Control Cities

[Roadgeekteen]

Limon isn't really intended to be a control city for the benefit of I-70 thru traffic. It's there for US-287 traffic—look at itinerary, see there's a turn at Limon, see the sign for I-70 East/Limon, and know you're on the right track. Traffic bound for points further east is adequately served by the part where it says "I-70 East".

If you feel like there absolutely must be a control city for the benefit of I-70 thru traffic because not doing so is a threat to your way of life, dual sign it Limon/Topeka. (Control states are stupid; Salina has the same problem as Limon, being primarily navigational for I-135 traffic; Hays is the same class of city as Limon and even lacks the navigational justification.)

What do you feel about using Limon westbound on I-70?

[SkyPesos]

But are control cities decided with out-of-state drivers, unfamiliar with the area, in mind either?  Or are they decided with local/regional drivers in mind?

Since control cities are selected by the state's DOT I would assume that they are decided with local/regional drivers in mind.

I guess it depends on the state then? Like control cities on Ohio's interstates are more "obvious" than those on New Mexico's interstates, even to the locals in each respective state.

Speaking of NM, for some reason, I'm fine with Gallup as a control city despite its size, because of the Route 66 song.

[Flint1979]

Just because the average Joe traveling doesn't know where Limon is doesn't make it unworthy of being a control city.

Then that defeats the purpose of it being an effective control city for long distance travelers.

How so when it's at a junction of two US highways and an Interstate? It's the control city for navigational purposes simple as that.

[Flint1979]

But are control cities decided with out-of-state drivers, unfamiliar with the area, in mind either?  Or are they decided with local/regional drivers in mind?

Since control cities are selected by the state's DOT I would assume that they are decided with local/regional drivers in mind.

I guess it depends on the state then? Like control cities on Ohio's interstates are more "obvious" than those on New Mexico's interstates, even to the locals in each respective state.

Speaking of NM, for some reason, I'm fine with Gallup as a control city despite its size, because of the Route 66 song.

Ohio's are fine the way they are I think except for NYC in the Youngstown area I think Mercer should have been used since that is what PennDOT uses at the state line.

Michigan's are all what you would expect for the most part. I think signing Port Huron on I-696 is kind of lame, it should be Roseville or Warren or St. Clair Shores. Warren is the third largest city in the state (unless Sterling Heights has passed it in which case it would be fourth) and I-696 goes right through it.

[SkyPesos]

Ohio's are fine the way they are I think except for NYC in the Youngstown area I think Mercer should have been used since that is what PennDOT uses at the state line.

I actually like NYC for EB I-80 east of Youngstown. Thought it was one of the crown jewels of Ohio's control cities.

[Scott5114]

Limon isn't really intended to be a control city for the benefit of I-70 thru traffic. It's there for US-287 traffic–look at itinerary, see there's a turn at Limon, see the sign for I-70 East/Limon, and know you're on the right track. Traffic bound for points further east is adequately served by the part where it says "I-70 East".

If you feel like there absolutely must be a control city for the benefit of I-70 thru traffic because not doing so is a threat to your way of life, dual sign it Limon/Topeka. (Control states are stupid; Salina has the same problem as Limon, being primarily navigational for I-135 traffic; Hays is the same class of city as Limon and even lacks the navigational justification.)

What do you feel about using Limon westbound on I-70?

I don't know that it's ideal. There is some appeal to having it match eastbound I-70 (for drivers that travel eastbound first and then make a return trip), but I think maybe it would be best to just have it be Denver all the way from Salina. (When I was 12 I passed through the I-135/I-70 junction, way before I knew there was roadgeek data like control city lists on the Internet. I was expecting to see Denver as the control city there and was rather surprised to see Hays instead.) Kansas does sign Denver on supplemental signage as far away as Wichita.

[thspfc]

Limon isn't really intended to be a control city for the benefit of I-70 thru traffic. It's there for US-287 traffic–look at itinerary, see there's a turn at Limon, see the sign for I-70 East/Limon, and know you're on the right track. Traffic bound for points further east is adequately served by the part where it says "I-70 East".

If you feel like there absolutely must be a control city for the benefit of I-70 thru traffic because not doing so is a threat to your way of life, dual sign it Limon/Topeka. (Control states are stupid; Salina has the same problem as Limon, being primarily navigational for I-135 traffic; Hays is the same class of city as Limon and even lacks the navigational justification.)

I have to assume that there's a reason why I-70 is a four lane freeway east of Limon while US-287 is a two lane road, and that that reason is because significantly more traffic continues along I-70.

[thspfc]

Limon isn't really intended to be a control city for the benefit of I-70 thru traffic. It's there for US-287 traffic–look at itinerary, see there's a turn at Limon, see the sign for I-70 East/Limon, and know you're on the right track. Traffic bound for points further east is adequately served by the part where it says "I-70 East".

If you feel like there absolutely must be a control city for the benefit of I-70 thru traffic because not doing so is a threat to your way of life, dual sign it Limon/Topeka. (Control states are stupid; Salina has the same problem as Limon, being primarily navigational for I-135 traffic; Hays is the same class of city as Limon and even lacks the navigational justification.)

What do you feel about using Limon westbound on I-70?

If CDOT or KDOT used Limon on I-70 WB, I would immediately assume that it's an April Fools joke or something.

[thspfc]

Just because the average Joe traveling doesn't know where Limon is doesn't make it unworthy of being a control city.

Then that defeats the purpose of it being an effective control city for long distance travelers.

How so when it's at a junction of two US highways and an Interstate? It's the control city for navigational purposes simple as that.

Then just sign it as "JCT I-70, US-24, US-287" . In that case at least people would actually know what the sign is on about. If that's the only significant thing about Limon, then signing it as "Limon"  does nobody any good.

Heck, just outright signing "Texas"  would be really stupid in the grand scheme, but it would at least help the Texas-bound drivers. Limon does not.

[Scott5114]

Limon isn't really intended to be a control city for the benefit of I-70 thru traffic. It's there for US-287 traffic–look at itinerary, see there's a turn at Limon, see the sign for I-70 East/Limon, and know you're on the right track. Traffic bound for points further east is adequately served by the part where it says "I-70 East".

If you feel like there absolutely must be a control city for the benefit of I-70 thru traffic because not doing so is a threat to your way of life, dual sign it Limon/Topeka. (Control states are stupid; Salina has the same problem as Limon, being primarily navigational for I-135 traffic; Hays is the same class of city as Limon and even lacks the navigational justification.)

What do you feel about using Limon westbound on I-70?

If CDOT or KDOT used Limon on I-70 WB, I would immediately assume that it's an April Fools joke or something.

Yeah, about that... https://www.google.com/maps/@39.328904,-101.726079,3a,21.8y,35.81h,89.4t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sAywG1jkUnpqHVI7F5B8kFg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Heck, just outright signing "Texas"  would be really stupid in the grand scheme, but it would at least help the Texas-bound drivers. Limon does not.

How does it not help Texas-bound drivers? They should know they have to get off the Interstate at Limon. The sign says Limon. If that doesn't help them, they're the ones that are really stupid in the grand scheme...

[US 89]

Everyone complaining about Limon in this thread is trying to solve a problem that does not exist.

[Roadgeekteen]

Everyone complaining about Limon in this thread is trying to solve a problem that does not exist.

Control cities are not super helpful in the GPS era much of this thread is solving an irrelevant problem.

[Occidental Tourist]

Limon isn't really intended to be a control city for the benefit of I-70 thru traffic. It's there for US-287 traffic–look at itinerary, see there's a turn at Limon, see the sign for I-70 East/Limon, and know you're on the right track. Traffic bound for points further east is adequately served by the part where it says "I-70 East".

If you feel like there absolutely must be a control city for the benefit of I-70 thru traffic because not doing so is a threat to your way of life, dual sign it Limon/Topeka. (Control states are stupid; Salina has the same problem as Limon, being primarily navigational for I-135 traffic; Hays is the same class of city as Limon and even lacks the navigational justification.)

What do you feel about using Limon westbound on I-70?

If CDOT or KDOT used Limon on I-70 WB, I would immediately assume that it's an April Fools joke or something.

Yeah, about that... https://www.google.com/maps/@39.328904,-101.726079,3a,21.8y,35.81h,89.4t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sAywG1jkUnpqHVI7F5B8kFg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

But apparently only in Kansas.  Colorado doesn't seem to want to sign control cities in either direction on I-70 east of Limon.

[hbelkins]

The irony of the direction this thread has taken is that I just passed through Limon earlier today heading east on I-70 towards Kentucky.

After Limon, Hays becomes the primary control city (more than 200 miles away) and Burlington is a secondary control. It's not uncommon to see signs like "Next Town/Exit nn, Burlington nn, Hays nnn."

I seem to remember from a trip westbound on I-70 decades ago that Denver started showing up sporadically at Topeka, but I could definitely be wrong on that.

[thspfc]

If CDOT or KDOT used Limon on I-70 WB, I would immediately assume that it's an April Fools joke or something.

Yeah, about that... https://www.google.com/maps/@39.328904,-101.726079,3a,21.8y,35.81h,89.4t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sAywG1jkUnpqHVI7F5B8kFg!2e0!7i13312!

I guess I don't even know what to say . . . what a failure of a sign. This might be the worst control city decision I've ever seen.

[hotdogPi]

This might be the worst control city decision I've ever seen.

I know you've probably never seen it, especially since it doesn't exist anymore, but I-93 north in Massachusetts used to list Salem. No state name. It was referring to the one in New Hampshire, which wouldn't be too bad if the state name was included (although it currently says Concord NH, and I would prefer Manchester NH as a first choice but still Concord over Salem), but with no state name, people who were trying to get to Salem, MA were directed to Salem, NH.

[Scott5114]

If CDOT or KDOT used Limon on I-70 WB, I would immediately assume that it's an April Fools joke or something.

Yeah, about that... https://www.google.com/maps/@39.328904,-101.726079,3a,21.8y,35.81h,89.4t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sAywG1jkUnpqHVI7F5B8kFg!2e0!7i13312!

I guess I don't even know what to say . . . what a failure of a sign. This might be the worst control city decision I've ever seen.

Kansas plays by the rules. If the control city list says Limon, they sign Limon.

[US 89]

If CDOT or KDOT used Limon on I-70 WB, I would immediately assume that it's an April Fools joke or something.

Yeah, about that... https://www.google.com/maps/@39.328904,-101.726079,3a,21.8y,35.81h,89.4t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sAywG1jkUnpqHVI7F5B8kFg!2e0!7i13312!

I guess I don't even know what to say . . . what a failure of a sign. This might be the worst control city decision I've ever seen.

Kansas plays by the rules. If the control city list says Limon, they sign Limon.

Do they though? When I drove across Kansas the other week it seemed there was quite a bit of switching off between larger/distant and more local control cities depending on the interchange. I seem to recall at least one interchange with Salina/Denver controls, but Hays, Limon, and even WaKeeney also got a lot of use. Sometimes one direction would have a distant control while the other would get a more local one at the same interchange.

[SkyPesos]

^ Missouri switches a bit too. Here's some control cities you'll see for WB I-44 at listed interchanges:
I-55 (290) - Tulsa
I-270 (276) - Tulsa
MO 141 (272) - Rolla
(Distance sign with Ft Leonard Wood (111), Springfield (194) and Tulsa (370) just west of the MO 141 interchange)
MO 109 (264) - Rolla
MO 100 (253) - St Clair
(Distance sign with St Clair (12) and Springfield (175) just west of the MO 100 interchange)
US 50 (247) - St Clair
MO 47 (240) - Rolla
MO 19 (208) - Rolla
US 63 (186) - Springfield
After that, I think it's all Springfield, but someone can correct me. But I would definitely remove St Clair from the mix.

[StogieGuy7]

Limon makes sense as a control city, as that the location where you would exit onto US-24 to access Colorado Springs (the state's second largest metro) or stay on I-70 turning northwestward to Denver.  It's a junction point and so the reference to it is valid in my view.  It's a control on US-24 in the Colo Spgs area too.

[kphoger]

If CDOT or KDOT used Limon on I-70 WB, I would immediately assume that it's an April Fools joke or something.

Yeah, about that... https://www.google.com/maps/@39.328904,-101.726079,3a,21.8y,35.81h,89.4t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sAywG1jkUnpqHVI7F5B8kFg!2e0!7i13312!

I guess I don't even know what to say . . . what a failure of a sign. This might be the worst control city decision I've ever seen.

Kansas plays by the rules. If the control city list says Limon, they sign Limon.

Except where they don't, you mean?

https://goo.gl/maps/mkpRYnkw7bqf36K57
https://goo.gl/maps/x3x8dE41nqNTGQ158

(Note:  at least one of these used to use Limon.)

[TXtoNJ]

Limon makes sense as a control city, as that the location where you would exit onto US-24 to access Colorado Springs (the state's second largest metro) or stay on I-70 turning northwestward to Denver.  It's a junction point and so the reference to it is valid in my view.  It's a control on US-24 in the Colo Spgs area too.

Yeah I don't get the umbrage about Limon going westbound. To me, it's even more important in that direction.

[JayhawkCO]

Limon makes sense as a control city, as that the location where you would exit onto US-24 to access Colorado Springs (the state's second largest metro) or stay on I-70 turning northwestward to Denver.  It's a junction point and so the reference to it is valid in my view.  It's a control on US-24 in the Colo Spgs area too.

Yeah I don't get the umbrage about Limon going westbound. To me, it's even more important in that direction.

The AADT would suggest otherwise.  West of Limon, the AADT is 13,000; east of Limon it's 11,000.  That suggests more people come from Denver and exit onto US40/287 than come from Kansas and exit onto US24.  (For the record, I'm just fine with Limon as a control city in both directions -- just providing some data.)

Chris

[kphoger]

The AADT would suggest otherwise.  West of Limon, the AADT is 13,000; east of Limon it's 11,000.  That suggests more people come from Denver and exit onto US40/287 than come from Kansas and exit onto US24.  (For the record, I'm just fine with Limon as a control city in both directions -- just providing some data.)

Well, we don't know the origin of that traffic, of course.  But yeah, isn't that the Ports-to-Plains corridor?

That is to say, traffic leaving Denver and following the P2P takes the exit at Limon.

[Roadgeekteen]

Limon makes sense as a control city, as that the location where you would exit onto US-24 to access Colorado Springs (the state's second largest metro) or stay on I-70 turning northwestward to Denver.  It's a junction point and so the reference to it is valid in my view.  It's a control on US-24 in the Colo Spgs area too.

Yeah I don't get the umbrage about Limon going westbound. To me, it's even more important in that direction.

People are more fine with it eastbound because there really isn't anything better to sign, westbound you have Denver so people would prefer to sign that.