Texas highways: state sighways, FM, RM, UR roads.

[Perfxion]

Since I moved down Texas 5 years ago, I still haven't figured why this state has FM roads, RM roads, UR roads, state highways, Is like they didn't want to run out of numbers of state highways. I know that say FM1960 is an Urban Road(Cypress-Creek Parkway), FM2920 is still just a farm to market road(at least there are farms west of Tomball), I heard Ranch Roads are west Texas thing, but still doesn't make too much since to me if they are all state funded highways.

I am not even touching things like Nasa Road 1.

[NE2]

FM/RM gets less funding than normal state highways.

[J N Winkler]

. . . I heard Ranch Roads are west Texas thing . . .

Myth!  Myth!  Myth!

There are RM roads in east Texas and FM roads in west Texas.  There are FM roads that pass through land so arid it is barely suitable for ranching (let alone farming) (classic example:  FM 170), and there are probably RM roads in swampland.  There may be a decision rule for assigning FM or RM to a given route number on that system (FM and RM roads draw their numbers from the same pool), but it is manifestly not based on geography.  The best explanation I have heard is that TxDOT goes in with FM as the default and assigns the number as RM if ranchers along the route object to being on a "farm" road.

[corco]

I will say though that in a few cross Texas drives, there does seem to some pattern. Obviously lots of exceptions, but RMs are mostly around Big Bend Country and Hill Country  and the area in between, with almost the entire rest of the state being FM. I haven't seen an RM east of I-35 or north of I-40. I haven't been south of just a bit north of San Antonio yet though, so I don't know what that looks like.

That US-281 divider myth that's been floating around has clearly never been west of just west of Austin though, where there is a stark transition (west of 281 near Austin they're all RMs up into Hill Country- east they're nearly all FM)- but that's the only place where that's true.

Then there is weird signing confusion- for instance FM 72 is surrounded by RMs, but is officially an FM, so you get this

[texaskdog]

In Austin there is "Loop 1" (not to be confused with Texas 1 or Nasa Road 1), Loop 360 (not to be confused with Texas 360), "RR 2222", "RR 620" in West Austin, in East Austin: FM 969, FM 734.  So who knows?

Loop 360 is a 13.987-mile (22.510 km) loop route in Austin in the U.S. state of Texas. Loop 360 is a scenic highway winding through the hills of West Austin. The road is described by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) as "a 4-lane depressed median arterial with at-grade signalized intersections." In 2001, the average daily traffic was 55,000 vehicles at the most traveled point. The highway should not be confused with Texas State Highway 360 in the Dallas—Fort Worth metroplex.

And I heard they were trying to change the ones in the city to "Urban" but it didn't stick.

[corco]

There's a few instances where Texas is confusing with their route classifications. With the quantity of numbers, did they really have to call the new Austin toll road SH 45, when I-45 already exists as a major road not too far away?

I like the breakdown though- in Texas I more or less know what I'm getting into by a route designation and a quick glance at a map moreso than just about any other state.

[Perfxion]

I heard signage itself is what people objected. If they can come up with a signage that isn't butt ugly(not hard when a state has over 100 license plates for cars to steal at least one logo from).

[txstateends]

I haven't seen an RM east of I-35 or north of I-40.

There is an RM 2588 (http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/rm/rm2588.htm) southeast of Athens off US 175, and at least 2 north of I-40 -- RM 1061 ( http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/rm/rm1061.htm , http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/ur/ur1061.htm ) and RM 2381 ( http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/rm/rm2381.htm ); RM 1061 runs northwest from Amarillo, while RM 2381 connects I-40 to RM 1061 west of Amarillo.

Then there is weird signing confusion- for instance FM 72 is surrounded by RMs, but is officially an FM, so you get this

Wow, I've never seen one signed both ways before.  I've seen several, though, on Google Maps that weren't sure if they were FMs or RMs.

[texaskdog]

There's a few instances where Texas is confusing with their route classifications. With the quantity of numbers, did they really have to call the new Austin toll road SH 45, when I-45 already exists as a major road not too far away?

Texas realizes that the normal person won't get confused between a road running between Dallas & Houston, and one in Austin.  Keep in mind this is the land of 183/Research Blvd/Anderson Lane/Ed Bluestein, Wells Branch Pkwy/Howard Lane/McNeil/Spicewood Springs/Old Lampasas.  Roads change name here all over while others branch off and keep the name due to ever-changing alignments.  Everyone's used to being confused

Maybe they treat them like county roads.  You can have a "county 1" in every county and people dont get confused.  The average plebians doesnt know a US highway from a state highway anyway (look how many times you see the wrong shield on maps on ads/commercials)

As far as I can tell FMs & RRs are interchangable, number wise, but the "state" highways can have the same number.  Makes no sense to me.

[Brian556]

Between Sherman and Dallas, there is an FM 121 that crosses US 75 a short distance before SH 121. A TxDot engineer told me that there is a custom sign to tell drivers not to confuse the two.

In that same region, there is an FM 75 not too far from US 75.

In Dallas, SH 183 once got a US 183 sign. This is Dallas, not Austin, people.

There is a LOOP 354 on OLD US 77 in Dallas. A few of the signs are for SH 354, which is in another part of the state.

There is a LOOP 288 in Denton, and an SH 288 in Houston area

[texaskdog]

and when you have 4-digit state roads, apparently there just aren't enough numbers to go around!

[txstateends]

I still haven't figured why this state has FM roads, RM roads, UR roads, state highways, Is like they didn't want to run out of numbers of state highways. I know that say FM1960 is an Urban Road(Cypress-Creek Parkway), FM2920 is still just a farm to market road(at least there are farms west of Tomball), I heard Ranch Roads are west Texas thing, but still doesn't make too much since to me if they are all state funded highways.

As far as Urban Roads go, TxDOT either needs to go ahead and sign them as such, or revert the designations back to their previous FM/RM versions.  No need in taking up the time to designate a road a certain way, then not sign it at all or sign it correctly (I know that's a can of worms for some people, but really, in the case of URs it makes no sense).

[bugo]

Between Sherman and Dallas, there is an FM 121 that crosses US 75 a short distance before SH 121. A TxDot engineer told me that there is a custom sign to tell drivers not to confuse the two.

[bassoon1986]

Interesting too that they probably left FM 121 in text rather than the rectangular sign to avoid confusion. Which I know Texas probably does because an FM/RM sign on a BGS would be difficult to read, but it'd be nice if the FM highway shields looked different than the Texas State highway shield on BGS's.

Longview, TX: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Longview,+TX&hl=en&ll=32.448045,-94.715087&spn=0.004862,0.006899&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=37.325633,56.513672&oq=longvie&hnear=Longview,+Gregg,+Texas&t=m&z=17&layer=c&cbll=32.448099,-94.714929&panoid=rOOI1gGxNBVIRBYqmGXxxw&cbp=12,298.8,,1,-3.36

[txstateends]

Between Sherman and Dallas, there is an FM 121 that crosses US 75 a short distance before SH 121. A TxDot engineer told me that there is a custom sign to tell drivers not to confuse the two.

These used to have actual square FM shields before TxDOT changed it to all-text.  BUT, I've said it before, there's no reason the state can't just swap out this designation for one potentially less confusing from across the state somewhere.  Oh well, guess they want to do it the hard way 8)

[J N Winkler]

These used to have actual square FM shields before TxDOT changed it to all-text.  BUT, I've said it before, there's no reason the state can't just swap out this designation for one potentially less confusing from across the state somewhere.

Yes, that sign did used to have the standard guide-sign FM shield--I know it very well since I have a copy of the original sign panel detail sheet.  The text "FM 121" looks kind of clumsy, so I suspect a field revision.

The problem with changing the number for the FM designation is that the shields on the FM route itself would also have to be changed, and there would be knock-on issues with addressing if "FM 121" is integrated into street addresses, route guidance, etc.  The much cheaper but less elegant solution (which however is not altogether free of addressing difficulties) is simply to sign the exit as "Stephens St" only--no references to FM 121 at all.  TxDOT's solution is kind of ugly but works better in comparison to the alternatives of changing the number and omitting signing for FM 121 altogether.

[Perfxion]

If a lot of these FM/RM roads that are Urban roads and want to get rid of the FM/RM logo. Why not just call them by their local name. FM1960 is no more in Harris County, its just Cypress-Creek Parkway. FM525 is just now Aldine-Bender Rpad, ect.

[kphoger]

I believe Farm, Ranch, and Urban roads are all officially classified the same (i.e., as FM routes).  I'm too lazy to try and look up where I read that.  The existence of Urban Roads is not a new one, but it has never caught on.  At any rate, they operate as one system, and do not share numbers.  When someone mentioned RMs being only in west Texas, I immediately thought of RM 620, which intersects I-35 in Round Rock.  Incidentally, the southern itty bitty bit of State Toll Road 255 (between Mines Road and the Mexican border) is technically FM 255, and is actually signed differently than the rest of the route.

[J N Winkler]

When I start my water buffalo ranch a stone's throw away from the Sabine River, I will be petitioning TxDOT for a RM designation.  That is all.

[kphoger]

I might be moving to Montana soon, just to raise me up a crop of dental floss.

(If you can name that song without looking it up, you get 5000 points)

[The High Plains Traveler]

I might be moving to Montana soon, just to raise me up a crop of dental floss.

(If you can name that song without looking it up, you get 5000 points)

Moving to Montana, can't remember whether it's Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention or just The Mothers.

Gonna be a dental floss tycoon. How much floss will 5000 points buy? (I like my WaterPik).

[texaskdog]

Just seems like there was no rhyme or reason to the highway system down here.

[blawp]

That numbering is confusing and asinine.

[InterstateNG]

In Austin there is "Loop 1" (not to be confused with Texas 1 or Nasa Road 1), Loop 360 (not to be confused with Texas 360), "RR 2222", "RR 620" in West Austin, in East Austin: FM 969, FM 734.  So who knows?

Loop 360 is a 13.987-mile (22.510 km) loop route in Austin in the U.S. state of Texas. Loop 360 is a scenic highway winding through the hills of West Austin. The road is described by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) as "a 4-lane depressed median arterial with at-grade signalized intersections." In 2001, the average daily traffic was 55,000 vehicles at the most traveled point. The highway should not be confused with Texas State Highway 360 in the Dallas—Fort Worth metroplex.

And I heard they were trying to change the ones in the city to "Urban" but it didn't stick.

I noticed yesterday that the advance signage for Loop 360 is wrong heading southbound on MoPac.  They read "Texas 360" instead of "Loop 360".  The signage is correct at the exit.

[texaskdog]

How did I never see that????? For a long time once North Mopac becomes toll it had a "North 45" sign on.  Took several months for them to catch that.