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Citizen complaint of the day: How are people supposed to know where Rte. 20 ends?
By adamg on Tue, 12/22/2015 - 1:02pm
A concerned citizen requests that the city replace the "END" sign that used to designate the spot in Kenmore Square where Rte. 20 ends:
Prior to the reconstruction of Kenmore Square there was a sign marking the terminus of U.S. Route 20 (an important marker given its 3,365 mile span, the longest road in the United States). This image is attached, taken around 2005. After reconstruction the sign does not appear to have been replaced. Is there a reason this has not been replaced? Perhaps it could be added to the "Bicycles Stop On Line for Green" post that is on the island between Comm Ave. eastbound/Beacon St.
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Comments
that should be clearly marked
that should be clearly marked. but lets be honest, in this day and age theyre listening to gps anyways
As a gigantic map nerd
I freaked out when, in my youth, I learned that the same Route 20 that ran through my hometown went all the way to the Oregon coast. I've always sort of dreamed of driving it from coast to coast, but a quick look at the width of Nebraska kills off that dream a little bit.
Central NYS
Route 20 in central New York State is very beautiful. I love driving it when I'm out there.
Agreed!
I've driven out to Cooperstown a couple times and that part is great. Also the part of 20 around Yellowstone and western Wyoming is (obviously) amazing. It's the stuff in between (and perhaps it was unfair to single out Nebraska for tedium when Ohio is also part of the deal) that's always scared me away.
When we used to go to Illinois for Christmas
We'd always cross Rte. 20 on our way from the airport to the wife's homestead way south of Chicago, and I'd always make the same joke about how we could just turn off the interstate and drive home. Gotta maintain the traditions.
We basically did this...
... albeit in summer. One summer we stayed off interstates all the way across Ohio and much of Indiana. Another year we stayed off the interstates crossing New York (doing sightseeing and taking 3-4 days - a LOT more interesting --if one can take the time).
And you know where US 30 ends?
:-)
US 30 = Astoria, Oregon ⟺ Atlantic City, New Jersey
USEnds.com has information about all US highway endpoints.
US 20 previously ended at Park Street and later at Arlington Street, before being changed to end at Beacon Street.
Chris Elbert, July 2006
But it's fast
65 mph speed limit in Nebraska, with a town every, what 20 or 30 miles? Google Maps shows US 20 across the entire state as 431 miles in 7:09, for an average speed of 60 mph, towns included.
I-80 takes about 45 minutes less, but you're burning gas at 80 (or more) that whole time (speed limit is 75, but it is honored in the breach) and dodging trucks and there are a lot of trucks. You could probably knock across 80 at 85 mph and cross the state in 5:30 if you really wanted to, I guess.
That's because of the sooper
That's because of the sooper seaaaaacrit plan to extend route 20 to the hahbah.
Thanks Obama!
It should.
I'm all for making it extend to the sea on both ends. Literally 'from sea to shining sea'.
rte 20
some friends and I got lost coming home from a concert in Worcester when I was 16-17, somehow we wound up in Stow? we pulled into the fire station because there was nothing else around in those days.we asked a fireman how to get back to allston and he said " do you know where north beacon street is in Brighton?" we told him we did and he pointed at the road the fire house was on (rte 20!) and he said "that eventually turns into north beacon" he wasn't lying.
Sudbury maybe?
I ask only because I was the only daily reporter covering Stow for one awful year and while there is nothing much near the fire station, I unfortunately know firsthand that Rte. 20 doesn't go through the town (fortunately, I also covered Acton at the same time, because Acton was a great town to cover).
could have been sudbury
we were 16 and and we could have been on Mars!
Well, that will simplify things
Rte 20 goes to mars!
And therein lies the joke
Rt. 20, like all numbered routes in MA, makes dozens of turns, often being poorly or completely unsigned. Except for the Mass Pike, there are few numbered roads in the state that are actually straight and continuous.
I've got lost plenty of time "just staying on the road".
Haven't you figured that out yet?
In Mass it's the law - if you need a sign to point you in the right direction you obviously don't belong wherever it is you are.
That's why the route re-signing a couple years ago was so odd
Even aside from the contractor who stuck the signs right in the middle of a sidewalk, that is.
We'd managed perfectly fine without knowing that Huntington Avenue doubled as Rte. 9 or that the intersection of Blue Hill Avenue and Morton Street doubled as the intersection of routes 203 and 28. But apparently this was a Serious Issue that required remediation.
Last week
While trying to find a house party in the wilds of Middlesex County, my wife's GPS told us to take "Route 90 to Exit 15". I instantly translated "Route 90" to "The Pike" but for $100 I couldn't have told you if Exit 15 was the 128 exit or the Natick Exit. Who the hell uses exit numbers around here?
NE routes
Throughout New England, most of the state and U.S. routes were originally just numbers applied to roads that already existed, so it's a mess. History of the road numbering system around here.
Then there's this...
I have an old roadmap
that predates the construction of Rt 128. It shows 128 as basically what today might be considered a bunch of side roads. High St in Dedham being one of them I think.
28
Living in Manchester, NH now, and having previously lived in Boston for almost a decade, I only recently realized that the route that goes right by my apartment in Manchester eventually becomes Storrow Drive.
Route 28, like a bunch of the other two- and single-digit routes around here, were once part of the original interstate highway system.
While they're
Replacing the END 20 sign, they should also add one for the Franklin Park Zoo. In the interest of being helpful and all.
And the Faulkner Hospital.
And the Faulkner Hospital.
not a bad idea
not a bad idea. Had no idea 20 went that far, i knew it stretched across mass. Side note, looking at the map of 20 across the US, it looks like an ideal cross country motorcycle route. Google street view of some of the upstate NY parts look ideal for riding.