Control Cities

[agentsteel53]

My favorite

A common sight on Interstates:

I-78
Penna

great use of abbreviations :S

that reminds me - the control city on either I-95 northbound or I-495 counterclockwise, in Boston was, in the late 1980s, "N. H. - Maine".  I honestly don't remember where it was, I just remember seeing it all the time as a kid.  It might have been both. 

[Roadgeek Adam]

that's dumb

[DBrim]

that reminds me - the control city on either I-95 northbound or I-495 counterclockwise, in Boston was, in the late 1980s, "N. H. - Maine".  I honestly don't remember where it was, I just remember seeing it all the time as a kid.  It might have been both.

Still there, I-90 east at I-495 and I-95 both use N.H.-Maine as the northern control.

There's also somewhere in New York City where "New England" is used as a control, but I can't remember where.

[TheStranger]

DBrim:

The I-405, Route 170, and I-5 northbound control city was originally "Bakersfield" (where US 99 continued onto via the Golden State Freeway/Highway), but with 5 bypassing the city, Sacramento became the control city in the late 80s IIRC.

[Terry Shea]

Why would anyone pay a small fortune to get several years taken off their life from having to breathe that filthy, stinky, polluted, industrial air Gary, Hammond and East Chicago have to offer?

Lots of old signs.  Well, not on the toll road, the surface streets!

?

[agentsteel53]

here, for example, is a great old US-6 sign just west of Gary on an old alignment.  I do not believe this is Business 6 anymore.

www.aaroads.com/shields/show.php?image=IN19580061t200060.jpg&search=6

[mightyace]

My favorite

A common sight on Interstates:

I-78
Penna

great use of abbreviations :S

Before the US Post Office two letter abbreviations came into play, "Penna." was an acceptable abbreviation for Pennsylvania along with "Pa." that became "PA".  Many old documents (1950s and before) use "Penna."

Similarly, "Calif." was an alternate abbreviation for California, "Wash." for Washington, etc.

[Hellfighter]

I am still angry at MDOT for making the control city for I-275 Flint, when you can't even get there directly. I'd personally put "North I-275 Novi", but then again, It'd be easier to route it onto I-696 and put up Party Huron as the Control City.

[agentsteel53]

Before the US Post Office two letter abbreviations came into play, "Penna." was an acceptable abbreviation for Pennsylvania along with "Pa." that became "PA".  Many old documents (1950s and before) use "Penna."

Similarly, "Calif." was an alternate abbreviation for California, "Wash." for Washington, etc.

and for Ohio ... just a simple O.

[mightyace]

Before the US Post Office two letter abbreviations came into play, "Penna." was an acceptable abbreviation for Pennsylvania along with "Pa." that became "PA".  Many old documents (1950s and before) use "Penna."

Similarly, "Calif." was an alternate abbreviation for California, "Wash." for Washington, etc.

and for Ohio ... just a simple O.

I forgot about that one...

Also, "Ill." for Illinois, "Wis." for Wisconsin, "Minn." for Minnesota, "Colo." for Colorado, "Ore." for Oregon, "Nev." for Nevada, "Ariz." for Arizona, "Tex." for Texas, "Okla." for Oklahoma, "Kan." for Kansas, "Neb." for Nebraska, "Ark." for Arkansas", "Ind." for Indiana, "Tenn." for Tennessee, "Miss." for Mississippi, "Ala." for Alabama, "Fla." for Florida, "Del." for Delaware, "Conn." for Connecticut, and probably some others that I missed.

Was "Ver." acceptable for Vermont?

[Crewdawg]

no Vt.

[Terry Shea]

here, for example, is a great old US-6 sign just west of Gary on an old alignment.  I do not believe this is Business 6 anymore.

www.aaroads.com/shields/show.php?image=IN19580061t200060.jpg&search=6

No, the question mark was because I didn't understand what old signs have to do with breathing Gary area air. 

[agentsteel53]

No, the question mark was because I didn't understand what old signs have to do with breathing Gary area air. 
[/quote]
that's just the price you have to pay, to see the old signs!

[rawmustard]

I am still angry at MDOT for making the control city for I-275 Flint, when you can't even get there directly. I'd personally put "North I-275 Novi", but then again, It'd be easier to route it onto I-696 and put up Party Huron as the Control City.

You should direct your anger at the NIMBYs who had I-275 quashed north of I-696. At least you can shoot over to US-23 on I-96, as signs will tell you.

[Hellfighter]

Well, for example, Commerce Township, which would've been serviced by I-275, has a bunch of two lane roads that have the traffic of five lane roads.

[leifvanderwall]

I do agree the I-275 Flint sign is troubling. It might be better if the US 23 freeway would be I-275 and the entire existing I-275 would be M-5. I really think when US 23 splits from I-75 in Ohio, the sign there should read Ann Arbor-Flint and Detroit Metro Airport and Lansing should be the control destinations for I-275. As far as making the control destination Novi or even Farmington for that matter,that would be acceptable as well.

[Michael]

The previously mentioned unhelpful signs remind me of this:

Credit: I, Puzzled on Flickr

I'm assuming this is a street named "A Street" in downtown Washington D.C.

[TheStranger]

Michael - IIRC, that sign is in Hayward, California...

[thenetwork]

I do agree the I-275 Flint sign is troubling. It might be better if the US 23 freeway would be I-275 and the entire existing I-275 would be M-5. I really think when US 23 splits from I-75 in Ohio, the sign there should read Ann Arbor-Flint and Detroit Metro Airport and Lansing should be the control destinations for I-275. As far as making the control destination Novi or even Farmington for that matter,that would be acceptable as well.

For the longest time, when I-275 was just a baby, there was no Control City for I-275 @ I-75 -- just "I-275 NORTH". 

If M-DOT would ever change the control city, then it should be changed to Livonia, as that is where I-275 begins to multiplex with I-96. 

Overall, on most cross-country or cross state freeways, there should be TWO control cities listed on the major BGS (i.e. key interchanges) whenever possible -- One CC should be the next sizeable city followed by the second CC being the next major city.

So in the case of the Chicagoland Area, for example:  Dual CC Signage would read:

- I-57 South/Kankakee-Memphis.
- I-55 South/Bloomington-St. Louis
- I-294 North/O'Hare Airport-Wisconsin
- I-80 East/Gary-Toledo
- I-80 West/Joliet-Quad Cities
- I-65 South/Lafayette-Indianapolis
- I-94 East/Michigan City-Detroit.

And in cases where the next city is the major city (I-94/I-90 West and I-55/I-57 North), then a single control city (Chicago) is fine.

[myosh_tino]

Michael - IIRC, that sign is in Hayward, California...

It is.  Or should I say... it *was*.

That sign got replaced because of the auxiliary lane project on I-880 between I-238 and CA-92.  The new sign features an exit number but removes the word "Downtown" thus rendering it just another exit sign. 

I, personally, liked the "A Street Downtown" sign.  I would remark, "hey look!  It's a street downtown!" most times I would drive by that sign. 

[flowmotion]

I-580 Stockton ... except I-580 doesn't actually go to Stockton, the control city is left over from decommissioned US 50.

http://www.westcoastroads.com/california/images075/i-080_eb_exit_008b_03.jpg

[hbelkins]

In Illinois, I-55 universally lists Chicago or St. Louis as its control cities, even though most other interstates have much smaller cities or towns as control cities. (*coughI-180cough*)

Doesn't I-24 in Kentucky also use Chicago and St. Louis as control cities for westbound traffic?

From the Tennessee state line to Paducah, it's Paducah, although there used to be a lot of signage for St. Louis along the route. Past Paducah it's STL.

[hbelkins]

Are there any control cities that are duplicated?  The only 2 I can think of would be Portland, OR and Portland, ME  plus the duplication of Charleston's (WV and SC).

Lexington, KY and Lexington, VA are both control cities on I-64.

[SSOWorld]

Are there any control cities that are duplicated?  The only 2 I can think of would be Portland, OR and Portland, ME  plus the duplication of Charleston's (WV and SC).

Lexington, KY and Lexington, VA are both control cities on I-64.

Washington PA and Washington DC on I-70

[hbelkins]

What control cities for interstates and other highways do you find interesting or annoying?

West Virginia's control cities annoy me.

I-64 east has Huntington, Charleston and Beckley, all of which are logical. But after that it's Lewisburg. Lewisburg? Should be Richmond, or at least Lexington.

I-64 west is more logical since Lewisburg is basically omitted and Virginia has used Charleston as the control city.

I-77 south uses Parkersburg, Charleston, Beckley, Bluefield and Wytheville. I'd trim that to Charleston, Beckley and Wytheville since it's a major crossroads.

I-77 north goes Bluefield, Beckley, Charleston, Parkersburg and Marietta. I'd change Marietta to at least Cambridge, if not Akron or Cleveland.

I-79 north uses Clarksburg, Fairmont, Morgantown and Washington PA. Myself I'd change that to Morgantown and Pittsburgh. Southbound I'd just do Morgantown and Charleston.