The DOT Responds

So I guess I've become "one of those people." I sent the following email to the New York State Region 8 DOT out of pure curiosity:

I've been noticing the replacement of several signs along US 202, primarily within Somers, at its intersection with NY 118, but also sporadically throughout the area of Yorktown Heights as well. In the case of each sign, the US shield is being replaced with a New York shield. I'm guessing this is just an error (and one that I'm seeing with more frequency - along US 9 and US 6) but I was just curious as to what is going on.

Many thanks,
Rob Adams

Here's the problem:Above: The right way - US 202
Above: The wrong way - not NY 202

Photos taken by Rob Adams. Copyright, 2007 and all that legal-ease stuff.

Maybe a little more explanation is necessary. US 202 is a strange road that, for much of its route, is "multiplexed" with other route numbers. That means it has another route number attached. In New York, for instance, it starts alone coming out of New Jersey in Suffern before NY 59 joins it. Then it rides alone to Haverstraw to join US 9W to the Bear Mountain Bridge where 9W leaves but US 6 joins. They ride together to Peekskill and have NY 35 jump on board (US 6 soon departs for Mahopac, Carmel and Brewster - we'll be there soon). Stay with me now, as 202 and 35 (commonly known as just "202") ride from Peekskill to Yorktown Heights. NY 118 forms a triplex there. US 202 and NY 118 lose NY 35 at Amawalk and ride to Granite Springs (which is where the above pictures were taken). The route then goes to Somers, where it used to have a multiplex with NY 100, but that ended about 15 years ago. At Croton Falls, 202 hooks up with NY 22 and continues to Brewster where it's joined by...sing along, people!...US 6. NY 22 drops out and US 6 and 202 ride off into Connecticut together.

I promise I will not break down route 202's "partners" in Delaware, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire or Maine. Let's just say they're plentiful.

In other words, it wouldn't have surprised me if somebody decided to "demote" our friend 202. But not so, says my new friends at the DOT:

Dear Rob,

The difference in the shields you've seen on the signs you wrote about don't indicate any kind of re-designation of the roadways -- the NY shields on those signs are a mistake. I appreciate you pointing it out. Our sign people have been notified of the problem and will review the situation and correct it as the opportunity presents itself.

Thank you for sharing your concern with us.

So I have indeed become "one of those people." I was just curious and now because of my big freaking mouth (or keyboard, in this case), the signs will be fixed. All "thanks" to me. Oh well - no harm was intended and for most part, I have found that none of you even notice these things.

Plenty more to talk about and I'll try to catch up if I think it's necessary and relevant. As usual, there's plenty of stuff that I can't talk about. Let's just say it's not a really happy time for me, but I'm trying hard to get through it and move on. I'm becoming more private and even less "talking about the past" than ever before, because I need to simply move forward. Oh, and forget about that last job interview thing that I mentioned. I think I wasn't uptight enough for them, and I don't think they liked the way I did their Excel test. Let me tell you that I can do Excel stuff in my sleep, but the reality was that I wasn't going to be moving to Maine for a job, even if it was with a company that I would love to work for.

Or shall I say that I would have been moving to Maine...alone.

Gee, ain't life grand?