Things that DOT's do that you appreciate.

[corco]

Quote from: froggie on Today at 08:40:12 AM
Offhand, Minnesota, Iowa, Alabama, and New Jersey do this (though in Alabama's case, the mileposts along US highways are for the underlying state route, not the US route).  I'm sure there are other states, but I don't remember them offhand.

Kansas and Pennsylvania both do this, though in both cases the standard MUTCD milepost is not used.  I think Oklahoma does as well, but I am not totally sure.  Texas does not; the numberplates attached to signposts below route markers are actually grid references.

And then you've got Oregon and Wyoming, whose mileposts follow an internal highway numbering scheme that is not posted to the public. In Oregon the mileposts are all off, and in Wyoming sometimes the mileposts line up with where the route is relative to its position in the state, but many times they do not

[Duke87]

Reference markers. When I'm roaming unfamiliar areas, the frequent reminders that I am in fact still on the same state highway are much appreciated.
I also love seeing standard mile markers on non-freeways.

Connecticut
-Their use of 2-digit sized shields for all state routes.

Not quite so. 3 digit routes on BGSs are given rectangles rather than squares. Standalone rectangles are decidedly atypical, but at least a few do exist.

Besides, do boring squares really deserve any praise?

[Ian]

I was aware of the rectangular shields on the BGSs, but I don't think I've seen any rectangular shields in Connecticut in person. Even though it is a square, they don't look that bad.

[thenetwork]

My favorite DOT courtesy is having Variable Message Signs that are most always used for something (Average travel times, upcoming accidents or lane closures, safety reminders, etc...) instead of being blank or off most of the time.

Also, kudos to TxDOT, particularly San Antonio for using overhead lane lights with arrows & X's to denounce what lane(s) traffic should be using in the event of upcoming congestion or lane closures on the freeway.  Also VMS's at some of the on-ramps that will tell you of upcoming congestion &/or accidents BEFORE you cross the point of no return and enter the freeway.

[agentsteel53]

My favorite DOT courtesy is having Variable Message Signs that are most always used for something (Average travel times, upcoming accidents or lane closures, safety reminders, etc...) instead of being blank or off most of the time.

I really dislike the safety messages.  Seriously, if I'm gonna be an asshole and drive drunk, a VMS is not going to convince me otherwise.

I like it when they turn them off when there is nothing to say.  Saves power, and doesn't add to the general noise of things.

[Revive 755]

I wonder what Missouri will do with US-36 if the freeway becomes I-72.  Will it multiplex 36 on the new road, or move it back to the old one?  A lot of old two-lane 36 is still drivable, but not all of it.

Most likely multiplex it; looks like there are a decent number of sections that aren't in the state highway system anymore, and MoDOT is not exactly enthusiastic about taking over any more roads.

[Scott5114]

I think Oklahoma does as well, but I am not totally sure.

They do not. Oklahoma does use reference markers, but they're mostly useless for anything resembling the sort of thing someone would use mileposts for.

[Dr Frankenstein]

-NYSDOT's use of round cornered freeway signs (same with North Carolina, Virginia, and Florida)

I like it too.  It looks cleaner in my opinion.

Thirded.

[Kacie Jane]

One thing I'd like to see more of are mileposts on non-Interstates...that DON'T reset at county (or in the case of Vermont, at town) lines.

Offhand, Minnesota, Iowa, Alabama, and New Jersey do this (though in Alabama's case, the mileposts along US highways are for the underlying state route, not the US route).  I'm sure there are other states, but I don't remember them offhand.  New York "sorta" does this, if you know how to read their reference markers, though I'd prefer dedicated mileposts instead.

Mississippi (except for US 78), North Carolina, West Virginia, and Virginia (except for a few rare routes) do not.  Illinois' reset at county lines.  Vermont's reference markers reset mileage at town lines.

Washington does this.

New York does not even "sorta" do this.  The mileposts on the reference markers reset at every control section -- county line, city line, etc.

[deathtopumpkins]

One thing I'd like to see more of are mileposts on non-Interstates...that DON'T reset at county (or in the case of Vermont, at town) lines.

Offhand, Minnesota, Iowa, Alabama, and New Jersey do this (though in Alabama's case, the mileposts along US highways are for the underlying state route, not the US route).  I'm sure there are other states, but I don't remember them offhand.  New York "sorta" does this, if you know how to read their reference markers, though I'd prefer dedicated mileposts instead.

Mississippi (except for US 78), North Carolina, West Virginia, and Virginia (except for a few rare routes) do not.  Illinois' reset at county lines.  Vermont's reference markers reset mileage at town lines.

I'm pretty sure Virginia's do do this... As far as I can tell the mile markers on US routes do anyway (e.g., US 13, US 17).

[on_wisconsin]

^^
Wisconsin uses mile markers on non-Interstate 4-lanes as well....

[cjk374]

Louisiana uses milemarkers on state and US routes and they don't reset at towns or parish lines.  However, LaDOTD replaces the missing milemarkers every 5-10 years, and the new ones never go back to the same place.     My house always had milemarker 82 across the street at my mailbox.  In 1997, I moved the new milemarker from where they put it (about 1/4 mile west of my house) back to the rightful place at my mailbox.  They came thru again this past summer and put it about a tenth of a mile west.  But this time, it disappeared before I could get my hands on it.   

[agentsteel53]

I wonder why states use constantly-resetting reference markers.  There seems to be no benefit to subtracting off the, say, 176 miles from the state line to the county line, and starting over at 0.00 at some mark that the average driver will have little familiarity with.

for maintenance purposes, I don't see the difference between "hey guys, go re-stripe the bridge at 223.19 miles past the state line" vs "go re-stripe the bridge at 16.4 miles past the county line".  Either way, it's a uniquely identifying reference marker... except, again, 223.19 imparts additional useful information to the average driver.

[jdb1234]

If I remember correctly, Georgia resets the mile markers at the county lines on its state highways.

[NE2]

It's easier when a route is realigned.

[kharvey10]

OK ditching boring old circle to the meat cleaver design
live feed cameras online

[Quillz]

Any state that continues to use cutout route markers.

[froggie]

In Oregon the mileposts are all off

I believe Oregon is a case where the mileposts follow the underlying highway name, and not the signed route number.

I'm pretty sure Virginia's do do this... As far as I can tell the mile markers on US routes do anyway (e.g., US 13, US 17).

Yes, those few routes where Virginia has mileposts do this.  My point was that, outside those few rare routes, VDOT does not have mileposts on non-Interstates at all.  US 13 only has them on the Delmarva (the CBBT ones don't count because "Mile 0" is the south end of the CBBT).  US 17 only has them on Dominion Blvd in Chesapeake (unless things have changed in the past year).  There's only a small handful of other routes that have them, though curiously, that handful includes one secondary route (SR 619 in Prince William County).

[corco]

I believe Oregon is a case where the mileposts follow the underlying highway name, and not the signed route number.

Read the sentence before the quote you quoted, good sir

[The Premier]

Exit numbers on non-Interstate freeways.

[realjd]

I appreciate how FDOT can be amazingly efficient when they want to:

• Friday Evening - Tanker truck explodes and destroys both EB and WB overpass on SR-528
• Saturday - Inspectors condemn both bridges; FDOT asks for bids on replacement
• Sunday Morning - FDOT awards bid
• Sunday Afternoon - Work commences

http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110124/NEWS01/110124001/SR-528-bridge-demolition-under-way

[codyg1985]

My favorite DOT courtesy is having Variable Message Signs that are most always used for something (Average travel times, upcoming accidents or lane closures, safety reminders, etc...) instead of being blank or off most of the time.

MoDOT is great about the safety messages, So great, in fact, that it is annoying.

I would like the signs to display travel times if there isn't an accident/road closure/lane closure/something ahead. Alabama finally put the VMS's in the Birmingham metro area to use by using cell phone data to compute travel times along the interstate system there. It's cheaper than having to install sensors in the pavement.

[jdb1234]

My favorite DOT courtesy is having Variable Message Signs that are most always used for something (Average travel times, upcoming accidents or lane closures, safety reminders, etc...) instead of being blank or off most of the time.

MoDOT is great about the safety messages, So great, in fact, that it is annoying.

I would like the signs to display travel times if there isn't an accident/road closure/lane closure/something ahead. Alabama finally put the VMS's in the Birmingham metro area to use by using cell phone data to compute travel times along the interstate system there. It's cheaper than having to install sensors in the pavement.

Not quite, there is one VMS on US 280 in Birmingham that does not display travel times and likely never will.

[jwolfer]

Over the past six years, Florida DOT has been very responsive to the public's transportation needs, particularly on the Interstate highways and expressways in south Florida and the Atlantic Coast.  Many more lanes have been added, roads repaved, pavement re-striped, lighting improved and the signs have been replaced with often newer and larger ones, new and larger sign gantries have been installed to replace worn, damaged and hurricane-destroyed sign assemblies.

I think Florida keeps up with road maintainence and signing because of the huge amount of money that comes from tourism.  People want to get to their destination with as little confusion as possible, so its good for the state's tax revenues

[Quillz]

CalTRANS was extremely quick a couple of years ago when there was a huge tunnel fire that destroyed part of the Newhall Pass interchange. A tanker truck exploded, and within about a month, it was all repaired. Given the complexity of the interchange and the size of the tunnel, that was very fast.