Earlier quoted context omitted.
The best analogy I've heard for explaining Texas to non-Americans is that Americans view Texans the same way the rest of the world views Americans.
I'll accept that. Somehow I forgot to mention truck nuts. Car culture is something else entirely in Texas.
Why are Texas interchanges so tall?
221–230 of 352 posts
Re: Why are Texas interchanges so tall?
#222Earlier quoted context omitted.
The TFA specifically covers this, so skimming wikipedia should have been totally unnecessary. In fact, the TFA goes further than your wiki skim to add that the merging from the highway to the clover leaf requires slowing down on the highway while entering the highway from the clover requires accelerating. Both of these things are being done in the same piece of road. It does so with graphic animations. You'd probably…
The "T" in TFA stands for "The" so this is sort of like saying "ATM machine."
Could you refrain from making low-value posts like this? This is not any better than pointing out a grammar/spelling mistake, and just degrades the quality of the conversation. Yes, you are technically correct, but teh original meaning was clear. Your original comment isn't any more contributive to the discussion than pointing out the typo in my previous sentence. I'm not trying to start an argument, but asking you to re-consider this type of posting in the future since it is both off topic and a mild form of trolling (grammar-nazi adjacent).
Re: Why are Texas interchanges so tall?
#223First time I visited the US it was Houston, Texas. My host was perplexed because I laughed out loud while we were driving. Experiencing highways and those massive gas stations felt like someone had made a state that mocked America by taking prejudices we have about the American traffic and making them 200% larger in real life. My mind was blown.
> massive gas stations
I presume you are referring to [Buccee’s](https://buc-ees.com/about/world-record-holder/)
Re: Why are Texas interchanges so tall?
#224So... > Q: Why are Texas interchanges so tall? > > Frontage roads need grade separation, adding a layer. > Texas has lots of frontage roads. OK, I buy that Texas has more grade-separated interchanges on average... but I'm not seeing how that turns into "Texas has more higher interchanges" which is what it feels like that question is asking. Frontage roads don't generally exist where 3+ highways intersect, so that sho…
There are frontage roads at most freeway interchanges in Texas. Typical stack interchange elsewhere has 4 levels: freeway 1, freeway 2, freeway 1 left turns, freeway 2 left turns. Frontage roads add 5th and occasionally 6th levels. The other thing not mentioned is the proliferation of separate express lanes, which often have dedicated flyover ramps as well.
Does HOV lanes add a level? Saw these in Arizona and always wondered how much expense the separate HOV flyovers added to the interchange cost.
Re: Why are Texas interchanges so tall?
#225Earlier quoted context omitted.
>Americans view Texans the same way the rest of the world views Americans. Reversing some of the substrings in that string would also result in a very good analogy.
Like: Texans view Americans the same way Americans view the rest of the world - derisively, but it is those viewers who should be derided, and often are, by the groups that they deride.
My partner got me this shirt and I love wearing it, not because of any sort of state pride just because I think it's absurdly hilarious.
Re: Why are Texas interchanges so tall?
#226Re: Why are Texas interchanges so tall?
#227Answer to headline:
They rise so high to save some space,
while keeping traffic flowing at a steady pace.
Re: Why are Texas interchanges so tall?
#228While the article complains about cars one challenge is simply the government's ability to reasonably operate transit - this includes things like keeping anti-social riders off it, keeping it quasi-pleasant to ride / safe / on time / not ruinously expensive.
Re: Why are Texas interchanges so tall?
#229Earlier quoted context omitted.
Most Americans vote with their wallets and feet. They don't want dense apartment living and the majority run from it as soon as they can afford it. It is usually possible to rent small apartments near work in most metro areas, but instead they prefer 3000sqft places to 600sqft and supermarkets to corner stores. There is a huge amount that would have to change about the American dream and esthetic desires to enable ca…
The one thing you can count on based on decades of experience living with the anti car crowd is they are uniquely ill-equipped to change the hearts and minds of the average American. Their Modus Operandi is shrill hectoring about how the lifestyle of the average American is a “problem”, when the average American is either quite satisfied with their situation or actually aspire to the “problematic” low density lifesty…
I keep getting older and my desire to live with greater density grows stronger, not weaker. I've recently been able to buy a house, and I just wish I could have gotten one even closer to the city than I did.
This patronizing "they'll grow out of it" is a self fulfilling prophecy when suburbanism is the only option.
To give a concrete example of the apocalyptic talk you mention: We aren't going to be able to do this forever, there isn't enough land. Sure it worked for a couple dozen years while the USA built new highways and sold off it's now-close-enough-for-commuting land, but that time is running out. We can kick the can down the road, but the interest in what's borrowed will come due, though probably in a monetary collapse not a social one. After all, who doesn't want a private island all their own (if they can afford it, and it's maintenance)?
But let's say we can kick the can down the road forever, or functionally forever. Even in that world, for those of us that only want a 1500sq/ft house and a nearby corner store, can we please make that just a possibility? Like, legally? Similarly, can we get some legislative support for 3 or 4 bedroom apartments since as it stands they feel incredibly rare...
The suburbs have a lot of appeal, can we please also build other things at all, sometimes?
Re: Why are Texas interchanges so tall?
#230Earlier quoted context omitted.
Houston native here. I still guffaw when I see a massively lifted truck (but with a pristine bed, no scratches - so not even a work truck). Everything's bigger in Texas, including egos.
Texas is the America of America.
America is a melting pot. It’s thousands of cultures at once. Acceptance is America. Texas is part of America. It’s no more American than Washington, Montana, or New York.