Wasteful Government Spending

[Yppej]

There are two systems of highway exit numbering in this country. One has the exit number the same as the mileage marker post rounded to a whole mile. The other goes in sequential order. My state has the latter system. So a highway will have say 40 exits labelled exit 1, exit 2, etc but they are not usually 1 mile apart.

The Federal government is forcing anyone who wants to get Federal highway dollars to change to the first system. I see no reason to justify mandating this change which I would imagine, when multiple states are impacted, will amount to millions of dollars.

[iris lilies]

A reason is standardization. In theory I like the idea of all Federal highways marked in the same way.

It is the on the ground costs I don’t like to make this change.

[LDAHL]

I understand that Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Delaware are the only three states using the sequential numbering system. A small example of how the federal government is taking power from the states. I think we can see more of that trend over the next couple of years in election law, school curricula, gun regulations and other areas.

[frugal-one]

I understand that Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Delaware are the only three states using the sequential numbering system. A small example of how the federal government is taking power from the states. I think we can see more of that trend over the next couple of years in election law, school curricula, gun regulations and other areas.

I see no problem in the items you mentioned to be regulated. Seems it would be advantageous to have uniformity.

[iris lilies]

I don’t know the history or context of this highway issue so no doubt my opinion will be full of ignorance. But…


I’m not very concerned about the feds pushing decisions about their own property, federal highways. It’s their thing.


Their further encroachment into local and state affairs is what bothers me.

[LDAHL]

I see no problem in the items you mentioned to be regulated. Seems it would be advantageous to have uniformity.

They are already regulated by the states. I don’t see much advantage in an all-powerful central government oozing out of its constitutionally enumerated powers and regulating an ever expanding portion of our lives. If California wants to impose Critical Race Theory in elementary education while Iowa does not, that’s fine with me. If Oklahoma wants to prohibit ballot harvesting but Ohio doesn’t, that’s fine with me. I don’t like the idea of being ruled from an imperial Capitol, and would much prefer to see government power as dispersed and localized as possible.

[Yppej]

It's micromanagement and if it ain't broke don't fix it, especially where it costs money to fix it. The highways work fine the way they are. I have been driving since I was 16 and never heard of anyone getting lost because an exit is called exit 2 instead of exit 60. If someone is so lacking in intelligence they can't handle a little regional variation heaven help them if they try to cross the border and drive in Canada which uses kilometers instead of miles and liters at the gas pump.

[catherine]

I agree. It is VERY confusing to drive for 20 years on the same road, and then there are little signs that say something like "This used to be Exit 17 but now it's Exit 262."

I don't know about Massachusetts, New Hampsire and Delaware being the only states to have sequential numbering. The NY State Thruway/Rt. 87 actually has sequential numbers. So does Vermont (Rt. 89). And to my knowledge Rt. 95 in CT still does, but I don't know if that applies because it's a Federal highway system. The Schuykill in PA changed from sequential to mile markers and that was a pain.

[bae]

The standardization of street addresses, exit designation, signage that has been rolled out over the past few decades is tremendously helpful to first responders.

When I hear Dispatch give an address of 3781 Happy Acres Trail, I know that the driveway associated with that address is 3.781 miles down from the beginning of the road (also defined carefully), and on the left hand side. This is invaluable.

[jp1]

I agree. It is VERY confusing to drive for 20 years on the same road, and then there are little signs that say something like "This used to be Exit 17 but now it's Exit 262."

I don't know about Massachusetts, New Hampsire and Delaware being the only states to have sequential numbering. The NY State Thruway/Rt. 87 actually has sequential numbers. So does Vermont (Rt. 89). And to my knowledge Rt. 95 in CT still does, but I don't know if that applies because it's a Federal highway system. The Schuykill in PA changed from sequential to mile markers and that was a pain.

I'm surprised you didn't include the NJ Turnpike in your list. It will be interesting to see how they handle the point in Seacaucus where the road splits and there are two I-95s running parallel to each other for a few miles before rejoining into one highway.