POLL: What parts of the hobby are you interested the most?

[bugo]

Discuss. If I missed anything tell us so I can add it.

[oscar]

I don't know whether Canadian and Mexican highways fit under "International".  I would think some people, like me, have more interest in North American highways outside the U.S., than highways on other continents.  I suggest clarifying, or splitting "International" into "Canadian", "Mexican", and "Other International".

County-counting and license plates could also be added.

[NE2]

You forgot pooing.

[SignGeek101]

Drawing, old signs, road construction, signs, abandoned roads, future highways, and engineering top my list.

I guess it's good I'm an engineering student right now. 

The topic 'signs' is a little general though. I look on Streetview for interesting signs often: I'm not sure if that's what you meant.

[Pete from Boston]

According to my stats, Off-Topic.

[GCrites]

You forgot pooing.

Not much choice in that matter.

[wxfree]

I like old alignments.  I like technicalities; I appreciate how my state is pretty meticulous about signing things correctly.  I like signs; I got photographs of about 40 of the new Speed Limit 75 signs along two-lane highways when they started putting them up (it was intriguing to me as a sign of making progress).  I like the feel of driving over a freeway and seeing the traffic passing by unimpeded below.  I like the legal aspects: funding, traffic laws, studies and approvals.  I also like researching the topic, and many others.  The first thought I had when I saw the question wasn't really about part of the hobby, but about the motivation.  I though of something I'd written earlier, which I'll copy here:

I love the road.  To me roads are symbolic of life in general, which is made of a lot of time making progress, and only a few actual destinations.  I love road trips, seeing new places, seeing familiar places, and the sense of putting miles behind me.  I have a particular interest in the legal aspect of road studies, such as traffic law and highway funding mechanisms and toll road schemes.  I can't say I have a favorite class of roads, but I have a different love for most classes, from wide urban Interstates, to rural Interstates, down to lonely gravel roads.  I have no particular affection for urban arterials or neighborhood streets.  I guess I like roads for mobility, not access, for progress, not destinations...I have an interest in the roads themselves and the places they lead to, but also as philosophical symbols of the purpose of life and as connectors to and, more importantly, reminders of far away places.

[freebrickproductions]

I like traffic control devices, abandoned roads, former alignments, and cancelled highways. It's always interesting to find out what used to exist.

[ajlynch91]

Abandoned roads, old alignments, hidden designations, and everything else.

[hbelkins]

Discuss. If I missed anything tell us so I can add it.

County collecting/visiting. I would have checked it if it had been an option, in addition to everything else I checked.

[hotdogPi]

Are you going to increase the "22" as choices get added?

[CNGL-Leudimin]

I like drawing maps (and some signs too), fictional highways (I have a ton of creations here and there), road maps, highway clinching, international highways (Note that for me the US is international), route numbering, some road planning, highway oddities and road trivia. I really like road trivia, what a pity that trivia nights for me are really trivia nights, as they usually start around 3:00 a.m. the next day CET (My time zone).

[pumpkineater2]

 My main topics of interest are scenic roads, highway clinching, abandoned roads/old alignments and freeways. Especially freeways; particularly interstate highways.

A couple years ago, one of my favorite pastimes was to tape large pieces of sketch paper together and draw complicated freeway interchanges. A couple of which I still have. They would get pretty big.

[Pete from Boston]

I like the narrative, whether it's how a number was worked out, or why a street goes someplace it seems like it shouldn't. 

Places have stories, and roads add horizontal dimension to that.

I'm more interested in why a road goes where it does rather than where it goes.

[dmr37]

Discuss. If I missed anything tell us so I can add it.

County collecting/visiting. I would have checked it if it had been an option, in addition to everything else I checked.

I second this

[US81]

I'm (also) interested in the geography of roads. Rivers, bridges, tunnels, cuts, passes, etc. - the engineering of roads around/through geographic (seeming) obstacles. 

[Henry]

My top three are fictional, future and cancelled highways, as I've been drawing roads on atlases since childhood.

[swbrotha100]

I'm interested in highways and freeways, mostly in the Northeast and out West. Interstate and US highways, traffic signals, future highways or those under construction.

[Mileage Mike]

Mostly interested in highways and freeways.  But also road construction, future highways and interstates, road maps, drawing my own road maps and fantasy road maps. Also like studying past road maps and alignments and comparing them with current and future highways.  Traffic patterns and movement.  I used to be fascinated with traffic lights when I was younger but not so much now.  Oh and a good road trip along these highways is my idea of a good time. 

Add engineering to the list now since it's what I'm studying in school so that I can get paid in the future for my hobby haha.

[c172]

Maps, fantasy highways, signs, numbering, and oddities are what I ticked off.

I love my Rand McNallies (sp). I get one every year for Xmas/B-day. This year, I got a large-type one that is good in many ways, but it makes tracing certain highways (namely U.S. 6 that I got curious about one day) kind of hard.

I'm glad to see "fantasy highways" on here. I while ago, I dipped my toes into the conlanging world (constructed languages). Some folks take this hobby to the extent of "conworlding (I think)", which is the creation of constructed worlds. Making up a highway system, with a logical numbering system and signage system would seem to fit into this pretty well. It is something I have pondered, but not drawn out.

Signs are fascinating as just a part of Americana. I am particularly fond of current U.S. hwy shields, and Iowa/Mississippi/Delaware/etc. state route markers. I actually was at college in VT when the DOT there decided to phase that style out with the current green markers.

Numbering has fascinated me since the summer of 1993. I went from Florida to Arizona, mostly using I-10. That was my first time ever seeing four-digit highway markers (as most of you know, they are abundant in LA and TX). I will say I never saw one of LA's highway segment signs (i.e. LA 105-3, to make up a number), and I can't say I really like those, or WV's fractions (I used to live in SW PA, so I've been to Morgantown and Wheeling).

And, well, those are oddities, which are interesting in a way. Some just don't fit my style.