Honestly, I agree with you, and I would do 2 control cities. 1 large destination, 1 smaller. So, for I-80 West in NJ, I would sign it for Pocono Mountains, PA, and Cleveland. I would use a far away known destination with a local one, so keep these PA places on it, but sign west for Cleveland and a local place or east bound sign local and New York City
*As a Northeastern Pennsylvanian,* (comment rant) I believe Stroudsburg should be signed because it is a *major* tourist attraction for people coming west from New York and New Jersey. That's most of the Pocono revenue right there, and it could be confusing to not have it listed. And since the Delaware Water Gap is the border, it sounds a lot cooler than "Pennsylvania" or just "Scranton" so it should probably be signed. Also, there's not really any point to listing San Francisco when it's like 2,900 miles away. That's better for when you're under 1,000 miles from there, but very, very few people are travelling the whole country on I-80 often enough for it to be listed on the East Coast. I noticed that a LOT you just said to sign Scranton, but Bloomsburg and Scranton are an hour and a half from each other and attract very different crowds. I agree that Milton probably isn't the most important either, but Hazleton is the unofficial crossover between Northeast and just Eastern Pennsylvania and also a Luzernian border city. As someone from that area, it's very self dependent and symbolic for roadway travellers. I would also accept Wilkes-Barre being used there too, since more people are probably interested in going there, but not Scranton. Should probably be Wilkes-Barre and Scranton on that sign imo. Hazleton is still important enough to be used on the following overhead sign. Pretty much anyone going to the Wyoming Valley Metro Area should know that Hazleton, Wilkes-Barre, and Scranton signs on I-80 all get you to the same place and are all equally significant cities. And again, Stroudsburg is a tourist town and its own significant Pocono MSA (East Stroudsburg MSA) and is probably more important for travellers than anywhere in Western New Jersey that they could've put. Maybe some bias towards my home-state, but I genuinely can't think of anywhere important along I-80 in NJ until Paterson, which is too far to be noting on I-80 at that point IMO. If somewhere in New Jersey were on the sign you might as well just put New York City (like you said). Also, Pennsylvanians are the main people travelling I-80 East since many from the NEPA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre region live in PA for cheaper housing and less taxes, and commute to NYC. We're more familiar with towns here than we are the New Jersey towns we mostly just drive through. You'd really have to live here to know why we prefer the following PA cities rather than just knowing their population or how high they show up on Google. IN SUMMARY, the main cities I think should be on I-80 East should be Wilkes-Barre, Scranton (additionally since it's not very close to the I-80 route), Hazleton, Bloomsburg, Del Water Gap, and Stroudsburg. Those are the places I see us needing to know where they are the most, and they're also the most culturally significant to the area.
0:51 those “THRU TRAFFIC” signs are old Turnpike signs and they are in the process of changing them to ones that say the control city given. Out of the 27 interchanges on the Ohio Turnpike with I-80 on it (not including the one between the Indiana State Line and the toll booth), only 6 remain with the “THRU TRAFFIC” signs
I have been both a road nerd and lived in Pennsylvania all my life, and I never thought that our control cities were worth ranting about. I don't live in close proximity to I-80, and on the few times I have been there, I did think Bloomsburg and Bellefonte were kind of odd. I don't think Williamsport and Scranton would good control cities because they are not directly on I-80.
I can see some case for Illinois' control cities on surface roads. The best control city signage I have seen is in the state of Arkansas: Their overhead control city signs have a nearby semi-major city on the top line and the main control city on the bottom line.
Always thought in Ohio after Youngstown going East Bound they should put Pittsburgh and NYC until the 79 or 376 interchange then Scranton or Harrisburg with NYC until I-81 then NYC the rest of the way Of course Williamsport would be sensible as well.
I can tell you're inspired by Todd of CCF when you compared Lyman, Wyoming to Limon, Colorado. Both are about the same population, around 2,000 people. And Pennsylvania and Wyoming are the worst states on this highway. The interchange with I-25 has gotten worse over the years. They sign I-25 south for Fort Collins, not Denver, only 100 miles away. Big sin. And 80 west said Salt Lake years ago, then Laramie, now Rock Springs. And east used to say Omaha, now it's Sydney.
I-180s ruin I-80 more, except for the one in Wyoming, they couldn’t make another I-80 BUS, although they could’ve made an I-80B BUS. route, but it’s still pretty valid I guess, and nice video!
I 80 in PA was only built to help the trucking industry. It was built as a shorter route from NYC to Chicago skipping every major city in Pennsylvania and getting the truckers out of paying tolls on I-80’s previous route, the Pennsylvania Turnpike. It skips Philadelphia, Allentown/Bethlehem, Scranton, Williamsport, State College, Altoona, and Pittsburg all on purpose thanks to lobbying from the trucking industry. It’s constriction name gives it away. It was built as the Keystone Shortway and the only thing it did for Pennsylvania’ s urban areas is cost them business as it avoided contact with them. As far as I’m am concerned the only cities listed on the signage should be NYC and Chicago.
the first westbound control city (from its inception at I-95) should be Cleveland, and it should hold that through NJ and PA .... but NJ is about as provincial as PA.
I-80 intentionally goes through LONG stretches of nothingness along its route .... so the highway is bound to have some awful control city signage. plus, Pennsylvania and Nebraska are notoriously provincial, so the combo really plays itself out 😂
3:34 the signs used to say Omaha. So much better then Sidney.
Honestly, I agree with you, and I would do 2 control cities. 1 large destination, 1 smaller. So, for I-80 West in NJ, I would sign it for Pocono Mountains, PA, and Cleveland. I would use a far away known destination with a local one, so keep these PA places on it, but sign west for Cleveland and a local place or east bound sign local and New York City
3:02 completely cooked Control city freak lol
*As a Northeastern Pennsylvanian,* (comment rant) I believe Stroudsburg should be signed because it is a *major* tourist attraction for people coming west from New York and New Jersey. That's most of the Pocono revenue right there, and it could be confusing to not have it listed. And since the Delaware Water Gap is the border, it sounds a lot cooler than "Pennsylvania" or just "Scranton" so it should probably be signed. Also, there's not really any point to listing San Francisco when it's like 2,900 miles away. That's better for when you're under 1,000 miles from there, but very, very few people are travelling the whole country on I-80 often enough for it to be listed on the East Coast. I noticed that a LOT you just said to sign Scranton, but Bloomsburg and Scranton are an hour and a half from each other and attract very different crowds. I agree that Milton probably isn't the most important either, but Hazleton is the unofficial crossover between Northeast and just Eastern Pennsylvania and also a Luzernian border city. As someone from that area, it's very self dependent and symbolic for roadway travellers. I would also accept Wilkes-Barre being used there too, since more people are probably interested in going there, but not Scranton. Should probably be Wilkes-Barre and Scranton on that sign imo. Hazleton is still important enough to be used on the following overhead sign. Pretty much anyone going to the Wyoming Valley Metro Area should know that Hazleton, Wilkes-Barre, and Scranton signs on I-80 all get you to the same place and are all equally significant cities. And again, Stroudsburg is a tourist town and its own significant Pocono MSA (East Stroudsburg MSA) and is probably more important for travellers than anywhere in Western New Jersey that they could've put. Maybe some bias towards my home-state, but I genuinely can't think of anywhere important along I-80 in NJ until Paterson, which is too far to be noting on I-80 at that point IMO. If somewhere in New Jersey were on the sign you might as well just put New York City (like you said). Also, Pennsylvanians are the main people travelling I-80 East since many from the NEPA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre region live in PA for cheaper housing and less taxes, and commute to NYC. We're more familiar with towns here than we are the New Jersey towns we mostly just drive through. You'd really have to live here to know why we prefer the following PA cities rather than just knowing their population or how high they show up on Google.
IN SUMMARY, the main cities I think should be on I-80 East should be Wilkes-Barre, Scranton (additionally since it's not very close to the I-80 route), Hazleton, Bloomsburg, Del Water Gap, and Stroudsburg. Those are the places I see us needing to know where they are the most, and they're also the most culturally significant to the area.
0:51 those “THRU TRAFFIC” signs are old Turnpike signs and they are in the process of changing them to ones that say the control city given. Out of the 27 interchanges on the Ohio Turnpike with I-80 on it (not including the one between the Indiana State Line and the toll booth), only 6 remain with the “THRU TRAFFIC” signs
I have been both a road nerd and lived in Pennsylvania all my life, and I never thought that our control cities were worth ranting about. I don't live in close proximity to I-80, and on the few times I have been there, I did think Bloomsburg and Bellefonte were kind of odd. I don't think Williamsport and Scranton would good control cities because they are not directly on I-80.
I can see some case for Illinois' control cities on surface roads. The best control city signage I have seen is in the state of Arkansas: Their overhead control city signs have a nearby semi-major city on the top line and the main control city on the bottom line.
Always thought in Ohio after Youngstown going East Bound they should put Pittsburgh and NYC until the 79 or 376 interchange then Scranton or Harrisburg with NYC until I-81 then NYC the rest of the way
Of course Williamsport would be sensible as well.
I can tell you're inspired by Todd of CCF when you compared Lyman, Wyoming to Limon, Colorado. Both are about the same population, around 2,000 people. And Pennsylvania and Wyoming are the worst states on this highway. The interchange with I-25 has gotten worse over the years. They sign I-25 south for Fort Collins, not Denver, only 100 miles away. Big sin. And 80 west said Salt Lake years ago, then Laramie, now Rock Springs. And east used to say Omaha, now it's Sydney.
@@mikeshumaker I think PA control cities are the worst
@@zapprmitromia I was about to say they, along with Wyoming, make Illinois and Nebraska look like Arizona, in comparison.
No mentioning of Elko here. I guess the youtuber here must not think it's that bad.
0:37 neil
I-180s ruin I-80 more, except for the one in Wyoming, they couldn’t make another I-80 BUS, although they could’ve made an I-80B BUS. route, but it’s still pretty valid I guess, and nice video!
I should do content like this it’s fun
So, I am not only one who likes both trains and interstate highways.
I 80 in PA was only built to help the trucking industry. It was built as a shorter route from NYC to Chicago skipping every major city in Pennsylvania and getting the truckers out of paying tolls on I-80’s previous route, the Pennsylvania Turnpike. It skips Philadelphia, Allentown/Bethlehem, Scranton, Williamsport, State College, Altoona, and Pittsburg all on purpose thanks to lobbying from the trucking industry. It’s constriction name gives it away. It was built as the Keystone Shortway and the only thing it did for Pennsylvania’ s urban areas is cost them business as it avoided contact with them. As far as I’m am concerned the only cities listed on the signage should be NYC and Chicago.
the first westbound control city (from its inception at I-95) should be Cleveland, and it should hold that through NJ and PA .... but NJ is about as provincial as PA.
I-80 intentionally goes through LONG stretches of nothingness along its route .... so the highway is bound to have some awful control city signage.
plus, Pennsylvania and Nebraska are notoriously provincial, so the combo really plays itself out 😂
@@dhinton1 what’s “Stroudsburg”, “Clarion”, and “Bloomsburg”?
@@zapprmitromia the definition for being provincial with control city selection 😂😂😂
@@dhinton1 lmao
Nebraska also signs 80 terribly, nothing as bad as I-70 in Kansas tho
Nebraska isn't even the worst state that 80 goes through (as far as control city signage). That crown goes to Pennsylvania 😂