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Saying "Route" vs. "State Route" or "US"

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Marc Fannin

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Feb 17, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/17/98
to

When I first moved to Ohio, I found it annoying that people would make no
distinction between US and state highways, calling both simply "Route xx."
(This in a state whose official map used to label all US and state route
multiplexes in state-route circle markers, even if the multiplex was
exclusively US routes!) Imagine my reaction when I found out on m.t.r that
New Jersey residents even refer to Interstates as "Routes"!

What are the regional preferences (if, in fact, there is enough consistency to
make a preference)?


Marc Fannin
mfa...@kentvm.kent.edu
http://www.personal.kent.edu/~musxf579/home.html

-----== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==-----
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Al Tossoonian

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Feb 18, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/18/98
to

Marc Fannin <mfa...@kentvm.kent.edu> wrote in article
<6cdmup$j9q$1...@nnrp1.dejanews.com>...

> When I first moved to Ohio, I found it annoying that people would make no
> distinction between US and state highways, calling both simply "Route
xx."
> (This in a state whose official map used to label all US and state route
> multiplexes in state-route circle markers, even if the multiplex was
> exclusively US routes!) Imagine my reaction when I found out on m.t.r
that
> New Jersey residents even refer to Interstates as "Routes"!

In NJ, there is no duplication of "significant" route numbers (Interstate,
US, NJ and 500 series routes), so there is no real need for the motoring
public to make a distinction. On official-type documents, the distinction
is made. There is duplication of non-500 series county routes in many
cases, but those numbers are generally not used by the general public
except in rural areas.

Regards,
Al

TTruckr23

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Feb 18, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/18/98
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From my jaunts hither & yon, the use of "Route" seems to be a Northeastern
phenomonon for any road, be it state, federal or interstate.

Most other places seem to prefer the term "Highway" as in highway 6 ( for
US6) or state highway 6 for a state road. Folks seem to specify the difference
between federal & state "highways" and county"roads", where they exist in that
form. The use of "Interstate" X or "I"-X isn't heard much in the NE. Of course
a previous thread talked about the use of the term "The" on the Left coast or
in large cities for a freeway, whether state or Interstate. Most large cities
seem to have their Interstates named for a luminary so I guess the term "The"
sounds better. I've found that when calling for directions in cities, I'm often
told to take The Stevenson or The Pasedena. When I ask what number that is,
many folks haven't a clue. I always figure it's easier to pick out the number
from the sign if unfamiliar with the area and involved with trying to avoid a
wreck at the same time but many locals go by names.

TTruckr23 @AOL Dot Com
Drive safe
If the shipper ships it late
It'll still be late when you get there.

Matthew E. Salek

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Feb 18, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/18/98
to

Marc Fannin wrote:
>
> When I first moved to Ohio, I found it annoying that people would make no
> distinction between US and state highways, calling both simply "Route xx."
> (This in a state whose official map used to label all US and state route
> multiplexes in state-route circle markers, even if the multiplex was
> exclusively US routes!) Imagine my reaction when I found out on m.t.r that
> New Jersey residents even refer to Interstates as "Routes"!
>
> What are the regional preferences (if, in fact, there is enough consistency to
> make a preference)?

Seeing as I grew up in southeastern Minnesota, I'll comment on that:

We usually refered to a US or state numbered highway as "Highway xx".
The Interstate through there was always called "Interstate 90" or "I-90"
for short. County roads were several different things, either "County
Highway xx", County Road xx", or "County xx".

--
Later! - Matthew E. Salek, future civil engineer at Colorado State Univ.

Matthew Salek (Info) Highway, my website:
http://www.engr.colostate.edu/~mattes

Micro-who? Buy a real PC. Buy a Mac.

H.B. Elkins

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Feb 18, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/18/98
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mfa...@kentvm.kent.edu (Marc Fannin) wrote:

>What are the regional preferences (if, in fact, there is enough consistency to
>make a preference)?

Most people in Kentucky that I speak with don't use "route" or any
variation -- just the route number. In Frankfort, where I work, we
have "sixty," "one-twenty-seven," "four-sixty," "four-twenty-one," and
"sixty-four," sometimes known as "eye-sixty-four." ;-)

For single- and double-digit routes, we use the number. For three- and
four-digit routes, we usually use the first digit and then the last
two digits, unless the number ends in two zeros.

Here's a short glossary:

KY 7: "seven:
KY 55: "fifty-five"
KY 100: "one-hundred" (an exception)
KY 101: "one-oh-one"
KY 420: "four-twenty"
KY 708: "seven-oh-eight"
KY 1398: "thirteen-ninety-eight:
KY 1000: "one thousand" (an exception)
KY 2001" "two thousand one" or "two thousand and one" (another
exception)
KY 2024: "twenty-twenty-four"

KY 3071: "thirty-seventy-one"
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
H.B. Elkins -- Winchester, KY
"You must have the courage to believe the truth!" -- Rush H. Limbaugh III
Kentucky Wildcats Basketball & #3 Dale Earnhardt -- A Championship Combination

mailto:hbel...@mis.net <or> mailto:HB...@aol.com
(Say "nyet" to spam! Please note: there is a spam-buster in my E-mail address, but the reply-to should work OK.
To reply by E-mail,use one of the addresses above)
http://www.users.mis.net/~hbelkins (last updated 2/4/98)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++

FranCurcio

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Feb 18, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/18/98
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In article <6cdmup$j9q$1...@nnrp1.dejanews.com>, mfa...@kentvm.kent.edu (Marc
Fannin) writes:

>Imagine my reaction
>when I found out on m.t.r that
New Jersey residents even refer to Interstates
>as "Routes"!<

Any numbered road is a route. Most times NJ residents don't even say "route"
["root" BTW, not "rOUT"] referring to the road by number only, giving
directions like:

Take 513 to 78 to 287 if you're going north, otherwise take 22 meaning
Take CR 513 to I-78 to I-287 north bound. If south bound, take US 22 instead
of I-78 to I-287.

And, of course, where US 1 and US 9 are multiplexed, the road is known simply
as 1 N' 9. Say it any other way and you get this "you ain't from around here"
look.

This habit has been around a long time. I remember back in '49 or '50 when my
brother got his first car talk of taking 17 or 23 or 46 or S3, and so on.

Regards,
==============================================
Frank A. Curcio <0> FranC...@aol.com
RMCA # 292 <0> LHA # 1276
Local History, Roads, Maps, Folklore, Pop Culture
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Marc Fannin

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Feb 18, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/18/98
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In article <6cdmup$j9q$1...@nnrp1.dejanews.com>,

mfa...@kentvm.kent.edu (that would be me) wrote:
>
> When I first moved to Ohio, I found it annoying that people would make no
> distinction between US and state highways, calling both simply "Route xx."
> (This in a state whose official map used to label all US and state route
> multiplexes in state-route circle markers, even if the multiplex was
> exclusively US routes!) Imagine my reaction when I found out on m.t.r that

> New Jersey residents even refer to Interstates as "Routes"!
>
> What are the regional preferences (if, in fact, there is enough consistency
to
> make a preference)?
>
> Marc Fannin

>
> -----== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==-----
> http://www.dejanews.com/ Now offering spam-free web-based newsreading
>

I neglected to say that I moved *from* Michigan, where everybody refers to
state routes as M-xx, obviously from the marker
(http://www.ugcs.caltech.edu/~jlin/signs/states/Michigan.gif). It's funny
that Missouri does the same thing without any readily-apparent icon on the
sign. I know Utah and Kansas follow the same principle (U-xx, K-xx). While
I'm mentioning different states, I know that calling state routes "State Road
xx" in Indiana is probably the norm.

Also, I have always referred to routes simply by number with no prefix, in
fact very recently doing that on this NG, but I usually try to distinguish
between route types when I mention them the initial time (e.g. while giving
directions).

Marc Fannin

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Feb 18, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/18/98
to

In article <19980218161...@ladder02.news.aol.com>,

ttru...@aol.com (TTruckr23) wrote:
>
> From my jaunts hither & yon, the use of "Route" seems to be a
Northeastern
> phenomonon for any road, be it state, federal or interstate.
>
> Most other places seem to prefer the term "Highway" as in highway
>6 (for US6) or state highway 6 for a state road. Folks seem to specify the

>difference between federal & state "highways" and county"roads", where they
>exist in that form. The use of "Interstate" X or "I"-X isn't heard much in
>the NE. Of course a previous thread talked about the use of the term "The" on
>the Left coast or in large cities for a freeway, whether state or Interstate.

Ah, memories... The first time I heard "The xx" was not in reference to
highways in the West, where I've most commonly heard that terminology used,
but in Ontario ("Take the 401 to the 400") in the movie _Strange Brew_!

> TTruckr23 @AOL Dot Com
> Drive safe
> If the shipper ships it late
> It'll still be late when you get there.
>

William S. Riddle, IV

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Feb 18, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/18/98
to

H.B. Elkins wrote:

>
> mfa...@kentvm.kent.edu (Marc Fannin) wrote:
>
> >What are the regional preferences (if, in fact, there is enough consistency to
> >make a preference)?
>
> Most people in Kentucky that I speak with don't use "route" or any
> variation -- just the route number. In Frankfort, where I work, we
> have "sixty," "one-twenty-seven," "four-sixty," "four-twenty-one," and
> "sixty-four," sometimes known as "eye-sixty-four." ;-)
>
> For single- and double-digit routes, we use the number. For three- and
> four-digit routes, we usually use the first digit and then the last
> two digits, unless the number ends in two zeros.
>
> Here's a short glossary:
>
> KY 7: "seven:
> KY 55: "fifty-five"
> KY 100: "one-hundred" (an exception)
> KY 101: "one-oh-one"
> KY 420: "four-twenty"
> KY 708: "seven-oh-eight"
> KY 1398: "thirteen-ninety-eight:
> KY 1000: "one thousand" (an exception)
> KY 2001" "two thousand one" or "two thousand and one" (another
> exception)
> KY 2024: "twenty-twenty-four"
>
> KY 3071: "thirty-seventy-one"

In the Ashland area, US 23 is "US 23", US 60 is "Route (rhymes with out)
60", US 52 is "Route (rhymes with root) 52", and I-64 is "I-64". Most
state routes are simply called by their number, except for "Route
(rhymes with out) 5". I've always thought it was kinda fun to say
"Route 5", and as a result, I tend to call most single-digit highways
"routes".

In Tennessee, you'll get laughed at if you use the word "route",
regardless of how you pronounce it. US highways are called "Highway
xx", state routes are called "Highway xx", and interstates are called
simply by their number. No one pays a bit of attention to whether a
state highway is primary or secondary, and i sometimes feel like I'm the
only one in the state who knows why they use two different signs.
Non-interstate freeways are usually named as well as numbered, and their
name takes preference, like "Briley Pkwy." and "Ellington Pkwy." and
"Vietnam Veterans Blvd." Ask any Nashvillian where "Route 155" or "US
31E" or "Route 386" is and they won't know.

BTW, state route 840, which is how TDOT has numbered the future I-840,
is already called "I-840" or "840" by locals.

> +++++++++++++++++++++++++
> H.B. Elkins -- Winchester, KY
> "You must have the courage to believe the truth!" -- Rush H. Limbaugh III
> Kentucky Wildcats Basketball & #3 Dale Earnhardt -- A Championship Combination
>
> mailto:hbel...@mis.net <or> mailto:HB...@aol.com
> (Say "nyet" to spam! Please note: there is a spam-buster in my E-mail address, but the reply-to should work OK.
> To reply by E-mail,use one of the addresses above)
> http://www.users.mis.net/~hbelkins (last updated 2/4/98)
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++

--
/---------------------------------------------------------------------\
| William S. Riddle, IV http://www.mindspring.com/~riddler4 |
| Tenn. Highways Page: http://www.mindspring.com/~riddler4/TNHwys.htm |
| *** To respond to this message, please change the .kom to .com *** |
\---------------------------------------------------------------------/

Adam Newman

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Feb 18, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/18/98
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Marc Fannin wrote:
>
> When I first moved to Ohio, I found it annoying that people would make no
> distinction between US and state highways, calling both simply "Route xx."
> (This in a state whose official map used to label all US and state route
> multiplexes in state-route circle markers, even if the multiplex was
> exclusively US routes!) Imagine my reaction when I found out on m.t.r that
> New Jersey residents even refer to Interstates as "Routes"!
>
> What are the regional preferences (if, in fact, there is enough consistency to
> make a preference)?
>

Around Chicago, most of the time people just use the road number, no
matter what kind of road (where I live, 83, 60, 94 which is a state
route, a US route, and an Interstate). I've occacionaly heard a
Interstate called "I-xx", or a U.S. route called "U.S. XX", but I have
never heard a state route called "State Route". U.S. and state roads
are once in a while called "Route xx", but not often. Oh, highway names
are also used a lot. Also (and this may start another thread), nobody
EVER uses county road numbers. In Lake County, tons of roads have
county numbers such as V 50 or W 17, but I've never in my life heard one
being used. In what places do people use county numbers?

Christopher Blaney

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Feb 18, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/18/98
to

Marc Fannin wrote:

> When I first moved to Ohio, I found it annoying that people would make no
> distinction between US and state highways, calling both simply "Route xx."
> (This in a state whose official map used to label all US and state route
> multiplexes in state-route circle markers, even if the multiplex was
> exclusively US routes!) Imagine my reaction when I found out on m.t.r that
> New Jersey residents even refer to Interstates as "Routes"!
>
> What are the regional preferences (if, in fact, there is enough consistency to
> make a preference)?
>
As a New Jerseyan myself, I've always called a highway "Route xx",
regardless of the shape of its shield or its funding classification. I
find that many people in most states either say "Route xx" or "Highway
xx". I think that's why a lot of states frown on duplicate route
numbering, i.e. having a US xx and a I-xx and a State Route xx, all
three being the same number. Some examples:

1. Delaware Route 1, the new Newark-to-Dover toll bypass of US 13, is
not too far away from US Route 1 in Pennsylvania and Maryland, the
world-famous "Route 1". I'm always careful to say "Delaware 1" when I
mean that road, and either "US 1" or "Route 1" when I talk about US
Route 1. If you're a traveller in that area, it's not difficult to get
confused.

2. A few months ago, we were travelling on I-70 from Baltimore to
Breezewood, PA. Maryland Route 68 and Interstate 68 are about 20 miles
apart, both with exits off I-70. Maryland has a big sign at the MD-68
exit informing everybody, this is not the exit for Interstate 68. It's
very easy for people to get confused, despite the different shape of the
shields.

3. In New Jersey, it's all "Route 80", "Route 46", "Route 10", "Route
287", "Route 206", "Route 23" to us. We know which roads are Interstate,
Federal, and State, and more importantly, which ones are expressway and
which are not. We definitively know which routes are county in this
state because most county routes begin with 5's or 6's.

I've never seen it as a big deal, really.

Chris Blaney

JOHN.SIMPSON

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Feb 18, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/18/98
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H.B. Elkins wrote:
>
> Most people in Kentucky that I speak with don't use "route" or any
> variation -- just the route number. In Frankfort, where I work, we
> have "sixty," "one-twenty-seven," "four-sixty," "four-twenty-one," and
> "sixty-four," sometimes known as "eye-sixty-four." ;-)
>
That's pretty much the way it is around here. Most highways are
referred to simply by number. The Cincinnati Interstates are almost
always called "71", "74", "75", "275", and "471". On occasion, you
will hear the "I-" prefix, but you would never hear "route 75"
(although I refer to them that way on my web site). US and state
routes are referred to by number as well until you get into areas
where the numbered routes have names. Out here in the eastern
suburbs, you will hear "32", "50", and "28", but if you head toward
downtown, "50" becomes "Columbia Parkway", and "125" becomes
"Beechmont". For some of the routes which run through the city,
most people probably don't even know that the route number exists.
For example, I don't think anyone refers to Glenway Ave. as "264".
Even I don't.

It's just as well that the routes are normally referred to by number,
because when an attempt is made to be more precise, e.g. on a
commercial, it is often done wrong. I've heard "state route 50",
which is actually not technically wrong, as all Ohio Interstates and
US highways also carry an implicit state route of the same number,
but I cringe when I hear "US 32", which I have heard on several
occasions.

--
John Simpson -- Cincinnati, OH
John.S...@prodigy.net
Ohio Highways Web Site:
http://pages.prodigy.net/john.simpson/highways/ohhwys.html

Jody L. Aho

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Feb 18, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/18/98
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Matthew E. Salek wrote:
>
> Marc Fannin wrote:
> >
> > When I first moved to Ohio, I found it annoying that people would make no
> > distinction between US and state highways, calling both simply "Route xx."
> > (This in a state whose official map used to label all US and state route
> > multiplexes in state-route circle markers, even if the multiplex was
> > exclusively US routes!) Imagine my reaction when I found out on m.t.r that
> > New Jersey residents even refer to Interstates as "Routes"!
> >
> > What are the regional preferences (if, in fact, there is enough consistency to
> > make a preference)?
>
> Seeing as I grew up in southeastern Minnesota, I'll comment on that:
>
> We usually refered to a US or state numbered highway as "Highway xx".
> The Interstate through there was always called "Interstate 90" or "I-90"
> for short. County roads were several different things, either "County
> Highway xx", County Road xx", or "County xx".

As my home state, Minnesota, has been described, I'll throw in the
other two states where I travel a lot, Michigan and Wisconsin.

In Michigan, Interstate highways are referred to (spoken and written)
as "I-xx" (I-75, for example), the US-numbered highways as "US-xx"
(US-2, for instance), and the state highways as "M-xx" (M-28, for
instance). The M-numbered highway nomenclature arises from the Michigan
state highway shield, which is a white diamond with the small letter M
at the top and the highway number below. The diamond is on a black
square background.

In some areas of Michigan (around the Detroit area, most notably, but
also around Sault Ste. Marie and Traverse City, to name a few others)
secondary roads are often named "x Mile Road", x being some number.
These roads may also have other names attached; for instance, 16 Mile
Road in Troy, Michigan is also known as Big Beaver Road.

Wisconsin's nomenclature is the same as Minnesota's.

Jody Aho
ja...@cp.duluth.mn.us
http://www.cp.duluth.mn.us/~jaho

Mike McManus

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Feb 19, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/19/98
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Marc Fannin wrote:

> When I first moved to Ohio, I found it annoying that people would make no
> distinction between US and state highways, calling both simply "Route xx."
> (This in a state whose official map used to label all US and state route
> multiplexes in state-route circle markers, even if the multiplex was
> exclusively US routes!) Imagine my reaction when I found out on m.t.r that
> New Jersey residents even refer to Interstates as "Routes"!
>
> What are the regional preferences (if, in fact, there is enough consistency to
> make a preference)?

Most people around here just say the route number without prefix: "one-oh-four",
"five-thirty-one", "three-ninety" (which could be NY 390 or I-390), "fifteen-A".
But almost never "ninety", as that's "the Thruway".

On a side note (pun intended), I am by avocation a singer, and the chorus I sing
with is performing a song named "Disneyland" which has an opening solo which goes,
in part, "there's nothing out there but the traffic/Down on State Ninety-Three". I
wonder what region of the US tends to use that particular form when referring to
state route numbers?

--
_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
_/ Mike McManus _/ home: mmcm...@frontiernet.net _/
_/ Rochester, NY _/ work: mcm...@kodak.com _/
_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/

Steve Riner

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Feb 19, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/19/98
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In article <34EB8EDE...@ripco.com>, Adam Newman <c...@ripco.com> says:
>
>Marc Fannin wrote:
>>
(snip)

In Lake County, tons of roads have
>county numbers such as V 50 or W 17, but I've never in my life heard one
>being used. In what places do people use county numbers?

Minnesota, for one. Some roads around the Twin Cities area have their county
designation as their primary (and sometimes sole) identity. This is especially
so when the road is a major freeway interchange or a feeder route. Turns out that
some of these county roads are formerly state roads, generally with the same number,
and so they continue to be known as "Highway 96" (for example, in the case of Ramsey
County 96) on traffic reports. Where the road was never a trunk highway or had a
different number as a state route (Hennepin County 81 for example), they are
generally called "County Road xx".

Oddly, when a former county road has been assumed by the state, it seems hard for
traffic reporters to call it by its new name. Hennepin County 18 became U.S. 169 two
years ago, but I still hear it called "County Road 18."

Steve Riner
Columbia Heights MN

Minnesota Highways Page is at:
http://www.frontiercomm.net/~sriner/main_hwy.htm

Paul Schlichtman

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Feb 19, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/19/98
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I grew up in New York where the "route" prefix was also standard for any
state or federal road, though it was sort of academic on Long Island
because everything was a state route... though sometimes the word route
wasn't even used. The corner of 25A and 110 is in Huntington
(pronounced "hunnington" village)... though for certain routes the name
was more often used. Nobody says 495, it's the LIE. It's not NY 25,
it's Jericho Turnpike or simply "Jericho." Sunrise Highway (NY 27) is
also known as "Sunrise."

Massachusetts is similar, everything is "route." Comes in handy when
you are talking about route 3, as nobody can really, precisely state
where US 3 changes to MA 3.


Bob Goudreau

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Feb 19, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/19/98
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Marc Fannin (mfa...@kentvm.kent.edu) wrote:

: In article <19980218161...@ladder02.news.aol.com>,
: ttru...@aol.com (TTruckr23) wrote:
: > Of course a previous thread talked about the use of the term "The"


: > on the Left coast or in large cities for a freeway, whether state
: > or Interstate.

As I recall, that previous thread established the existence of only
*two* metro areas in the United States where the "The XX" nomenclature
was common: Buffalo, New York; and greater Los Angeles (not the West
Coast in general or even all of California in particular). Any other
US nominees?

: Ah, memories... The first time I heard "The xx" was not in reference


: to highways in the West, where I've most commonly heard that
: terminology used, but in Ontario ("Take the 401 to the 400") in the
: movie _Strange Brew_!

Right; outside the US there are a number of practitioners, including
Ontario and the entire United Kingdom (e.g., "the M-25 around London").

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Bob Goudreau Data General Corporation
goud...@dg-rtp.dg.com 62 Alexander Drive
+1 919 248 6231 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA

Stephen A. Hill

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Feb 19, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/19/98
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"JOHN.SIMPSON" <JOHN.S...@prodigy.net> wrote:

>That's pretty much the way it is around here. Most highways are
>referred to simply by number. The Cincinnati Interstates are almost
>always called "71", "74", "75", "275", and "471". On occasion, you
>will hear the "I-" prefix, but you would never hear "route 75"
>(although I refer to them that way on my web site).

In Northern Ohio , at least around Cleveland, all of the Interstates
are always referred to by the I- prefix, such as I-71, I-77, I-90,
I-480 etc. Even in the city, they are never referred to by name, such
as the Media Freeway or the Willow Freeway or the Lakeland Freeway.
The exception is I-90 through the center of the city which is always
referred to as The Innerbelt, probably because people cannot figure
out if it is I-90 or I-71.

>US and state
>routes are referred to by number as well until you get into areas
>where the numbered routes have names. Out here in the eastern
>suburbs, you will hear "32", "50", and "28", but if you head toward
>downtown, "50" becomes "Columbia Parkway", and "125" becomes
>"Beechmont".

True here also. The West Shoreway is referred to as such, not as
Route 2.

>For some of the routes which run through the city,
>most people probably don't even know that the route number exists.
>For example, I don't think anyone refers to Glenway Ave. as "264".
>Even I don't.

I have never heard anyone refer to Euclid Ave. as Route 6 or Route 20.

Steve Hill
Ohio Highways

Nicholas Ernest Rothfuss

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Feb 19, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/19/98
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In a previous article, mfa...@kentvm.kent.edu (Marc Fannin) says:

>When I first moved to Ohio, I found it annoying that people would make no
>distinction between US and state highways, calling both simply "Route xx."

>What are the regional preferences (if, in fact, there is enough consistency to
>make a preference)?

In my home state of Michigan everything is differentiated. Interstates
are described as I-xx, US Routes as US-xx, and state routes as M-xx. A
great giveaway that someone is out of state is if they ever use anything
besides M-xx to denote a state route.

--

Nicholas Rothfuss
Mathematics Major at Bowling Green State University
Mount Pleasant, MI native

H.B. Elkins

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Feb 19, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/19/98
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"William S. Riddle, IV" <ridd...@mindspring.com> wrote:

>H.B. Elkins wrote:

>In the Ashland area, US 23 is "US 23", US 60 is "Route (rhymes with out)
>60", US 52 is "Route (rhymes with root) 52", and I-64 is "I-64". Most
>state routes are simply called by their number, except for "Route
>(rhymes with out) 5". I've always thought it was kinda fun to say
>"Route 5", and as a result, I tend to call most single-digit highways
>"routes".

Must be some local variations, then, because in conversation in the
mountains, most people just use the route number.

In the media, however, its always "Interstate" or "eye", "U.S," or
"Kentucky" when a route number is referred to. You rarely ever hear
"state route."

I've found it curious that Virginia abbreviates "rout" or "root" as
"Rte." instead of just "Rt." Drive US 23 in the Norton area and you'll
see overpasses marked for "Rte. 6xx," referring to Virginia's
secondary highway systems. I also think I-81 has some overpasses
marked as "Rte. 11" in places where US 11 crosses over without an
interchange.

Bob Scheurle

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Feb 20, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/20/98
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ttru...@aol.com (TTruckr23) wrote:
>From my jaunts hither & yon, the use of "Route" seems to be a Northeastern
>phenomonon for any road, be it state, federal or interstate.

In New Jersey, all types of numbered roads are called "Route xxx".
e.g., Route 80, Route 202, Route 23, Route 518 (for Interstate, US,
State, and County roads, respectively). We *never* say "I-80".

We also have "The Parkway" (That refers to the Garden State Parkway,
not the Palisades Interstate Parkway, just to keep people confused :)
and "The Turnpike".

--
Bob Scheurle | "Titanic's water-tight bulkheads
sche...@z-eclipse-z.net | forward held up well and prevented
sche...@z-avionics-z.itt.com | the boat from sinking."
http://www.eclipse.net/~scheurle | -- Wall Street Journal, April 16, 1912

Kirby's of Fredericton

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Feb 20, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/20/98
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William S. Riddle, IV wrote:
>
> H.B. Elkins wrote:
> >
> > mfa...@kentvm.kent.edu (Marc Fannin) wrote:
> >
> > >What are the regional preferences (if, in fact, there is enough consistency to
> > >make a preference)?
> >
> > Most people in Kentucky that I speak with don't use "route" or any
> > variation -- just the route number. In Frankfort, where I work, we
> > have "sixty," "one-twenty-seven," "four-sixty," "four-twenty-one," and
> > "sixty-four," sometimes known as "eye-sixty-four." ;-)
> >
> > For single- and double-digit routes, we use the number. For three- and
> > four-digit routes, we usually use the first digit and then the last
> > two digits, unless the number ends in two zeros.
> >
> > Here's a short glossary:
> >
> > KY 7: "seven:
> > KY 55: "fifty-five"
> > KY 100: "one-hundred" (an exception)
> > KY 101: "one-oh-one"
> > KY 420: "four-twenty"
> > KY 708: "seven-oh-eight"
> > KY 1398: "thirteen-ninety-eight:
> > KY 1000: "one thousand" (an exception)
> > KY 2001" "two thousand one" or "two thousand and one" (another
> > exception)
> > KY 2024: "twenty-twenty-four"
> >
> > KY 3071: "thirty-seventy-one"
>
> In the Ashland area, US 23 is "US 23", US 60 is "Route (rhymes with out)
> 60", US 52 is "Route (rhymes with root) 52", and I-64 is "I-64". Most
> state routes are simply called by their number, except for "Route
> (rhymes with out) 5". I've always thought it was kinda fun to say
> "Route 5", and as a result, I tend to call most single-digit highways
> "routes".
>
> In Tennessee, you'll get laughed at if you use the word "route",
> regardless of how you pronounce it. US highways are called "Highway
> xx", state routes are called "Highway xx", and interstates are called
> simply by their number. No one pays a bit of attention to whether a
> state highway is primary or secondary, and i sometimes feel like I'm the
> only one in the state who knows why they use two different signs.

In Maine, US and state routes are usually called "route x", and I-95 is
called... well, I-95.

Tendency in Fredericton is to use "Highway x", in Saint John "the number
x highway" is the norm, and in Nova Scotia "Route x" is used. (rhyming
with "out"). When "Route" is used in New Brunswick, it rhymes with boot.

--
J.P. Kirby -- pki...@brunnet.net (PLEASE NOTE NEW E-MAIL ADDRESS)
Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, Earth
http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/7212
"When the NHL gave the OK to this Olympic competition, it wanted to
increase interest in the game in the United States...There's no need to
light the spark in Canada, it's already their national sport." --
Paraphrased words of announcer Jim Nantz, CBS "Olympic Primetime",
2/18/98

Al Tossoonian

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Feb 20, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/20/98
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Bob Scheurle <sche...@z-eclipse-z.net> wrote in article
<34edf2c1...@news.eclipse.net>...

> We also have "The Parkway" (That refers to the Garden State Parkway,
> not the Palisades Interstate Parkway, just to keep people confused :)
> and "The Turnpike".

Some of us call the Palisades Interstate Parkway "the Pip".

Regards,
Al

Zach Maillard

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Feb 20, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/20/98
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Al Tossoonian wrote:

> Marc Fannin <mfa...@kentvm.kent.edu> wrote in article
> <6cdmup$j9q$1...@nnrp1.dejanews.com>...
>

> > When I first moved to Ohio, I found it annoying that people would make no
> > distinction between US and state highways, calling both simply "Route
> xx."

> > (This in a state whose official map used to label all US and state route
> > multiplexes in state-route circle markers, even if the multiplex was
> > exclusively US routes!) Imagine my reaction when I found out on m.t.r
> that
> > New Jersey residents even refer to Interstates as "Routes"!
>

> In NJ, there is no duplication of "significant" route numbers (Interstate,
> US, NJ and 500 series routes), so there is no real need for the motoring
> public to make a distinction. On official-type documents, the distinction
> is made. There is duplication of non-500 series county routes in many
> cases, but those numbers are generally not used by the general public
> except in rural areas.
>
> Regards,
> Al

In Idaho most highways are referred to as their street names. Most people in
Idaho figure that the only acutal highways are I-84 and US-95. Everything else
is just a street. For instance in Moscow alot of the fast food places are on
ID-8. Also called the Pullman Highway. No one calls it either, it's just the
highway. Or "on the way to Spokane."
Going to Boise isn't US-95 south to ID-55 south. It is 95 to New Meadows, then
go through McCall.
There is by no way a distinctino between US state route or Interstate. I-84 is
referred to as 84. US-95 is referred to as 95, etc. I always wonder if anyone
would be able to tell the difference between the signs. I doubt most pay
attention?!? I wonder....

Zach Maillard
Geography Major at the University of Idaho

Visit my Idaho Highways' Homepage:
http://www.uidaho.edu/~mail9492/


Joe Rouse

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Feb 20, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/20/98
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At Caltrans we refer to everything as route, and in California, of
course, there's no duplication of US, State, and Interstate numbers.
Here in California the Interstates are referred to as "I-##", while US
and State routes are referred to as "Highway ##"

In LA, they start everything with "the" - "the 110", "the 101", "the 10",
and it works for either freeway name or number, "the Golden State". The
freeway name is used almost as often as the number.

In San Francisco, they mostly use the number; a few names are used, such
as the "Skyway" (80 and 101) in Downtown SF, the Nimitz (880), and the
Eastshore (80), and of course, the infamous Cypress. The new 880
replacement in Oakland is referred to as the "Cypress Replacement", even
though it doesn't even run along Cypress Street anymore.

Lastly, here in Sacto, they have "Capital City Freeway", Business 80.
The name is used more than the number by the local traffic reporters, but
I don't think locals have taken to the new name very much.

Al Tossoonian

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Feb 21, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/21/98
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Adam Newman <c...@ripco.com> wrote in article
<34EB8EDE...@ripco.com>...

> Oh, highway names
> are also used a lot. Also (and this may start another thread), nobody

> EVER uses county road numbers. In Lake County, tons of roads have


> county numbers such as V 50 or W 17, but I've never in my life heard one
> being used. In what places do people use county numbers?

In Bergen County, NJ, it depends on how well the route is marked, how long
the route is, how junctions with major highways are marked or if the route
uses many streets or names. For example, Route 502 uses 15 names and makes
11 turns as it crosses Bergen County, and uses names which are commonly
used for different streets in neighboring towns, such as "Wyckoff Avenue"
or "Franklin Avenue". To go by the name would be confusing, except for
locals. Many people know Route 502 by number, and it continues into
Passaic County. Occasionally, you may hear another 500-series number
referred to but almost never a regular Bergen County route number.
Pentagons are used for 500-series routes and white squares for Bergen
County routes.

Regards,
Al

Bob Scheurle

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Feb 21, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/21/98
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mfa...@kentvm.kent.edu (Marc Fannin) wrote:
> When I first moved to Ohio, I found it annoying that people would make no
> distinction between US and state highways, calling both simply "Route xx."
> (This in a state whose official map used to label all US and state route
> multiplexes in state-route circle markers, even if the multiplex was
> exclusively US routes!) Imagine my reaction when I found out on m.t.r that
> New Jersey residents even refer to Interstates as "Routes"!

It's not that bad. The numbers are unique, so there no need to
specify what kind of highway it is. If you take Route 78 to Route 24,
there's no reason for you to know that 78 is an interstate and 24 is a
state highway.

We did have two [State] Route 20's within a few miles of each other.
But they renamed one of them to [State] Route 19 because it was less
confusing.

Also, we refer to highways as, well, highways. We don't have
"expressways" or "freeways" around here.

MaryKDan

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Feb 23, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/23/98
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Marc Fannin wrote:
>I know Utah and Kansas follow the same principle (U-xx, K-xx).

As Marc noted, In Utah, state routes are usually referred to as U-9, U-36, and
U-132. But, US outes are also referred to by the same nomenclenture; so US-6
is frequently called U-6 and US 191 is U-191.

Along the Wastach Front, most people do not know the U-designation of various
state routes and instead refer to them by their local name. So U-266 is
usually called 45th South, U-71 is called 7th East, and US 89 is just State
Street. UDOT is working on a plan to turn back many of the state numbered
routes to local governments, but there is significant opposition from those
governments who, at first wanted control over those roads, but now realize that
with control comes repsonsibility, do not want to pay for maintenence, plowing,
etc.

- Dan Stober
West Jordan, Utah


MaryKDan

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Feb 23, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/23/98
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Christopher Blaney wrote:
> 1. Delaware Route 1, the new Newark-to-Dover toll bypass of US 13, is
>not too far away from US Route 1 in Pennsylvania and Maryland, the
>world-famous "Route 1". I'm always careful to say "Delaware 1" when I
>mean that road, and either "US 1" or "Route 1" when I talk about US
>Route 1. If you're a traveller in that area, it's not difficult to get
>confused.

> 2. A few months ago, we were travelling on I-70 from Baltimore to
>Breezewood, PA. Maryland Route 68 and Interstate 68 are about 20 miles
>apart, both with exits off I-70. Maryland has a big sign at the MD-68
>exit informing everybody, this is not the exit for Interstate 68. It's
>very easy for people to get confused, despite the different shape of the
>shields.

Christopher has just made the case for states which refuse to allow duplication
of route numbers. I don't like I-238 either, but it's better than dupliating
an existing route number (say I-180? No.).

Fmtyner

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Feb 24, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/24/98
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My favorite is an oddity at Grenada, Mississippi. Locals there refer to two
highways as "Number 7" and "Number 8". I've never heard that method of
identifying a highway anywhere else.


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