Interstate 99, and why it justly exists.

Hi All,

Interstate 99 (I-99) generally holds a bad reputation in the American
highway-enthusiast circles. Why? Those who specifically focus on "book
logic will contend that north-south Interstates must have an
odd-numbered sequential increase during eastward progression. E.g., the
order should resemble something like 77, 79, 81, etc.

I-99 can be found in central Pennsylvania, in a parallel sandwich
between Interstates 79 and 81.

For the road enthusiasts who go strictly by the books, Interstate 99
should be reserved for the far East Coast. In other words, it should be
easterly parallel to Interstates 95 and 97. Well, it doesn't. And
here's why:

A concerned lawmaker from the central Pennsylvania (PA), Bud Shuster,
region saw two major cities, Altoona and State College, w/o an
Interstate connection. With population growth sought in the future for
central PA, a single US Federal Route connecting the two cities did not
seem logical. After all, central PA did not have a full-freeway
connecting Interstates 70, 76, and 80. Since there's no number between
79 and 81 available, the lawmaker looked for an available number greater
than 81 to suit his region. Numbers 83, 85, 87, 89, 91, 93, 95, and 97
were already taken. 99 wasn't.

Interstate 99 exists because a region needed an Interstate connection.
The best compromise was to borrow the closest odd-number at the time, 99.

Opponents of this designation, often found in the American
highway-enthusiast circles, often shun the existence of this number, or
present arguments that the central PA region didn't need an Interstate
in the first place. A smaller subset of these individuals make personal
attacks towards the lawmaker for proposing the highway for his
constituents, because it didn't follow the logical ordering scheme in
the "Interstate books". Some have gone even further to suggest that
surrounding Interstates, parallel to the central PA freeway, should be
renumbered to make the numbering schema completely logical. Doing so
would increase the costs of sign replacements for many freeways, taking
away funds reserved for actual road improvements and recovery.

At the end of the day, central PA needed an Interstate highway. It
ultimately received its highway and is here to stay. The books, if you
will, did not take into consideration that new routes would become
necessary between its already assigned, logical numbering scheme.
Therefore, an exception was made to the rule to provide federal funds to
a developing area. Try convincing those who hold the Interstate book as
if everything should match its criteria! LOL.

For a video of Interstate 99, courtesy of the Worldwide Library, click
he http://worldwide-hwys.calrog.com/i-99.wmv

Time taken to write this article: 12 minutes.

Cheers,

Carl Rogers
"Adding human experience to transportation enthusiasm"
********
Calrog.com, http://www.calrog.com :
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An integrated media arm in Turn-of-the-Century PC Development,
International Transportation Research, and Interpersonal Psychology. Has
served your home country and ninety-eight of its worldwide neighbours
since 2000, through Internet downstream and published works.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/calrog
********

In article > ,
Carl Rogers > wrote:

> Interstate 99 exists because a region needed an Interstate connection.
> The best compromise was to borrow the closest odd-number at the time, 99.

Assuming you are not trying to be a troll by stiring the I-99
stew, the I-99 number is bogus and you know it. I-99 will never
be a major interstate, so it doesn't need a 2 digit number. They
have plenty of 2di's out there already. 370 would work, as would
580, something-76, or playing fantasy freeway, how about bringing
I-390 down from NY and having it end in Winchester, VA? At any
rate, this should have been the decision of the folks who make
such decision, and not some beer drinking Bud from PA who doesn't
have a clue.

-john-

--
================================================== ====================
John A. Weeks III 952-432-2708
Newave Communications http://www.johnweeks.com
================================================== ====================

"Carl Rogers" > wrote in message
t...
> Hi All,

<clip>

> Time taken to write this article: 12 minutes.


Why is the 12 minutes significant? So what?


--
Don't forget to have your troll spayed or neutered

On Aug 12, 3:53 pm, "Luxury Yacht" > wrote:
> "Carl Rogers" > wrote in message
>
> t...
>
>
> > Time taken to write this article: 12 minutes.
>
> Why is the 12 minutes significant? So what?
>

Maybe that's how long it takes him to "get it up"

On Aug 12, 3:09 pm, Carl Rogers > wrote:
> At the end of the day, central PA needed an Interstate highway. It
> ultimately received its highway and is here to stay. The books, if you
> will, did not take into consideration that new routes would become
> necessary between its already assigned, logical numbering scheme.
> Therefore, an exception was made to the rule to provide federal funds to
> a developing area. Try convincing those who hold the Interstate book as
> if everything should match its criteria! LOL.

Whatever. Whether or not Central PA needed a highway is immaterial. It
could have just as easily been given an appropriate Interstate or US
Highway number -- actually more easily given such a number since the
I-99 number had to be legislated into existence, if only because some
lawmaker with an overinflated sense of self had to give himself
highway 99.

wrote:
> On Aug 12, 3:53 pm, "Luxury Yacht" > wrote:
>> "Carl Rogers" > wrote in message
>>
>> t...
>>
>>
>>> Time taken to write this article: 12 minutes.
>> Why is the 12 minutes significant? So what?
>>
>
> Maybe that's how long it takes him to "get it up"
>

Not w/ the gal I've got! LOL. W/ yours, maybe...

On 08/12/2007 4:10 PM, in article
,
" > wrote:

> On Aug 12, 3:53 pm, "Luxury Yacht" > wrote:
>> "Carl Rogers" > wrote in message
>>
>> t...
>>
>>
>>> Time taken to write this article: 12 minutes.
>>
>> Why is the 12 minutes significant? So what?
>>
>
> Maybe that's how long it takes him to "get it up"
>

"Religion, politics, and Interstate 99."

And the question is?

"What are three things you should NEVER discuss in m.t.r?"

-----
"Character is what you are in the dark." - D.L. Moody
My Homepage: http://tinyurl.com/ytc34l - Admirals: http://tinyurl.com/2f54by
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MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/jwhouk

"Joseph Houk" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Religion, politics, and Interstate 99."
>
> And the question is?
>
> "What are three things you should NEVER discuss in m.t.r?"
>

RIP Merv Griffin 1925-2007
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsxIOrwicYc

On Aug 12, 3:40 pm, "John A. Weeks III" > wrote:

For once, I'm going to have to defend Carl on this one, even if he is
"trolling." I-99, while it may have been written into legislation by
Bud Shuster, *is* the only logical choice for this highway--The other
number is 67, which should be in Indiana. I-95, while it may not be
entirely west of I-99, does go west of I-99 through South Carolina,
Georgia, and Florida. I-97 also violates the grid system, sitting east
of Interstates 87,89, 91, and 93, and at roughly the same longitude as
I-83.

While it may not need a 2di at its current length, it is easily
expandable to Rochester, NY and Cumberland, MD--worth a 2di, and this
expansion is much more forseeable than any expansion that would
justify I-73 having a 2di.

All in all, leave I-99 alone. He can't help his parents, but he's
trying to grow up to be a good little interstate.

On Aug 12, 2:09?pm, Carl Rogers > wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> Interstate 99 (I-99) generally holds a bad reputation in the American
> highway-enthusiast circles. Why? Those who specifically focus on "book
> logic will contend that north-south Interstates must have an
> odd-numbered sequential increase during eastward progression. E.g., the
> order should resemble something like 77, 79, 81, etc.
>
> I-99 can be found in central Pennsylvania, in a parallel sandwich
> between Interstates 79 and 81.
>
> For the road enthusiasts who go strictly by the books, Interstate 99
> should be reserved for the far East Coast. In other words, it should be
> easterly parallel to Interstates 95 and 97. Well, it doesn't. And
> here's why:
>
> A concerned lawmaker from the central Pennsylvania (PA), Bud Shuster,
> region saw two major cities, Altoona and State College, w/o an
> Interstate connection. With population growth sought in the future for
> central PA, a single US Federal Route connecting the two cities did not
> seem logical. After all, central PA did not have a full-freeway
> connecting Interstates 70, 76, and 80. Since there's no number between
> 79 and 81 available, the lawmaker looked for an available number greater
> than 81 to suit his region. Numbers 83, 85, 87, 89, 91, 93, 95, and 97
> were already taken. 99 wasn't.
>
> Interstate 99 exists because a region needed an Interstate connection.
> The best compromise was to borrow the closest odd-number at the time, 99.
>
> Opponents of this designation, often found in the American
> highway-enthusiast circles, often shun the existence of this number, or
> present arguments that the central PA region didn't need an Interstate
> in the first place. A smaller subset of these individuals make personal
> attacks towards the lawmaker for proposing the highway for his
> constituents, because it didn't follow the logical ordering scheme in
> the "Interstate books". Some have gone even further to suggest that
> surrounding Interstates, parallel to the central PA freeway, should be
> renumbered to make the numbering schema completely logical. Doing so
> would increase the costs of sign replacements for many freeways, taking
> away funds reserved for actual road improvements and recovery.
>
> At the end of the day, central PA needed an Interstate highway. It
> ultimately received its highway and is here to stay. The books, if you
> will, did not take into consideration that new routes would become
> necessary between its already assigned, logical numbering scheme.
> Therefore, an exception was made to the rule to provide federal funds to
> a developing area. Try convincing those who hold the Interstate book as
> if everything should match its criteria! LOL.
>
> For a video of Interstate 99, courtesy of the Worldwide Library, click
> he http://worldwide-hwys.calrog.com/i-99.wmv
>
> Time taken to write this article: 12 minutes.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Carl Rogers
> "Adding human experience to transportation enthusiasm"
> ********
> Calrog.com,http://www.calrog.com:
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> An integrated media arm in Turn-of-the-Century PC Development,
> International Transportation Research, and Interpersonal Psychology. Has
> served your home country and ninety-eight of its worldwide neighbours
> since 2000, through Internet downstream and published works.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/calrog
> ********

The problem is not whether the road was needed, but the fact some
Congressman went through the trouble of naming it. But who's to say
AASHTO wouldn't have numbered it I-99 anyway? There really aren't any
good numbers otherwise. Besides, all a number is is a number.
There's no point in attaching metaphysical significance to any highway
number.