[MediocreButArrogant]

Originally Posted by SoCalCpl2

Odd numbered interstates run North & South while Even numbered ones run East & West....

I believe that only applies to the one and two-digit interstates. Three-digit interstates are connectors and don't follow that rule. For instance, I-280, I-680, and I-880 in the SF Bay Area are all primarily north/south. The numbers also aren't unique, they get reused. Just checked, Wikipedia has the full explanation.

Interstate Highway System - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[lvoc]

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

I don't understand why Californians simply don't choose to take the surface roads. If it takes three hours to travel 40 miles, why not just avoid the highways?

They do...where it works. Coming down the 405 we would always hit the side streets and the access roads on a bad night. Once past the Harbor it would be mostly street all the way. Note these streets also back up quickly...so you may gain a bit but not a lot. We used to speculate that it really did no good but made us feel better.

This however does not work in other places. The 405 through the pass has virtually no alternatives. Or the 91 into the inland empire. There simply is no other workable route.

[dynimagelv]

I always thought this was a LAS VEGAS thread ........

[Asheville1]

Originally Posted by aggrofish

Because the surface roads are not a nice easy grid like they are here.

The 91 is always a nightmare especially on weekends and holidays. Try getting to the beach on three day weekend when all the 909ers are heading down. The surface streets, are even slower. The only way it was tolerable during rush hour was to ride a motorcycle. With lane splitting traffic doesn't matter.

I noticed you called "The 91" and you probably typed without thinking about it. Of course that's what everyone calls it. The 5, The 91. The 15,405,605,101, blah blah. It just occurred to me that even the TV and radio traffic people do it.

Spent the first 59 years in Southern California. I never say SoCal, but I'll type it. I detest when people say Cali. I recently moved across the country to Asheville, NC where I've been told "freeways" are not called "freeways". So when I quiried "what do you call them", I got a shrug and "anything you want, but they're not freeways". Uh, they look like freeways to me!

[Asheville1]

Originally Posted by SoCalCpl2

but local traffic reporters used to talk about 95 "eastbound" and "westbound". US 95 is a north-south highway, and only runs east-west for a short stretch.

Even though a highway may travel east-west, it may be a designated north-south highway. So if, say, a accident is on the e/b stretch, the traffic reporter may call it as northbound.

[lvoc]

Originally Posted by dynimagelv

I always thought this was a LAS VEGAS thread ........

We can talk about our distant suburbs on rare occasions.

[ElleTea]

Originally Posted by ToeJam

It is "The 15" if you are from SoCal. I don't know of any other areas that use "the".

Traffic reports on local Vegas radio stations called it "the 15"

[ScoopLV]

Originally Posted by ElleTea

Traffic reports on local Vegas radio stations called it "the 15"

But they're likely Californians who can't even be bothered to say "Las Vegas" correctly. It's like they think they're being billed by the syllable.

[timothyaw]

Originally Posted by Asheville1

Even though a highway may travel east-west, it may be a designated north-south highway. So if, say, a accident is on the e/b stretch, the traffic reporter may call it as northbound.

Actually, if it's on the e/b stretch, it would be southbound.

[MadManofBethesda]

Originally Posted by tgauchsin

I believe putting "the" before the freeway numbers evolved from the names of the freeways before the Interstate system.

Take the Ventura freeway past the Santa Diego freeway towards the Golden State freeway and continue south on the Hollywood Freeway until you reach the Harbor freeway.

Take the 101 past the 405 towards the 5 and continue south on the 101 until you reach the 110.

Same thing. Six of one, half dozen of the other.

Here in Miami we have names for our expressways as well, but we don't use "the" when referring to them by their number designation.

We would say take the Palmetto to the Dolphin or take 836 to 826. We would never say take "the" 826 to "the" 836.

Similarly, for tourists arriving at the airport who want to go to the Fountainbleu on Miami Beach for example, we would tell them to take the Airport Expressway across the Julia Tuttle Causeway and then turn left on Collins Avenue. We might even say take 112 to 195 and then north on A1A. But again, no one would ever say take "the" 112 to "the" 195 and then turn on "the" A1A.