28 replies to this topic

[Hans van der Maarel]

Found this one today:

Strange Maps blog

[CHART]

Some very interesting maps on this blog.

I like the totem foods of North America. (I think I fall in the maple syrup nation...)

Thanks Hans.

[Cartisan Maps]

Quite an interesting find. Speaking on the Totem Foods maps, I unforunately feel a little glum about the food totem of where I'm from. Not only do I get stuck with abalone, I've never even had it! Why couldn't I just have been chili pepper, pine nut, or salmon??

[Nick Springer]

This is a cool blog. Yesterday he posted a diagram of the Eisenhower Interstate system similar to a subway map. A very cool view of the U.S.

http://strangemaps.w...erstate-system/

[natcase]

This is a cool blog. Yesterday he posted a diagram of the Eisenhower Interstate system similar to a subway map. A very cool view of the U.S.

http://strangemaps.w...erstate-system/

Grumble grumble. I thought it was a cool idea poorly executed. Where roads didn't fit right, he just left them out. If you look at the forum at the creator's page, you'll see a whole list of errors. I'm working right now on a more complex image inspired by that image (one which, for example, does not leave out Wisconsin). I'll post a picture when I'm done in a few days...

[benbakelaar]

Wow... incredibly interesting! This is better than a map history class

Found this one today:

Strange Maps blog

[MapMedia]

I was happy to pick up a little resource from the discussion about wikpedia's list of US interstates (also has an interesting discussion!):

Wikpedia US Aux Interstates & Highways

[DaveB]

Grumble grumble. I thought it was a cool idea poorly executed. Where roads didn't fit right, he just left them out. If you look at the forum at the creator's page, you'll see a whole list of errors. I'm working right now on a more complex image inspired by that image (one which, for example, does not leave out Wisconsin). I'll post a picture when I'm done in a few days...

"cool idea poorly executed"
You got that right, Nat! (Will you also consider a color change and maybe not use orange?)

p.s. I was working on a map of the US yesterday, with interstates, and noticed there are some "anomalies", like the 4 digit (900x) interstates in Kentucky and some lower numbers in the northeastern states (an interstate 5 in Maryland? I know there's an interstae 5 in California, so does that mean I-5 is not unique?). Or are those problems with the data/classification?

[Mike H]

Good eyes, Nat! One of the nation's newest interstates is I-99, running N-S between 1-70 and I-80, through State College (home of Penn State Geography).

What is odd about I-99 is it is the first to break the numerical convention of N-S and E-W; in theory, I-99 should be east of I-95. I guess they ran out of numbers, or, more likely - ran out of creative thought at Dep't of Transportation?

[MapMedia]

I know there's an interstae 5 in California, so does that mean I-5 is not unique?). Or are those problems with the data/classification?

There is only one Interstate 5, and that's in CA/OR/WA. Maryland has a state route 5 which is a major N-S highway. http://en.wikipedia....aryland_Route_5

But hey, I wouldn't be surprised to see a map saying otherwise!

[natcase]

Good eyes, Nat! One of the nation's newest interstates is I-99, running N-S between 1-70 and I-80, through State College (home of Penn State Geography).

What is odd about I-99 is it is the first to break the numerical convention of N-S and E-W; in theory, I-99 should be east of I-95. I guess they ran out of numbers, or, more likely - ran out of creative thought at Dep't of Transportation?

Actually, I'm finding a number of discrepancies. There are of course a lot of diagonals, but these all at some point appear in the right "order" (OK, I'm only 3/4 the way across the country so far, so maybe there's one on the east coast that doesn't work). The one really glaring off-course one so far is I-82 in Washington and Oregon. An even number that basically runs north south, between I-90 and I-94.

(Will you also consider a color change and maybe not use orange?) biggrin.gif

I will, but I can see why he did it. It's almost impossible to avoid type running across roads (I am keeping the diagonal type alignment), and it's easier to keep the roads light vs. masking. Not sure yet what I'm going to do. I'm also including state shapes, so my palette of light colors is somewhat limited, and actually an orange is not a bad choice...

[Dennis McClendon]

A powerful Congressman, Bud Schuster, specified that I-99 be the number when he got the money for it included in some highway bill, rather than letting AASHTO fit it into the numbering scheme.

This annoys to no end the "roadgeeks," people who are fascinated by the trivia of roads and driving. There appears to be a high correlation with Asperger's Syndrome, given the endless number of messages about highway numbering schemes. I-99 and I-238 in California are the main offenders, and the US highway numbering system is good for weeks worth of messages. (ROADGEEK is a Yahoo Groups listserv. There's also the less-civilized Usenet group alt.transp.roads.)

(Yes, four-digit numbers in Kentucky and two I-5's suggest a problem with data/classification).

Here's a similar idea for Great Britain, in the style of Beck's Underground Map:
http://www.motorwaymap.co.uk/

[Hans van der Maarel]

Here's a similar idea for Great Britain, in the style of Beck's Underground Map:
http://www.motorwaymap.co.uk/

Hmmm...

Interesting idea, I want to try that myself

[DaveB]

(Yes, four-digit numbers in Kentucky and two I-5's suggest a problem with data/classification).

Here's a similar idea for Great Britain, in the style of Beck's Underground Map:
http://www.motorwaymap.co.uk/

Yep, it was the classification that was in error. Thanks!

That UK motorway map is much more successful, but then they have a smaller area to cover. There are similar black and white versions of maps like these in some road atlases like the Thomas Bro. guides (now Rand McNally), more useful because they show which sides of the freeways have on/off-ramps.

[natcase]

This is a cool blog. Yesterday he posted a diagram of the Eisenhower Interstate system similar to a subway map. A very cool view of the U.S.

http://strangemaps.w...erstate-system/

Grumble grumble. I thought it was a cool idea poorly executed. Where roads didn't fit right, he just left them out. If you look at the forum at the creator's page, you'll see a whole list of errors. I'm working right now on a more complex image inspired by that image (one which, for example, does not leave out Wisconsin). I'll post a picture when I'm done in a few days...

Well, it took me more than a few days, but here it is... I'll try and get a larger gallery shot up in the next week or so