Central FL Roads and Highways

[Jerry95]

14 hours ago, EngineerNole said:

Purple is explicitly for express lanes.  Toll does not always equal express.  In fact, the Turnpike now has express lanes on its toll road with higher rates.

As with everything, this is inconsistently applied. The use of purple here is not for an express lane, but is for an electronic only system. (Bonus - Blue for cash in the background)

Same setup, entrance ramp to the mainline turnpike, but with White instead of purple. 

The presence of tolling facilities can be identified with Yellow (Toll Plaza Ahead, FTE Toll Shields, CFX Shields on adjacent roads), Blue (CFX Cash Price warning), Green (CFX Toll Shields), Purple (Express Lane Tolls, AET only tolls roads), and White (AET only toll roads). With the All-Electronic conversion for the Turnpike and the first set of express lanes on 528 and I-4, now would be the time to make it easy and consistent. It seems like Turnpike projects aren't talking to each other and CFX wants to forge their own path. 

 

Edited June 15, 2020 by Jerry95

[codypet]

15 hours ago, EngineerNole said:

In your first picture, it’s hard to say without seeing the roadway beneath it.  However, I would assume that there is no dedicated lane for that exit.  In other words, you can continue on the mainline from the far right lane.

Right.  Its the same situation on the 408 ramp which has a different signing.   I think we all agreed that there does appear to be some degree of inconsistent signing along various parts of the I-4 Ultimate Project.

1 hour ago, Jerry95 said:

Blue (CFX Cash Price warning),

As of this month, blue is gone from the cash price warning in favor of yellow.

[spenser1058]

Personally, I gave up on the sign gurus when they made the Martinez administration give up our color-coded US highway signs that had been just fine for over 40 years and replace them with the same drab black and white ones everyone else has.

And as we can see they’re not the least bit consistent so that dog doesn’t  hunt any better now than it did then.

And they accuse the Democrats of micromanaging - this was during Reagan.

Edited June 20, 2020 by spenser1058

[spenser1058]

You can run but you can’t hide - oodles more closures coming to I-4 Ultimate:

https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2020/06/23/i-4-is-about-to-be-even-more-of-a-nightmare-with-multiple-closures-throughout-downtown-orlando
 

From Orlando Weekly 

[Jerry95]

2 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

You can run but you can’t hide - oodles more closures coming to I-4 Ultimate:

https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2020/06/23/i-4-is-about-to-be-even-more-of-a-nightmare-with-multiple-closures-throughout-downtown-orlando
 

From Orlando Weekly 

Next few weeks should also see some major traffic shifts for WB I-4: EE Williamson to Central Parkway, Wymore to south of Maitland Blvd, and Fairbanks to Princeton should all shift into their final alignments, leaving just Lee to Fairbanks and around OBT in temp lanes. 
 

EB also looks close to being ready between OBT and Kaley to shift into permanent lanes. This leaves a swoop downtown and a swoop at 436 only in temp lanes. 
 

While there is still much work left, mainline driving should smooth out soon, John Young to Kirkman seems to be back to 12’ lanes with no temp walls!

[Jerry95]

Ok folks, I’m a little lost on this one - does I-4 intersect with Kaley AVENUE or Kaley STREET downtown? I’m sure it’s avenue but a lot of new I-4 media now says street and so does Google Maps. 

[nite owℓ]

18 minutes ago, Jerry95 said:

Ok folks, I’m a little lost on this one - does I-4 intersect with Kaley AVENUE or Kaley STREET downtown? I’m sure it’s avenue but a lot of new I-4 media now says street and so does Google Maps. 

It appears Kaley's transition from Avenue to Street is at Parramore. But further East, Kaley returns from Street to Avenue at Lake Hourglass. I don't know what any of this means.

 

 

I've looked it up before, but FL doesn't seem to abide by traditional Ave/St designations:

 

[spenser1058]

10 hours ago, nite owℓ said:

It appears Kaley's transition from Avenue to Street is at Parramore. But further East, Kaley returns from Street to Avenue at Lake Hourglass. I don't know what any of this means.

 

 

I've looked it up before, but FL doesn't seem to abide by traditional Ave/St designations:

 

In Orlando, it came about because of a botched election in the Langford administration. The goal was to change the city’s streets to numbers. Unfortunately, there were two variations you could pick and the vote split allowing a third choice: keeping named streets but making the designations of streets and avenues directional to win.

Hence, Division St became Division Ave.; Kaley Avenue became Kaley Street. If you go to Grand Street, for example, you’ll notice the old elementary is “Grand Avenue School”. In a total disregard of history, Magnolia Street, which has been a street almost since the city’s founding when it was Main Street, unceremoniously became an Avenue.

It was always going to be convoluted - what do you do with terraces, alleys, courts and the like? It was made worse by the fact old timers like me used the designations we grew up with and by the time Carl gave way to Mayor Bill, most folks didn’t remember anything about it, so it was terribly inconsistent (Maguire Blvd is mostly N-S; Orange Center Blvd. is E-W// Colonial Dr is E-W; Edgewater Dr. is N-S).

Also, don’t forget in our “city without limits”, it applied to Orlando only. As you leave the city limits, none of the rules applied to OC or other cities.

Edited June 28, 2020 by spenser1058

[Jerry95]

15 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

In Orlando, it came about because of a botched election in the Langford administration. The goal was to change the city’s streets to numbers. Unfortunately, there were two variations you could pick and the vote split allowing a third choice: keeping named streets but making the designations of streets and avenues directional to win.

Hence, Division St became Division Ave.; Kaley Avenue became Kaley Street. If you go to Grand Street, for example, you’ll notice the old elementary is “Grand Avenue School”. In a total disregard of history, Magnolia Street, which has been a street almost since the city’s founding when it was Main Street, unceremoniously became an Avenue.

Interesting how this was never quite executed fully. Google street view from 2007 shows signs that say Division St and I-4 hasn't changed their reference to Exit 81 being Kaley Street in what, 40 years?

 

[spenser1058]

1 minute ago, Jerry95 said:

Interesting how this was never quite executed fully. Google street view from 2007 shows signs that say Division St and I-4 hasn't changed their reference to Exit 81 being Kaley Street in what, 40 years?

 

My guess is the whole thing was so ridiculous everybody just wanted to forget it ever happened. Once Carl Langford left office and moved to N.C., no one claimed ownership.

In a city as transient as Orlando, within 10 years most folks were oblivious of the history. 

[AndyPok1]

That's fascinating and I had no idea.  I didn't even realize Kaley was an ave in the county.

[spenser1058]

Alden Rd. and Lake Highland Dr. to be rerouted? 
 

https://bungalower.com/2020/07/01/city-considering-rerouting-alden-road-and-lake-highland-drive/

From Bungalower 

[codypet]

I hate this proposal.  I really do.  From a traffic management standpoint and as an avid trail rider, it just stinks to me.

[AndyPok1]

Wut.  I mean, yeah there's congestion in that area, but this will just move the choke points to inane locations and hurt a trail.  We need to express a big no to this.

[spenser1058]

 

[AndyPok1]

I assume this will start work on the Boone/Sylvia connector?

[spenser1058]

Full Wekiva Parkway completion pushed to 2023:

https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2020/07/27/wekiva-parkway-completion-pushed-to-2023.html
 

From OBJ (paywall) 

[codypet]

Anyone taken the new 408 WB to I-4 WB flyover yet?  Of course the lanes aren't striped right nor is the signage, but hey, all the ramps are operating now.

[spenser1058]

26 minutes ago, codypet said:

Anyone taken the new 408 WB to I-4 WB flyover yet?  Of course the lanes aren't striped right nor is the signage, but hey, all the ramps are operating now.

It’s funny - I’ve been waiting seemingly forever for the interchange to be completed and now that it’s almost done, thanks to work at home, I’ll rarely use it.

Life in the age of COVID-19...

On a similar note, my State Farm agent convinced me to get one of their “Drive Safe and Save” gadgets because it picks up more of a discount for driving many fewer miles than the regular low-mileage discount.

Only problem is, I’ve gone from “zoom zoom” in my Focus(If you remember the Mazda ads, the company once controlled by Ford used similar designs in their cars) to driving like the sixty-something I am so as not to anger my beeping Bluetooth god. Big brother indeed!

Edited July 28, 2020 by spenser1058

[Jerry95]

59 minutes ago, codypet said:

Anyone taken the new 408 WB to I-4 WB flyover yet?  Of course the lanes aren't striped right nor is the signage, but hey, all the ramps are operating now.

Took it for a spin Sunday. It’s amazing how after all the years of build up and excitement it feels like this was always there. Views from 220’ aren’t too bad either. 

Edited July 28, 2020 by Jerry95

[codypet]

On 7/28/2020 at 8:07 AM, spenser1058 said:

It’s funny - I’ve been waiting seemingly forever for the interchange to be completed and now that it’s almost done, thanks to work at home, I’ll rarely use it.

Life in the age of COVID-19...

On a similar note, my State Farm agent convinced me to get one of their “Drive Safe and Save” gadgets because it picks up more of a discount for driving many fewer miles than the regular low-mileage discount.

Only problem is, I’ve gone from “zoom zoom” in my Focus(If you remember the Mazda ads, the company once controlled by Ford used similar designs in their cars) to driving like the sixty-something I am so as not to anger my beeping Bluetooth god. Big brother indeed!

One of my cars doesn't have an ODB2 port.  Hell it doesn't have an ODB1 port.  I fix it with a tuning fork and a pair of forceps.

On 7/28/2020 at 8:56 AM, Jerry95 said:

Took it for a spin Sunday. It’s amazing how after all the years of build up and excitement it feels like this was always there. Views from 220’ aren’t too bad either. 

I can't wait to try it.  All my trips have been EB on I-4 this week.

[spenser1058]

19 minutes ago, codypet said:

One of my cars doesn't have an ODB2 port.  Hell it doesn't have an ODB1 port.  I fix it with a tuning fork and a pair of forceps.

I can't wait to try it.  All my trips have been EB on I-4 this week.

The thing. I like about this is that they’ve advanced past the stage where you had to fiddle around and hook it up to the car somehow.

Now, if you have the app, you just stick it on your windshield like my KnightPass and you’re good to go. It’s as if Steve Jobs was hanging out with the suits in Bloomington, IL...

[AndyPok1]

26 minutes ago, codypet said:

I can't wait to try it.  All my trips have been EB on I-4 this week.

Sunday night I literally took Delaney to 408 E, turned around at Bumby, got back on 408 W, took the new ramp, and off on Michigan to get home JUST to try it out haha

[dcluley98]

I've taken the new 408 ramp both ways. I thought it was cool with the gradual transition and the elevation. 

 

However, the different color of the concrete is jarring.  Also, the merge lanes are less than ideal. There is a whole lot of bridge there and they are forcing you down into one lane  before the bridge ends and it is not intuitive at all and people do not know how to react. 

@CodyPet may be able to comment on this. 

It is my understanding that they design capacity  in concert with decision-making and engineer systems to limit human behaviour and mistakes. 

Kind of like a funnel for good behaviour/habits. 

Having driven the I-4 east to 408 east ramp, I do not think it is at it's designed function yet.  

Edited July 30, 2020 by dcluley98

[Jerry95]

6 hours ago, dcluley98 said:

I've taken the new 408 ramp both ways. I thought it was cool with the gradual transition and the elevation. 

 

However, the different color of the concrete is jarring.  Also, the merge lanes are less than ideal. There is a whol lot of bridge there and they are forcing you down into one lane  before the bridge ends and it is not intuitive at all and people do not know how to react. 

@CodyPet may be able to comment on this. 

It is my understanding that they design capacity  in concert with decision-making and engineer systems to limit human behaviour and mistakes. 

Kind of like a funnel for good behaviour/habits. 

Having driving the I-4 east to 408 east ramp, I do not think it is at it's designed function yet.  

I don’t think the lane striping is in its final configuration yet, I imagine two lanes will continue from the ramp system to 408E then merge after they’ve joined the mainline. 

 

8 hours ago, AndyPok1 said:

Sunday night I literally took Delaney to 408 E, turned around at Bumby, got back on 408 W, took the new ramp, and off on Michigan to get home JUST to try it out haha

I did a very similar thing...