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Post by tractakid on Feb 2, 2008 3:56:54 GMT -5
Can someone please explain to me about the road system in america? What are the speed limits? What exactly are freeways? etc
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Kimm
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Post by Kimm on Feb 2, 2008 10:18:00 GMT -5
Speed limits were once a national maximum of 55. But in the early 1990s the regulations and the United States DOT (department of transportation) lifted speed limits to 65 and more recently they have allowed states to regulate their own standard for limits.
So you may see a 75 speed limit in some areas. Portions of Montana that are outside urban areas actually have no speed limit at all.
A free way is an Interstate Highway that does not require drivers to pay a toll hence the word 'freeway.' In the original days of interstate throughways tolls were collected to pay for the building and the maintenance of the road.
The plan was once the road was paid for the tolls would not be imposed and the road would become a freeway.
Thats what a free way is.
What it does is cut through cities and towns so you dont have to compete with local traffic or be delayed by stop lights. There are varying ways of doing it but what is usually done is a free way usually has 2 lanes going each direction.
Sometimes there are 3 or more lanes for example the Capital Beltway Interstate 495 surrounds Washington DC. That has 6 lanes going each way where the left most lane is exclusive to government or emergency vehicles.
Our freeways were called throughways because they could go through places without making you stop. If you were going toward Memphis Tennessee you might get on the freeway. A sign may give a general amount of miles for each major place. It might show 3 places and it might go
Memphis 50
Nashville 220
Lexington KY 350
Thats just a whatfor those are not correct distances.
While youre driving there might be a sign that says "Springfield, 2 miles." IT may also tell you if theres restaurants, gasoline stations or hotels at the Springfield exit.
If you dont need to go to Springfield you keep going and just pass it on by.
In the United States there are state routs, US routes and Interstate Routes.
State routs have their own standards for each state.
Whats a National Route like a US route or Interstate (freeway) the numbering system is North and South routs are odd numbers and East and West routs are even numbers.
So Interstate 35 would be a North or South route
Interstate 50 would be a East or West route.
I hope that helped.
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Post by Mahnarch on Feb 3, 2008 21:33:37 GMT -5
By-Passes and Spurs also spring into the equation.
Care to extrapolate, me street wench? Yar.
An', don't be forgettin' 'Business Routes' n' interchanges.
***
[Also, I recently noticed your sig. You outtta change it t' "I be a pirate at heart"]
[]
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Post by Phil on Feb 3, 2008 22:16:53 GMT -5
PA just started doing what southern states have done for years.
I remember sometimes being in the south saying that there's exit 42 and the next exit is not 43 it's 51.
Well exit 42 is not the 42nd exit, it's the exit at mile 42. So if the next exit is 51 that means you have traveled 9 miles.
It seemed weird when I 1st encountered it but it actually is more practical.
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Post by Phil on Feb 5, 2008 13:54:51 GMT -5
What are speed limits in the UK and how does the road systems work there?
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Post by tractakid on Feb 6, 2008 3:19:34 GMT -5
I thought this might happen  I was prepared.. We drive on the right (correct) side of the road, the left side  There are several types of roads. Motorways, A roads, B roads and unclassified roads. Motorways- Large capacity trunk roads where restrictions apply. No learner drivers, no tractors, no piano carrying trailers. Motorways are almost always dual carriageway (2-4 lanes) and grade seperated, apart from the terminii. A motorway breaking all the rules: The A601 (M). speed limits on motorways are 70 MPH, although this may be reduced by matrix signs if there is an accident or heavy traffic. There are a few exceptions especially when a motorway goes through an urban area. Motorway numbering in england and wales is a nightmare to explain. There are several radial motorways going out like spokes from London. M1, M2, M3, M4. The M5 goes south from Birmingham to Exeter, and the M6 goes from halfway up the M1 past Birmingham going up to near the Scottish border. The land to the east of the M1 is zone 1, and all the motorways that start in it start with the number 1. This zone goes right round to the thames estuary. As the M2 would form such a rubbish border, the thames estuary is used instead. The land that is south of the M2 works in the same way, with all motorways starting in it beginning with a 2. Same for M3, until we get to the M4. Big problem, as the M5 crosses the M4, creating a numbering nightmare. The completely pants solution is that after they cross, they stop being zone boundaries. Here is an all helpful image that will clear most things up:  For more on peculiarities in the motorway system, visit this completely interesting and funny site: www.pathetic.org.uk Genius. Part 2: A and B roads to follow. Coz I need to go to school. |
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Post by thunderbird on Feb 6, 2008 3:54:55 GMT -5
I spent some time in the Army and I have driven on the left side of the road.
It seems difficult at first but you actually get accustomed to it kind of quickly. Just like Europeans get use to the way Americans drive.
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Post by tractakid on Feb 6, 2008 14:16:29 GMT -5
Most of europe drives on the right.. most of the world does!
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Post by Classicblast on Feb 6, 2008 22:19:07 GMT -5
Most of europe drives on the right.. most of the world does! Some people do it here too but we won't talk about that. hahaha. |
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Post by Beangirl on Feb 7, 2008 12:45:22 GMT -5
Yeah, and we are prob-ally one of the last Countries in the world that is not Metric. Geeze! You ladies here on lewasite are a real education! I have no idea about roads and highways. I just plant my butt in the car and drive. |
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aido179
Moderator
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Post by aido179 on Feb 7, 2008 14:55:03 GMT -5
ireland is slightly different again. we drive on the left. there are many more classifications and because were so small, we don't have a patterned number of dual carriageways. they are numbered almost randomly. lol. signs here just show how far away the towns and cities are.
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Post by Phil on Feb 7, 2008 15:09:57 GMT -5
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Post by Classicblast on Feb 8, 2008 1:46:13 GMT -5
Howcome there's such a glare in the daytime blogs? You said to ask if there were questions. I'm sure Phil means about roads I'm just being a pest. |
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Post by tractakid on Feb 8, 2008 3:03:53 GMT -5
Britain - it is mixed up. Imperial roads, inches are still popular, but everything is sold in grams, apart from milk (they still have to display some crazy decimal) Anyway, to stop this being a metric Vs imperial debate here is part two: A and B roads in the United Kingdom! An A road is a road that may be anything from a fully grade seperated dual carriageway to a fairly narrow countryside road. B roads are generally single carriageway, although may be dual if they go through an urban area etc. They are generally of a lower standard than A roads. Similar sort of system to the motorways, but simpler Basically, more spokes around London. A1 goes north up past Newcastle, A2 goes east through Kent, A3 goes down to Southhampton, A4 goes west to Bristol, A5 goes north west to Holyhead (through Milton Keynes where I live!) and the A6 goes north to Carlisle. The roads that start in the section to the right hand side of each spoke road start with 1, 2 3 4 5 and 6 respectively. In scotland, the A7, 8 and 9 do the same around Edinburgh. The all hepful picture: www.cbrd.co.uk/indepth/roadnumbers/img/azone.gif(dunno why it wouldnt work with img tags?) Part 3- In depth Motorways and Milton Keynes, a one of a kind place to come. |
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Post by Phil on Feb 8, 2008 14:10:11 GMT -5
The American DOT doesn't admit this, but the standard of roads are different here too.
When you see the blogs of the highway those are higher quality pavement than rural streets.
That's done because they are made for higher volume of traffic. And a residential state doesn't see semi tractor-trailers unless somebody moves or a reason like that. So the reasoning is such streets don't need to be paved with the same standards.
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Post by Classicblast on Feb 8, 2008 20:33:50 GMT -5
I think they admit that.
There's varying standards for traffic. A state road, an interstate and a local are not subject to the same rules.
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Post by grape on Feb 9, 2008 1:52:43 GMT -5
I never knew about DOT. I only thought they were specifications for tires. I getting my drivers permit soon. Then when I become 18 I will be on the longest Road Journey of my life, to places where no fox furry has gone before (I just had to put that in lol.), to the great journey of traveling the roads from Mexico City to the very border and then crossing it to reach the city of Oak Ridge, TN. The trip will take between 3-7 days. Tips to long distance travel?
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Post by Classicblast on Feb 9, 2008 2:44:27 GMT -5
Be careful obviously. Don't fuel up or go into stores at night if you don't know the neighborhood. Have a intended landing point and make sure you have a motel room booked so you don't have the rushing of trying to get a room as it gets later.
Look at your time frame figure where you can be around 7pm and book ahead with a room. That gives you time for dinner, tv and unwinding time before sleep. There's no good in travel when you travel til the last possible moment and hit the sack and jump up and run as soon as you awake. I've done it that way and it's terrible.
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