I-80 from Colfax to Truckee (CA) sucks

[Cameron Kaiser]

I mean, it's terrible. The road surface is worse than some dirt grades I've
been on. It does look like they're trying to resurface parts of it, but many
sections don't obviously seem part of the schedule.

Now that my vitriol runneth over, there were a couple other things. The
post miles at the first Nevada county line don't reset to zero -- they only
reset on the *second* entry into Nevada county (similarly with Placer county
going west). I can't remember seeing this elsewhere.

Also, Caltrans has been having fun with the trucker warning signs with
instructions like "LET 'ER DRIFT" on the westbound ride back into Sac'to.

--
Cameron Kaiser * ***@floodgap.com * posting with a Commodore 128
personal page: http://www.armory.com/%7Espectre/
** Computer Workshops: games, productivity software and more for C64/128! **
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[brink]

Post by Cameron Kaiser
I mean, it's terrible. The road surface is worse than some dirt grades I've
been on. It does look like they're trying to resurface parts of it, but many
sections don't obviously seem part of the schedule.
Now that my vitriol runneth over, there were a couple other things. The
post miles at the first Nevada county line don't reset to zero -- they only
reset on the *second* entry into Nevada county (similarly with Placer county
going west). I can't remember seeing this elsewhere.
Also, Caltrans has been having fun with the trucker warning signs with
instructions like "LET 'ER DRIFT" on the westbound ride back into Sac'to.

i've seen those too... do you think it's having fun as much as it's trying
to increase the effectiveness of signs by "speaking their language"?

brink

[Cameron Kaiser]

Post by brink

Post by Cameron Kaiser
Also, Caltrans has been having fun with the trucker warning signs with
instructions like "LET 'ER DRIFT" on the westbound ride back into Sac'to.

i've seen those too... do you think it's having fun as much as it's trying
to increase the effectiveness of signs by "speaking their language"?

No idea. The truckers seemed to be behaving though, so maybe it works.

--
Cameron Kaiser * ***@floodgap.com * posting with a Commodore 128
personal page: http://www.armory.com/%7Espectre/
** Computer Workshops: games, productivity software and more for C64/128! **
** http://www.armory.com/%7Espectre/cwi/ **

[elaich]

Post by Cameron Kaiser
Also, Caltrans has been having fun with the trucker warning signs with
instructions like "LET 'ER DRIFT" on the westbound ride back into Sac'to.

Jeez Louise - those signs were there in the late 1970s. Where have you been
?

[Cameron Kaiser]

Post by Cameron Kaiser
Also, Caltrans has been having fun with the trucker warning signs with
instructions like "LET 'ER DRIFT" on the westbound ride back into Sac'to.

Jeez Louise - those signs were there in the late 1970s. Where have you been?

Obviously not up *here*, duh, silly! I live in So Cal, just visiting.

Do you know the story behind them?

--
Cameron Kaiser * ***@floodgap.com * posting with a Commodore 128
personal page: http://www.armory.com/%7Espectre/
** Computer Workshops: games, productivity software and more for C64/128! **
** http://www.armory.com/%7Espectre/cwi/ **

[a***@yahoo.com.mx]

[Mr. Kaiser:]

["LET 'ER DRIFT" etc. signing on I-80 between Truckee and Auburn]

Post by Cameron Kaiser
Do you know the story behind them?

Those signs were designed by the District 3 traffic design unit.
According to an article which appeared in the Sacramento 'Bee' in the
mid-1980's, the designers chose a light-hearted, humorous approach
because they believed it would grab truckers' attention more
effectively than the usual po-faced legends. Colorado D.O.T. uses a
similar signing approach on the Lookout Mountain downgrade on I-70
eastbound just west of Denver.

[Mike Tantillo]

Post by a***@yahoo.com.mx
[Mr. Kaiser:]
["LET 'ER DRIFT" etc. signing on I-80 between Truckee and Auburn]

Post by Cameron Kaiser
Do you know the story behind them?

Those signs were designed by the District 3 traffic design unit.
According to an article which appeared in the Sacramento 'Bee' in the
mid-1980's, the designers chose a light-hearted, humorous approach
because they believed it would grab truckers' attention more
effectively than the usual po-faced legends. Colorado D.O.T. uses a
similar signing approach on the Lookout Mountain downgrade on I-70
eastbound just west of Denver.

I agree it gets attention better then a standard, dry language sign,
but what exactly does "Let 'er drift" mean?

[a***@yahoo.com.mx]

[Mr. Tantillo:]

Post by Mike Tantillo
I agree it gets attention better then a standard, dry language sign,
but what exactly does "Let 'er drift" mean?

I recall that that particular message doesn't occur until the end of
the downgrade signing a few dozen miles east of Auburn, when the
occasional 5% grades give way to a fairly steady 3% downgrade. Since
trucks can manage 3% easily, I think the sign simply tells truckers
they can coast all the way to Auburn without needing to use lower
gears.

I have negotiated that portion of I-80 only in a passenger car, but I
don't recall even needing to disengage lockup overdrive for more than a
few miles at a time. This downgrade is really easy for cars since the
maximum slope is only 5% and there is a lot of benching where the slope
is flatter, so small vehicles don't pick up much momentum.

[Mike Tantillo]

Post by a***@yahoo.com.mx
[Mr. Tantillo:]

Post by Mike Tantillo
I agree it gets attention better then a standard, dry language sign,
but what exactly does "Let 'er drift" mean?

I recall that that particular message doesn't occur until the end of
the downgrade signing a few dozen miles east of Auburn, when the
occasional 5% grades give way to a fairly steady 3% downgrade. Since
trucks can manage 3% easily, I think the sign simply tells truckers
they can coast all the way to Auburn without needing to use lower
gears.
I have negotiated that portion of I-80 only in a passenger car, but I
don't recall even needing to disengage lockup overdrive for more than a
few miles at a time. This downgrade is really easy for cars since the
maximum slope is only 5% and there is a lot of benching where the slope
is flatter, so small vehicles don't pick up much momentum.

Thanks!

I've driven that stretch too, but only in the "uphill" direction. I
didn't seem so bad going uphill, certainly nothing compared to the
Grapevine or I-70 heading west out of Denver.

[d***@gmail.com]

It er drift means ,stay off the brakes. Steep grade a head,crank El up means throttle it( get a run at the hill) as to not have to downshift too soon.

[Cameron Kaiser]

Post by a***@yahoo.com.mx

Post by Cameron Kaiser
Do you know the story behind them?

Those signs were designed by the District 3 traffic design unit.
According to an article which appeared in the Sacramento 'Bee' in the
mid-1980's, the designers chose a light-hearted, humorous approach
because they believed it would grab truckers' attention more
effectively than the usual po-faced legends. Colorado D.O.T. uses a
similar signing approach on the Lookout Mountain downgrade on I-70
eastbound just west of Denver.

Interesting. If I ever get out Colorado-way, I'll have to look for those.
Were the I-80 signs actually erected in the 1980s, or was that just when the
article appeared?

--
Cameron Kaiser * ***@floodgap.com * posting with a Commodore 128
personal page: http://www.armory.com/%7Espectre/
** Computer Workshops: games, productivity software and more for C64/128! **
** http://www.armory.com/%7Espectre/cwi/ **

[John David Galt]

Post by Cameron Kaiser
Now that my vitriol runneth over, there were a couple other things. The
post miles at the first Nevada county line don't reset to zero -- they only
reset on the *second* entry into Nevada county (similarly with Placer county
going west). I can't remember seeing this elsewhere.

The same practice is followed in other places where a CA state highway
enters one county multiple times; for example CA-35, which wanders back
and forth across the Santa Clara/Santa Cruz and San Mateo/Santa Cruz
county lines. The rule is, each county's postmile numbers are assigned
as if the entire stretch in between segments in that county were in that
county.

[Cameron Kaiser]

Post by John David Galt

Post by Cameron Kaiser
Now that my vitriol runneth over, there were a couple other things. The
post miles at the first Nevada county line don't reset to zero -- they only
reset on the *second* entry into Nevada county (similarly with Placer county
going west). I can't remember seeing this elsewhere.

The same practice is followed in other places where a CA state highway
enters one county multiple times; for example CA-35, which wanders back
and forth across the Santa Clara/Santa Cruz and San Mateo/Santa Cruz
county lines. The rule is, each county's postmile numbers are assigned
as if the entire stretch in between segments in that county were in that
county.

I'll have to look at CA 35 next time I'm in the area. Thanks for pointing
it out.

--
Cameron Kaiser * ***@floodgap.com * posting with a Commodore 128
personal page: http://www.armory.com/%7Espectre/
** Computer Workshops: games, productivity software and more for C64/128! **
** http://www.armory.com/%7Espectre/cwi/ **