Business Crowded Expressways.

[BigMattFromTexas]

OK, I can't be the only one who likes seeing the sides of frontage roads full of businesses, and all the tall signs, now can I? I asked one of my friends and he said "yes", but I said I can't be. I even have a few examples for those people who don't know what the heck I'm talking about.
I-10 - San Antonio:

I-410 - San Antonio:

BigMatt

[Bryant5493]

I-20/59 through Meridian comes to mind.


Be well,

Bryant

[deathtopumpkins]

Personally I HATE that sight. I would much prefer travel on an interstate lined with trees, soundwalls, or even urban city streets.

[golden eagle]

I-20/59 through Meridian comes to mind.


Be well,

Bryant

As well as I-55 through North Jackson and I-20 through Vicksburg.

[Alex]

I find it characterless and ugly. But if you like that sort of thing, you will love Interstate 65 through the city of Mobile.

[jdb1234]

Memorial Parkway in Huntsville is like that as well.

[The Premier]

I-77 between Portage Rd (Exit 111) to Everhard Rd/Whipple Ave (Exit 109) near Canton.

[BigMattFromTexas]

Well, hmmm, I guess I am the only one. But I do like being stuck in traffic too. So, I guess I'm just different.

[TheStranger]

Personally I HATE that sight. I would much prefer travel on an interstate lined with trees, soundwalls, or even urban city streets.

I think it depends - in Sacramento, US 50 resembles BigMatt's photo throughout the metro area (but not to the extent of that photo), which I actually use as a great way to tell when I'm back in the region after driving away from it.

I-5 in Land Park/Greenhaven, Route 99 through Oak Park and much of South Sacramento, and I-80 in Del Paso Heights all have the soundwall/shrubbery look...which isn't all that comforting for the latter two.

[UptownRoadGeek]

I-10 in New Orleans from Exit 226 to around Mile 230.
Westbank Expressway (U.S. 90 Business) in New Orleans is the same way only elevated.
I-10 in New Orleans from Exit 241 to Exit 246, but most of the development fell to Katrina.
Sections of I-30 in Little Rock.
I-10 from Exit 162 to 163

I love them.

[Mr_Northside]

If it's a long enough trip, I suppose I'd prefer both ("business crowded" and rural) for variety.

[mgk920]

US 41 through Oshkosh, WI is a lot like that, too.  The thing that I don't like is when a business 'strip' like that is so over-regulated that it all looks, for lack of a better term, 'beige'.  Like the OP, I also do like some spontaneity alongside the road.

Mike

[agentsteel53]

I hate the sight of that kind of thing.

gas stations and fast food places are one thing, but really how many car dealerships and Home Depots does the planet need?  haven't we already wrecked one global economy by building too much useless crap?

[UptownRoadGeek]

I hate the sight of that kind of thing.

gas stations and fast food places are one thing, but really how many car dealerships and Home Depots does the planet need?  haven't we already wrecked one global economy by building too much useless crap?

Somewhat true, but if they don't put it on the freeway it's just going somewhere else. When looking at it from that POV, I'd rather see them just add on to the ROW, then go out in the middle of the woods and start bulldozing for a giant parking lot. Then you have to build a way to get to it.

Basically it's the same all the way around.

[allniter89]

Well, hmmm, I guess I am the only one. But I do like being stuck in traffic too. So, I guess I'm just different.

Why do you like being stuck in traffic BigMatt?

[agentsteel53]

if they don't put it on the freeway it's just going somewhere else.

that's the mentality we have to eradicate.  If there's a silver lining to this whole economic misfeature, it's that people are (maybe) realizing they don't need so much crap.

[huskeroadgeek]

I like them when going through large cities because exit and entrance points to the frontage roads are spaced close together so it's easy to access services without having to go very far off the interstate. Some of these are managed better than others, though. Houston has several highways like this and they work very well because the frontage roads on each side are one-way following the direction of traffic from the freeway and intersecting streets have left-turn only lanes that allow you to cross under the freeway and access the frontage road on the other side without actually entering the intersection.
One of the more poorly-designed ones I've seen is along the US 67 freeway north of Little Rock up to Jacksonville. I'm not sure whether it's still this way, but in the 90s the frontage roads along the freeway were two-way. This meant that traffic exiting and entering the freeway had to cross traffic going the other direction.

[golden eagle]

One of the more poorly-designed ones I've seen is along the US 67 freeway north of Little Rock up to Jacksonville. I'm not sure whether it's still this way, but in the 90s the frontage roads along the freeway were two-way. This meant that traffic exiting and entering the freeway had to cross traffic going the other direction.

They're like that along I-55 and I-40. I especially dislike the ones on I-55 through West Memphis and Marion. I think it's quite dangerous doing it that way. The ones along I-55 in north Jackson are one way to correlate with either side of the highway. The ones in Jackson, however, are two-way.

[huskeroadgeek]

One of the more poorly-designed ones I've seen is along the US 67 freeway north of Little Rock up to Jacksonville. I'm not sure whether it's still this way, but in the 90s the frontage roads along the freeway were two-way. This meant that traffic exiting and entering the freeway had to cross traffic going the other direction.

They're like that along I-55 and I-40. I especially dislike the ones on I-55 through West Memphis and Marion. I think it's quite dangerous doing it that way. The ones along I-55 in north Jackson are one way to correlate with either side of the highway. The ones in Jackson, however, are two-way.

I remember that too about I-40/55 through West Memphis. I think they're the same way on I-30 in the southern part of Little Rock. It must be Arkansas's standard.

[BigMattFromTexas]

Well, hmmm, I guess I am the only one. But I do like being stuck in traffic too. So, I guess I'm just different.

Why do you like being stuck in traffic BigMatt?

I don't know. I just like sitting and looking. I know I'm A LOT different than other people on here, but hey, who wants to be like everyone else?? Not me.
BigMatt

[agentsteel53]

I don't know. I just like sitting and looking. I know I'm A LOT different than other people on here, but hey, who wants to be like everyone else?? Not me.
BigMatt

wait 'til you actually get to driving.

[cu2010]

I used to like that sight, too...businesses and lights everywhere, lots of traffic, and whatnot.

Then I started driving in that traffic myself, and my perspective very quickly changed.

Give me a nice, open, rural, empty stretch of highway anyday. I hate traffic.

[BigMattFromTexas]

Well, I live in a town of about 100,000 (count Goodfellow AFB, Angelo State University, and illegals) then we have a total of near 100,000. So the only traffic we have is if we have a huge wreck. But I do figure my opinion on traffic will change. I still like seeing the businesses, I'll drive during a work time so I don't have to go through traffic, until I'm used to driving in traffic. Heh heh, I start drivers ed or whatever, in December .
BigMatt

[cu2010]

I live in a town of under 10,000 and I still hate the traffic through it! 

[Sykotyk]

That situation is what makes I-35 from San Antonio to Waco such a bear to drive. They've combined thru traffic with local traffic. Definitely a problem.