Regions with their own route networks

[dgolub]

Long Island, where I grew up, if you define it to include the NYC boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn, has its own de facto route system.  Of the state routes on the island, there's only one that leaves it, NY 25, which ends at the end of the Queensboro Bridge.  The situation with the interstates isn't much different, considering that I-278 is the only one that covers any substantial distance off the island; the others (I-295, I-495, I-678) just end right over the bridge or through the tunnel.  Therefore, its route system is basically self-contained and doesn't take you to any other part of the state.

I was wondering if there were any other regions of various other states that are similar.  Cape Cod in Massachusetts immediately came to mind as a possible candidate, but it doesn't qualify because US 6 and MA 28 both cover substantial distances off the cape.

[Zeffy]

Does Bergen and Monmouth Counties in New Jersey count? Both of these counties deviate from the state-wide county route system by using numbers with 1 or 2 digits in lieu of the state-wide 5xx and 6xx (7xx too) county numbering systems.

[hotdogPi]

The specific islands in Hawaii may count as their own system each, as the first digit is grouped by island. (For example, 11, 19, and all other routes beginning with 1, including 3-digit numbers, are on the same island.)

The easternmost part of Nova Scotia (east of and including Port Hastings) is similar to the Cape Cod example at first. However, the only two routes that cross the bridge are in a specific area, so the rest of that area may qualify (if not, blame route 125).

Except for MI 28 (and I-75, depending on criteria for inclusion), the area of Michigan's Upper Peninsula east of I-75 would qualify.

[pianocello]

Carter Lake, IA

Although its one state highway is probably not enough to qualify for this thread.

[dgolub]

Does Bergen and Monmouth Counties in New Jersey count? Both of these counties deviate from the state-wide county route system by using numbers with 1 or 2 digits in lieu of the state-wide 5xx and 6xx (7xx too) county numbering systems.

No, I was talking about not having any state routes that it shares with other regions.  By these criteria, just about any county would qualify.  Also, Bergen and Monmouth counties do have 500 series routes; they just don't have 600 series routes.

[dgolub]

The specific islands in Hawaii may count as their own system each, as the first digit is grouped by island. (For example, 11, 19, and all other routes beginning with 1, including 3-digit numbers, are on the same island.)

The easternmost part of Nova Scotia (east of and including Port Hastings) is similar to the Cape Cod example at first. However, the only two routes that cross the bridge are in a specific area, so the rest of that area may qualify (if not, blame route 125).

Except for MI 28 (and I-75, depending on criteria for inclusion), the area of Michigan's Upper Peninsula east of I-75 would qualify.

Yep, the Hawaii and Michigan examples would definitely qualify.  The Nova Scotia almost qualifies, like Cape Cod.

[corco]

The only common route between Idaho south of Riggins and Idaho north of Riggins is US 95

[NE2]

Northern Ireland (and some of the small islands) duplicate numbers from the main British system.

[Mr_Northside]

Allegheny County's multi-colored "Belt" routes are the closest thing I can think of in this area.

[english si]

Northern Ireland (and some of the small islands) duplicate numbers from the main British system.

Rather they have their own system.

The "some of the small islands" is Jersey and the Isle of Man, which aren't part of the UK, and Overseas Territories like the Cayman Islands and Turks and Caicos.

French DOM-TOMs each have their own system (Sainte Martin using Guadeloupe numbers as it was part of it).

Aaland (similar position to Man/Jersey with Finland) and Faeroes (similar position to Man/Jersey to Denmark) have their own systems too.

Other than small islands (eg Wight, Shetland, Orkney, Lewis, etc), and big Mediterranean islands like Crete, Corsica (though the regional government there have made up their own set of Territorial Routes) and Sardinia, I cannot think of any non-contiguous parts of states that don't have a non-contiguous numbering network, save Kaliningrad. Look at Interstates. I-H1, I-H2, I-H3, I-H201, I-A1, I-A2, I-A3, I-A4, I-PR1, I-PR2 and I-PR3 show that with Interstates (and sure there was the US97 in Alaska aim, but...).

[english si]

Milton Keynes has it's grid system of 'H' and 'V' (horizontal and vertical) routes that are unique in the UK.

[bing101]

Santa Clara county expressway system thar serves silicon valley.

[nexus73]

If you want the deadliest network of roads, come to Oregon's forests, where BLM and Forest Service roads are all over the landscape with inadequate signage and there's a ton of them to create a superb maze effect so you are guaranteed to get lost even with a detailed map!

People who get lost in the woods here can die.  A C-Net higher up and his wife missed the exit on I-5 just south of Roseburg that would have put them on SR 42 heading west to US 101.  They went on to Merlin, which is just north of Grants Pass.  A standard highway map shows a thin line going from there to Gold Beach, which is also on US 101.  What could possibly go wrong?

Standard highway maps don't show the incredibly complex road system in the woods.  The route he was hoping to take is not plowed in the winter but that is not shown on the map.  So he took the last exit of his life, got buried on a BLM side road and when he went to walk for help he was overcome by the cold weather and died of exposure.  Thankfully the search and rescue folks found his wife and child sheltering in their car and got them picked up before they in their turn would have become human popsicles.

Every year the woods gobble up more lives.  Be very careful if you come to the wilds here, or for that matter, the rivers, lakes and ocean.  The natural beauty disguises the deadly hazards just waiting to snare the unwary.

Rick

[ekt8750]

Allegheny County's multi-colored "Belt" routes are the closest thing I can think of in this area.

Well PA's (signed) state highways are (somewhat) numbered based off the US Highway numbering scheme so you can each region in the commonwealth has its own system.

[kkt]

If you want the deadliest network of roads, come to Oregon's forests, where BLM and Forest Service roads are all over the landscape with inadequate signage and there's a ton of them to create a superb maze effect so you are guaranteed to get lost even with a detailed map!

People who get lost in the woods here can die.  A C-Net higher up and his wife missed the exit on I-5 just south of Roseburg that would have put them on SR 42 heading west to US 101.  They went on to Merlin, which is just north of Grants Pass.  A standard highway map shows a thin line going from there to Gold Beach, which is also on US 101.  What could possibly go wrong?

Standard highway maps don't show the incredibly complex road system in the woods.  The route he was hoping to take is not plowed in the winter but that is not shown on the map.  So he took the last exit of his life, got buried on a BLM side road and when he went to walk for help he was overcome by the cold weather and died of exposure.  Thankfully the search and rescue folks found his wife and child sheltering in their car and got them picked up before they in their turn would have become human popsicles.

Every year the woods gobble up more lives.  Be very careful if you come to the wilds here, or for that matter, the rivers, lakes and ocean.  The natural beauty disguises the deadly hazards just waiting to snare the unwary.

Rick

Actually "closed in winter" was marked on the map the Kims had, and they drove past many signs that they road was likely to be closed by snowdrifts.

Also contributing to that incident was city dwellers' belief that cell phones will always work wherever you are, when actually they are unreliable outside urban areas.

Also the forest road was supposed to be gated in the winter and it wasn't.  It remains unclear whether BLM forgot to lock it, or someone with a key unlocked it for winter recreation on their own and didn't relock it.

Sadly, even if it had been summer and the forest road had been clear of snow, it would still have been faster to take US 199 and then north on US 101 to Gold Beach.

Once they were stuck, the Kims did a lot of the right things to attempt to deal with their situation, and that's why the mom and kids were able to live through it.  Still, though, the main fault for getting into the situation was theirs, not something external.

[NE2]

Well PA's (signed) state highways are (somewhat) numbered based off the US Highway numbering scheme so you can each region in the commonwealth has its own system.

what

[bzakharin]

A lot of islands are like this by necessity. Many barrier islands in NJ has maybe 2 or 3 connections to the mainland and/or the next island, though most internal networks usually include no state or county routs beyond those that do leave the island.

The southern tip of Cape May County (parts of Cape May, Lower Twp, and Cape May Point among others) is probably the closest. The only exits are via NJ 109 and NJ 162, the latter only designates the bridge. It doesn't significantly extended into or out of the island, but is designated CR 626 on either side. It has an extensive 600-series county route network which, aside from 626 never leaves the island.

Long Beach Island is also of note since it has one entrance (NJ-72) and none of its county routes, of which there are only a few, leave the island .

[nexus73]

Thanks for the additional details KKT!

Rick

[DandyDan]

Given the remoteness of much of Alaska, I would have to think there are many there.

[StogieGuy7]

Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.  Neither has any state-numbered highways, despite being large enough to have roads under state jurisdiction.  It's been a while since I've been there, but they also had directional signage that was unique to each island. 

[Pete from Boston]

Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.  Neither has any state-numbered highways, despite being large enough to have roads under state jurisdiction.  It's been a while since I've been there, but they also had directional signage that was unique to each island.

The directional signage on Nantucket made no lasting impression on me during a week's worth of work there. All I could see was money.

But Nantucket is and should be treated as a single town, and any unique behaviors should be framed in that context.

[StogieGuy7]

Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.  Neither has any state-numbered highways, despite being large enough to have roads under state jurisdiction.  It's been a while since I've been there, but they also had directional signage that was unique to each island.

The directional signage on Nantucket made no lasting impression on me during a week's worth of work there. All I could see was money.

But Nantucket is and should be treated as a single town, and any unique behaviors should be framed in that context.

Okay, but the Vineyard has it's own unique signage and they are uniform across multiple towns. One could argue that it's one county; but counties in Massachusetts have no relevance as far as roads (and most other things) are concerned. 

[roadman65]

A lot of islands are like this by necessity. Many barrier islands in NJ has maybe 2 or 3 connections to the mainland and/or the next island, though most internal networks usually include no state or county routs beyond those that do leave the island.

The southern tip of Cape May County (parts of Cape May, Lower Twp, and Cape May Point among others) is probably the closest. The only exits are via NJ 109 and NJ 162, the latter only designates the bridge. It doesn't significantly extended into or out of the island, but is designated CR 626 on either side. It has an extensive 600-series county route network which, aside from 626 never leaves the island.

Long Beach Island is also of note since it has one entrance (NJ-72) and none of its county routes, of which there are only a few, leave the island .

Wellesly Island in Jefferson County, NY is one.  It only connected to the rest of the county by a bridge carrying an interstate designation maintained by an international agency and not even of the county or state. 

Therefore CR 100 is orphaned from the rest of the region as well as the state as well as those roads that connect to it.  Being the other island roads are municipally maintained (as NYS does not have unincorporated land) that even gives it its own road network itself.  If I am not mistaken the island is part of mainland Alexandria Bay as far as governing body goes.

[apeman33]

Would Winnipeg's City routes be this?

[roadman]

Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.  Neither has any state-numbered highways, despite being large enough to have roads under state jurisdiction.  It's been a while since I've been there, but they also had directional signage that was unique to each island. 

The directional signs on Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket can best be described as a cross between pre-1970s standard "paddle" signs and "bookleaf" town line signs.  They are only used on the islands, but the design and format are the same for both islands.