The amazing US interstate network (videos)

Kermit.de.frog

These are the type of roads we need in Dublin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVcJXkvCjaY

What I particularly love about driving in the United States is the scenery. It's probably the most beautiful single country in the world, the scale is amazing, and the roads don't let you down.

This full vid is great (from 20 minutes is awesome!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDgu9Bw3-QA

Where to even start.....

Alun

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

What I particularly love about driving in the United States is the scenery. It's probably the most beautiful single country in the world, the scale is amazing, and the roads don't let you down.

It is spectacular, but it can get tedious after a bit when you've seen nothing but mountains/desert for days on end due to the scale of things over there. You don't get the variety of different landscapes over short distances that you get in Europe.

L1011

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

and the roads don't let you down.

Except a 50 year infrastructural deficit means sometimes they do. Quite fatally at that. Bridge maintenance is so poor in particular that there have been and will be further fatal highway collapses.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39410561 and further reading easily found

Tell me how

Kermit.de.frog wrote:

It's probably the most beautiful single country in the world,

Nice try......Donald.

Kermit.de.frog

Alun wrote: »

You don't get the variety of different landscapes over short distances that you get in Europe.

I'd disagree with that. You get more variety especially in the western half of the US than in Europe. It can go from Desert to Alpine in the space of 50 miles. Europe's smaller and whilst interesting it's not as good in my opinion.

Anyhow. Flagstaff to Pheonix (here is an example of differing climate over a relatively short distance).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=el3lLaTUZ_M

Arizona is one of my favorite states for driving actually. Great diversity.

I prefer the US to Europe from a scenery and driving point of view.

It's maybe a little unfair to compare US with Europe. Everything is built a lot bigger in the US than in Europe. They have a far superior and comprehensive highway network than we do. Granted you will get some maintenance issues but that's inevitable given the scale of what they have.

Kermit.de.frog

Deleted User wrote: »

Where to even start.....

Start by posting videos, pics and stuff :cool:

AugustusMinimus

Why are people saying Europe is smaller than the US? By area, Europe is bigger.

Kermit.de.frog

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

Why are people saying Europe is smaller than the US? By area, Europe is bigger.

Depends on how much of "Europe" is being included. Big chunk of Russia, Turkey?

This is Texas alone...

Kermit.de.frog

I-110 and I-710 near Los Angeles - as stated the bridges on the initial Parkway here date from the 1940's!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UJOoN371rQ

JupiterKid

Yes, the US interstates are impressive but they are ageing and deteriorating (quite badly) in sections now. Remember the interstate system in the US was largely built from 1955 to 1980, with construction peaking in the mid to late 1960s. China now has a bigger motorway network than the USA.

Also, Dublin does not need massive complex four level stack interchanges - it needs good public transport, something that is sorely lacking in most American cities. NYC, San Francisco and Portland are notable exceptions but so many American cities are car dependent sprawling doughnut effect messes.

Europe has a largely superb road system. We in Ireland lagged decades behind but are catching up. Germany built the first true motorways (Autobahns) in the 1930s, when most highways in America were still quite poor.

America has some impressive and breathtaking drives but so too does Europe and other parts of the world.

marno21

JupiterKid wrote: »

Yes, the US interstates are impressive but they are ageing and deteriorating (quite badly) in sections now. Remember the system in the US was largely built from 1955 to 1980. China now has a bigger motorway network than the USA.

Also, Dublin does not need massive complex four level stack interchanges - it needs good public transport, something that is sorely lacking in most American cities. NYC, San Francisco and Portland are otable exceptions but so many American cities are car dependent sprawling doughnut effect messes.

Europe has a largely superb road system. We in Ireland lagged decades behind but are catching up. Germany built the first true motorways (Autobahns) in the 1930s, when most highways in America were still quite poor.

America has some impressive and breathtaking drives but so too does Europe and other parts of the world.

China may have impressive infrastructure but if western countries carried on like they did we'd all easily have impressive infrastructure. Thankfully we don't. The Donald committed to improving their infrastructure, has he fulfilled this ambition ?

Agreed regarding the public transport. The highway improvements required at the moment in cities like Houston are beggars belief. Car dependence doesn't even begin to describe it

CelticRambler

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

I prefer the US to Europe from a scenery and driving point of view.

I prefer the awesomeness of driving round yet another hairpin bend and suddenly seeing a mediaeval castle, monastery or village perched on top of a neighbouring mountain. You never see that in the US.


Ever! :cool:

MayoSalmon

marno21 wrote: »

China may have impressive infrastructure but if western countries carried on like they did we'd all easily have impressive infrastructure. Thankfully we don't. The Donald committed to improving their infrastructure, has he fulfilled this ambition ?

Agreed regarding the public transport. The highway improvements required at the moment in cities like Houston are beggars belief. Car dependence doesn't even begin to describe it

The wall will be built:pac:

Kermit.de.frog

The vids and pics in this thread will show most highways are being well maintained and upgraded across the US. First vid is Katy Freeway in Houston. Does that look like it is suffering from a lack of maintenance? lol :pac:

USA is so far advanced of Europe and every other country in road transport no fair comparison can be made. Same with China.

But it is the scale of highways that should be replicated in Europe and Asia which isn't. Germany is as good as it gets in Europe but autobahns in cities tend to max at only 6 lanes.

In terms of scenery everything in Europe outside the Alps is just a smaller more intimate scale and less diverse which has it's pluses but i'd take the big scenery in US any day of the week.

Cookiemunster

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

But it is the scale of highways that should be replicated in Europe and Asia which isn't. Germany is as good as it gets in Europe but autobahns in cities tend to max at only 6 lanes.

That would be because they generally don't need to be any bigger seeing as most European cities have viable public transport options. No way should roads in Europe ever be allowed to get that wide.

CelticRambler

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

USA is so far advanced of Europe and every other country in road transport ...

"Advanced" - what's that supposed to mean? A road is a road, that permits wheeled vehicles to get from A to B. We've had them in Europe for 2000 years, so what exactly are the Americans doing that has you getting so excited?

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

But it is the scale of highways that should be replicated in Europe and Asia which isn't. Germany is as good as it gets in Europe but autobahns in cities tend to max at only 6 lanes.

My local motorway in France has two lanes (in each direction) and that's more than enough for the three or four vehicles you can see at most times of the day, travelling the 1-2kms visible from the overpass near my house. What would adding another four lanes achieve? :pac:


Hey, did you know we have intercity trains in Europe that run on time? And fast - up to 400km/h if you're in the right catchment area ... What's the typical speed of a US intercity train?

nordydan

Anyone who thinks US infrastructure is well ahead of Europe, especially Western Europe, is borderline delusional

Kermit.de.frog

nordydan wrote: »

Anyone who thinks US infrastructure is well ahead of Europe, especially Western Europe, is borderline delusional

It is.

US is built for the car. The car represents personal independence which is what the US is all about.

Some cities incidentally do have excellent public transport links. Washington DC has a better metro than anything I have been on in Europe.

I-30 Dallas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dEAVNm1MJY

L1011

Their metro systems are crumbling to an even higher extent than their roads. NY has never properly fixed the damage from Sandy and tunnels are in danger of collapse, 80 year old signalling barely functional

Kermit.de.frog

Don't let the anti-American left wing ideology of Europe get to you. America is vastly superior to Europe in infrastructure in every way.

Some can't take it. I understand.

There is a reason they will remain the most powerful country in the world. Poor infrastructure is not that reason. Far from it. Great infrastructure is the reason.

L1011

Have you actually been there or are you going off a few YouTube videos?

Their infrastructure is in bits. They can't provide safe water to some cities, you can't actually walk to the shops in others due to everything being built for a 1960s ideal of cars.

They have effectively no useful rail outside of the NW and a few commuter systems.

Their airports are a mess as they were never designed to have security on domestic flights and haven't adapted to the idea even 17 years on.

They don't even have decent internet connectivity to many areas - first gen cable buildouts giving 20mbits shared to a road and no competition due to their oddly anti competitive rules

Nothing is sufficiently maintained anymore and people are dying as a result.

nordydan

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

It is.

US is built for the car. The car represents personal independence which is what the US is all about.

Some cities incidentally do have excellent public transport links. Washington DC has a better metro than anything I have been on in Europe.

I-30 Dallas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dEAVNm1MJY

Nice video but...

http://uk.businessinsider.com/asce-gives-us-infrastructure-a-d-2017-3?r=US&IR=T

mloc123

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Depends on how much of "Europe" is being included. Big chunk of Russia, Turkey?

This is Texas alone...

I drove from Big Bend national park to Lake Charles in Louisiana (i90) in a single day about 5 years ago... 10 hrs (700miles), The road network around Houston was amazing with multiple levels of flyovers, some hundreds of feet high.

Texas was very much a car state tho, little or no public transport and cities were designed to be driven into/around. The i35 was the most congested motorway I have ever driven on tho.

vrusinov

Please don't turn Ireland into US.

There is nothing worse than a web of gray, boring and congested highways. Over-investment in them caused cities to sprawl; there is practically no public transport, you can't walk anywhere and average commute is terrible.
People are forced to drive which does not do wonders to their driving skill - everyone is on the phone, there is higher risk of accidents, more congestion, more air pollution, etc.

Kermit.de.frog

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Some cities incidentally do have excellent public transport links. Washington DC has a better metro than anything I have been on in Europe.

I've been on the Washington metro many times, its a kip that's been suffering from under investment for many many years

It is good for what it is, but don't try to hold it up as a shining example, it's far from it

JupiterKid

OP in fairness you sound like a shill for the over-engineered but dated and now crumbling mess that is the US interstate road network. I lived in California for a while and have been all around North America and I know the country fairly well and the transportation system in frankly a mess that is falling apart. Public transport is abysmal in nearly every city in the USA. Transport and infrastructure in general in America was once the envy of the world - 50 years ago. Not now, not by a long shot.

At least Canada realize that proper public transport is critical to a half decent quality of life in their big cities but they did make a bit of a mess in Toronto, with some ridiculously wide freeways.

Texas is a complete example of how NOT to build and plan a sustainable urban environment where the cities are utter sprawling messes and totally car dependent. It’s always the Red(neck) states that seem to have the worst public transport and urban planning. Coincidence? I think not...The complete primacy of the car is utterly unsuitable to cities.

Can I have some of what you’re smoking?

Kermit.de.frog

I'm not a shill for anything and I have driven all over the US.

What we have here is a fundamental fault line between the left ideology of Europe and the individual freedom of the US. This pollutes views here. I understand that and it is not your fault. You are fed it.

Anybody who believes Europe competes with the US on any economic level is deluded. Simple as that. Those "redneck" states you mention happen to be at the forefront of technological advancement like the US in general. But let's not let fact get in the way of bull**** argument eh?

As I said US is built on individual freedom. Nothing exemplifies that more than the car. The whole US is car dependent not just certain states. That will never change for the simple reason Americans don't want public transport. They want their own cars. This is the whole reason for the US, what binds them together, individual liberty. That is why no two houses are the same in the US, for example.

You may not like it but they don't care.

San Diego - LA I-5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddWhlgrqSL4

Some reading on the topic

The problem at hand

The real reason American public transportation is such a disaster - https://www.vox.com/platform/amp/2015/8/10/9118199/public-transportation-subway-buses

Why Does The U.S. Hate Public Transportation? - https://amp.fastcompany.com/3059031/why-does-the-us-hate-public-transportation

America’s Public Transit Is Broken—And It’s All Your Fault - https://gizmodo.com/america-s-public-transit-is-broken-and-it-s-all-your-fa-1765691114/amp

But it's starting to change

Five signs America is falling in love with public transit https://edition.cnn.com/travel/amp/public-transportation-ridership-increasing/index.html

Perfecting public transportation: 10 U.S. cities with progressive plans https://www.curbed.com/platform/amp/2017/1/24/14361030/best-cities-public-transportation-light-rail-bus

Wellyd

Last November we drove from Denver to Pikes Peak and then from Colorado Springs to Aspen and the Maroon Bells via Vail and Glenwood Canyon and then back to Denver via Independence pass. It was spectacular. Independence pass was closed for two days due to a snowstorm and we thought we would miss it because it was the time of year that the pass closes for winter but it reopened when we got to aspen. It was honestly one of the best trips we’d ever taken because Every mile was just so beautiful!

L1011

There's only one set of ideological gubbins on this thread and it's neither European or left.

Infrastructure in the US is crumbling nationwide. It is impossible to deny that.

JupiterKid

OP if you love the USA so much and despise Europe why dont you move there? Sounds like you'd be much haplier living in Houston or Atlanta than Dublin.

Kermit.de.frog

Chesapeake Bay bridge and tunnels

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IF8pDwPafxo

Was on that myself. Amazing stuff.

unkel

I've driven several thousand miles on US east coast interstates last month and they were fine. Nothing to write home about quality wise though. I'd give them a 6 out of 10. Around New York they were quite poor and you could sense the lack of investment in them going back decades. That most vehicles, cars, buses, trucks drive at about the same speed over there makes for a relaxed drive though - you really could do a thousand miles in a day. Not like over here where there are imbeciles driving at 55km/h on the motorway

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Germany is as good as it gets in Europe

Back in the 70s and 80s sure, but not recently. Again massive lack of investments.

I'm not Irish myself and I have plenty to give out about this country but funnily enough our motorways are pretty much the best in the world. The benefit of being late at adopting technologies and not even having to pay for them ourselves helps, I guess

Kermit.de.frog

Here is a vid that in the opposite direction on I-70 (eastbound) of the last vid over the continental divide toward Denver. Posting it because it is such a beautiful drive. It actually just before this starts at desert but as you go up it gets greener and eventually alpine - seeing the flatlands beyond the mountains is absolutely stunning.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsH7iyZebRo

The best highway engineering you will see anywhere in the world as well.

Kermit.de.frog

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEICF6BwmZo

I-15 approaching San Diego

HabibiLibnen

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEICF6BwmZo

I-15 approaching San Diego

So what's the purpose of this thread? You spouting on about how much you love America? Unless you've driven in countries like China, Japan, Hong Kong, Sweden etc etc you can't make these claims about America having the best infrastructure. It's not left wing ideology, it's not bias, it's not brain washing. The interstates in America were great in the 60s. It's now 2019.

Fact: global cities function best with frequent, integrated, high density public transport. New York is such a success because of this. Ask any urban planner if Dallas or LA are good examples of city transport planning. The answer will be no.

Oman has a better highway system than many parts of America but your cognitive dissonance won't accept this. Why not travel beyond the anglosphere once in a while and you'll see that there are parts of the world with vastly superior infrastructure.

This is frankly the stupidest thread I've come across. I don't know what your aim was in creating it but it comes across as you being back from your first year abroad and won't shut up about it.

Kermit.de.frog

I have been to Oman and see no reason to discuss their roads. I'm posting videos of the highways in the United States.

That is what the thread is for.

To avoid confusion there is a thread title you don't have to click.

BelfastVanMan

Thanks for sharing.
Some beautiful scenery over there.

Kermit.de.frog

I-410 San Antonio, Texas. Nothing like this great road engineering anywhere else on the planet other than the United States.

Franz Von Peppercorn

America built those freeways when they were less radicalised between right and left, and even Republicans were not free market fanatics but believe in large scale non-military government projects.

Franz Von Peppercorn

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

I-410 San Antonio, Texas. Nothing like this road engineering anywhere else on the planet other than the United States.

I mean, of course there is.

Kermit.de.frog

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

I mean, of course there is.

lol, no there isn't.

Show me a highway anywhere else in the world on that scale, that complexity, that standard and I will give you a gold star.

Doesn't exist. It's only in the United States you get that.

It's a different scale to anywhere else. Chinese highways just don't compare. Europe - don't make us laugh.

That does not make the roads bad in Europe or Asia, it's just everything is on a much smaller scale.

BelfastVanMan

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

I mean, of course there is.

lol, no there isn't.

Show me a highway anywhere else in the world on that scale, that complexity, that standard and I will give you a gold star.

Doesn't exist. It's only in the United States you get that.

It's a different scale to anywhere else. Chinese highways just don't compare. Europe - don't make us laugh.

That does not make the roads bad in Europe or Asia, it's just everything is on a much smaller scale.

I guess, for sheer miles, little comes close.
But surely the new ones in China are just as long, moreorless, and presumably all fully grade-seperated, and more of them, too?

Franz Von Peppercorn

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

lol, no there isn't.

Show me a highway anywhere else in the world on that scale, that complexity, that standard and I will give you a gold star.

Doesn't exist. It's only in the United States you get that.

It's a different scale to anywhere else. Chinese highways just don't compare. Europe - don't make us laugh.

That does not make the roads bad in Europe or Asia, it's just everything is on a much smaller scale.

China’s expressways are longer.
The US network is crumbling and underinvested, it’s quite scenic in parts though.

BelfastVanMan

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

lol, no there isn't.

Show me a highway anywhere else in the world on that scale, that complexity, that standard and I will give you a gold star.

Doesn't exist. It's only in the United States you get that.

It's a different scale to anywhere else. Chinese highways just don't compare. Europe - don't make us laugh.

That does not make the roads bad in Europe or Asia, it's just everything is on a much smaller scale.

China’s expressways are longer.
The US network is crumbling and underinvested, it’s quite scenic in parts though.

Yeah, that's what I thought.
:-)

Kermit.de.frog

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

China’s expressways are longer.

Perhaps, nominally but they are not the same size or scale of road. That is the point.

We, in Europe, need to think and build bigger. So does Asia.

US highways are always being upgraded btw with renewed surfaces, structures and extra lanes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUNqsCRO3rE

More from San Antonio, Texas - great stuff.

BelfastVanMan

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

China’s expressways are longer.

Perhaps, nominally but they are not the same size or scale of road. That is the point.

We, in Europe, need to think and build bigger. So does Asia.

US highways are always being upgraded btw with renewed surfaces, structures and extra lanes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUNqsCRO3rE

More from San Antonio, Texas - great stuff.

These roads are far too wide for most of Ireland, though.

Cookiemunster

BelfastVanMan wrote: »

These roads are far too wide for most of Ireland, though.

He has a fetish about US roads. He doesn't get the whole PT thing and Europe not needing wider roads.

BelfastVanMan

Cookiemunster wrote: »

BelfastVanMan wrote: »

These roads are far too wide for most of Ireland, though.

He has a fetish about US roads. He doesn't get the whole PT thing and Europe not needing wider roads.

Well, I think a happy medium is the order of the day, most times. :-)

James Bond Junior

I've read this thread and while I'd agree the videos are visually stunning I can't say American highways are the be all and end all. I've driven the long island expressway (I495) and also the I422 in Pennsylvania and the road surface was pretty poor on both, I've never seen litter like it on an road in Europe. The expansion joints of the road surface were like hitting potholes especially in Long Island so much so they woke up my passenger such was the noise.

In contrast, the roads in the UAE are as smooth as glass and like new. The American interstate system may have been a benchmark in road engineering, design and vision sixty years ago but it is very much creaking today.