuse signs pointing you to the modern city parts of Williamsburg and signs pointing you to Colonial Williamsburg. So I-264 in Va Beach is the same situation.

- My main concern is the use of control cities on interstate signs for through traffic/"the mainline", especially on a 2di. I have no problem with a "control city" on an EXIT sign being "Colonial Williamsburg" or "Busch Gardens" or "Pentagon" or "Dulles Airport"; however, for the MAINLINE, I feel that the control city should be a city. Sure, OBX/Chesapeake would be poor choices as well (I'd go with "Newport News/Hampton/Norfolk"); I just mentioned them to make a point that there are many popular destinations in this area.

Newport News is not used as a control point on I-64 because, while it does travel for a significant distance within the city limits, it does not go anywhere near the urban part of Newport News, which is served by I-664 instead. Both Hampton and Norfolk are used though. Hampton after you pass through Williamsburg. Again, as I've already said multiple times, Colonial Williamsburg and Busch Gardens make perfect sense on this stretch of I-64 because the pull-through signs are aimed at "thru traffic" at the exits they are posted at, indicating that while this is Williamsburg, if you're bound for these destinations you shouldn't exit yet. At these exits traffic bound for these destinations IS through traffic.
Also, unless I am terribly mistaken, both Dulles Airport and the Pentagon DO appear as control points on mainline freeways.
Finally, in regards to this:

I just mentioned them to make a point that there are many popular destinations in this area.

Are Colonial Williamsburg and Busch Gardens not popular destinations in the area then?

- The only other example I can think of in Virginia where a non-city is listed on the MAINLINE interstate signs is "Naval Base" along I-64 WB heading from Virginia Beach to Norfolk (don't know how I feel about that one). Any others (on 2di mainlines or I-495/I-395) that I didn't catch?

Naval Base is an excellent control point for 64 and 564 here, seeing as Naval Station Norfolk is the world's largest naval base and employs, if a recent local news story that focused on how traffic congestion impacts NS Norfolk was corrrect, approximately 300,000 people. Many of those people have to commute to work. Many of them live in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, or other destinations that would entail commuting on I-64 west.

As for other Virginia examples of non-cities for control points on interstates, I am coming up blank, but I can give you examples of OTHER state freeways using them, including "Pentagon" on VA 27 and "Dulles Airport" on VA 267. Plus examples from D.C. and other cities.

[Fleetwood Mac Attack]

Busch Gardens exit: saw a news article from 2002 referring to it as "new", can't find it currently but here's a different article from 2000 mentioning it being under construction: http://articles.dailypress.com/2000-10-22/news/0010220014_1_bridge-work-lane-closures-westbound-traffic. I also recently worked briefly with the I-264/Lynnhaven Parkway/London Bridge Road new interchange project, which is supposedly the first new interstate interchange in Hampton Roads since the BG exit (Hampton Roads Center Parkway is pretty new, too?).

A portion significant enough to deserve some signage.

Both Colonial Williamsburg (238) and Busch Gardens (243A) have their own signed exits! There's also quite a bit of supplementary signage prior to the Williamsburg area directing drivers to these exits for these destinations so that they don't just get off at any exit signed "Williamsburg" for the non-tourist destinations. I understand VDOT's desire to keep tourist-destination traffic on I-64 and thus their signing of I-64 with "Colonial Williamsburg" and "Busch Gardens" as control cities; as it is a 2di connecting actual major cities and as I am a road geek, I just don't like it!

Typically when I go to Busch during the summer (and equally significant during Howl-O-Scream in the fall), particularly in the late mornings, traffic is barely moving from the Jefferson Ave merge (exit 255) all the way to Busch, with Busch having a direct noticeable effect for the 3-5 miles preceding the exit.

Okay, I'm also complaining more as someone coming from the opposite direction heading from Richmond toward Hampton Roads. I'm sure BG has an effect on WB traffic, but there's also a lot of inland-bound traffic during the summer simply due to beach travel, and backups seem to form pretty regularly there where I-64 goes from 4 lanes to 2 lanes.

which is why VDOT is already pretty far along in the design stages for widening I-64 to 6 and eventually 8 lanes between Jefferson Ave and I-295.

8 lanes between Newport News and I-295?! Sounds great.

Well as I just pointed out, Colonial Williamsburg is only used on I-64 once you're in the immediate Williamsburg area (I'm not sure as to the exact city limits) and have the potential to confuse signs pointing you to the modern city parts of Williamsburg and signs pointing you to Colonial Williamsburg. So I-264 in Va Beach is the same situation.

Except I-264 EB doesn't lead to any other destinations since it ends at the oceanfront. I-64 in Williamsburg does (also, it's a 2di). Hence, my beef.

Also, unless I am terribly mistaken, both Dulles Airport and the Pentagon DO appear as control points on mainline freeways.

Dulles Airport appears on VA-267 and VA-28 but not as a control point on I-66 I believe. Pentagon may be a control point coming out of DC on I-395; heading into DC I believe the only control point is "Washington".

Edited to remove unnecessary excess blank space at the bottom - nothing else, I promise. -DTP

[deathtopumpkins]

Gonna try and respond to these relatively quickly...

- Maybe the Busch Gardens exit is newer than I thought. I still can't find anything that confirms it.

- How many drivers do you think actually read and pay attention to supplemental ground signage (which I can't even think of any examples of for CW off the top of my head) anyway? Listing these destinations as control points is the easiest and clearest way for VDOT to get the message across.

- Yes, there is significant traffic congestion from other things too, but if you read the entirety of my previous post you will notice that I said that it is congested all the way from the Jefferson Ave merge onward, but that for the 3 to 5 miles immediately preceding the Busch Gardens exit, the traffic is clearly a result of Busch Gardens. When traffic is stopped in the right lane but moving slowly in the left, and you can follow that stopped right lane backup right into the Busch Gardens exit, after which it pretty much clears up, you know the traffic is clearly a result of Busch Gardens.

- Yes, 264 is signed as such because there is nothing else major to put besides Oceanfront, and there are other things that could be put on 64 in place of CW and BG, but my previous points still stand of them being major enough directions that it is helpful to many motorists to have it signed.

- And as for your last point, reread my ENTIRE post, not just the convenient parts you selected to quote.

I would really appreciate it if you do not selectively answer posts in ways that are convenient for you.  I've noticed several times that the point you bring up I've already addressed in a part of my post you neglected to quote.

[Fleetwood Mac Attack]

I would really appreciate it if you do not selectively answer posts in ways that are convenient for you.  I've noticed several times that the point you bring up I've already addressed in a part of my post you neglected to quote.

I'm not really sure what you mean by this (aside from the Dulles Aiport signage - my point was about using it as a control city on an interstate). I'm reading your posts entirely and clearly; I only disagree with//want to clarify select parts. There are some parts of your posts that I'm not responding to because I agree with them!

Here's a selection that I think can basically end this "debate":

...there are other things that could be put on 64 in place of CW and BG, but my previous points still stand of them being major enough directions that it is helpful to many motorists to have it signed.

What it comes down to is you feel that these "control cities" are necessary and appropriate because they guide unfamiliar tourist traffic; I recognize that but I'm not a huge fan because it's a 2di connecting major cities (basically, I'm not a fan because I'm a road nerd). Not trying to start a war here or anything.

[HighwayMaster]

indeed, I've always argued that the control city on I-5, if Orange County insists on something local as opposed to LA or San Diego, should be Disneyland.  nobody cares about Santa Ana.

I think it is used because the 5 south of LA is the Santa Ana Freeway.

[deathtopumpkins]

What I was referring to was how, for example, I said that Dulles Airport did appear as a mainline control point, even though it wasn't an interstate, to which you respond 'well it's a control point on VA 267 and VA 28 but never an interstate!' even though I had just stated that it wasn't an interstate.

As for ending this, I agree with you completely, these are our opinions. I just felt that yours was misguided, and based on the wording of your first post and parts of your subsequent posts, I thought you were being far too harsh on VDOT for trying to help the motoring public. But if you recognize that they are appropriate because they guide tourist traffic, then we're good. I recognize that they are very odd choices from a roadgeek perspective, but I feel that the point of control points is to be helpful to drivers, providing the most pertinent information regardless of what form it takes.

So, agree to have varying opinions. 

[Interstate Trav]

How about in Utah there being no real control city for I-70 westbound.  It switches from small Utah town to small Utah town, or just "I-15".  Why not sign Las Vegas or Salt Lake City.  Or even Los Angeles.

I don't know if I would use control cities for another interstate on a mainline interstate. That seems a bit misleading to me.

In any event, Los Angeles wouldn't make sense cause Las Vegas is about 230 miles closer and is the next designated control city along I-15 south.

but they do that on I-20 westbound when they sign El Paso, I-20 ends a long ways before and you have to take I-10 west.  Since the majority of the traffic is headed towards I-15 south i figure sign it the same as the 15.

I do agree, don't sign Los Angeles that far away, i was mainly being metphorical in picking any city.  I think Las Vegas should be the control point.

Here's Las Vegas as an I-70 control city, but only at the on-ramp from Elsinore, Utah:

Cool picture.  So Las Vegas does come up more often then I thought on onramps.

[mtantillo]

Well one problem with the Williamsburg signing on I-64 is that, when headed eastbound, the first Williamsburg exit you come to is Exit 227 (VA 30/to US 60/Toano/Williamsburg).  I suppose they want to differentiate traffic bound for the city/surrounding suburbs from traffic heading to a specific tourist destination (Colonial Williamsburg via Exit 238 or Busch Gardens via Exit 243 A). 

But the real question for me is...why not sign Williamsburg (the city where the real people live, not the Colonial Williamsburg village that you have to pay to get into) from Exit 242 or 238 instead of 227?  Seems somewhat illogical to me. 

Note, Exit 242 no longer uses Williamsburg, Yorktown, or Jamestown on the signs.  It now uses Humelsine Parkway and Marquis Parkway (I think).  I never objected to using Williamsburg, but Yorktown and Jamestown I'm glad to see gone...you can't get there from 199 except via Colonial Parkway, which is not open to trucks.  Think about it, you want to get to Yorktown from the west, you're in a truck, and the first (of many) Yorktown exits is 242.  If people want to get there via the Parkway, there are "Jamestown/Yorktown via Parkway" signs at Exit 238, which I believe gets you onto the Parkway much sooner than from 199. 

[mtantillo]

What I was referring to was how, for example, I said that Dulles Airport did appear as a mainline control point, even though it wasn't an interstate, to which you respond 'well it's a control point on VA 267 and VA 28 but never an interstate!' even though I had just stated that it wasn't an interstate.

Actually, Dulles Airport isn't really a control city for VA 267, per se, because VA 267 doesn't take you to the airport, the Dulles Airport Access Road takes you there.  That is why the guide signs have a line between the "VA 267 west, Toll Road" and the "Dulles Airport (no toll)", because they are guiding you onto two separate roads, the Toll Road and the Access Road, one which requires payment of a toll, the other which does not. 

The new signs that they just installed within the last few weeks get it right.  "VA 267 west (Toll), Reston, Herndon / Dulles Airport (no toll)".  So 267 has real control cities now, and the Access Road is still signed as Dulles Aiport/no toll.  I believe Leesburg is still listed as an auxiliary destination, or will be when the signs are done. 

[ftballfan]

Using Busch Gardens off of I-64 at Exit 243A would be like using Cedar Point off of the Ohio Turnpike at US-250 (Exit 118) and Disney World off of I-4 at US-192, Osceola Pkwy, and Epcot Center Dr (Exits 64-65-67).

[hbelkins]

Now that I think about it, some of New Jersey's interstate control cities bug me. I-78 westbound uses Clinton and then Pennsylvania. How about Allentown? Not sure what I-80 uses but if Ohio can put NYC on a sign at Youngstown, then Jersey could put Youngstown on a sign somewhere. I-287 uses some obscure towns where it intersects I-78 and I-80, I'd suggest Albany and Wilmington.

[Fleetwood Mac Attack]

What I was referring to was how, for example, I said that Dulles Airport did appear as a mainline control point, even though it wasn't an interstate, to which you respond 'well it's a control point on VA 267 and VA 28 but never an interstate!' even though I had just stated that it wasn't an interstate.

As for ending this, I agree with you completely, these are our opinions. I just felt that yours was misguided, and based on the wording of your first post and parts of your subsequent posts, I thought you were being far too harsh on VDOT for trying to help the motoring public. But if you recognize that they are appropriate because they guide tourist traffic, then we're good. I recognize that they are very odd choices from a roadgeek perspective, but I feel that the point of control points is to be helpful to drivers, providing the most pertinent information regardless of what form it takes.

So, agree to have varying opinions. 

Shhh...don't tell anyone...I work for VDOT...

As a traffic engineer, I agree with your logic. Just don't like it as a road nerd!

Oh, another one that I'm reminded of that I don't like but I suppose I can see the rationale for: Maryland signing I-95 NB north of Baltimore as heading toward "New York". No mention of Philadelphia (the nation's 5th largest city I believe) or even Wilmington (my stomping grounds), the next actual city that you come to along I-95 north. I say it's a case of Philly-hate.

[thenetwork]

Here's Las Vegas as an I-70 control city, but only at the on-ramp from Elsinore, Utah:

That might now be the most easternmost point on I-70 listing Las Vegas.  Within the last month, C-DOT has been replacing just about every (perfectly good) BGS on the mainline.  Green River, UT as a control city is on the verge of extinction -- all replacement BGSs I have seen now use Utah -- and the mileage signs that once listed Las Vegas just outside of Grand Junction have now been replaced by "Jct. I-15".

Unfortunately, the latter makes sense as I-70 doesn't go to Vegas.

[deathtopumpkins]

Shhh...don't tell anyone...I work for VDOT...

As a traffic engineer, I agree with your logic. Just don't like it as a road nerd!

Oh, how, erm, ironic. 

Oh, another one that I'm reminded of that I don't like but I suppose I can see the rationale for: Maryland signing I-95 NB north of Baltimore as heading toward "New York". No mention of Philadelphia (the nation's 5th largest city I believe) or even Wilmington (my stomping grounds), the next actual city that you come to along I-95 north. I say it's a case of Philly-hate.

You probably are already well aware of this but I hear Virginia is signing New York for northbound 95 at the Springfield Interchange now too, accompanied by Baltimore, but also blowing off Philly.

[1995hoo]

....

You probably are already well aware of this but I hear Virginia is signing New York for northbound 95 at the Springfield Interchange now too, accompanied by Baltimore, but also blowing off Philly.

I drive through Springfield regularly and haven't seen New York signed there. I have seen a very new pull-through sign at the US-1 interchange in Woodbridge, though, over the northbound carriageway. The old sign there simply said I-95 North to Washington. The new sign is a two-panel sign; the left-hand panel is the pull-through for I-95 North and lists Baltimore and New York City (they included the word "City") and the right-hand panel says that traffic for Washington should follow I-395 North. I do not recall whether it lists the mileage to the I-395 split because I saw the sign one time about two weeks ago and it was around midnight when I went through there (in the express lanes). For years there's been another sign north of there, roughly at the Pohick Road overpass, that says "NY – NJ Follow I-95 North," but that sign was off to one side of the road and wasn't in the nature of an overhead pull-through sign. The new one in Woodbridge struck me as being a lot clearer for long-distance traffic than the old sign was.

The signs at Springfield must still be unclear to some segment of the population, though, because we live in Kingstowne and whenever we drive up Van Dorn Street we see people coming off the Beltway and immediately making U-turns to get back on, which suggests to me that they missed their ramps. I have no idea where all the U-turners are coming from or going to, but there are a lot of them!

What I'm waiting to see with respect to Springfield is what VDOT does in regard to the signage for the new HOV ramps now under construction. For years the signs for the Shirley Highway HOV facility have been a real mish-mash of stuff thrown together over the years with little consistency, and none of the signs posted prior to entry into the express lanes list any destinations. While I understand that with an HOV facility there's a bit of an assumption that the driver is somewhat familiar with the road, I've always thought VDOT could make the signs immensely clearer (and that's without considering the horrible condition of many of the VMS portions of those signs).

[Fleetwood Mac Attack]

Speaking of confusing signage (hope this isn't too off-topic), I was wondering about some outsiders' thoughts on I-95 NB signage in Delaware. Once you cross through the tolls at the MD state line, I believe you're finally introduced (albeit through some supplementary signage) that this freeway does actually take you to Philly if you stay on it. However, IMO there isn't a whole lot of warning about the highway dividing, at least in terms of distances. There's one or two signs I believe (one at the DE-273 exit) stating how many miles ahead the "exits" for I-295 and I-495 are. Past Christiana Mall/DE-1, signs simply direct drivers to either the left lanes (I-95/I-495 Wilmington/Philadelphia) or the right lanes (I-295/NJ Turnpike NJ-NY) without stating how far ahead the highway divides! Anybody think a "Freeway divides _ miles" sign might be useful here?

[froggie]

and none of the signs posted prior to entry into the express lanes list any destinations.

Not entirely true.  Most of the entrances don't post destinations beforehand, but the initial entrance south of Dumfries/234 does.

IIRC, Busch Gardens interchange on I-64 opened late '02 or early '03.  I'd have to dig back through photos to find out for sure.

[1995hoo]

and none of the signs posted prior to entry into the express lanes list any destinations.

Not entirely true.  Most of the entrances don't post destinations beforehand, but the initial entrance south of Dumfries/234 does.

.....

I can't picture the sign. The only such sign I can picture down there shows up after you enter the express lanes and there's a sign on the right that says "Exits from Restricted Lanes" giving distances to Springfield, the Pentagon, and DC. (I suppose I go that way less often than I used to–we used to go that way all the time coming back from UVA football games, but we dropped our season tickets last year–so it's entirely possible there's either a new sign or a relocated sign.)

Either way, I'm still interested in seeing what they do at the Beltway. The current MUTCD standards for HOV lane signs are quite different from any of the signs Virginia now has posted.

[mtantillo]

Either way, I'm still interested in seeing what they do at the Beltway. The current MUTCD standards for HOV lane signs are quite different from any of the signs Virginia now has posted.

Don't get your hopes up too high (I have a portion of the sign plan sitting on my desk). 

Two things to keep in mind.
1) The 2009 MUTCD and the new Virginia Supplement to the MUTCD are not yet in effect in Virginia.  When the Commonwealth Transportation Board adopts them, they will be in effect for projects advertised after January 1, 2012.  The HOT Lanes project was advertised well before that date. 
2) The MUTCD is all about trying to encourage consistency.  FHWA can override the MUTCD if there is a good reason...such as being "consistently wrong" to avoid calling a set of lanes by two different names. 

By the way, if you want to see signs for HOV lanes that are far worse than anything in NoVA, take a look at I-84's "Restricted Lane" east of Hartford.  Very limited entry and exit points, no signs telling you where they go, and if you're on a side road, all you get is an HOV diamond with an arrow underneath.  But, like the I-95/I-395 lanes, they are designed for routine commuter use, and if you don't know where they go or are unsure if you can use them, then stick with the mainline lanes clearly labeled "84 east - Boston" or "84 west - Hartford",adn you'll be guaranteed of reaching your destination.