I was in Georgia when they switched systems, and I never had understood the consecutive numbering – sure, I might know to get off at exit 37, but I would have no idea how far it was to exit 37. I thought it was pretty stupid, and was happy when it all changed.
And yes, driving into Texas from Louisiana is a bit of a shock, even though I mostly grew up in central Texas. I guess as a kid I took the size of the place for granted. Now, though…gaaah, exit 850??? It’s a loooooong way to El Paso…
I’m pretty sure that CALTRANS is responsible for whatever markers there are.
As to knowing what exit to use, I’ve always found it quite helpful to consult a map before going into strange territory.
I’m not positive, but i think NY may be starting to switch over. Some of the exit signs on I-81 have been showing up with mile markings on them.
If I’m correct, and my memory works from my years of traveling through that area, I’m assuming it’s in the Manchester CT area. The reason he mentions where the exits go, is that if you get off at the wrong one, it can be very difficult to either: A) Get back on the highway, to get to the right exit, or B) get from where you exited, to where you wanted to exit. Lots of turns and loops when you get off, and it’s nearly impossible to navigate that area.
It’s a major shopping area, with bizarre road configurations, and a couple of major highway interchanges all mixed up in there.
I’m personally all for the numbered exiting system, as it certainly has all of the benefits listed above. It solves the “how far” issue, it solves the “new exit” issue.
I however, usually use the exit description, rather than trying to remember the exit numbers, though I can see the usefullness of the numbering system.
Last time I checked, the Ohio Turnpike still used consecutive numbers. But if you keep going west, Indiana is on mile markers.
Which is strange because otherwise Ohio uses the distance system.
I always found it interesting on I-80 in NJ, because they use mileage numbering, but there is an exit at virtually every mile, so it ends up being virtually consecutive. Only a few exits need letters, and they are mostly where there is a merge with another interstate and there are two exit for the two directions.
The converse is Route 8 in CT, which uses consecutive numbering but also tends to have an exit every mile. So as a rough calculation you can treat the exit numbers as mileage, even though they may be off 0-3 miles at any given exit. It doesn’t work over the whole length though, which can be deceptive.
Also amusing is in Springfield, MA on I-91, where they deleted low-numbered exits in the city and didn’t feel like renumbering the whole rest of the state. So they just put up signs that say “No Exit 6” or something like that.
The Ohio Turnpike rolled out mile markers within the last few years.
Last year there were big signs up in the highway rest stops explaining that “Exit so-and-so is the new exit old-so-and-so.”
When I see the signs Exit 19 (old exit 6) I crack up. I always think of The artist formerly known as Prince.
But the mile markers are useless unless you know what mile your exit is at, which, unless it’s numbered by the mile, you usually don’t.
However, by numbering them by the mile, the mile markers are suddenly useful. You need exit 125? Well, you just passed 107, so it will be in 18 miles. It’s not any more hard than knowing it’s the next exit. And personally, I always look to make sure it’s the right exit number. There is almost always a sign abnout 1 mile before every exit telling you what exit is coming up. I don’t blindly take ther next exit just necause the last one was one before the one I want, what if there is an A, B, E, or S? I look at the ‘next exit’ sign, and then look agin right before I get into that lane.
Mile numbered exits beats the Hell out of consecutive numbered. Consecutive only have the slight advantage if there are several within one mile, and even then, the mile method would just be doing the same thing the consecutive method has been doing for years by adding a letter or two.
Probably just a bunch of Monty Python fans at the Highway Authority…
Let me take this opportunity to impart another story, about the first time I went to see HSHExGF.
To get to Wellesley, you get off the Mass Pike at Exit 13. So I’m cruising along, and I pass exit 10.
“Wow,” I think. I’m close now!
Eight miles or so later, I pass exit 11.
“Closer still! Only two more exits,” I thought, as my heart began to piuck up speed.
Eleven miles later, up comes the next exit.
“Exit twelve, one to go, soon will I see my ladylove!” raced my thoughts, in time to my heart.
And I passed under the exit, all filled with glee, only to see…
11A.
Sequential numbers can bite me.
WOO-HOO! Now I can finally answer the kids when they ask how far we are from Cedar Point!
One of the things I liked the first time I drove in the USA was the mile number system for interstate exits. It’s plainly so much better than our consecutive number system, how come we didn’t think of it? I didn’t realise that not all states use it.
I’d also like to see us adopt the US practice of having regular, easily-spotted roadsigns telling you the name of the street you’re on, and those of intersecting streets, something that can be infuriatingly difficult to establish when you’re driving round an unfamiliar British town.
If only we could get that in the USA! Don’t they have all the signs left over from their removal during WWII? 
Some places have great signage. Some places are horrible. Even some places that actually have signs up for streets, don’t have signs that you can actually read. Many are too old, many are hidden by foliage, many have been removed for “other” purposes besides marking streets.
My street has 2 signs, one says Oakridge, one says Oak Ridge. I’m not sure which is correct, though the postman always knows enough to get it to the right street. (Well, usually, I get a lot of mail for the same numbered house, on the loop street off of Oakridge, I assume he gets some of mine)
-butler
The best street signage I’ve seen is in Pittsburgh. They use bold blue-and-white signs that hang across the road, so you don’t have to hunt for signs on the corners. The signs give you the street name, the block, and the name of the neighbourhood as well. It’s fantastic.
Agreed, butler1850 - lest you think all cities in the US have good street signage, Usram, there are plenty of terribly signed places. Like Boston. Just like most towns in the UK, with signs on tiny posts that are totally unreadable from car.
My vote for best signage is probably Houston, which sounds a lot like acsenray’s description of Pittsburgh. The problem is, there are also parts of the city where the streets HAVE NO SIGNS AT ALL. Another terribly signed city is Atlanta - downtown is okay, but once you head out, tiny signs and a plethora of “peach” influenced streets makes it very difficult to navigate.
I’ve driven quite a bit in the UK, and the one huge advantage we have in the US is that most of our major roads are clearly labeled as South, North, East, or West. So you have a general idea of what direction you’re headed. In the UK, you’d better know the towns along the route of your final destination, because the A40 is the A40 in both directions. When I drove to places I didn’t know, this caused quite a bit of frustration…
Signs? You found signs? I’ve given up looking for street signs in Boston.
Two cities whose street signs were memorable:
Vienna. The names of the streets aren’t on seperate signposts on the sidewalk, but are on the facade of the buildings on the corner. The only way to lose them is if the building is torn down.
Palm Springs. On the same arm holding the traffic lights over an intersection is the name of the cross street, very large and backlit. You can’t miss it.
Continuing the signage hijack:
An awful thing they do with signs around here is give streets honorary names and put up big signs for those names while leaving tiny signs for the real street names. Example: there is a street called Spinning Rd. Driving along an intersecting road, you’ll see that you are coming up on JOE GREENE WAY (nice, big sign), and you won’t see that you are in fact approaching Spinning Road (miniscule sign on the corner). How incredibly helpful for any out-of-towners passing through…
Concerning the main point of this thread, I’ll just say that I can now never remember the exit numbers on the Pennsylvania Turnpike since they switched to the miles system. It’s a better system, though.
Ah, my own home town. The biggest example was when Shoup Mill Road/Turner Road/Needmore Road/Harshman Road/Woodman Drive was all renamed “Wright Brothers Parkway.”
And Main Street is regularly subject to temporary renaming – “Swan Lake Boulevard,” “All-America Boulevard.”
Have they ever decided whether the proper spelling is “Waggoner Road” or “Wagner Road”?