US 101 not a spur to US 1

[ethanman62187]

Why is US 101 all the way to the west coast?  It's like a "10" which acts like a 2 digit and it's all the way to the west instead of a spur to US 1.

[corco]

I think you just answered your own question

[1995hoo]

This site should lead you to the answer.

[corco]

Ethanman, I think your homework needs to be to read this. Read the entire thing. Memorize it! Everytime you have a question, check there to see if it's answered first

[Quillz]

US 101 is "10-1." It was a noted exception to the numbering scheme.

If AASHTO followed their own numbering scheme perfectly, then US-91 should have been right next to the Pacific. That would have wasted US-93, 95, 97 and 99. But then if they made US-99 right alongside the Pacific, it would have violated the numbering scheme because it would have more importance than a x1 route. (Of course, in practice, US-99 was arguably more important than US-101 in the first place.) So, as a compromise, they made US-101 a "primary" route, despite its numbering.

I think that's why the numbering scheme for Interstates was modified, making x5 primary routes, rather than x1. Picking a number somewhere in the middle worked well because then you had room for expansion both west and east. Of course, none of these numbering schemes are followed that religiously. (See: I-99, I-238, proposed I-3, etc.)

[agentsteel53]

US 101 is a spur to I-366.

[Quillz]

Something I asked about in another topic was why US-101, if it was supposed to be the main route alongside the Pacific Ocean, was terminated at US-99 in Olympia rather than continue northward into Canada. That never made much sense to me, although looking on a map, the Olympia-Blaine corridor did work better if signed as 99.

[corco]

That never made much sense to me, although looking on a map, the Olympia-Blaine corridor did work better if signed as 99.

I think that's exactly why.

[Takumi]

US 101 is a spur to I-366.

Only the part where it's 85 MPH.

[Quillz]

That never made much sense to me, although looking on a map, the Olympia-Blaine corridor did work better if signed as 99.

I think that's exactly why.

True, but it seemed to go against the intent of the 1926 numbering scheme, which established that x1 routes were supposed to be the longest and most important. US-101 was supposed to be the West Coast equivalent of US-1, so I don't think it should have terminated in Olympia at US-99.

But it's not really a big deal, and certainly was just one of many, many violations of the original numbering scheme.

[corco]

I think rule #1 of the numbering scheme that roadgeeks (myself included) sometimes fail to grasp is that it's just a guideline- not a hard and fast rule. If it looks better on the map and makes more sense from a corridor perspective to use one number, even if it is in violation of some arbitrary guidelines, that's the number to use. It would be silly for the LA-SF-Portland-Seattle corridor to change numbers midstream- what actually maintains continuity better? Rigid adherence to an arbitrary system or preserving one number between several major cities? I'd argue the latter.

That doesn't mean I advocate I-3 in SE Georgia or anything like that, but minor rule-breaks in the name of sensibility are certainly reasonable.

[TheStranger]

It would be silly for the LA-SF-Portland-Seattle corridor to change numbers midstream- what actually maintains continuity better?

Interestingly, LA-SF and Portland-Seattle have always ended up as entirely different corridors (101 and 99 in the past, 101 and 5 now) - but that makes sense when the former pairing is out right next to the Pacific (unlike the two Northwest metropolises).

[corco]

Er, yeah, I guess I meant Sacramento not SF

[ethanman62187]

US 101 is a spur to I-366.

Only the part where it's 85 MPH.

Well, ok. I think that location is fine to me.

[Riverside Frwy]

Ethanman, I think your homework needs to be to read this. Read the entire thing. Memorize it! Everytime you have a question, check there to see if it's answered first

Thanks corco, good resource of information.(I actually did just read the entire thing, very interesting!)

[NE2]

If AASHTO followed their own numbering scheme perfectly, then US-91 should have been right next to the Pacific.

Not quite - US 1 is significantly inland through the Southeast. Even in the 1920s, the Pacific Highway was a more major route than the Oregon Coast Highway (look at what was paved in 1926) and so US 91 would have made sense along US 101 south of SF and US 99 north of Sacramento. US 99 could have used its current alignment south of Sacramento and present US 101 to the north, and 93 to 97 would be shifted slightly.

[Bickendan]

US 101 is a spur to I-366.

Only the part where it's 85 MPH.

That's the Super-6 section, right?

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

Ethanman, I think your homework needs to be to read this. Read the entire thing. Memorize it! Everytime you have a question, check there to see if it's answered first

And if you have any questions after reading that page, write to sgulya1@cox.net.

[nexus73]

Oh heck, just renumber US 101 as I-238 and confuse everyone completely...LOL!

Rick

[formulanone]

...read this. Read the entire thing. Memorize it!

Find a way to sticky that, if you'd please! 

(Used to have that as a bookmark for years, somehow it got lost in having too many desktops/laptops.)

[roadman65]

Hey Ethanman, you might want to rephrase the way you question people on this forum.  Take it from me, you do not realize it, but you can say something that sounds stupid even when you think it is not!  We all have done it at times and I have done it a few times here.  Learn from your mistakes!  If a person answers his own question, than he must be verifying a hypothysis.  

So, you might want to say here this:

As we all know that US 101 is not connected to US 1.  Am I to assume, that the 10 in 101 is a one digit number itself making the whole thing a two digit route?

Short and sweet and to the point.   That way it shows you want an opinion about your discovery and not making a total fool of yourself.  You are very smart and that is why some get irritated so easily.  They think you are putting them on or something as we all can see you know what you are talking about.  You just do not realize it yourself!  So stop and think about what point you are trying to make, and make it.  Trust me when you get to college it will make writing so much easier as grammar and proper phrasing in essays is very important.

[CL]

 

[sp_redelectric]

Something I asked about in another topic was why US-101, if it was supposed to be the main route alongside the Pacific Ocean, was terminated at US-99 in Olympia rather than continue northward into Canada.

This could be possible, if U.S. 101 were "signed" on the Black Ball Ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria, and the section of U.S. 101 from Port Angeles back to Olympia were given another designation (possibly a X99 designation, just as U.S. 199 still exists even though its parent does not.)

[ethanman62187]

Er, yeah, I guess I meant Sacramento not SF

It's both, Sacramento and San Francisco

[Brandon]

Er, yeah, I guess I meant Sacramento not SF

It's both, Sacramento and San Francisco

US-101 goes to SF, US-99 went to Sac.  Read up on the history of US roads over at RVDroz's site.