Control Cities

[bookem]

Here's an interesting question about control cities.  Which sign is the furthest from its control city?  (I think Miami on I-95 may win this, but let's see what else is out there.)

I think Portland as a control city on I-5 in northern CA may be a candidate.

Interestingly enough, OR doesn't reciprocate on I-5 heading south.  It isn't until you're almost at the border that you finally see a CA control city, and then it's not Redding, Sacramento or San Francisco but..... Yreka.

OTOH, at the US 97 / OR 39 split in Klamath Falls, SF is one of the control cities for 97 and Reno a control city for 39.

[agentsteel53]

OTOH, at the US 97 / OR 39 split in Klamath Falls, SF is one of the control cities for 97 and Reno a control city for 39.

wasn't 39 even given that number because it led to 395?

[bookem]

It's possible.... especially considering it turns into 139 upon entering CA.

[WNYroadgeek]

While I was searching for a decent shot of a Connecticut shield, I found this:

[D-Dey65]

Something has always bugged me about the control cities on signs at a certian exit on I-75. It's Exit 321(Sumter CR 470). They have three separate signs for three destinations 1)Sumterville, 2)Lake Panasofkee, and Coleman Correctional Facility. There's no reason Sumterville & Lake Panasofkee can't be on the same signs.

[hbelkins]

Something has always bugged me about the control cities on signs at a certian exit on I-75. It's Exit 321(Sumter CR 470). They have three separate signs for three destinations 1)Sumterville, 2)Lake Panasofkee, and Coleman Correctional Facility. There's no reason Sumterville & Lake Panasofkee can't be on the same signs.

Is Lake Panasofkee a town or an actual reservoir? Is it signed in a green sign or a brown "recreational facility" sign?

[agentsteel53]

I've always wondered why prisons are signed as prominently as towns.  If people need to go to jail ... they tend not to be driving themselves!

[D-Dey65]

Is Lake Panasofkee a town or an actual reservoir? Is it signed in a green sign or a brown "recreational facility" sign?

It's a town and a lake. Plus all three signs(going both ways) are green. I really should take pictures of them.

[Scott5114]

I've always wondered why prisons are signed as prominently as towns.  If people need to go to jail ... they tend not to be driving themselves!

Same with Highway Patrol district headquarters or DOT residencies!

[agentsteel53]

Same with Highway Patrol district headquarters or DOT residencies!

indeed - the highway patrol, of all people, should know where their home base is.  It's one thing to post a sign in front of the building for the public benefit ("say, what's this building here with all the police cars parked in the lot?") but to actually post trailblazers is overkill.

[D-Dey65]

These are southbound examples of the signs I was talking about on I-75.



This one turned out like crap, because I had to sit in my car on the shoulder in order to snap it.

Two destinations on one sign would make a hell of a lot more sense than what you've got here.

It ought to be more like this;

[BigMattFromTexas]

Here San Angelo is the control city for US 87, and of course San Antonio...
BigMatt

[realjd]

I-95 in Florida can't make up it's mind between using Miami/Jacksonville as control cities or West Palm/Daytona as control cities.

Of course, they also sign Disney World as one of the controls along the 417 in Orlando:

[Duke87]

Okay, so, on the matter of "New England" as a control point for I-95... question answered. It still exists:



It also, interestingly, exists not in reference to I-95!

[jdb1234]

This is an interesting one:



I had never heard of Brookside until the signs were put up on Corridor X.

[codyg1985]

This is an interesting one:



I had never heard of Brookside until the signs were put up on Corridor X.

I really don't like how ALDOI has done control cities for I-22/Corridor X. It changes from Jasper to Hamiton to Tupelo going west. The signage plans for the I-65/I-22 interchange indicate Memphis as a control city for I-22 west. Plus, there are no mileage signs posted along I-22 west to Tupelo or Memphis. You don't know how far you are away from Tupelo until you reach Hamilton, where a mileage sign indicates 41 miles to Tupelo.

[jdb1234]

I really don't like how ALDOI has done control cities for I-22/Corridor X. It changes from Jasper to Hamiton to Tupelo going west. The signage plans for the I-65/I-22 interchange indicate Memphis as a control city for I-22 west. Plus, there are no mileage signs posted along I-22 west to Tupelo or Memphis. You don't know how far you are away from Tupelo until you reach Hamilton, where a mileage sign indicates 41 miles to Tupelo.

It is interesting that I-22 uses several different control cities westbound, but only uses Birmingham eastbound until the US 78 Exit.  When traveling eastbound you don't see mileage signs for Birmingham until you reach Jasper.  I also have had issues with the control cities used.

On another note, I finally managed to get this one on my trip to Mobile earlier today.

[74/171FAN]

US 460 near Blacksburg has Virginia Tech as a control city; however, I believe there's room to add Bluefield, WV, which is also a regular control city for US 460 WB here.  

[hbelkins]

That US 460 assembly is new since the last time I was there.

[leifvanderwall]

I actually like the fact that a major college is a Control City. I used to work in Ann Arbor and you would be surprised of the lack of University of Michigan signs on I-94. In fact the only time University of Michigan is signed at all is at Exit 177 westbound-on a secondary sign. The main sign on Exit 177 should read : State St. ;  University of Michigan Main Campus.

[shoptb1]

I find it annoying that I-70 East in Columbus, OH has Wheeling as the only control city.  Technically, this is correct, but I would think that it should be dual-signed to also include Pittsburgh since the majority of the traffic doesn't even know which state Wheeling is in.  ODOT has one BGS at the Buckeye Lake intersection (OH-79) that lists both Wheeling and Pittsburgh as control cities.  I wish they'd be consistent and do that everywhere.

Speaking of consistency, it seems that Indianapolis is pretty inconsistent on its use of either Columbus, OH or Dayton as the control city for I-70 East.  I'm guessing that Dayton is the new "preferred control city" since the new signage at the I-70E/I-465 intersection reflects Dayton as the control city.  

[rawmustard]

I actually like the fact that a major college is a Control City. I used to work in Ann Arbor and you would be surprised of the lack of University of Michigan signs on I-94. In fact the only time University of Michigan is signed at all is at Exit 177 westbound-on a secondary sign. The main sign on Exit 177 should read : State St. ;  University of Michigan Main Campus.

I know I've seen an eastbound auxiliary sign direct Michigan Stadium traffic to use Exits 172 and 175 (Jackson St and Ann Arbor-Saline Rd respectively). Generally, you don't have a main exit sign list a university because depending on which part of campus needs to be accessed, it may not be the best exit to use.

[TheStranger]

I actually like the fact that a major college is a Control City. I used to work in Ann Arbor and you would be surprised of the lack of University of Michigan signs on I-94. In fact the only time University of Michigan is signed at all is at Exit 177 westbound-on a secondary sign. The main sign on Exit 177 should read : State St. ;  University of Michigan Main Campus.

I know I've seen an eastbound auxiliary sign direct Michigan Stadium traffic to use Exits 172 and 175 (Jackson St and Ann Arbor-Saline Rd respectively). Generally, you don't have a main exit sign list a university because depending on which part of campus needs to be accessed, it may not be the best exit to use.

In comparison, I know that UC Davis has its very own exit (Exit 71) off of I-80, not even labeled for the street that passes through there (Old Davis Road).

[agentsteel53]

is Old Davis Road highway 99W?  I've had trouble finding 99W between Woodland and Sacramento...

[tdindy88]

I find it annoying that I-70 East in Columbus, OH has Wheeling as the only control city.  Technically, this is correct, but I would think that it should be dual-signed to also include Pittsburgh since the majority of the traffic doesn't even know which state Wheeling is in.  ODOT has one BGS at the Buckeye Lake intersection (OH-79) that lists both Wheeling and Pittsburgh as control cities.  I wish they'd be consistent and do that everywhere.

Speaking of consistency, it seems that Indianapolis is pretty inconsistent on its use of either Columbus, OH or Dayton as the control city for I-70 East.  I'm guessing that Dayton is the new "preferred control city" since the new signage at the I-70E/I-465 intersection reflects Dayton as the control city. 

I know INDOT has been changing those signs over the past few years but there are still some stragelers around the North Split in downtown Indy. Signage around that area hasn't seen any replacements except for the new Washington St. ramp. And I though I remember on I-270 on the west side of Columbus there were some signs that did mention Indianapolis. I had thought that maybe Indy was keeping a few Columbus signs because Columbus was keeping a few Indy signs.