The BEST Transportation Agency in the U.S. (2021 Edition)

[vdeane]

Can we please create another tier between 4 and 5? IDOT may not be OkDOT, but to put it on the same level as SCDOT or even PennDOT just feels insulting to those two states.

Also, we're all pretty familiar with why Oklahoma and New Mexico are so bad, but why is Rhode Island so bad?

I have no idea why New Mexico seems to be universally considered to be bad by people with experience in that state, but I'm quite familiar with the issues people have with Rhode Island (not to mention the whole RI 238/RI 138A designation confusion/inconsistency).

[hotdogPi]

Signage isn't the only thing that matters. You also have signal timing and phasing, avoiding confusion, avoiding crashes, avoiding congestion due to poor design, not having unnecessary complex intersections (but using them when necessary), reasonable speed limits, ability to respond to requests, making documents public, etc.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Can we please create another tier between 4 and 5? IDOT may not be OkDOT, but to put it on the same level as SCDOT or even PennDOT just feels insulting to those two states.

Also, we're all pretty familiar with why Oklahoma and New Mexico are so bad, but why is Rhode Island so bad?

I have no idea why New Mexico seems to be universally considered to be bad by people with experience in that state

Band-aid fixes to problem corridors like US 550, abysmal signage of US routes, a bizarre state highway system...

[SkyPesos]

not having unnecessary complex intersections (but using them when necessary),

NJ gets last place in that category for me.

[oscar]

I have no idea why New Mexico seems to be universally considered to be bad by people with experience in that state

Band-aid fixes to problem corridors like US 550, abysmal signage of US routes, a bizarre state highway system...

"Abysmal signage" not limited to US routes, to the point where route signage in NM can be a joke.

[Crown Victoria]

Here's an (incomplete) tier list based on my personal experience and what I've heard, tell me what you think:

Tier 1: Amazing
FDOT (Florida)
WSDOT (Washington)
ADOT (Arizona)

Tier 2: Pretty Good
TxDOT (Texas)
TNDOT (Tennessee)
WisDOT (Wisconsin)
KDOT (Kansas)
INDOT (Indiana)
MoDOT (Missouri)
UDOT (Utah)
CDOT (Colorado)
NCDOT (North Carolina)
ODOT (Ohio)
IADOT (Iowa)
NEDOT (Nebraska)
DelDOT (Delaware)

Tier 3: Okay
DOTD (Louisiana)
MDOT (Mississippi)
ODOT (Oregon)
MDOT (Michigan)
GDOT (Georgia)
VDOT (Virginia)
NYSDOT (New York)
MnDOT (Minnesota)
NJDOT (New Jersey)
MDOT (Maryland)

Tier 4: Mediocre
ARDOT (Arkansas)
PennDOT (Pennsylvania)
CalTrans (California)
SCDOT (South Carolina)
IDOT (Illinois)

Tier 5: Bad
ODOT (Oklahoma)
NMDOT (New Mexico)
RIDOT (Rhode Island)

Unsure (maybe people with more knowledge on these states can help out?)
ITD (Idaho)
NDOT (Nevada)
WYDOT (Wyoming)
MDT (Montana)
NDDOT (North Dakota)
SDDOT (South Dakota)
KTC (Kentucky)
ALDOT (Alabama)
WVDOT (West Virginia)
VTrans (Vermont)
NHDOT (New Hampshire)
HDOT (Hawaii)
AKDOT (Alaska)
MaineDOT (Maine)
CTDOT (Connecticut)
MassDOT (Massachusetts)

EDIT: Took some more feedback, 5/28/21

Personally I would list West Virginia in Tier 3. Pavement quality isn't always the greatest, but at least they are actively trying to improve I-64 and I-81. The KYTC should be at least Tier 3...having been there recently, there were quite a few unfilled potholes on I-75 between Cincinnati and Lexington. Props to them though for widening I-65 and I-75 as much as they have.

As for the already-ranked...I'm not quite sure Ohio should be in Tier 2. I-71 and I-270 were pretty rough when I drove through a couple weeks ago. Now obviously that's just a small portion of their overall system but it sure left an impression. As for PennDOT...there's much work to be done, of course, but with a little more refinement and more funding, they could see a move up to Tier 3.

[Scott5114]

I have no idea why New Mexico seems to be universally considered to be bad by people with experience in that state

Band-aid fixes to problem corridors like US 550, abysmal signage of US routes, a bizarre state highway system...

"Abysmal signage" not limited to US routes, to the point where route signage in NM can be a joke.

During my one visit to NM in person, I encountered a highway junction in the middle of nowhere that was signposted entirely without arrows. The motorist was just supposed to intuit which route was which based on the placement of the shields within the assembly.

I also encountered this questionable sign placement. Which of these messages is really more important?

[SkyPesos]

As for the already-ranked...I'm not quite sure Ohio should be in Tier 2. I-71 and I-270 were pretty rough when I drove through a couple weeks ago. Now obviously that's just a small portion of their overall system but it sure left an impression.

Ohio was ranked tier 1 (and at the top of t1 too) initially, I asked to drop it down to t2 earlier in the thread. I think it's fine in t2 considering its issues. Indiana and Michigan (both also in t2) are a bit worse for pavement quality, though Indiana is improving. Not sure about Michigan as I haven't been there since 2018.

[Crown Victoria]

As for the already-ranked...I'm not quite sure Ohio should be in Tier 2. I-71 and I-270 were pretty rough when I drove through a couple weeks ago. Now obviously that's just a small portion of their overall system but it sure left an impression.

Ohio was ranked tier 1 (and at the top of t1 too) initially, I asked to drop it down to t2 earlier in the thread. I think it's fine in t2 considering its issues. Indiana and Michigan (both also in t2) are a bit worse for pavement quality, though Indiana is improving. Not sure about Michigan as I haven't been there since 2018.

Well moving Ohio from Tier 1 was probably a good move. I'm sure there's other parts of their system that are in better shape than I-71 between Cincinnati and Columbus.

I realize that this thread is mostly about state DOTs, but if we were to include other authorities, then I would place the PTC at least in Tier 3. Considering their financial difficulties (which are mostly imposed on them by law), the PTC does a decent job with maintenance, and is actively working to reconstruct and widen the entire mainline and NE Extension as their resources allow. They are also well regarded when it comes to winter weather.

[vdeane]

As for the already-ranked...I'm not quite sure Ohio should be in Tier 2. I-71 and I-270 were pretty rough when I drove through a couple weeks ago. Now obviously that's just a small portion of their overall system but it sure left an impression.

Ohio was ranked tier 1 (and at the top of t1 too) initially, I asked to drop it down to t2 earlier in the thread. I think it's fine in t2 considering its issues. Indiana and Michigan (both also in t2) are a bit worse for pavement quality, though Indiana is improving. Not sure about Michigan as I haven't been there since 2018.

Well moving Ohio from Tier 1 was probably a good move. I'm sure there's other parts of their system that are in better shape than I-71 between Cincinnati and Columbus.

I realize that this thread is mostly about state DOTs, but if we were to include other authorities, then I would place the PTC at least in Tier 3. Considering their financial difficulties (which are mostly imposed on them by law), the PTC does a decent job with maintenance, and is actively working to reconstruct and widen the entire mainline and NE Extension as their resources allow. They are also well regarded when it comes to winter weather.

They also have all the Breezewoods because they weren't willing to use their own money to build junctions with interstates, as the other toll agencies were.  It also took then decades to build two ramps to complete I-95, most of that before Act 44.  And one could question whether they really should be doing reconstruction/widening projects, given their financial situation.  In NY, we have a preservation first policy for a reason.  If the PTC had one too, perhaps tolls wouldn't be as sky high as they are.

[Roadgeekteen]

PTC is the worst simply because they couldn't complete I-95 until 2018.

[Crown Victoria]

As for the already-ranked...I'm not quite sure Ohio should be in Tier 2. I-71 and I-270 were pretty rough when I drove through a couple weeks ago. Now obviously that's just a small portion of their overall system but it sure left an impression.

Ohio was ranked tier 1 (and at the top of t1 too) initially, I asked to drop it down to t2 earlier in the thread. I think it's fine in t2 considering its issues. Indiana and Michigan (both also in t2) are a bit worse for pavement quality, though Indiana is improving. Not sure about Michigan as I haven't been there since 2018.

Well moving Ohio from Tier 1 was probably a good move. I'm sure there's other parts of their system that are in better shape than I-71 between Cincinnati and Columbus.

I realize that this thread is mostly about state DOTs, but if we were to include other authorities, then I would place the PTC at least in Tier 3. Considering their financial difficulties (which are mostly imposed on them by law), the PTC does a decent job with maintenance, and is actively working to reconstruct and widen the entire mainline and NE Extension as their resources allow. They are also well regarded when it comes to winter weather.

They also have all the Breezewoods because they weren't willing to use their own money to build junctions with interstates, as the other toll agencies were.  It also took then decades to build two ramps to complete I-95, most of that before Act 44.  And one could question whether they really should be doing reconstruction/widening projects, given their financial situation.  In NY, we have a preservation first policy for a reason.  If the PTC had one too, perhaps tolls wouldn't be as sky high as they are.

All of which I took into consideration, whether stated or not. Given their situation, I feel the PTC is doing a decent job. Sure, they're not perfect, and yes, those tolls are high and going higher. But overall, the quality of PTC roadways is good and getting better. Would it be nice to have direct freeway-to-freeway interchanges? Of course! And it would be nice too if the I-95 interchange was fully complete. But the unreconstructed parts of the mainline are 65-80 years old, and much of the widening is sorely needed closer to the major metro areas. So that brings us to the situation we have now, where the PTC has to invest in the system despite a precarious financial position.

[US 89]

I have no idea why New Mexico seems to be universally considered to be bad by people with experience in that state

Band-aid fixes to problem corridors like US 550, abysmal signage of US routes, a bizarre state highway system...

"Abysmal signage" not limited to US routes, to the point where route signage in NM can be a joke.

During my one visit to NM in person, I encountered a highway junction in the middle of nowhere that was signposted entirely without arrows. The motorist was just supposed to intuit which route was which based on the placement of the shields within the assembly.

I also encountered this questionable sign placement. Which of these messages is really more important?

NM signage problems are worse than poor sign placement or even omission. Sometimes there are signs posted that are just flat out wrong. Other times there are signs that are... interesting, to say the least. For example, this delightfully nonstandard way to sign the US 62/180/285 overlap in Carlsbad.

But NMDOT's issues go well beyond just signs. Aside from making improvements as cheaply as they possibly can (see the previously mentioned US 550), their pavement is often in terrible shape. US 491 heading south from Shiprock to Gallup was one of the bumpiest long-distance highways I've ever been on.

[Scott5114]

I have no idea why New Mexico seems to be universally considered to be bad by people with experience in that state

Band-aid fixes to problem corridors like US 550, abysmal signage of US routes, a bizarre state highway system...

"Abysmal signage" not limited to US routes, to the point where route signage in NM can be a joke.

During my one visit to NM in person, I encountered a highway junction in the middle of nowhere that was signposted entirely without arrows. The motorist was just supposed to intuit which route was which based on the placement of the shields within the assembly.

I also encountered this questionable sign placement. Which of these messages is really more important?

NM signage problems are worse than poor sign placement or even omission. Sometimes there are signs posted that are just flat out wrong. Other times there are signs that are... interesting, to say the least. For example, this delightfully nonstandard way to sign the US 62/180/285 overlap in Carlsbad.

Their signing of the US 56/412 overlap is also pretty weird:
DSCF2117 by ooss, on Flickr

DSCN5944 by ooss, on Flickr


(Photos by Dale Sanderson)

[SkyPesos]

I'll call that US 14/103 instead if that's how they'll write it out. Pretty much the same number.

[Scott5114]

Oh, and if that arrow on the Springer sign felt just a tad off to you, you're not wrong. Here's a closeup of it, rotated. Somehow they managed to get the angles on the left and right sides of the arrowhead different.

[US 89]

(Photos by Dale Sanderson)

This is good compared to some of what NM puts out. I saw several of those along the US 56/64/412 concurrency, mixed at random with solo US 56 shields. I do not recall a single 64 marker on that stretch west of the Oklahoma line.

[ran4sh]

PTC is the worst simply because they couldn't complete I-95 until 2018.

Except that it was New Jersey's fault that PTC needed to construct an interchange for completion of I-95.

[Ned Weasel]

PTC is the worst simply because they couldn't complete I-95 until 2018.

I-295 to I-195 was signed as "TO I-95" in the northbound direction for a long time before the new interchange and re-routing (thanks to NJDOT).  But, IIRC, there never was any signage in the southbound direction on the Turnpike telling anyone to take Exit 7A for I-95 to Philly (thanks to the NJTA).

Except that it was New Jersey's fault that PTC needed to construct an interchange for completion of I-95.

So, building Fritz Owl-style freeways would suddenly bump a DOT up one or more tiers?  If that's the case, then why is A(Z)DOT in Tier 1 when Tucson exists?

[sprjus4]

What exactly is FritzOwl-ish about Tucson?

[hotdogPi]

What exactly is FritzOwl-ish about Tucson?

Tucson is the exact opposite of FritzOwl. He's saying that Arizona is Tier 1 despite being the AntiFritzOwl.

[sprjus4]

What exactly is FritzOwl-ish about Tucson?

Tucson is the exact opposite of FritzOwl. He's saying that Arizona is Tier 1 despite being the AntiFritzOwl.

Then look at Phoenix. It's the opposite of Tucson.

[vdeane]

PTC is the worst simply because they couldn't complete I-95 until 2018.

Except that it was New Jersey's fault that PTC needed to construct an interchange for completion of I-95.

It's also the PTC's fault an interchange wasn't built there from the get-go.  Most states would have at least built a double-trumpet there when I-95 went through, and when NJ cancelled the Somerset Freeway, it would have been simply rerouted - perhaps with planned upgrades, but at least the designation switch could have happened immediately.  This ties into the whole Breezewood problem the PTC has, with very few true freeway/freeway interchanges with interstates.  Most toll agencies built trumpet/double trumpet interchanges to the interstates with their own toll money (or accepted federal money with a promise to remove the tolls when the bonds were paid off, a requirement Congress later repealed due to lobbying from those states).  Not the PTC, though.  And even when the switch happened, why did it take so long to build the interchange?  Act 44 wouldn't come into existence for another 2-3 decades after that point.  Act 44 and their current financial situation cannot be blamed for their interchange problems, at I-95 or anywhere else.

[Bruce]

WSDOT as a Tier 1?
Uh, I'd need some very good justification for such a high appraisal for a DOT that allowed this to be installed:
https://goo.gl/maps/BBbx7TT4iaMY4xMD9

I was going to make a joke about ODOT being a top-notch agency, but signage wise (not counting the lack of trailblazer or reassurance shields on many of the post-2002 Routes), ODOT's signs look better than WSDOT's.

Now, as for maintencance, construction, sure, credit where it's due. It feels like WSDOT moves forward faster and better than ODOT does with new facilities as well as maintaining them (though local politics on my side of the Columbia doesn't help...).

WSDOT's SW Division runs different to the rest of the state, from the looks of their signage oddities.

Overall, I'd put WSDOT in the B tier at best due to their chronic mishandling of urban state routes (often overriding local wishes to not have a deathtrap in the middle of cities).

[SkyPesos]

Guess we need to lower our standards for tier 1 then. At this rate, we'll find enough flaws of each DOT that none of them will be tier 1.