US Equivalent of Motorway Regulations?

[Chris56000]

Hi!

I've just got back from a week's holiday in the USA and stayed at the Dunes Inn on Sunset Boulevard, L.A, which is only a minute's walk from Junction 8A of US101, some of the local buses I used in LA passed interchanges with US405 near the Getty Center, all of which had a worded sign "FREEWAY ENTRANCE" at the beginning of the entry slip road, or on–ramp.

However there were no "FREEWAY ENDS" signs at any exits that I could see tho!

I also went along a long stretch of I–40 E/B from the junction with US93 going north from Las Vegas en route to Grand Canyon on a coach excursion, and the on–slips to to I–40 have no "FREEWAY ENTRANCE" signage – I'd say the I–40 looks like our A34 from the M40 to the M3 at J9 for example, altho' much longer of course! Would bikes, mopeds, tractors, etc., etc., be allowed on it? – this road was only D2 along the length used by the tour coach, from exits 55 to 165.

How do you know which US Interstate highways have our equivalent of "Motorway Regulations", and why doesn't the US MUTCD have clear signage designed to this effect?

Chris Williams

[ScottB5411]

They do not mark the start of regulations, they are literally pointing out where the freeway entrance is. You need to take US signs at face value.

Edit*

Interstates are the equivalent to motorways, but even they have exceptions in places for cyclists and pedestrians! Their road system is very different to the rather strict UK system.

[Truvelo]

There are usually signs on onslips stating "motorized vehicles only" or similar depending on the state.

[Bryn666]

Access control in the USA means no at-grade turns, etc, not 'restrictions on who can use it'.

I don't think the USA has traffic regulation orders like we do, everything done will be a local city ordnance or by-law applied as appropriate. If municipality A wants to ban cyclists from freeways but municipality B does not, then you just end up with a mix of rules.

[exiled]

Also this is one of the areas where the US is still 50 republics flying in close formation, no national road code etc. Same with Canada, where programmes like Canada's Worst Driver have to point out that the infractions on the test drive at the end, including going on their equivalent to motorways, are by the rules of Ontario.

[WHBM]

Access control in the USA means no at-grade turns, etc, not 'restrictions on who can use it'.

I don't think the USA has traffic regulation orders like we do, everything done will be a local city ordnance or by-law applied as appropriate. If municipality A wants to ban cyclists from freeways but municipality B does not, then you just end up with a mix of rules.

To be more precise, the "Limited Access" stipulation of US freeways is a legal prevention on adjacent landowners making entrances onto the road. Without this legislation they would be perfectly entitled to do so, as on normal roads. Unlike the UK, where the term Motorway is in the legislation, in the US the legal term is Limited Access, and "Freeway" is just a casual well-used expression.

Freeways are not only Interstates, individual states (California especially) have parts of the US Highway and State network also done to Freeway standard. The difference is in the proportion of the different government funding for construction and maintenance. I believe Interstates are something like 90% federal funded, progressing down through US, state etc roads.

There is indeed a lack of formal co-ordination there, and much of the gap is filled not by public authorities but by the professional association, the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO), who have determined various standards commonly used - though not compulsory.

I was in Los Angeles through the 1994 Northridge earthquake there, and something we noticed, amusingly, was the state Governer's press conference on the severely damaged freeways referred to them very pointedly as "Interstate 10" and "Interstate 5". Nobody in LA ever used those expressions, they are always the "Santa Monica" and the "Golden State" freeways. But it was Sending A Message to the treasury in Washington !

[KeithW]

The golden rule is that in the USA all Interstates are Freeways but not Freeways are Interstates. Often only sections of the roads through Urban areas are Freeways. The US does not have the presumption that roads are by default All Purpose Roads. In most states its actually illegal to walk or use a mobility scooter on normal roads or even to cross them except at a marked crossing point. This offence is commonly referred to as jaywalking.

In Columbus Ohio one of the the earliest Freeways was Ohio 315. In Columbus its an impressive limited access D3/D4 road and called the Olentangty Freeway but outside the city its just a normal S2 country road aka the Olentangy River Road

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@40.14066 ... authuser=0

There is no obvious transition and few if any signs marking the start of the Freeway. The onus is on the road user to know where he/she is not permitted. At the junction of the 315 Freeway and 161 Dublin Granville Road where I used to take the 315 into work there was simply a green Bike Route sign direction cyclists straight ahead to US 23 which is a non limited access road.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@40.08952 ... authuser=0

In Ohio bicycles are classed as vehicles and thus allowed on all roads except freeways. That is true in most states but some impose limitations such as that bicycles should keep to the right hand side of the lane rather than ride down the middle. Given that bicycles were in common use before automobiles existed this presumption that a bicycle is a vehicle is perfectly logical.

I recall two British tourists who were non drivers being warned by the local police for walking along a short section of road from the motel in Orlando to the local supermarket. The cops were quite good about it and even gave them a lift back to motel but thereafter they were required to take a cab.

[Vierwielen]

Access control in the USA means no at-grade turns, etc, not 'restrictions on who can use it'.

I don't think the USA has traffic regulation orders like we do, everything done will be a local city ordnance or by-law applied as appropriate. If municipality A wants to ban cyclists from freeways but municipality B does not, then you just end up with a mix of rules.

Sounds like a bonanza for the laywers.

[sydneynick]

Actually, I suspect that the UK is unusual in having a special set of rules that apply automatically when you pass a chopsticks sign. Australia has largely given up using chopsticks signs, and this insignificant sign is typical.

[Johnathan404]

Actually, I suspect that the UK is unusual in having a special set of rules that apply automatically when you pass a chopsticks sign. Australia has largely given up using chopsticks signs, and this insignificant sign is typical.

Do animals tend to respect the sign?

[crazyknightsfan]

Actually, I suspect that the UK is unusual in having a special set of rules that apply automatically when you pass a chopsticks sign. Australia has largely given up using chopsticks signs, and this insignificant sign is typical.

The chopsticks signs have disappeared but the road rules of each state clearly define a freeway as starting at a 'Start Freeway' or 'Freeway Entrance' sign and ending at an 'End Freeway' sign. Motorway is interchangeable with freeway in those states that use the term.

Example: http://www8.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/view ... /s177.html

[Viator]

Actually, I suspect that the UK is unusual in having a special set of rules that apply automatically when you pass a chopsticks sign. Australia has largely given up using chopsticks signs, and this insignificant sign is typical.

I wouldn't say that the UK is unusual in this regard -- given that chopsticks (= "motorway rules apply") signs are used in the same regulatory way in at least 25 other countries in Europe alone.

[KeithW]

Actually, I suspect that the UK is unusual in having a special set of rules that apply automatically when you pass a chopsticks sign. Australia has largely given up using chopsticks signs, and this insignificant sign is typical.

The chopsticks signs have disappeared but the road rules of each state clearly define a freeway as starting at a 'Start Freeway' or 'Freeway Entrance' sign and ending at an 'End Freeway' sign. Motorway is interchangeable with freeway in those states that use the term.

Example: http://www8.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/view ... /s177.html

True for Australia but not the USA where rules and implementation are down to each State for Freeways other than Interstates.

On I-71 in Columbus this is the sign on the entrance ramp
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@40.14165 ... authuser=0

On the Olentangy Freeway (Ohio 315) there were no such signs but there were signs to a cycle friendly route which is a pedestrian/cycleway along the Olentangy river bank
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@40.08252 ... authuser=0

[RichardA626]

What sign is used to show the end of motorway like restrictions as used in many European contries, ie the "Happy Car"?

[Bryn666]

What sign is used to show the end of motorway like restrictions as used in many European contries, ie the "Happy Car"?

Usually nothing.

[Bryn666]

Access control in the USA means no at-grade turns, etc, not 'restrictions on who can use it'.

I don't think the USA has traffic regulation orders like we do, everything done will be a local city ordnance or by-law applied as appropriate. If municipality A wants to ban cyclists from freeways but municipality B does not, then you just end up with a mix of rules.

Sounds like a bonanza for the laywers.

Welcome to America! Suing people is a sport isn't it?

[KeithW]

Sounds like a bonanza for the laywers.

It is - you will find adverts on local radio and newspaper for lawyers who specialise in nothing else. Most states have a central body of law for traffic offences such as DUI and speeding on state roads but municipal authorities can and do have their own ordnances. Here is the list for the city of Columbus Ohio. The tussles over municipal, state or federal law can make for especially lucrative cases.
https://library.municode.com/oh/columbu ... =TIT21TRCO

This is their definition of a controlled access highway

"Controlled-access highway" means every street or highway in respect to which owners or occupants of abutting lands and other persons have no legal right or access to or from the same except at such points only and in such manner as may be determined by the director of public service or the public authority having jurisdiction over such street or highway.

In other words any street or road the local official states is a controlled access highway. None of this tedious business of Special Roads or TRO's.

Columbus makes a fortune out of jaywalking fines. The local precinct in the Ohio State University Campus area alone they issued 250 tickets in just one weekend which at $50 a time plus a $40 administration fee makes it a nice little earner. That one weekend in a small area this brought in over $20,000.

[Gav]

Actually, I suspect that the UK is unusual in having a special set of rules that apply automatically when you pass a chopsticks sign. Australia has largely given up using chopsticks signs, and this insignificant sign is typical.

See above go on from that and you have a traffic light junction in the middle of the motorway !

https://goo.gl/maps/2TDAbTReXbeUsjJCA

[Richard_Fairhurst]

In Ohio bicycles are classed as vehicles and thus allowed on all roads except freeways. That is true in most states

In the west it's generally the case that bikes are allowed on rural Interstates. There simply aren't any other (paved) alternative routes in many places.

There are even USBRS routes (United States Bicycle Route System, the equivalent of our National Cycle Network) which follow Interstates!

[Vierwielen]

Sounds like a bonanza for the laywers.

It is - you will find adverts on local radio and newspaper for lawyers who specialise in nothing else. Most states have a central body of law for traffic offences such as DUI and speeding on state roads but municipal authorities can and do have their own ordnances. Here is the list for the city of Columbus Ohio. The tussles over municipal, state or federal law can make for especially lucrative cases.
https://library.municode.com/oh/columbu ... =TIT21TRCO

This is their definition of a controlled access highway

"Controlled-access highway" means every street or highway in respect to which owners or occupants of abutting lands and other persons have no legal right or access to or from the same except at such points only and in such manner as may be determined by the director of public service or the public authority having jurisdiction over such street or highway.

In other words any street or road the local official states is a controlled access highway. None of this tedious business of Special Roads or TRO's.

Columbus makes a fortune out of jaywalking fines. The local precinct in the Ohio State University Campus area alone they issued 250 tickets in just one weekend which at $50 a time plus a $40 administration fee makes it a nice little earner. That one weekend in a small area this brought in over $20,000.

Ever read the "The Rooster Bar" by John Grisham? He describes what happens in such a court.