Highway numbering

[MPD01605 1]

I saw a discussion on this on some SimCity forum about a year ago (I could swear it was Simtropolis), and it gave me the idea.  Since I can't find the previous thread, I'll start one.

I've numbered all the highways in my region of New York (new name pending).  I pretty much follow the Interstate Highway system of numbering, and even use their shields.  Even though I can't actually do it in the game, it's a great way for me to follow my routes and adds some realism.  When I first numbered, my region was smaller, so as I added cities to it, the numbers got all weird.  I renumbered, and this is how it is! 

To shake things up, I've started another country in the east of my region, and that uses no real system of numbering. 

Has anyone else started a system of numbering yet?  Highways or just other systems?

This is a small picture since the image is HUGE.  The link to the HUGE 100% image is here: https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/MPD01605/1CopyofNewYork19.jpg

[Khorasaurus1 1]

That's really impressive. I like how the southeast corner is a different country.

I use the "spur" and "loop" interstate rules, but not the part about odd is N/S and even is E/W and I try not to use numbers that exist in real life. My region has six major Interstates (I-2, I-97, I-51, I-46, I-17 and I-32) and several spurs and loops (I-432, I-102, I-802, I-332, I-197 and I-917). 

Also, not all my highways are interstates. Some are just state routes, although some of the state routes are numbered like interstates (SR-702 for instance).

[MPD01605 1]

Thanks. I considered a secondary and tertiary route system of all types, not just highways, but that was really trying for me, and very hard on a regional level. Probably my next renumbering (long ways away), I'll add some state routes of sorts. I am working on a much much smaller region with state routes, and that's in the works. Finding shields was hard. The first time, of which I have a map and maybe I'll put up later, I was searching the internet for shields and making ones I needed in Paint. These are from Wikimedia; it was much easier than creating so many. It still took a good few hours to renumber and re-plot all the routes (not to mention do so many screenshots of the game and merge them all together!).  When I get better at designing, I'll be making my own custom route markers.

[Khorasaurus1 1]

That's why I was so impressed. Notice I didn't post a map. All I've got is a cruddy little hand drawn map and the label tool from the game.

[mikex182 0]

thats kool. actually my current region is 2 countries seperated in the middle by a river. they use 2 differnt numbering systems so here they go. i just named them after counties in uk.

M=Motorway(freeway)

C=Carraigeway(avenue)

gloucestershire - m2, m55, m50, m45, m223, C536, C316

F=freeway

R=roadway(ave)

cumberland - F4, F3, F34, F92, F96, R24, R7

the majority of em go thru the 2 main cities (rochdale and swindon)

mike-

[Palpatine001 57]

Nice layout of the highway numbering system

I have been doing a similar thing for my Solarian Region but as I am from New Zealand (and we don't have interstates) I use our State Highway System. So starting with the flagship State Highway One that starts from the South West and goes to the North East and working through the numbering system.

In true New Zealand Fashion the numbering system isn't confined to the SC4 Highways, as I use NAM 2, raised avenues and avenues as "expressways" the State Highway numbering system extends to those and 2 lane roads in some cases when in rural areas.

I will post a regional map with the numbering on the respective highways - if you can find your way through the MAZE in The Core - Solaria

[Jersey08 0]

How i normally do it:

Interstates are Elevated (for the majority of the time) and must extend through at least Three cities.

If it extends through to it would be "CityA-CityB Expwy" (ex. Culham-Newport Expressway)

Dowtown-Suburban Highways ususally get a "CR-#" Denotation "City Route" or a special name (Joseph A Culham Parkway)

I try to model alot of my highways after the American system, which means that long avenue connections have been replaced by highways. The long Ave. highway system is still numbered from early stages, but used as more locally oriented traffic.

For very highty trafficked routes, i will normally build an avenue along side and place Ave On\Off Ramps connecting to the interstate. (Think 1-95 and the Merritt Parkway....95 and the Garden State Parkway....95 and US-1 etc etc...

[mikex182 0]

my motorways are all elevated in city areas, but between cities theyre all ground. more realistic.

[_MostlyHarmless 17]

Nicely done, thats a lot of highways=lots of cars. :-]

[M1 0]

I number my roads UK style:

M- Motorways

A- Major all-purpose routes

B- Secondary all-purpose routes

Currently the system isn't too advanced, but I'm slowly working on numbering all of my roads.

[sc4portugal 10]

In my citeis I have:

F roads (motorways/autoroutes/autoestradas)

N roads (nacional/nacional/nacional)

C roads (conection/?/conec

[NightlinerSGS 1]

I use the German System:

A: Autobahn/Interstate Highway (SC4 Elevated/Ground Highway) - mostly on the ground, even in cities, except for highrise downtowns. One, two or three numbers. (A8, A81,A831)  The numbering system is quite complicated, but you can look it up on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autobahn

B: Bundesstrasse/Federal Road (SC4 Alley/One Way Roads for splitting OR Rural Highways from the Rural Highway Project) - usually crossing-free outside cities. Larger routes that can take much traffic and bring it to mayor and smaller cities where highways would be too expensive to build. One, two or three numbers like the Autobahn. (B3, B10, B313)

L: Landstrasse (Fernstrasse, Autostrasse)/Country Road (SC4 Road) - Even smaller where a federal road would be too much. Also used as alterative routes for highways when there are traffic jams or accidents. Usually crossing free outside cities (well, at least in RL... its hard to realise this in SC4). One, two, three or even four numbers. (L1192)

If you look at the numbers you should now be able to find out where I life^^

N.SGS

[TinySim 4]

*opens google earth* Haha, I know where you live (Plochingen is as close as i can get ) Anyway, I usually number roads like we do in sweden: Motorways/Highways have their E-number (E4, E6, E65), that number follows the road through europe. Smaller roads have regional numbers that are just numbers, like 9, 101 etc. Sweden is very small so we don't need to number our roads Now you guess where i live

[NightlinerSGS 1]

*****? Oo

Well you are very, very close... I think its not possible to get closer with the information I provided (Esslingen)

Didn't know that it would be so easy to look that up... hey wait I just got an Idea for a new forum game^^

[hawkpride147 1]

all my highways are based off the interstate numbering system but each one also has it's own name like all the highways in dallas-ft. worth texas have. i also place feeder/service/access/frontage (whatever you call them) along side every highway as that is the way it is done in texas.

[Cody02 0]

I base my numbers on the Interstate system also, current Interstates in my region include: I-10, I-35, and I-235. I also have some state routes SR-135(freeway), SR-210,

SR-17 and some U.S. Highways Hwy53, Hwy71. When I build my interstates I do not use the default game freeway. I use one way roads for more realistic interchanges, you can see some of my work in my CJ below but right now it is on standby and some of my exit signs are not up to date. You can make your own exit signs using KurumiSignMaker if anyone likes that.

MPD01605>that region is cool, all those interstates everywhere are awesome.

[tbone04044 0]

ur region has way to many highway, the populaion and density doesnt reflect the usage needed for that many highways... its like asphalt heaven there... it is a cool concept dont get me wrong, im just thinking u should relax a little with all them highways in future builds, look at a map in NJ, they dont even have that many highways and thats one of most densly populated places in the world

[MPD01605 1]

I agree I have many many highways. The system works though. Traffic flows smoothly in most regions, thanks to the highways and thanks to extensive mass transit. Growth has slowed, I've moved from expanding my region and cities to perfecting them- rebuilding city centres, more subway, and as I go, I actually de-construct highways in some places. I-25 used to go right through where it intersects I-40 (it paralled I-240 through the city, that was back when it was known as I-81 before my renumbering, but I digress), but then traffic was so bad, I removed it and upped mass transit and reconstructed a lot of that downtown, it's better.

I never really planned the initial highways. I just build them as I needed. But eventually, I began to see that I needed a system for me and for my little Sims. So I connected them, then eventually...a network came about. But it does hold true to life though; there are some places (like the western and southern edges of my city that don't have any build up, but there are highways. I don't know...just did it. My next region is going to be more chill; less highways, more byways; more scenery and more thought. I've nursed this region since I got the game (back in 2003!).

I like how many different ways that you all number your routes. It's really interesting to see other views!

[Sardonic Arbiter 0]

The concept of numbered road ways is almost completely alien to most Australians, the only instance in which any road/highway has a "coded" name would be the new freeways and motorways in Sydney and Melbourne and for the most part these have alternative names eg. Eastern/Western Distributor and these would be lucky to go double figures. I'm pretty sure main road through my town is MR234 or maybe 334 but most people would have no idea. On a broader note the concept of numbered streets (eg 22nd Street, 5th Avenue) is rather alien as well, most people would think it rather unimaginative and I would only be able to think of a few limited cases where I have seen it (and I have a habit of "reading" street directories).

[Poffe_88 0]

I name them after the european system, E4, E22. But instead of "E" I choose "S". Why? Becouse my city is not in Europe, it

[GMT 389]

I number my highways from west to east in order of appearance... and name them aswell.

and around downtown, there're or better will be 2 circular tollways

[bakercity 270]

I mainly use American and Canadian numbering, but fictionous as in real life, it will not fit in

[Curtis78 2]

My Cities Even goes N/S and odds go E/W The interstates have less exits on them than my state highways. Then there are the Thruways (or turnpikes) that have tollbooths at the entrance and exit.

[writingliberty 0]

I number mine with a mix of Interstate and California numbers, as my region that I'm working on is based on a real map of the southwest corner of San Diego County, California.

However, the limitations of game mechanics have shot to pieces my original plan to make things as realistic as possible (while still keeping the game economy balanced and traffic under control).

Some of the numbers are fictional because I needed more freeways than exist in real life (putting them closer together), and in an unhappy compromise (due to the game not being capable of bridges that bend, are diagonal, or cross city boudaries), I had to reposition the 2 1/2 mile bridge at the north end of CA-75 so it goes north-south across the bay to Harbor Drive by the airport instead of east-west with a curve to northeast-southwest to I-5 in Downtown.

Also there are ramps missing due to not being able to put ramps on curved freeway sections. Particularly I know of two places in real life where the freeway curves to one side, but there is a single-sided set of ramps that connect to an avenue leading "straight" from the direction the freeway was going before the curve. The lack of such types of interchanges/ramps has forced me to either omit these or jigsaw the avenue around to make ramps on one side of the curve.

We also have a couple places - not many - that have "expressways" (basically avenues, or a urban version of RHW) that intersect with minor streets via freeway-style diamond interchange ramps, and other expressways and freeways via cloverleafs - but to do this in game they have to be simulated as ground highways, which looks wrong.

[Shingure 56]

I do my highways this way. Elevated - EH-2

If it's an elevated junction then I put it this way EH-J-2 TO 45

If it's an Elevated Ground Junction then it's : E&GH-J- 3 TO 782

If it's ground then G-917

Ground junctions - GJ-782 TO 917

Rural Highways - RuHi-020

Roundabouts in a highway system to transfer to another route - O TO G567 W, O TO E782 E , O TO G37, TO Trocola Garden Way. ( TGW )

My numbering system is complex

[zakuten 8]

I've used 2 route systems, one like this:

By the way, X is where the spur/etc. number addon goes, and 000 the possible route numbers. It's made on a global scale, explaining the high number range.

National Express Highways, roughly equivalent to Interstates. (Hexagonal sign) For example, first spur of <1> =<1001>

|X0000| National Highways, like US routes.

(000) District(equiv. to state/province/etc.) routes, varies, can have several formats.

This system assigned numbers in a E-W being even, N-S odd system.

New Style:

J-X000 National Express Highways (Native name: motorii jyekaal natsional)

X000 National Highways (motorii natsional) (Note, no prefix is used.)

Y-X00(letter possible) District Highway (Tangentii yukatir)

This one assigned the lowest numbers, 1~9, to the most important routes, mainly transcontinental. (For example, I-95 or I-80 would recieve a 1-digit in this system.) 2-digits are minor transcontinental, and 3-digits would be the less important routes. 2 and 3 digits still used the EW-even/NS-odd numbering, though the single digits were simply arbitrarily assigned.

[Haljackey 17,241]

MPD01605: How did you make that image so large?

[sebbyb07 2]

I number my highways/motorways using the British system (M1,M2,M3), i number them in the order that I build them. I also name rail lines and subway systems.

[yamaneko 2]

National roads (multicity highways):

East-west highways are even, with higher numbers as you go south.

North-south highways are odd, with increasing numbers as you go west.

Superhighways are prefixed with SN (SimNation), and their numbers are fairly close together north-south and east-west.  For example, a 16x16 region may have N 42 crossing its northern flank, N50 crossing its southern flank, N 75 to the west and N 83 to the east.  Presumably this region would be in West-Central SimNation. 

Intercity roads are prefixed with SR (SimRegion).  These roads generally connected cities early in a region's history, and their numbers range more widely than SN numbers.

Local farm roads start at a zero point (generally in town);  they are assigned higher numbers the closer to the map edge you get followed by a cardinal direction.  The 0 N-S highway, if not an intercity road is called Meridian while the 0 E-W highway is called Division.   So if I were to zone agricultural east of Meridian, the first N-S road would be 10 E or 100 E, the second road would be 20 E or 200 E

Spurs (one connection with the main highway) and bypasses (two connections with the main highway) get prefixed by a third digit:  odd for spurs and even for bypasses.  If SN 50 connects Westtown and Easttown, a superhighway dropped to Southtown could be designated SN 150 and a superhighway that connects the northern suburbs of Easttown may be designated SN 450 if it intersects SN 50 in two places, SN 350 if it intersects at one, and (perhaps) SN 48 if it connects nowhere.  Chances are that there would be a route (not always dual carriageway) connecting SN 48 and SN 50;  its designation would probably  something like SR 35. 

Of course, in practice I tend to tire of Regions rather quickly, preferring to experiment with a brand-new city in a brand-new region. 

[MPD01605 1]

@haljackey: Short answer- I used MS Paint. It's a long and painful process of taking screenshots and lining all 50ish of them up perfectly. Then saving. If and when I make a new map (usually I just add on to the south and east, it's faster), it can take 3 hours or so. It's also hard to not get airplanes in the region. But yeah, MS Paint will do it.