What are motorways called in USA?

Red Bread · 10-17-2018, 10:26 AM

And if you're in Southern California, you don't use anything more than the word The and the highway number. Take the 405 to the 5 to the 101 to the 1.

The0pportunist · 10-17-2018, 10:33 AM

They also have car pool lanes

Good idea but not sure how they enforce it!

Express lanes - some sort of closed of motorway inside a motorway that doesn't let you turn off at a junction

I've driven from Toronto to NY - Lovely wide roads in comparison to ours and there are pretty much NO speed cameras where i was driving.

floydarogers · 10-17-2018, 12:46 PM

No-one has yet said "turnpike", which is an old name for toll road (usually private). NY and PA had them.

Out west here, "freeway" is the name most often associated with a limited access, multilane highway with some sort of median.

are0lies · 10-17-2018, 01:20 PM

Well OP, hopefully we cleared this up for you. On a different note, we also have different names for those who travel slightly slower than normal in the middle lane...cool is not one of them.

cmyx6go · 10-17-2018, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by are0lies

Well OP, hopefully we cleared this up for you. On a different note, we also have different names for those who travel slightly slower than normal in the middle lane...cool is not one of them.

Anyone that drives slower than I do is a jerk and anyone that drives faster than I do is a jerk. Feel free to change jerk to your favorite term. Trying to be nice today.

155MPH · 10-17-2018, 02:02 PM

Freeway is supposed to be FREE vs. roads like Turnpike, Parkway, Expressway, Toll Road, etc. that typically have a toll associated with them. Some you pay at various spots. Some you pay when you get off the road. Some you pay to get on the road. Nothing is consistent.

That said, who cares anyway. They are all just roads.

Red Bread · 10-17-2018, 02:12 PM

In theory, the largest roads are Interstates which do just that, go from state to state and have limited entrances and exits with no stop lights. They were part of the National Highway development in the 50's. Like the Autobahn without the unrestricted zones or the sinister overtones.

Highways are a step down and have more access with stop signs/lights in urban areas. In some areas, highways are hard to tell from major roads.

Cyanfall · 10-17-2018, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmyx6go

I think it depends on where you are. On the east coast, we call them highways. On the west coast they tend to use freeways. Not sure if the difference in terminology actually has to do with whether or not they are toll roads. Plenty of tolls here in the east.

How can a road be both toll and free?

Lee808 · 10-17-2018, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Not_Judy

I'm still trying to wrap my mind around why we park in a driveway and drive on the parkway.

Mind Blown

Z K · 10-17-2018, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Bread

And if you're in Southern California, you don't use anything more than the word The and the highway number. Take the 405 to the 5 to the 101 to the 1.

Yeah.. there's so many crisscrossing highways and alternative routes that I can't get anywhere in SoCal without navigation when I go down there. And the traffic is always insane 24/7. I can be driving at 3am and I'll get stuck in a traffic jam...

I don't think anywhere else in the US has such huge suburban sprawl and big overlaid grid of highways/freeways.

SteveinArizona · 10-17-2018, 05:59 PM

In my experience freeway is used for limited access roads. Roads that are not limited access but have multiple lanes in each direction have lots of different names.

arkie6 · 10-17-2018, 09:58 PM

A little road trivia:

Even numbered roads (interstate, highway, etc.) generally run east - west while odd numbered roads run north-south. An example is I-40 that passes a few miles from my home and runs from North Carolina to California.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_40

With the interstate system, the southern most east-west route is I-10, then north of that is I-20, then further north is I-30, then further north is I-40, and so on.

Tuxedo · 10-17-2018, 10:04 PM

lots of answers but this video may help in 4mins what would take 30mins to read

Dog Face Pony Soldier · 10-18-2018, 12:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Not_Judy

I'm still trying to wrap my mind around why we park in a driveway and drive on the parkway.

Funny- this was just covered on NowIKnow...

http://nowiknow.com/why-we-park-on-d...e-on-parkways/

floydarogers · 10-18-2018, 02:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arkie6

A little road trivia:

Even numbered roads (interstate, highway, etc.) generally run east - west while odd numbered roads run north-south. An example is I-40 that passes a few miles from my home and runs from North Carolina to California.

The major grid is two-digit: even ones running east-west, odds running north-south.

3-digit ones with an even first digit (205, 405) are "bypass" roads that run around major cities - the last two digits identify the major road they are providing a bypass for. 3-digit ones with an odd first digit (105, 705) are spur freeways that provide access into a city/urban area.

The major grid shows an incredible east-coast bias: the east-west interstates are evenly spread along the east coast, but they end up being really squished in CA between SF and LA: note that I-84 goes to Portland, while I-80 goes to SF. Stupid bureaucrats.

Dog Face Pony Soldier · 10-18-2018, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by floydarogers

The major grid shows an incredible east-coast bias: the east-west interstates are evenly spread along the east coast, but they end up being really squished in CA between SF and LA: note that I-84 goes to Portland, while I-80 goes to SF. Stupid bureaucrats.

My perspective is the bias is towards populated areas. Perhaps those bureaucrats that plan out the interstate highway system deserve a tiny bit of respect?

King Rudi · 10-18-2018, 07:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glennQNYC

Funny- this was just covered on NowIKnow...

http://nowiknow.com/why-we-park-on-d...e-on-parkways/

Very cool! I just remember my father mentioning this when I was a small child; just one of those weird things that sticks with you. Thanks for the share. I dig useless info.

floydarogers · 10-18-2018, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Railgun

If you read the thread, someone did.

I searched and didn't see it.

floydarogers · 10-18-2018, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glennQNYC

My perspective is the bias is towards populated areas. Perhaps those bureaucrats that plan out the interstate highway system deserve a tiny bit of respect?

I84 into Portland wasn't an interstate until 25-30 years ago. The pieces of roadway/highway (in ID/OR) that it now consists of weren't interstate standard and took a long time to upgrade in pieces and fits and starts. Then, the blessed bureaucrats said: "Whoops, we can't rename it to be I80, we'll have to pick a new number." They picked 84.

Lack of forethought is not a sign of intelligence.

Peasley · 10-19-2018, 05:20 AM

Think of a different project OP

How about chips in the UK vs US?

Caffeine Powered · 10-20-2018, 08:21 PM

I've heard or said highway, freeway, interstate or belt-line in Wisconsin, Texas, California, Washington and point s in between.

My favorite reference is backroads. I always try to take the backroads.

Caffeine Powered · 10-20-2018, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Z K

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Bread

And if you're in Southern California, you don't use anything more than the word The and the highway number. Take the 405 to the 5 to the 101 to the 1.

Yeah.. there's so many crisscrossing highways and alternative routes that I can't get anywhere in SoCal without navigation when I go down there. And the traffic is always insane 24/7. I can be driving at 3am and I'll get stuck in a traffic jam...

I don't think anywhere else in the US has such huge suburban sprawl and big overlaid grid of highways/freeways.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Bread

And if you're in Southern California, you don't use anything more than the word The and the highway number. Take the 405 to the 5 to the 101 to the 1.

Similarly in rural areas (I lived in LA but am in Wisco now) the numbers are used as well. To visit Grandpa you take 18/151 to 12/14 to 12 to 33 to 23. Don't take 51 to 90/94 to 33 unless there's a blizzard.

10-17-2018, 10:26 AM	#23
Red Bread Major General 4463 Rep 9,160 Posts Drives: Smog machines Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Austin, TX iTrader: (0)	And if you're in Southern California, you don't use anything more than the word The and the highway number. Take the 405 to the 5 to the 101 to the 1.
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10-17-2018, 10:33 AM	#24
The0pportunist Major 471 Rep 1,268 Posts Drives: F30 335i Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: London iTrader: (0)	They also have car pool lanes Good idea but not sure how they enforce it! Express lanes - some sort of closed of motorway inside a motorway that doesn't let you turn off at a junction I've driven from Toronto to NY - Lovely wide roads in comparison to ours and there are pretty much NO speed cameras where i was driving.
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10-17-2018, 12:46 PM	#25
floydarogers Curmudgeon and Pedant 690 Rep 3,489 Posts Drives: 2010 335d, 2014 328d Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Bellevue, WA iTrader: (0)	No-one has yet said "turnpike", which is an old name for toll road (usually private). NY and PA had them. Out west here, "freeway" is the name most often associated with a limited access, multilane highway with some sort of median.
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10-17-2018, 01:20 PM	#26
are0lies Banned 4181 Rep 1,867 Posts Drives: 2011 M3 E93 Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Riverside iTrader: (0)	Well OP, hopefully we cleared this up for you. On a different note, we also have different names for those who travel slightly slower than normal in the middle lane...cool is not one of them.
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10-17-2018, 02:02 PM	#28
155MPH Major 61 Rep 1,379 Posts Drives: E89 Z4 sDrive28i M Performance Join Date: May 2007 Location: South Jersey Shore iTrader: (0) Garage List 2019 BMW xDrive430i ... [0.00] 2014 BMW Z4 sDrive2 ... [5.00]	Freeway is supposed to be FREE vs. roads like Turnpike, Parkway, Expressway, Toll Road, etc. that typically have a toll associated with them. Some you pay at various spots. Some you pay when you get off the road. Some you pay to get on the road. Nothing is consistent. That said, who cares anyway. They are all just roads.
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10-17-2018, 02:12 PM	#29
Red Bread Major General 4463 Rep 9,160 Posts Drives: Smog machines Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Austin, TX iTrader: (0)	In theory, the largest roads are Interstates which do just that, go from state to state and have limited entrances and exits with no stop lights. They were part of the National Highway development in the 50's. Like the Autobahn without the unrestricted zones or the sinister overtones. Highways are a step down and have more access with stop signs/lights in urban areas. In some areas, highways are hard to tell from major roads.
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10-17-2018, 05:59 PM	#33
SteveinArizona Brigadier General 3086 Rep 4,210 Posts Drives: BMW 530e Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Greater Phoenix iTrader: (0)	In my experience freeway is used for limited access roads. Roads that are not limited access but have multiple lanes in each direction have lots of different names.
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10-17-2018, 09:58 PM	#34
arkie6 Lieutenant 397 Rep 433 Posts Drives: 2008 BMW 335i sedan Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Russellville, AR iTrader: (0) Garage List 2008 BMW 335i [0.00]	A little road trivia: Even numbered roads (interstate, highway, etc.) generally run east - west while odd numbered roads run north-south. An example is I-40 that passes a few miles from my home and runs from North Carolina to California. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_40 With the interstate system, the southern most east-west route is I-10, then north of that is I-20, then further north is I-30, then further north is I-40, and so on.
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10-17-2018, 10:04 PM	#35
Tuxedo Bowties r cool ▶:◀ 1409 Rep 796 Posts Drives: 09' 128i MT e88, 24'G05 X5 50e Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Chicago iTrader: (0) Garage List 2009 BMW 128i e88 [0.00]	lots of answers but this video may help in 4mins what would take 30mins to read
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10-19-2018, 05:20 AM	#42
Peasley General Moron 247 Rep 158 Posts Drives: M2 LCI MT & E30 Drift Slag Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: UK iTrader: (0)	Think of a different project OP How about chips in the UK vs US?
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10-20-2018, 08:21 PM	#43
Caffeine Powered Keep it moving 49 Rep 83 Posts Drives: '07 328xi Join Date: Sep 2018 Location: Madison, Wisco iTrader: (0)	I've heard or said highway, freeway, interstate or belt-line in Wisconsin, Texas, California, Washington and point s in between. My favorite reference is backroads. I always try to take the backroads. __________________ In reality I am a 12 year old with no concept of consequences.
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