usanp (U.S. National Park Highways)

[Jim]

It's already active in TM as NM 7, but there's also the Carlsbad Cavern Highway that could be added for completeness.

[SSOWorld]

It's already active in TM as NM 7, but there's also the Carlsbad Cavern Highway that could be added for completeness.

Not sure what you mean here, but if you're referring to my post on Dunes Drive in White Sands, that is a different road - off US 70 near Alomogordo

[Jim]

It's already active in TM as NM 7, but there's also the Carlsbad Cavern Highway that could be added for completeness.

Not sure what you mean here, but if you're referring to my post on Dunes Drive in White Sands, that is a different road - off US 70 near Alomogordo

This one:

http://tmtest.teresco.org/hb/?units=miles&u=terescoj&r=nm.nm007

[si404]

This one:

http://tmtest.teresco.org/hb/?units=miles&u=terescoj&r=nm.nm007

As it's not really signed as anything, I'm not including it at the moment as its in as an NM state route. The Badlands Loop is different as it's signed as both (I believe that's the only route that is entirely concurrent with another - other than Yellowstone roads that will replace the usaus routes).


I've added a whole bunch more routes this week - mostly in things that aren't National Parks. Feedback about their inclusion (as well as the old routes) would be welcome, plus peer-review type comments.


This (and the usaush system) typically hasn't changed existing routes to add interchanging points (deliberately), so you might want to check in your states that if you feel like using AA Roads downtime productively.

[froggie]

Si:  noticed that the southern endpoint of the central (Crystal City) section of the GW Memorial Pkwy in Virginia still isn't correct (that I mentioned in the OP).  The south end should be at 1st St in Old Town Alexandria, and a waypoint should be added at Slaters Ln (a major connector point between GW Pkwy and US 1).  If you'd prefer, I can add these changes.

[Duke87]

I've added a whole bunch more routes this week - mostly in things that aren't National Parks. Feedback about their inclusion (as well as the old routes) would be welcome, plus peer-review type comments.

Is there an official list of NPS roads you are working off of?

When this system first arose its apparent purpose (to me, anyway) was to map NPS roads that are significant either due to being major roadways (Clara Barton Parkway, Beach Drive, etc.) or due to being roads which have a significant level of tourist appeal for the road itself (Natchez Trace Parkway, Going to the Sun Road, etc.). A lot of the newer additions aren't really either of those things (e.g. the roads in Delaware Water Gap NRA, Bear Lake Rd in Rocky Mountain NP) and therefore strike me as not worth including.

But, ideally we should have some criteria for inclusion that are both objective from an administrative perspective and reasonable from a user perspective.

[si404]

Is there an official list of NPS roads you are working off of?

No, because
1) there isn't one
2) I'm excluding rather a lot of routes that would be on such a list for being too minor

A lot of the newer additions aren't really either of those things (e.g. the roads in Delaware Water Gap NRA, Bear Lake Rd in Rocky Mountain NP) and therefore strike me as not worth including.

That's fine - happy to remove routes if there's a consensus that they are too minor.

But, ideally we should have some criteria for inclusion that are both objective from an administrative perspective and reasonable from a user perspective.

Those criteria are listed above.

[yakra]

Those criteria are listed above.

Link?

[si404]

Are there other routes that need to be added? Criteria are:
1) a missing gap in an existing system (eg Mammoth Cave, California Routes, Yellowstone)
2) a specific NPS unit for the road (eg Natchez Trace, Blue Ridge, George Washington Memorial and Baltimore-Washington Parkways)
3) a through route linking roads already in (eg Painted Canyon Road)
4) an extension of an existing system into a park
5) roads that seem important enough and link with other roads - even if they dead-end

[Duke87]

OK, firstly, I retract my previous assertion that Old Mine Road should not be included. It is signed with shields. That alone qualifies it if you ask me.

So, let's go for another example. What warrants Shoreline Drive and Shenandoah Street for inclusion? They do not meet any of the first four criteria, and claiming them under criteria #5 is dubious when you consider they're short little roads in a small NHP.

[Bickendan]

On the topic of Shenandoah St, do we have US 340 Alt, and if not, is it a decommissioned route or simply unsigned, as Wikipedia states? I always thought it was an odd route from when I first saw it in the Western Maryland/Eastern West Virginia Panhandle Thomas Guide (where it's mapped as a spur instead of a loop with Shenandoah St).

[froggie]

ALT US 340 exists (and is unsigned), but NOT along Shenandoah St.  WVDOT shapefiles don't show Shenandoah St at all as a WV route (or Shoreline Dr either for that matter), which tells me that they are either under local or NPS jurisdiction.

[si404]

What warrants Shoreline Drive and Shenandoah Street for inclusion?

Not a lot, though Shenandoah Street has some merit wrt linking to ALT340 if it was signed. Happy to remove if people don't want it.

[yakra]

My inclination would be to keep such a system slim, and not include routes that aren't relevant or appropriate. Right now though, I'm not too inclined to take a look into this system or the examples above and try to make a call whether they're relevant/appropriate or not.

[Bickendan]

ALT US 340 exists (and is unsigned), but NOT along Shenandoah St.  WVDOT shapefiles don't show Shenandoah St at all as a WV route (or Shoreline Dr either for that matter), which tells me that they are either under local or NPS jurisdiction.

Good to see the Thomas Guide has the right routing