Biggest claim to fame: control city.

[kenarmy]

I can't for the life of me figure out why Slidell is a control city. On I-12 it makes somewhat sense, but on I-10 it makes 0. Why not just use Biloxi/ Gulfport east of New Orleans? It also isn't even that far out of New Orleans and they are in the same metropolitan area..

Slidell is at the junction where I-10 meets I-12 and I-59 - although, presumably, eastbound I-10 signs in New Orleans could conceivably read "10 EAST TO 59 - Mobile, Birmingham" ; also, approaching the Slidell interchange, you could have a supplementary guide sign which reads "Gulfport, Biloxi FOLLOW 10 EAST - Meridian, Tuscaloosa FOLLOW 59 NORTH" . Just a thought.

oh and this brings me to another one.. Why is Laurel a control city on 59 (south of meridian) instead of Hattiesburg? In Hattiesburg it intersects 98 (Pensacola, Mobile, Mccomb) and 49 (Jackson MS, Gulf coast) . In Laurel it junctions 84.. and lbh nobody uses that route for long term travel in MS east of 98's terminus.

[GaryV]

... Why is Laurel a control city on 59 (south of meridian) ...

Because of Ben and Erin?  <ducks and hides>

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

I can't for the life of me figure out why Slidell is a control city. On I-12 it makes somewhat sense, but on I-10 it makes 0. Why not just use Biloxi/ Gulfport east of New Orleans? It also isn't even that far out of New Orleans and they are in the same metropolitan area..

Slidell is at the junction where I-10 meets I-12 and I-59 - although, presumably, eastbound I-10 signs in New Orleans could conceivably read "10 EAST TO 59 - Mobile, Birmingham" ; also, approaching the Slidell interchange, you could have a supplementary guide sign which reads "Gulfport, Biloxi FOLLOW 10 EAST - Meridian, Tuscaloosa FOLLOW 59 NORTH" . Just a thought.

oh and this brings me to another one.. Why is Laurel a control city on 59 (south of meridian) instead of Hattiesburg? In Hattiesburg it intersects 98 (Pensacola, Mobile, Mccomb) and 49 (Jackson MS, Gulf coast) . In Laurel it junctions 84.. and lbh nobody uses that route for long term travel in MS east of 98's terminus.

This is the same state that seems have issues with using Jackson as a control city along I-55 (both from Memphis, and Louisiana)

[Urban Prairie Schooner]

I can't for the life of me figure out why Slidell is a control city. On I-12 it makes somewhat sense, but on I-10 it makes 0. Why not just use Biloxi/ Gulfport east of New Orleans? It also isn't even that far out of New Orleans and they are in the same metropolitan area..

Slidell is used as a control city because of the interstate junction, where from that intersection one proceeds to more distant points.

Never understood Bay St. Louis as a control on I-10 though.  Gulfport / Mobile would be more appropriate.

[Urban Prairie Schooner]

https://www.google.com/maps/@29.9928114,-90.0489109,3a,90y,218.51h,100.52t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sJiyge6t--vlKSkjSvqtk1g!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Idk if this counts but I haven't seen a business district being signed like this. Why not use Downtown or Central or something else? And there's already a 90 Bus. that 10 has access to. 

Seeing "business district" as a control is new to me too, but I like it. A lot of European and Asian cities, specifically European cities, have a difference between downtown/city center and central business district. Although they're mostly the same here in the states, I'm somewhat used to calling downtowns that are also the city's main business district the CBD. I wouldn't mind seeing CBD as the control "city" in some cases.

Isn't New Orleans one of the few US cities where CBD is the term for what otherwise would be called "downtown" in other cities?  Philadelphia also has a different term (Center City), and I recall Charlotte's main business district is "uptown".

Historically in New Orleans, "downtown" would have referred to the city below Canal Street, as "uptown" still refers to the city above Canal Street, with respect to the flow of the Mississippi River.  So the term "CBD" is used to more precisely identify what is called downtown elsewhere.  I can tell you that no local calls the CBD "downtown."

[kenarmy]

I can't for the life of me figure out why Slidell is a control city. On I-12 it makes somewhat sense, but on I-10 it makes 0. Why not just use Biloxi/ Gulfport east of New Orleans? It also isn't even that far out of New Orleans and they are in the same metropolitan area..

Slidell is used as a control city because of the interstate junction, where from that intersection one proceeds to more distant points.

Never understood Bay St. Louis as a control on I-10 though.  Gulfport / Mobile would be more appropriate.

Am I missing something? Why is Bay St. Louis not used as a control city at the interchange with 607 (first exit in MS)? Its like 15 miles away from the city. I also don't see a Slidell reference.. Just NO and Mobile..

[SkyPesos]

Deming, NM is the westbound control for I-10 at its junction with I-25 in Las Cruces. Gotta love New Mexico and their attempts to have as few control cities as possible out of state.

NM is one of the very few states where I actually have to search up their control cities location just to have a clue of what it is. Of course there's the large cities: Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Las Cruces, and a few towns that I remember for some reason, like Las Vegas, Santa Rosa (because it's used as a primary control at the I-25/I-40 interchange) and Gallup (thanks Route 66 song), but the rest sounds as useful as not having a control city to me.

Now the one small town in NM I actually want to see as a control city: Truth or Consequences

[Occidental Tourist]

Deming, NM is the westbound control for I-10 at its junction with I-25 in Las Cruces. Gotta love New Mexico and their attempts to have as few control cities as possible out of state.

NM is one of the very few states where I actually have to search up their control cities location just to have a clue of what it is. Of course there's the large cities: Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Las Cruces, and a few towns that I remember for some reason, like Las Vegas, Santa Rosa (because it's used as a primary control at the I-25/I-40 interchange) and Gallup (thanks Route 66 song), but the rest sounds as useful as not having a control city to me.

Now the one small town in NM I actually want to see as a control city: Truth or Consequences

Between Albuquerque and Grants on I-40 w/b, I've seen freeway entrance signs use Grants (pop 9,100) as the control city.  And east of Santa Rosa, Tucumcari (pop 5,300) is the control city for e/b I-40.  Once you pass Santa Fe going n/b on I-40, Las Vegas, NM (pop 14,000) is the control city.

If ADOT was in charge of setting NM's control cities, the only ones would be Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Denver, El Paso, Flagstaff, and Amarillo.

[achilles765]

McComb, MS.

In regards to Effingham, maybe it's a control city due to being at the interchange of two interstates. Even with that in mind, Memphis and Chicago are still the primary control cities on I-57.

Heh. I grew up around McComb, MS. And I agree.

Agreed so much you felt like it was worth responding to a post from the Obama administration to let us all know?

I mean, I was scrolling through the archives and decided to revive this topic.

[kphoger]

Now the one small town in NM I actually want to see as a control city: Truth or Consequences

It appears to be a secondary control city.

I found one on my first try, poking around on GSV, plus a few more:
https://goo.gl/maps/cbQx3Bixr6symtWw8
https://goo.gl/maps/ZBD9dtzDVo2TWpoW9
https://goo.gl/maps/CA7xKrzGjMohDAwo6
https://goo.gl/maps/gkGCwVBZnXSrUE8n6
https://goo.gl/maps/geD1EsB2ThERzLRg6

Here's another one, but it fools you:  it's actually for NM-187:  https://goo.gl/maps/TjFJVRj41Sw2Jhtf9

[Scott5114]

McComb, MS.

In regards to Effingham, maybe it's a control city due to being at the interchange of two interstates. Even with that in mind, Memphis and Chicago are still the primary control cities on I-57.

Heh. I grew up around McComb, MS. And I agree.

Agreed so much you felt like it was worth responding to a post from the Obama administration to let us all know?

I mean, I was scrolling through the archives and decided to revive this topic.

Don't do that, unless there's a big update to a topic, or something meaningful and substantial to add. Responding "I agree" to a post from 2014 doesn't cut the mustard.

[Brandon]

I can't for the life of me figure out why Slidell is a control city. On I-12 it makes somewhat sense, but on I-10 it makes 0. Why not just use Biloxi/ Gulfport east of New Orleans? It also isn't even that far out of New Orleans and they are in the same metropolitan area..

Slidell is used as a control city because of the interstate junction, where from that intersection one proceeds to more distant points.

Never understood Bay St. Louis as a control on I-10 though.  Gulfport / Mobile would be more appropriate.

Am I missing something? Why is Bay St. Louis not used as a control city at the interchange with 607 (first exit in MS)? Its like 15 miles away from the city. I also don't see a Slidell reference.. Just NO and Mobile..

The freeway, when first built, ended in Bay St. Louis for a while before being built towards Biloxi and Mobile.  After completion, for some dumb reason, it was never updated. Slidell is the control city for I-10 (out of NOLA) and I-12 (out of Baton Rouge).

[thspfc]

One could wonder about Wis Dells on I-90 NB, but given that's a major tourist stop, it's justified.

Yeah, I'd say the Dells' biggest claim to fame is not a highway sign.

Wis Dells is probably the second most justified control city in Madison, after Milwaukee.

[hobsini2]

Albert Lea, MN was the first one to come to mind. In Wisconsin, Wausau. It's signed for I-39 NB at the Portage split. It's a well known city within the state, but the large chunk of out-of-state travelers who pass through that interchange have no idea where it is beyond that it's on I-39 (which isn't even technically true because of WISDOT's termini oddities).

Wausau I would disagree because it is the gateway to the Northwoods and has a good Midwest Ski spot.  Now if it was Merrimac or Merrill, then you got something. And it's more likely people know Wausau vs Rothschild.

[thspfc]

Albert Lea, MN was the first one to come to mind. In Wisconsin, Wausau. It's signed for I-39 NB at the Portage split. It's a well known city within the state, but the large chunk of out-of-state travelers who pass through that interchange have no idea where it is beyond that it's on I-39 (which isn't even technically true because of WISDOT's termini oddities).

Wausau I would disagree because it is the gateway to the Northwoods and has a good Midwest Ski spot.  Now if it was Merrimac or Merrill, then you got something. And it's more likely people know Wausau vs Rothschild.

Again, Wausau is well known within the state, but long distance travelers don't know anything about Wausau when they see it signed. And this thread isn't really about how cities see themselves. Towns don't see themselves as places spelled out on a freeway sign dozens of miles away. But that's how a lot of travelers see Wausau.

[hobsini2]

Albert Lea, MN was the first one to come to mind. In Wisconsin, Wausau. It's signed for I-39 NB at the Portage split. It's a well known city within the state, but the large chunk of out-of-state travelers who pass through that interchange have no idea where it is beyond that it's on I-39 (which isn't even technically true because of WISDOT's termini oddities).

Wausau I would disagree because it is the gateway to the Northwoods and has a good Midwest Ski spot.  Now if it was Merrimac or Merrill, then you got something. And it's more likely people know Wausau vs Rothschild.

Again, Wausau is well known within the state, but long distance travelers don't know anything about Wausau when they see it signed. And this thread isn't really about how cities see themselves. Towns don't see themselves as places spelled out on a freeway sign dozens of miles away. But that's how a lot of travelers see Wausau.

Actually, one that has bugged me since I-41 came to be is the non use of Appleton, Oshkosh or Fond du Lac heading southbound on 41 in Green Bay. They just leave it blank and have Milwaukee traffic use 43.  At the very least, 41 should use Appleton for going south from Green Bay.
https://www.google.com/maps/@44.5678087,-88.0486465,3a,75y,174.95h,113.12t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sRl3cP9J18YitEGEd9kS-mw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Heh, even Minnesotans have little use for Albert Lea. There's nothing there even worth a day trip.