Here's another (similar) one:
What are some of your favorite stretches of freeway (lets say 5 miles or
less in length) and why?
Here are some of mine:
CA-134 in downtown Glendale--If you didn't know any better you might think
this was Downtown LA with all of its impressive skyscrapers right next to
the freeway--and on both sides. Better yet this freeway is 8+2 HOV lanes
wide and is much less subject to traffic jams than other area freeways. Too
bad CA-110 in Downtown LA doesn't look this good.
CA-73 Tollway--Between Newport Coast Drive and CA-133--This stretch through
the San Joaquin Hills is the only undeveloped part that gives a spectacular
view.
US-101 between Hollywood Blvd. and the IC with CA-170 and CA-134--I always
love driving through Hollywood on the freeway here as the freeway goes
through the Cahuenga Pass.
US-395 Fwy in Reno--Between Mount Rose and just south of I-80--I love how
NDOT (and ADOT for that matter)builds there new freeways--sparkling.
CA-1 Freeway through Morro Bay--I love freeways that go along the coast--and
this one IMO fits in very well.
Don
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Discussion group for Transportation Features, Problems, Solutions for the
Western States and Provinces of Canada, the US, and Mexico.
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Discussion group for Transportation Features, Problems, Solutions for the
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This is a tuffy. Here goes:
I-24 in Illinois: Scenery and rock cuts.
I-24 Clarksville-Nashville: Scenic and rock cuts.
I-43 near East Troy: Two Words - Kettle Moraine.
US 45 Milw-WB: Well, duh!
--
Mike St. | West Bend, WI
What is a freeway is not always a interstate; what is a interstate is not
always a freeway.
Roads: http://mswbwi024.cjb.net/
US 101 between Fell/Oak Street and I-5/CA 60/I-10
I-86 in New York
NJ 17 north of I-80, US 46/1/9 east of I-95
CA 99 south of CA 152
Chris Sampang
Somewhere on the SF Peninsula
===============================
"Everybody has a dream..." - Billy Joel
===============================
Webmaster, Freeways of San Francisco (http://sffwy.cjb.com)
>I-24 in Illinois: Scenery and rock cuts.
>I-24 Clarksville-Nashville: Scenic and rock cuts.
If you want rock cuts, drive I-24 between Monteagle Mountain and
Chattanooga. Not only are there some good rock cuts on the mountain
and near the Nickajack Reservoir crossing, but the views from
Monteagle and of Lookout Mountain and the Sequatchie River valley are
incredible.
John Lansford, PE
The unofficial I-26 Construction Webpage:
http://users.vnet.net/lansford/a10/
I-90 from I-5 to I-405 in Seattle across 2 tunnels and a floating bridge.
US-101 around Pismo Beach.
"Don Hagstrom" <don...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:lJ1d6.120$T21....@newsread2.prod.itd.earthlink.net...
>
> What are some of your favorite stretches of freeway (lets say 5 miles or
> less in length) and why?
US 101 north of Santa Rosa. Very reminiscent of France.
> CA-73 Tollway--Between Newport Coast Drive and CA-133--This stretch through
> the San Joaquin Hills is the only undeveloped part that gives a spectacular
> view.
That it certainly does, especially out towards the Pacific. Unfortunately
the view towards Irvine and Santa Ana is usually of a think brown smog
cloud, so this stretch of freeway is a mixed blessing.
--
Robert I. Cruickshank
roadgeek, historian, progressive
Sent via Deja.com
http://www.deja.com/
I must be missing the smog cloud. Very rarely does the smog get that bad in
Southern California anymore. Usually its just haze which is purely a
weather phenomonon. Sometimes in Yorba Linda and in the San Gabriel
Valley/Inland Empire it gets bad, though.
"Don Hagstrom" <don...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:lJ1d6.120$T21....@newsread2.prod.itd.earthlink.net...
>
I-15 through Cajon Pass: Impressive.
I-5 along the Grapvine: Doublely Impressive.
I-70 from Utah to Denver, CO. Through the Canyon to the Rockies, one hell of
a drive!!!
I-5 The Shastas through Southern OR: see above.
s.r. 110 in Los Angeles: A historical treat.
Don Hagstrom <don...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:lJ1d6.120$T21....@newsread2.prod.itd.earthlink.net...
>
Those stretches aren't freeways...
--
Raymond C Martin Jr
Second Year Meteorology Undergraduate, Cook College, Rutgers University
Premier New Jersey Road Videographer
http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Boulevard/7642/index.html
http://www.njfreeways.com/
Continue on over a double-deck bridge, follow I-71 N and you're on the
new Fort Washington Way, a downtown freeway with several Phoenix-style
enhancements. It ends in a tunnel....nothing special in and of itself
but a rare thing for Ohio.
About 3 miles altogether.
Chris
US-101 North down the hill in to Camarillo... again, you can see the
valley!
US-101 along the coast between Santa Barbara and Ventura. (Yes I know
parts of it are not freeway, but most of it is)
I-80/I-580 along the SF Bay.... stuck in traffic there one time during
an awesome sunset!
Also Golden Gate and Bay Bridges are fun to drive across and check out
the landscape
Chris Hughes
Traffic Reporter and road trip lover
>
> Recently there was a poll as to our favorite freeway or highway.
>
> Here's another (similar) one:
>
> What are some of your favorite stretches of freeway (lets say 5 miles
or
> less in length) and why?
It certainly has gotten better. I grew up in Tustin and noticed the smog
easing up over the course of those 18 years.
But for whatever reason, every time I went up on CA-73, except once, the
view inland towards central OC was always ugly. No matter; I still think
it's a fantastic drive.
Chris Aseltine wrote:
>
> Illinois 53 from Euclid Ave. to Dundee Rd., especially the part that curves
> over Northwest Hwy where you can see the racetrack.
--
____________________________________________________________________________
Regards,
Michael G. Koerner
Appleton, WI
***NOTICE*** SPAMfilter in use, please remove ALL 'i's from the return
address to reply. ***NOTICE***
____________________________________________________________________________
--
Sam I.
"I've got half a mind to join a club and beat you over the head with
it." --Groucho Marx
ed...@atomicmailDELETETHIS.dhs.org
(Delete "DELETETHIS" from address when replying)
"Don Hagstrom" <don...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:lJ1d6.120$T21....@newsread2.prod.itd.earthlink.net...
>
>The last mile or so of I-71/75 northbound in northern Kentucky. You
>start descending the hill toward the Ohio River, round a curve, and
>bang!, there's the entire Cincinnati skyline viewed from its most
>flattering direction. It really is a dramatic transition.
And for those of us here who are also radio geeks (hi Mark! hi Garrett!),
there's yet another goodie: hard by the right side of the road, just before
the last Kentucky exit, sits the self-supporting tower of WTSJ 1050,
complete with a sign on the tower that shows the calls and frequency.
Truly a bountiful feast of road- and tower-geeking.
-s, who'll be making that very drive later this summer...
The Tehachapi Pass section of CA-58. Nice scenery, but not enough to be
too distracting, and moves decently fast.
CA-1 between Aptos and the Monterey county line, similarly.
I-680 north of Benicia. Moves wonderfully. The only thing that could
improve it would be for the state to recognize the de-facto normal speed
of 80-85 mph.
The mountain section of I-17 between Phoenix and Flagstaff; ditto.
Has a wonderful design feature I'd like to see CalTrans start using --
in the deer areas, the trees have been chopped down for 50-100 feet on
each side of the freeway, so you can SEE the deer before they can get
in front of you.
Just about all freeways in AZ and NM outside of metro Phoenix. The 75
limit for both cars and trucks seems to raise everyone's intelligence
(dramatically, as soon as you cross the border from CA), and "Keep Right
Except to Pass" is actually obeyed! A marvelous place to drive.
CA-118 between Simi Valley and the LA county line; also nice scenery (but
needs widening, and I would give up the scenery in a second if that area
could be developed, because the housing is needed and would relieve some
people of the need to commute that far).
Yes. It used to be CA 11 and before that, US 66.
> Recently there was a poll as to our favorite freeway or highway.
>
> Here's another (similar) one:
>
> What are some of your favorite stretches of freeway (lets say 5 miles or
> less in length) and why?
I-80 at the Delaware Water Gap. Decent views of the Delaware (though not
as nice as those from PA 611 directly above) and nice siting.
US 1 SB over the Tobin Bridge. Fantastic view of the Downtown Boston skyline.
ACE eastbound around Milepost 4. Nice view of the illusion the casinos have
constructed across the marshes and Absecon Inlet. Now if they only hadn't
built those employee parking lots in the median...
NJTP between the Hudson County Spur and Exit 12. This is the textbook
definition of "a terrible beauty."
--
Sandy Smith, University Relations / 215.898.1423 / smi...@pobox.upenn.edu
Managing Editor, _Pennsylvania Current_ cur...@pobox.upenn.edu
Penn Web Team -- Web Editor webm...@isc.upenn.edu
I speak for myself here, not Penn http://pobox.upenn.edu/~smiths/
Jazz lives! However, Ken Burns did what he could to embalm it.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
> The mountain section of I-17 between Phoenix and Flagstaff; ditto.
> Has a wonderful design feature I'd like to see CalTrans start using --
> in the deer areas, the trees have been chopped down for 50-100 feet on
> each side of the freeway, so you can SEE the deer before they can get
> in front of you.
Indeed. Perhaps my favorite drive ever was in a 1999 Jeep Wrangler, from
Prescott to Chandler, in early August, '99. The desert scenery there
near Black Canyon City is fan-f'ing-tastic. The sides of the freeway are
full of saguaros and the little green sage-looking bush things (that's
not their scientific name, obviously). Blue skies, few cars on I-17,
open road. I flew down that road at 90 mph, with U2 blasting on the
stereo. I drove up to my aunt's house in Chandler and she asked "you had
fun driving didn't you?" and when I asked how she knew she said "you
came into the house with a big smile on your face."
> Just about all freeways in AZ and NM outside of metro Phoenix. The 75
> limit for both cars and trucks seems to raise everyone's intelligence
> (dramatically, as soon as you cross the border from CA), and "Keep Right
> Except to Pass" is actually obeyed! A marvelous place to drive.
I don't want to get off on a rant here, but...
Never have I been more appalled driving on a freeway than I was driving
from Orange County to Berkeley along I-5 on this most recent New Year's
Day. I was an idiot to be driving then, with all the traffic headed
back, but I never expected to see so many people sit in the left lane,
going 60 mph. The *right* lane was behaving as the fast lane. We'd merge
to the right and zoom past lines of cars, going ourselves at about 85
mph, and then weave back to pass some slowpoke in the right lane. It was
chaos, and based on Mr Galt's comment, must happen in CA more than I
realize.
I recall the day California raised the speed limit from 55 to 65. I'd
been driving for all of 6 months, but I could immediately tell the
difference. It was like night and day, and it became much easier to
drive on the freeways now that people weren't being artificially slow.
I'm always hoping they'll raise it to 75, at least from Banning
eastward, along I-10. Same thing for I-5 in the Central Valley.
Sometimes it is caused by the pollution. The particulates in the air prevent the fog/haze from burning off as it normally would.
But at least it's not as brown as it used to be. Whew!
- Jim
--
James Lin
jl...@ugcs.caltech.edu
Parts of US-101 are.
> >
> > I-86 in New York
Most of this one is.
> >
> > NJ 17 north of I-80, US 46/1/9 east of I-95
Not sure about that one.
>
> Those stretches aren't freeways...
He just overstepped the mandate of 5 miles or less.
You are right Robert. There is no lane discipline here. People think they
own the left lane and you do have to weave in and out to get around. 5
mixed flow lanes on the I-5 in Santa Ana for example--You would think this
would do it but every idiot driving 60 is in lanes #1 and #2 and the trucks
insist on lane #3 even though by law they are restricted to #4 and #5 (right
2 lanes).
"Don Hagstrom" <don...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:lJ1d6.120$T21....@newsread2.prod.itd.earthlink.net...
>
> Recently there was a poll as to our favorite freeway or highway.
>
> Here's another (similar) one:
>
> What are some of your favorite stretches of freeway (lets say 5 miles or
> less in length) and why?
>
> Here are some of mine:
>
> What are some of your favorite stretches of freeway (lets say 5 miles
> or less in length) and why?
I'll divide my answers into urban and rural categories. (I can't think
of any suburban freeways I particularly enjoy, although there are some
rural ones in generally suburban areas.)
Urban:
Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (I-278), from Atlantic Avenue to the Brooklyn
Bridge: Stunning view of lower Manhattan.
Henry Hudson Parkway (NY 9A), from the Henry Hudson Bridge to its
southern terminus: On the right, the Hudson. On the left, parkland and
Riverside Drive. A fitting entry to Manhattan.
Belt Parkway, from its western terminus to the Verrazano-Narrows
Bridge. It's not bad past that point but the traffic can be a pain.
NY 13 (Ithaca Expressway): Yes, Ithaca really does have a skyline. And
a lake.
Rural:
(This one's tough; most stretches are longer than five miles. I'll try
to come close.)
Palisades Interstate Parkway in Harriman State Park.
NY 17 (Quickway), from exit 75 (I-81 split) to the Delaware-Sullivan
border. That's more than five miles, so I'll mention specifically the
entry from Broome County to Delaware County (EB), where the road sweeps
to the right to avoid Wendy's billboard atop a mountain; the sleepy
section near Hale Eddy; and the elevated section.
Sprain Brook Parkway, around the Grassy Sprain Reservoir. (The reservoir
is in the median.)
I-80 in New Jersey, between exit 4 and the state line: the Delaware
Water Gap.
--
David J. Greenberger
Eric
Urban: I-20 West of Atlanta-Wide freeway that goes up and down hills, and the
HUGE skyline of Atlanta peeks out every once in awhile.
CA-73, San Joaquin Hills Toll Road-Beautiful Stretch through the hills, views
of the Pacific even though the sprawl of Laguna Hills and the smog of Santa
Ana and Irvine are a little unsightly.
CA-110, Los Angeles- Beautiful, historical freeway, lots of tunnels and trees.
I-110, Harbor Freeway-Wide, busy, interchange with I-105, huge HOV viaduct
I-15, Northern San Diego County-Goes through bad sprawl, but the way this
highway goes through the huge hills and canyons is absolutely breathtaking.
I-5/805 Merge, Golden Triangle-Huge hills, dramatic overpasses, the high-tech
buildings on top
I-5 through Camp Pendleton
I-10 West of Phoenix-I like the tubular gantries
I-10 through Mid-City New Orleans, and Ponchartrain Expressway Viaduct: The
flatness of the city really makes for good views on this meandering freeway
I-85 through Charlotte
I-85 through DeKalb and Gwinnett Counties
I-20 South of Dallas-One Huge Stack after another, and the split by Moutain
Creek Lake in Grand Prairie
I-64, Hampton Roads Tunnel Approaches-Water, Water everywhere. Nice homes
along the coast, and I like the tunnel.
I-66 From the Beltway to DC-I like the metro trains whizzing by (I am envious
of that in traffic), the huge soundwalls, the old homes. I-64 through
Louisville, KY-Cuts through Limestone hills, a huge park and tunnel, and
dramatic views of downtown
I-459 south of Birmingham-Dramatic slopes through the Appalachian Foothills,
and views of the Galleria, and the Statue of Liberty
Rural
I-8 through Cleveland National Forest-Dramatic Mountains, but no Guardrails,
aaaaaaaaaahhhh!
I-8 between Casa Grande and Gila Bend-Dramatic desert scenery
I-65 south of Louisville-Dramatic hills, cutting through the limestone hills
I-55 between St. Louis and Cape Girardeau (sp?)-More beautiful hills, similar
to 65 between Elizabethtown and Louisville
I-85 through South Carolina UpCountry-Huge hills, mountains, and I like how
it curves by Kings Mountain, NC, and it goes right into Charlotte
I-20 east of Dallas-I know, not that pretty, but I like it for sentimental
purposes. I used to live in San Diego, and there are NO trees between there
and Dallas on that route. We would drive to Mississippi every summer, and
seeing the forests of East Texas signified that we were almost "home". I like
forests.
I-40 through Arkansas, Eastern Oklahoma-Beautiful Ouachita mountain scenery.
I know a lot of these were more than 5 miles, but I have my reasons
Gotta be the newly-opened (well, 1999) Trans-Canada Highway west of
Fredericton. Lots of rock cuts, spectacular scenery (you wouldn't even
know you're almost to a semi-major city), plus, after a long roadtrip,
I know I'm just minutes from home. :)
(Aside: I wass first on this highway about a week after it opened in
December 1999, on an unseasonably warm day with a fresh coat of snow
that fell a few days earlier. Large icicles had formed in the rock cuts
that were melting in the sun, forming a waterfall-like effect on the
rock. Very beautiful.)
Failing the TCH 2, another favorite of mine is A-20 where it skirts the
St. Lawrence River near La Pocatiere, Quebec. I managed to be on this
highway at sunset one day. You haven't seen such a sight in your life.
J.P. Kirby
Agreed on both. US 1 (ex-95) has the delicious series of elevated
curves beforehand, too.
>
> ACE eastbound around Milepost 4. Nice view of the illusion the
casinos have
> constructed across the marshes and Absecon Inlet. Now if they only
hadn't
> built those employee parking lots in the median...
>
> NJTP between the Hudson County Spur and Exit 12. This is the textbook
> definition of "a terrible beauty."
I'd say the same, but from 18E/W on south, a stretch one might refer to
as the New Jersey School of Industry. From the Bergen Generating
Station to the landfills to the Pulaski (and the surrounding Kearny
rail yards/warehouses/drawbridges), to the airport, Port Newark, the
Bay Bridge, and lovely Bayway Refinery, this is a textbook in
industrial infrastructure. It's better than Disney for sit-there-and-
stare entertainment.
Other urban faves: I-278 (Gowanus/BQE) in Brooklyn/Queens -- another
myriad of technological vistas, from the Verazzano to Manhattan to the
bridges, and up to LaGuardia.
FDR Drive, from 59th on down. It gets better every mile.
I-279 in Pittsburgh, through the Fort Pitt Tunnels -- the best entrance
into any city I've seen.
I-895 in the Bronx. So empty, you could have a picnic in the right
lane. Very possibly the most eerily quiet interstate I've ever driven.
I-93, the Central Artery, downtown Boston. Much maligned, and doomed.
But a breathtaking view of the lit-up skyline at night.
And the more bucolic:
Palisades Parkway north of New City/New Hempstead.
US 9w over Storm King about 5 miles north of Bear Mountain (a point
from which you can almost spit down on West Point).
Merritt Parkway, the first 5 miles in CT from the NY line. Curves that
are so much fun they should have been straightened years ago (like the
ones over the NY line) but man, what a road.
--
"Obviously when you're looking for a large government subsidy for a
private organization, to pay one employee $160 million is of concern," -
- Brian Honan, Boston City Councillor, on the Red Sox' signing of Manny
Ramirez during their push for $212 million in city funds.
While I suppose my frequent travel on I-17 has diminished
a bit my appreciation of its splendor, it's still a scenic
and fun drive (except last weekend - snow all the way to
New River)
In Arizona, i'd have to say my 2 favorite Interstate
segments are:
1. I-15, especially through the Virgin River Gorge.
Maintenance and operations can be tough, but it has
scenery unlike almost any other place on the System.
2. I-40 between Sanders and the New Mexico state line.
Red rocks, sweeping vistas, and full-scale tourist
traps at almost every TI. :)
Outside of Arizona:
1. I-10 westbound at Beaumont, CA, approaching the 60
split - that's where the "fun" starts (although one
could argue that the urbanization has reached all the
way back to Dillon Rd these days)
2. I-10 in San Antonio - like those double-deckers!
--
Richard C. Moeur, P.E., WC7RCM, E.C.I., whatever...
Practicing Traffic Engineer (I'll get it right someday...)
Phoenix, Arizona, USA
"Life is just one W1-5 after another, until the W14-1"
The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of
the Arizona Department of Transportation. Really.
WWW: http://members.aol.com/rcmoeur/
E-Mail: rcm...@aol.com, NOT rcm...@earthlink.net. Tnx!
I-29 in South Dakota, from north of Elk Point to around Beresford (about 25
miles) -- in the summer, on either side of the freeway all the way to the
horizon, you see nothing but green and gold fields.
--PLH, who gets to see that spectacle once a year
The Arroyo Seco Parkway (Pasadena Freeway). A drive-thru road
museum. That's why its one of my favorites, along with CA 163
through Balboa Park in San Diego.
Some more favorites:
Southbound I-5 south of I-8: nice view of the San Diego skyline
CA 241 north of CA 133 - on a clear day a great view all the way
to Long Beach and Catalina
Hollywood Freeway section of US 101 - I like the old bridges and
the views of Hollywood and L.A.
Transition from northbound I-5 to wesbound I-10, Los Angeles -
lots of bridges packed into a small area, then a good view of the
L.A. skyline
US 101 between Santa Barbara and Ventura where it is right on the
water.
I-10 coming down from Chiriaco Summit where you can see the Palm
Springs area and the Coachella Valley
CA 480 may have been a blight on the area, but it was a good
drive, snaking by the SF skyscrapers
US 101 northbound north of I-280 - good view of the San Francisco
skyline
I-5 through downtown Seattle and Portland - very urban
[so I see our tastes are similar. One of these days, I'll have to go out
of my way in order to enter Pittsburgh from the south rather than from the
east as most Philadelphians would]
> I-93, the Central Artery, downtown Boston. Much maligned, and doomed.
> But a breathtaking view of the lit-up skyline at night.
Agreed, but remember what I said about elevated freeways and railroads in
another thread. This may be a way-over-budget boondoggle, but from the
standing-on-the-ground aesthetic standpoint, this is a very welcome
development.
> US 9w over Storm King about 5 miles north of Bear Mountain (a point
> from which you can almost spit down on West Point).
But is that a freeway? ISTR it's a plain old 4-lane highway.
> Merritt Parkway, the first 5 miles in CT from the NY line. Curves that
> are so much fun they should have been straightened years ago (like the
> ones over the NY line) but man, what a road.
I left that off my list because frankly, the entire 39-mile road rates in
my book, save for that section they ruined in order to bring the new US 7
expressway across it. But you mean to tell me that *they got rid of those
neat curves on the Hutch*? Say it ain't so, Joe.
wa99- The Alaskan Way Viaduct northbound in Seattle. Best views of
Puget Sound and Seattle from the top(nb) level. I hope this road stays
around forever, but would-be waterfront developers or an earthquake
will probably do this one in in my lifetime.
I-90 from I-405 to I-5. A relativly new freeway by Washington State
standards(11 years old) with nice smooth pavement. Tunnels, the
floating bridge, its has it all.
I-5 from The West Seattle Freeway to I-405 in Tukwila. The only place
in Washington or Oregon where you can feel like you are driving on a
California Freeway. Wide, and usually flows well. But, of course,
since it is Seattle, you have to go around left lane people going 55
sometimes.
US 101- The Cauheuga pass section. I first drove this coming from the
north last May. Wow, what a rush. No other freeway I have driven
gives me the feeling that I am in a video game.
US 101- The section just north of the GG Bridge. Also a good one for
the video game factor, another good rush.
US 41 LSD in Chicago- I don't know if this qualifies as freeway or not,
it seems to in some areas north of town, but it is fun.
I-405 in West LA. I love seeing those BGS's with the arrows pointing
at all of those lanes.
Also tack on coming from the north into town on 279 and from the east on 376.
Atleast PennDOT designed the entrances into the city with some asthetics in
mind.
Since my post didn't make it, my favorite stretch would be 376. What other
road can you catch up on sleep while driving on :-).
Jeff Kitsko
Pennsylvania Highways: http://www.pahighways.com/
Pittsburgh Highways: http://www.pahighways.com/pghhwys/
Philadelphia Highways: http://www.pahighways.com/phlhwys/
I can save you some time and gasoline by just going here:
http://www.pahighways.com/IHwys/I279.html
Being an urbanite myself, I have never liked THAT stretch of the Junipero Serra
Freeway, but rather the very short section in SF that rivals I-278 in
substandardness <g> There's even a sidewalk!
>
>wa99- The Alaskan Way Viaduct northbound in Seattle. Best views of
>Puget Sound and Seattle from the top(nb) level. I hope this road stays
>around forever, but would-be waterfront developers or an earthquake
>will probably do this one in in my lifetime.
I saw that when I was in Seattle in 1996...didn't get to go on it though :(
Wouldn't want to miss it before it gets the treatment 480 did...
>US 101- The Cauheuga pass section. I first drove this coming from the
>north last May. Wow, what a rush. No other freeway I have driven
>gives me the feeling that I am in a video game.
Hey, I get that SAME EXACT FEELING down there! Especially the closer you get
to 110, with the substandard ramp merging.
>
>US 41 LSD in Chicago- I don't know if this qualifies as freeway or not,
>it seems to in some areas north of town, but it is fun.
The route indeed is a freeway (Expressway) in some places.
>
>I-405 in West LA. I love seeing those BGS's with the arrows pointing
>at all of those lanes.
That section's usually jammed up, even though 405 is a "bypass"...
Isn't that the west enterance? ;-)
> Jeff Kitsko
> Pennsylvania Highways: http://www.pahighways.com/
> Pittsburgh Highways: http://www.pahighways.com/pghhwys/
> Philadelphia Highways: http://www.pahighways.com/phlhwys/
Sandor G - at OSU
Here are my favorites (in no particular order), all have breathtaking
scenery which makes all the long drives worthwhile...
1. US-101, from Carpinteria to Santa Barbara, California
2. I-280 through Palo Alto, California
3. CA-1 at CA-68 in Monterey
4. CA-163 through Balboa Park in San Diego
5. I-15 in Arizona, just north of Mesquite, NV
6. I-70 through Glenwood Canyon, CO
7. I-91, just north of I-93 in Vermont
"Don Hagstrom" <don...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:lJ1d6.120$T21....@newsread2.prod.itd.earthlink.net...
>
> Recently there was a poll as to our favorite freeway or highway.
>
> Here's another (similar) one:
>
> What are some of your favorite stretches of freeway (lets say 5 miles or
> less in length) and why?
>
Even more neat is I-5 in Orange County with those 5 arrows pointing down at
the CA-57/CA-22 IC and at the (2) CA-133 ICs.
>
> That section's usually jammed up, even though 405 is a "bypass"...
Some bypass, huh? Most locals know that the Five is a better bet than the
Four-Oh-Five if you are traveling inter-county.
It's amazing how much less traffic you've got downtown than near LAX...
Although Norwalk still has its troubles.
You touched a sore spot with me and trucks. I'm already angry enough
that enormous amounts of debris come off these trucks and pit my
windshield and put a nice size crack in it every couple of months. To
make matters worse I see them spread across all lanes of the freeway!
I drive I-5 everyday between Irvine and the CA 55 interchange (4-5
lanes + HOV) and most days there will be big rigs spread across all
regular lanes of the freeway and thats enough to slow it down from a
comfortable 70-75 to a excruciating 45.... and no lanes open to go
around.
Almost as bad is what I have deemed the I-5 Truck Races. Traveling
between Southern and Northern California on I-5, it is mostly 2 lanes.
Truck A will be doing 55 in the right lane and then Truck B will decide
he needs to do 56 mph, so he will move over to pass causing regular 75-
80mph traffic to slow down for the next few miles while he passes.
Why does he need to pass if the max he can do is 55 to begin with??
And how bout those huge lumbering tour buses that insist on doing 50 in
the HOV when the rest of the freeway is moving along at 70?
I think a lot of Southern California traffic could be minimized if
people had better driving habits. As I suggested when I addressed the
CHP's Traffic Relief Panel, I think a public service campaign should be
devised to help educate drivers on better driving habits. Exs: Merging
on the freeway at 65 instead of 30, and then speeding up and leaving a
couple car lengths in front of you when stuck in heavy traffic to make
lane changes easier.
In the meantime, I have job security :)
Chris Hughes
Traffic Reporter
> >[so I see our tastes are similar. One of these days, I'll have to go out
> >of my way in order to enter Pittsburgh from the south rather than from the
> >east as most Philadelphians would]
>
> I can save you some time and gasoline by just going here:
> http://www.pahighways.com/IHwys/I279.html
Thank you. Yep, this one's up there with taking the Tobin into Boston.
And the Fort Pitt span is far more attractive.
Allow me to use this post to once again register my objection, though, to
PennDOT's plans to replace the ornamental aluminum railing on the bridge
with a tall view-blocking Jersey barrier.
> >I-279 in Pittsburgh, through the Fort Pitt Tunnels -- the best entrance
> >into any city I've seen.
>
> Also tack on coming from the north into town on 279 and from the east on 376.
> Atleast PennDOT designed the entrances into the city with some asthetics in
> mind.
Frankly, PennDOT didn't do too badly with the Schuylkill into Philadelphia
from the northwest, although in that case they had a river alongside it to
serve as a handy guide.
* M-14 between I-94 (exit 171) & US-23 (exit 45) outside Ann Arbor.
Don't ask me why, but I always have a fascination w/ driving that
rare-for-the-area steep downhill going westbound approaching the BUS US-
23 exit @ the Huron River crossing.
* OH-2 / OH-269 across Sandusky Bay bridge. One of the more pleasant
views of Sandusky Bay / Lake Erie in the area (outside of the Cedar
Point Causeway).
--
Dan Garnell
E-mail: dg...@juno.com
http://eng-sci.udmercy.edu/
I actually hate the fact that the trucks can use the right 2 lanes rather
than just the right lane. Here is what happens. Freeway, 4 lanes one
direction. Truck A in the right lane--45 MPH. Truck B in the #3 lane--50
MPH. Truck C gets mad, cannot pass either one and now illegally crosses
into Lane #2 to do 53 MPH forcing all traffic wanting to do 55 or more to
pass in the #1 lane only. And the trucks forget the 2 right lanes rule on
the I-5. They think they can use all lanes except for the left 2. They
obviously don't fear the CHP so the CHP must not realize that the I-5 has 5
mixed flow lanes, not 4.
But drivers in general here are rude, don't use signals and drive however
they want. The only places I encounter worse driving than here is in
Nevada--where I believe that Californians have overrun and brought their
nasty driving habits with them. The difference is that Las Vegas has a less
developed road network than we do so it brings out the bigger idiot in them.
Don
--
Discussion group for Transportation Features, Problems, Solutions for the
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Subscribe at PacMountain_Tra...@egroups.com .
<ckh...@my-deja.com> wrote in message news:95broj$kk9$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...
>The only places I encounter worse driving than here is in
>Nevada
>The difference is that Las Vegas has a less
>developed road network than we do so it brings out the bigger idiot in them.
You've obviously never done any driving in South Carolina.
--
Discussion group for Transportation Features, Problems, Solutions for the
Western States and Provinces of Canada, the US, and Mexico.
Subscribe at PacMountain_Tra...@egroups.com .
"Jim Geiger " <bigdadd...@aol.compufuck> wrote in message
news:20010202003124...@ng-fl1.aol.com...
In the 5+ years I was out of the state (1991-6), the politeness of the CA
driver plummeted.
I'll bet, though, Don, that you've never been to Atlanta. The drivers there
make Northeastern drivers seem holy.
Later,
Ray
--
M. Ray Mullins Big Bear City, California home of the other MARTA ICQ# 28901695
California Transit Publications - your one stop shop for transit marketing,
publications, planning and web services at http://www.catransit.com/ TIPs:
http://socaltip.tipnetworks.org http://norcaltip.tipnetworks.org http://cencaltip.tipnetworks.org
You mean the depression era when the State not only stopped building
and repairing roads but stole the road money from the counties as
well.
> I'll bet, though, Don, that you've never been to Atlanta. The
> drivers there make Northeastern drivers seem holy.
Those drivers in Atlanta WERE Northeasterners!
Both SoCal and ATL suffer the problems of a large adult population
having learned to drive elsewhere and lagging infrastructure.
Yes, there were plenty of Northeasterners, but trust me - the worst
offenders were Southerners. 5 lane crossovers to get to the offframp;
staying behind the limit line in the left turn lane even though the
light is green, and then not turning when the light turns red; I could
go on and on.
Try driving in DC through the rotaries. That will prepare you for the
UK (although you will have to internally reverse the thought process).
We're going to England on vacation in the fall, and I'm already psyching
myself for the driving. My UK cow-orker already made a crack about rolling
down the window when I mean to shift. :-) (Thank <diety> that the floor
pedal arrangement doesn't change - that would probably be too much.)
> I-280 from Daly City south to San Jose. My all time favorite. Long
> stretches with no exits, beautiful scenery, and everyone driving fast.
> The design of the overpasses is visually appealling.
I'll add this to the East Coast-centric list I posted the other day.
--
David J. Greenberger
> Chris, I really appreciated you commentary. The trucks complain about the
> drivers here in Southern Califorinia but they are just as bad and a big part
> of the problem. Don't get me wrong--trucks are very important to our
> economy and to goods movement. But they need to obey the law and realize
> that they move differently than cars. They are bigger, able to cause more
> damage, and they move slower--hence the right lane rule.
Drive outside California for a while, and you'll see that trucks on freeways
don't have to "move slower" unless the state makes them, by having lower speed
limits for trucks than cars. I believe this is the cause of the problem.
Let the trucks go the same speed as the cars, and you no longer need to limit
them to the right lane(s).
> But drivers in general here are rude, don't use signals and drive however
> they want.
Simple self defense. If you use a turn signal on a freeway in southern
California, all it does is guarantee that you will never, ever be allowed to
make that lane change. And if you leave more than six feet of following
distance, someone will stick his front fender into it and force you to brake.
> The only places I encounter worse driving than here is in
> Nevada--where I believe that Californians have overrun and brought their
> nasty driving habits with them.
That sounds unusual. The nicest place I've ever driven on city streets was
Las Vegas. It's a bit hard to navigate, but the locals realize it and will
actually make way for you to turn left.
It is part of it and I wish that they would let trucks go 65MPH.
(1) They do it anyway and even faster
(2) To eliminate the speed differential as you suggested. Right now, if
everyone followed the law (laugh laugh) on a typical freeway with 4 lanes in
one direction, you would have 1 lane going 65, 1 lane going 60 with some
idiot car, and 2 going 55 or less with trucks.
That being said, the speed differential is not the whole problem. Trucks
can move as fast as cars on rural interstate freeways (I have done extensive
driving outside of California to notice this) but within cities when they
are forced to stop and go due to congestion, they have a hard time
accelerating and maintaining speed. Complaints are beginning to crop up in
Arizona and Nevada--2 states that currently allow trucks to drive in any
lane they choose. Many in these states want to adopt the same rule as
California--right 2 lanes only at least to keep them out of the fast lane.
>
> > But drivers in general here are rude, don't use signals and drive
however
> > they want.
>
> Simple self defense. If you use a turn signal on a freeway in southern
> California, all it does is guarantee that you will never, ever be allowed
to
> make that lane change. And if you leave more than six feet of following
> distance, someone will stick his front fender into it and force you to
brake.
Unfortunately you are right. I have even stopped using my turn signal most
times because of this fact. But your very comment only furthers my argument
of the rudeness here.
>
> > The only places I encounter worse driving than here is in
> > Nevada--where I believe that Californians have overrun and brought their
> > nasty driving habits with them.
>
> That sounds unusual. The nicest place I've ever driven on city streets
was
> Las Vegas. It's a bit hard to navigate, but the locals realize it and
will
> actually make way for you to turn left.
Perhaps we visited different parts of the city : )
>
Forced congestion due to government's caving in to enviros has caused misery
on the roads here which has caused road rage. This is a trend all over the
country of course but is especially prevalent in highly congested
areas--Seattle and major Californian cities come to mind. I don't have any
stats but I'd be interested to know if there was any correlation between
hours of congestion and road rage incidents. Robert?
Ray also brought up a good point in that many drivers in
general--particularly in some of the country's growth areas--LA, Atlanta,
etc. think that there are no laws. Crossing several lanes at once is no
problem--its only important that I get there. Who cares if the rest of you
need to brake. I'd expect that elements of this rudeness exist nationwide,
however.
Ray--Haven't been to Atlanta either so I guess I haven't missed much.
"Ray Mullins" <m...@lerctr.org> wrote in message
news:95empk$4oe$1...@lerami.lerctr.org...
Don Hagstrom wrote:
>
> Recently there was a poll as to our favorite freeway or highway.
>
> Here's another (similar) one:
>
> What are some of your favorite stretches of freeway (lets say 5 miles or
> less in length) and why?
Mine are probably the following:
I-75 between I-275 and downtown Cincinnati
I-71 between the same places
They bring back childhood memories from my travels down to the Queen
City.
For whatever reason the I-71 "Lytle tunnel" just north/east of DT Cincy
reminds me of the 1977 Foreigner song "Feels Like The First Time"--the
section just before the end (final "Feels like the first time! Feels
like the very first time!" with a possible repeat/fade) which has all of
those computer-generated sounds (groups of eight pitches in one
frequency, then eight more in a lower one, then eight more in a lower
one, before some more instruments) makes me think of a video of going
through the tunnel, and every time they switch from sets of eight
pitches, the lighting levels change, kind of what they do by getting
dimmer the further you get from the entrance.