Your Thoughts on the highway system(good bad, what needs improvement)

[westlife]

Re: Buttons

> I'm sure the bottom line is that it's cheaper. I don't
> think I've ever seen a "button copy" sign. Sounds good.

Here are some close-ups of button copy signage:

If you look closely, you can see the sparkly dots, or "buttons", on these signs:

This shows the difference in contrast between button copy and reflective signs during the daytime -- here, the 695 East sign is button copy, while the other signs are reflective:

And here's a little example of how a button-copy sign appears at night (it seems that "Richmond" was installed later with non-button-copy letters):

<P ID="signature">______________

</P>

 

[ixnay]

Re: Bring back the BUTTON COPY!

> > America has a great Highway system. No doubt. But even a
> > highway system like ours could always use improvement.
> What
> > would you all suggest?
>
> My pet peeve is the proliferation of reflective highway
> signs within the past decade, which are not nearly as
> readable as the old "button copy" signs, where the text is
> stuck onto the background letter-by-letter and has little
> sparkly dots in each letter or symbol. The difference is
> very clear to see, both on a sunny day and at night: with a
> reflective sign, the entire sign -- including the background
> -- shines back at you, while with a button copy sign, ONLY
> the text and symbols shine back at you, thus offering much
> better contrast against the sign's background.
>

Plus button copy gives the sign ATTITUDE!!!

John

 

[localstar]

> > I-95 needs about 12 more lanes in each direction.
> >
> > No speed limits, like the Autobahn.
> >
> > Rest stops with free food.
> >
> > The Turnpike needs more exits and lower tolls.
> >
> > And cheaper food and gas at rest stops.
> >
> > Plus a free car wash.
> >
> > Alligator Alley needs more alligators, and "do not feed
> the
> > alligators" signs, so people changing tires don't become
> > alligator lunch.
> >
> > 73s from 954
> >
> Through NW Indiana, there's still talk about an east-west
> highway (proposed I-365) that would go from the outskirts of
> Lowell in Indiana and go to I-57 in Illinois in the first
> phase, then extend from I-57 and end at I-80 in Joliet
> Illinois. I still don't know when that'll happen, but
> truckstops in Lowell and around Morocco Indiana want another
> interstate since US 41 has too many traffic lights. But
> Hammond and Gary Indiana mayors are against the idea saying
> that they would lose potential tourists if people bypass
> their cities. I live in Gary and want the highway through
> south Lake County. It's too congested.
>
> In the Chicago area, I-94 on the Dan Ryan portion is already
> being worked on to make the local lanes have 3 lanes like
> the express lanes already have (currently only 2 lanes in
> the locals). In the downtown area of Chicago, something
> needs to be done around the circle interchange because 3
> lanes through downtown Chicago isn't enough, plus the ramp
> to get onto I-290 is poorly designed. It's only 1 lane and
> from morning rush hour to late evening, it can take up to 30
> minutes just to get onto I-290 from I-90/94. The Edens
> portion of I-94 needs widening as well. Now that truck
> drivers have been avoiding the high tolls on the tri-state
> tollway (the I-94 portion), truck drivers have created
> congestion on the US 41 bypass between Lake Cook Road around
> Northbrook and Highland Park and the state line where US 41
> merges back with I-94 going into Wisconsin. That needs to
> go to 3-4 lanes now. I would also like to see fewer traffic
> lights as well. There are 13 traffic lights along that
> stretch.
>
> The only thing I can think of in the Milwaukee area is
> around the Marquette Interchange. That has some sharp
> turns that can cause people to go off the road if not
> careful. The stretch going from I-94 to I-894/I-43 is a
> sharp left turn and merging into I-894/I-43 seem quick.
> Also the ramp to just I-43 is one lane if I remember
> correctly and if you don't time yourself right, you miss it
> because it's off to the far left. Also the part of
> I-43/I-94 need to make the turns less sharp and around the
> downtown area, the ramps for both I-94 going west to Madison
> and I-43 going toward Green Bay need to be better designed.
> I don't know if Wisconsin is planning any major changes like
> this, but they're wanting to fix traffic problems now
> because people are overall moving out of the Chicago
> metropolitan area because their traffic is terrible, but
> cost of living in that area is pushing people into Wisconsin
> and as a result, Milwaukee is starting to make a comeback
> (not fast) in population growth and jobs. They don't want
> to be a Chicago in 20 years traffic wise.
>
> A dream for all of us in all parts of the country, get rid
> of tollroads (turnpikes for those who call them that in
> other parts of the country) so some of those roads can be
> more utilized. I avoid tollroads as much as possible and I
> do that when making a trip to South Bend Indiana. I get off
> I-94 in Michigan City at exit 40, which is US20/US35 going
> eastbound. Then take US 20 into South Bend and it takes me
> the same amount of time as taking I-90 from Gary to South
> Bend. When going to Milwaukee, I take I-94 going through
> Chicago and when I-94/US 41 separate, I take US 41 through
> Lake County Illinois until it merges back with I-94 at the
> state line.
>
That was an excellent synopsis of the state of highway travel at the southern tip of Lake Michigan. When they connect I-355 from I-55 south to I-80 and then on east to I-65, they may as well make it superwide right from the start, rather than in phases. It'll be heavily used and appreciated whether or not there is a future new airport. I've often pondered the thought that someday there could be superhighway just in from the lakeshore, or even partial bridging the southern tip of the lake, that makes a connection with the traffic from Michigan, with exits at Gary, south Chicago, diving into the bedrock of Chicago in a tunnel with a few connectors to the city, and emerging north of the city to allow: 1. easier access of Indiana residents to the Chicago area.
2. easier cross country traffic between East and North/Northwest around the tip of the lake.
---Local Star---