Monday, May 23, 2005
Highway Ambiguities
I saw the Richmond Times Dispatch's "Streetbeat" column of 2005 May 23 this morning. There were two Question and Answer sections, and the second one really confused me. First the questioner asks about going from I-95 south to Route 288. This has me thinking of approaching I-95 southbound at Exit 62, where you can get onto Route 288. I do this all the time in going to Richmond and back from my home. But then the questioner says there is no sign telling how to get to 288 and cross the bridge. Huh? I see perfectly well signs indicating 288 there, but I know of no notable bridge on 288 just after that exit. Further, I clearly see I-95 signs on 288 approaching I-95.
Then the VDOT representative says it is difficult to express I-95 south to I-295 north to I-64 west to 288 south, and this really had me wondering, that someone actually would want to loop around the city like that, by taking I-95 to I-295 south of Petersburg to I-64 at the airport all the way west on I-64 through Richmond to 288 south. Then I realized that the questioner meant all along to take I-295 NORTH of Richmond to I-64 WEST of the city to 288 south.
The two possible routes appear below
Note that I start the first one farther south than the second one, because it is here that I imagined first that someone southbound on I-95 would go onto Route 288.
The city of Richmond is not the only one with ambiguities. Take a look at Columbus, Ohio:
Columbus has a superb highway network, but this network produces large numbers of ambiguities. There are two I-270s at I-71, for example, and two I-270s at I-70. as well as two US 33s at I-270 and two US 23s at I-270; further, the square at the center of the city must cause some awful confusions as well; it is confusing which road belongs with which route number. Fortunately, when I looked up a Columbus traffic report, I saw it say something like "I-270 at I-71 on the south side".
It would help if people would use unambiguous descriptions of intersections, and this includes radio traffic reporters as well as newspaper writers and VDOT representatives. Columbus may have its act straight, but it is important to remember that in the Richmond, Virginia area, there are TWO I-95s at I-295, there are TWO I-64s at I-295, and there are two bridges - the 288 bridge across the James west of the city, and the Enon-Varina bridge. When you mention each of these, you need to specify which one. Not doing so could lead someone on the wrong road or into a traffic jam, or even worse yet, into an accident.
Then the VDOT representative says it is difficult to express I-95 south to I-295 north to I-64 west to 288 south, and this really had me wondering, that someone actually would want to loop around the city like that, by taking I-95 to I-295 south of Petersburg to I-64 at the airport all the way west on I-64 through Richmond to 288 south. Then I realized that the questioner meant all along to take I-295 NORTH of Richmond to I-64 WEST of the city to 288 south.
The two possible routes appear below
| Route that I imagined | Route VDOT intended |
 |  |
Note that I start the first one farther south than the second one, because it is here that I imagined first that someone southbound on I-95 would go onto Route 288.
The city of Richmond is not the only one with ambiguities. Take a look at Columbus, Ohio:
Columbus has a superb highway network, but this network produces large numbers of ambiguities. There are two I-270s at I-71, for example, and two I-270s at I-70. as well as two US 33s at I-270 and two US 23s at I-270; further, the square at the center of the city must cause some awful confusions as well; it is confusing which road belongs with which route number. Fortunately, when I looked up a Columbus traffic report, I saw it say something like "I-270 at I-71 on the south side".
It would help if people would use unambiguous descriptions of intersections, and this includes radio traffic reporters as well as newspaper writers and VDOT representatives. Columbus may have its act straight, but it is important to remember that in the Richmond, Virginia area, there are TWO I-95s at I-295, there are TWO I-64s at I-295, and there are two bridges - the 288 bridge across the James west of the city, and the Enon-Varina bridge. When you mention each of these, you need to specify which one. Not doing so could lead someone on the wrong road or into a traffic jam, or even worse yet, into an accident.
