Mileage signs control cities

[drummer_evans_aki]

I would prefer three. Washington Highway Mileage Signs usually list three cities. Oregon typically does two but I dig that they put the reassurance markers on their signs. California typically does three cities.

[roadman65]

The PA Turnpike usually lists distances to the next two interchanges.  However, there are a few signs westbound (one just past Somerset) that list the distance to Pittsburgh and the Ohio Line.  There is also one sign on I-276 west of Fort Washington that lists the distance to Harrisburg.

There was a very small sign west of Carlisle that did have distance to Pittsburgh.  It was separate from the ones you mentioned and a sign you would typically not find on a freeway, but on a two lane road.  I do not know if it still exists or not.

[kphoger]

I've always thought that knowing the distance to the state line wasn't very useful for a driver.  Give me an actual town or route number on the sign instead, not some arbitrary line on the map.

EDIT to add:
Of course, a few readers here are interested to know where the state line is while driving, for roadgeek and maybe other purposes.  I should have said, knowing the distance to the state line isn't very useful for 98% of the drivers on the road.

[J N Winkler]

In my experience, it is pretty uncommon to sign the distance to the state line.  Kansas does it on some routes, but not on others, and I have not been able to identify (or guess at) a decision rule for determining which routes get state-line distance signing.

[Mr_Northside]

There was a very small sign west of Carlisle that did have distance to Pittsburgh.  It was separate from the ones you mentioned and a sign you would typically not find on a freeway, but on a two lane road.  I do not know if it still exists or not.

The Turnpike also has a "LGS" sign westbound listing Harrisburg & Philly just after the Monroeville interchange.

[mcdonaat]

Louisiana's definitely just a 2 city signer except for I-49 between Shreveport and Alexandria. Natchitoches is always added to the larger city plus the next exit, seeing as it's about the only exit worth getting off of for those 120 miles

US 190 at its' interchange with I-49 shows Port Barre, Krotz Springs, and Baton Rouge as the three control cities. Between Alexandria and I-10, you have the next interchange, Opelousas, and Lafayette. After Opelousas (US 190), you have the next exit and Lafayette.

I believe that I-12 eastbound has next exit, Hammond, and Slidell.

[Mark68]

I would like to see a 3-city (or destination) standard, with (in rural areas) the next exit or town, next control city, next major city/Interstate Junction/control city.

For example:

I-70 EB, east of E-470, have the following sign in place:

Airpark Rd    2
Limon         73
Salina        414

Or:

Watkins        6
Limon          73
Salina         414

I-70 WB, west of C-470:

Morrison Exit/CR 93      1
Idaho Springs             20
Grand Jct                  231

I-25 SB, south of C-470/E-470:

(Lincoln Ave should already be noted as next exit, less than a mile.)

Ridgegate Pkwy               1 3/4
Castle Rock                   13
Colorado Springs           53

I-25 NB, north of E-470/NW Pkwy:

(Again, next exit, Colorado 7, is less than a mile away.)

Erie                       3 3/4
Longmont            20
Fort Collins           46

I-76 EB, east of E-470:

(136th Ave is less than a mile.)

Eagle Blvd                2
Fort Morgan            62
North Platte           244

This way, you know the next exit, the next decent-sized town where you are likely to have some choice in services, and the next major town (where you're likely to have a choice in lodging).

[roadfro]

Having the next exit listed along with the next town confuses the difference between interchange sequence signs and mileage signs...

[J N Winkler]

Having the next exit listed along with the next town confuses the difference between interchange sequence signs and mileage signs...

Yup, the result is a fusion of the two sign types.  Without endorsing this particular suggestion, I'd note that it is an occasional Colorado practice, with examples such as "Horizon Dr 3, Clifton 8, Palisade 13" on I-70 eastbound in the Western Slope and "Crossroads Blvd 1, Ft Collins 16, Cheyenne 50" on I-25 northbound near Loveland.

I also don't think there is enough consistency in line count on mileage signs in any given state to characterize that state as consistently three-line, two-line, or one-line.  Look at the examples I posted above--every state has plenty of examples of three-line and two-line signs with neither type having a clear dominance over the other.  Washington state is in fact the outlier in having a large number of one-line signs on US 101, but all of the one-line signs are on an unusual stretch of that highway--the narrow and twisty length between Forks and Port Angeles that is essentially on the side of a cliff between Lake Crescent and the Olympic Mountains.

[amroad17]

The PA Turnpike usually lists distances to the next two interchanges.  However, there are a few signs westbound (one just past Somerset) that list the distance to Pittsburgh and the Ohio Line.  There is also one sign on I-276 west of Fort Washington that lists the distance to Harrisburg.

There was a very small sign west of Carlisle that did have distance to Pittsburgh.  It was separate from the ones you mentioned and a sign you would typically not find on a freeway, but on a two lane road.  I do not know if it still exists or not.

The one west of the Carlisle interchange hasn't been posted for nearly 10 years.  The distance to Pittsburgh should be listed after the Carlisle interchange and after the Breezewood interchange ( 180 mi. @ the 223 mm, 117 mi. @ the 160 mm).

[Interstatefan78]

The PA Turnpike usually lists distances to the next two interchanges.  However, there are a few signs westbound (one just past Somerset) that list the distance to Pittsburgh and the Ohio Line.  There is also one sign on I-276 west of Fort Washington that lists the distance to Harrisburg.

There was a very small sign west of Carlisle that did have distance to Pittsburgh.  It was separate from the ones you mentioned and a sign you would typically not find on a freeway, but on a two lane road.  I do not know if it still exists or not.

The one west of the Carlisle interchange hasn't been posted for nearly 10 years.  The distance to Pittsburgh should be listed after the Carlisle interchange and after the Breezewood interchange ( 180 mi. @ the 223 mm, 117 mi. @ the 160 mm).

You are right and I-476 PA turnpike Ne Extension uses the same format as the I-76/I-276 tunpike and distances are Leigh Valley 18 Quakertown 27 at Mahoning Valley interchange, but at Leigh Valley Quakertown 18 and Lansdale at 27

[roadman65]

At least the PA Turnpike has mileage signs.  I know plenty of roads that do not.  Take for instance, the Long Island Expressway.  There is only one mileage sign for "Riverhead 52" after the Nassau County Line, and that was back in 1988, and being the LIE is sequential in exit numbering, having frequent  mileage control signs and other places along the way are great reference tools that would be welcome for non NY residents.

Even the Garden State Parkway could use them, although the latest 63 to 80 widening has added one sign near Beachwood, NJ, according to one user on this forum. 

The  NJ Turnpike use to have them every 10 miles on the 10 miles, but only few are left.  It used to have New York for all signs north and Trenton- Camden- Delaware Memorial Bridge for all signs south depending on location.  The signs have been slowly vanishing and only few remain left.

The Orlando area has none left on I-4, or at least from the Osceola/ Polk Line to Longwood.  What were once there between those two points were removed in the 1990's when more interchanges were added that closed the gaps between the original 1964 interchanges.  Even when Disney first opened there was signs between US 192 and FL 535 and those were removed when Disney World expanded in the 1980's with Epcot.  The Conroy Road Interchange was built where a sign for Orlando 6- Daytona Beach 60 once stood and for some reason the Tampa 72 sign was removed in the mid 2000's within the I-4 & FL 528 Interchange.  They did though add a sign for Interstates 75 & 275 at Central Florida Parkway, but I do not know if that is considered a mileage control sign as far as this topic goes.

[Interstatefan78]

At least the PA Turnpike has mileage signs.  I know plenty of roads that do not.  Take for instance, the Long Island Expressway.  There is only one mileage sign for "Riverhead 52" after the Nassau County Line, and that was back in 1988, and being the LIE is sequential in exit numbering, having frequent  mileage control signs and other places along the way are great reference tools that would be welcome for non NY residents.

Even the Garden State Parkway could use them, although the latest 63 to 80 widening has added one sign near Beachwood, NJ, according to one user on this forum. 

The  NJ Turnpike use to have them every 10 miles on the 10 miles, but only few are left.  It used to have New York for all signs north and Trenton- Camden- Delaware Memorial Bridge for all signs south depending on location.  The signs have been slowly vanishing and only few remain left.

The Orlando area has none left on I-4, or at least from the Osceola/ Polk Line to Longwood.  What were once there between those two points were removed in the 1990's when more interchanges were added that closed the gaps between the original 1964 interchanges.  Even when Disney first opened there was signs between US 192 and FL 535 and those were removed when Disney World expanded in the 1980's with Epcot.  The Conroy Road Interchange was built where a sign for Orlando 6- Daytona Beach 60 once stood and for some reason the Tampa 72 sign was removed in the mid 2000's within the I-4 & FL 528 Interchange.  They did though add a sign for Interstates 75 & 275 at Central Florida Parkway, but I do not know if that is considered a mileage control sign as far as this topic goes.

You are right about I-4 but GSP from exit 125 lists Atlantic City Expressway 89 miles, but at exit 83 toms river toll plaza ACY is 45 miles, but if NJ Turnpike authority puts ACY at Exit 142 (I-78) and 159 (i-80) then are ACE 104 miles and ACE at 121 miles, but I-78 East at the NJ/PA stateline says 27 Bedminster 36 Watchung, and 58 Newark, but US-22 East at the same location lists 17 Clinton, 34 Somerville, and 58 Newark. 

[minneha]

The later job replaced mentions of Limon on some signs with mentions of Denver, presumably to reflect the dropping of Limon as an AASHTO control city.

Are you saying that Limon was removed from the list of AASHTO-approved control cities? If so, when did this happen?