🚀 go-pugleaf

mankin@mizar.usc.edu (Eric Mankin) writes:
>who can shed light on the different ways northern and southern
>Californians refer to numbered roads.

karl@kraz.usc.edu (Karl Geiger) writes:
>The names are not only mnemonic but for the most part tell you
>something about where you're going or coming.  I280 in the bay area is the
>"Junipero Serra Fwy" from San Jose to San Francisco -- pretty name and
>road but not descriptive.

I made a similar point in la.general and ca.general about a year ago.
The problem, it seems to me, is the difference between names which
evolved from common usage versus names which were invented by bureaucrats.
In SoCal, the only freeway which is almost invariably referenced by
number is the 605, which never evolved a common name and was assigned
"San Gabriel River Valley Freeway" by bureaucrats immediately upon
opening.

Many of us even refuse to use the bureaucratic names when they conflict
with common usage. For example, the 55 in Orange County has the common
name "Newport Freeway". Awhile back, some local officials decided they
wanted their city on the map, so to speak, and persuaded CalTrans to
change the signs to "Costa Mesa Freeway". The destination is still
shown as Newport Beach and it generally follows Newport Boulevard. As
far as I am concerned, it will always be the Newport. (Does the San
Diego Freeway (405) need to go to San Diego to warrant its name?)
--
Dave Close, Compata, Costa Mesa CA  "Always" and "never" are two words you
compata@shell.portal.com	     should always remember never to use.
dave@compata.attmail.com		  Wendell Johnson