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Interstate 75

Interstate 75

Interstate 75 is an interstate highway in the midwest and southeastern United States. It goes from Florida State Road 826 (Palmetto Expressway) near Hialeah, Florida to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan at the Ontario, Canada border.

History

This limited access highway planned in the 1950s roughly follows the general route of many older at grade highways, including United States Highway 2, United States Highway 27, U.S. Highway 25, United States Highway 41 among others. Some of these older U.S. Highways (several of which are still in existence) in turn replaced the eastern route of the old Dixie Highway. The final stretch of Interstate 75 was completed in 1986 in Dade (present Miami-Dade) and Broward Counties in Florida, although the last stretch to receive the I-75 signage was a revamped Alligator Alley in 1993.

Length

Major cities along the route

Alligator Alley
- Miami, Florida
- Naples, Florida
- Fort Myers, Florida
- Sarasota, Florida
- Tampa, Florida
- Ocala, Florida
- Gainesville, Florida
- Lake City, Florida (Junction with Interstate 10)
- Valdosta, Georgia
- Macon, Georgia
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Marietta, Georgia
- Dalton, Georgia ("Carpet Capital of the World")
- Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Cleveland, Tennessee
- Knoxville, Tennessee
- Lexington, Kentucky
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- Dayton, Ohio
- Lima, Ohio
- Findlay, Ohio
- Toledo, Ohio
- Detroit, Michigan (Fisher and Chrysler Freeways)
- Flint, Michigan
- Saginaw, Michigan
- Bay City, Michigan
- Mackinaw City, Michigan
- Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

Intersections with other Interstates

- Interstate 4 in Tampa, Florida
- Interstate 10 in Lake City, Florida
- Interstate 16 (Georgia State Route 404) in Macon, Georgia ([http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Macon,+GA&ll=32.936081,-83.906708&spn=0.519002,0.720154&hl=en Map])
- Interstate 85 in Atlanta, Georgia. They stay connected for several miles through downtown on a highway known as the Downtown Connector.
- Interstate 285 outside Atlanta, Georgia (loop around the city), meeting on the northwest side in Cobb County and on the southeast side in Clayton County
- Interstate 20 in Atlanta, Georgia
- Interstate 24 in Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Interstate 40 near Dixie Lee Junction, Tennessee. They stay connected until Knoxville, Tennessee.
- Interstate 64 in Lexington, Kentucky. They stay conected for 6 miles to the east of Lexington.
- Interstate 71 in Walton, Kentucky. They stay connected until Cincinnati, Ohio.
- Interstate 74 in Cincinnati, Ohio
- Interstate 70 in Dayton, Ohio
- Interstate 80 in Toledo, Ohio
- Interstate 90 in Toledo, Ohio
- Interstate 96 in Detroit, Michigan
- Interstate 94 in Detroit, Michigan
- Interstate 696 north of Detroit, Michigan
- Interstate 69 in Flint, Michigan

Spur routes

- Tampa, Florida/St. Petersburg, Florida - I-175 (1.294 mi/2.08 km), I-275 (63.387 mi/102.01 km), I-375 (1.220 mi/1.96 km)
- Macon, Georgia - I-475
- Atlanta, Georgia - I-675
- Spur to Nelson, Georgia, I-575
- Knoxville, Tennessee - I-275, I-475
- Cincinnati, Ohio - I-275
- Dayton, Ohio - I-675
- Toledo, Ohio - I-475
- Detroit, Michigan - I-275, I-375
- Flint, Michigan - I-475
- Saginaw, Michigan - I-675

Lane configurations

Michigan

- between northern terminus and south end of Grayling Business I-75 loop (2 lanes on each side)
- between south end of Grayling's BUS I-75 and US 127 (formerly US 27) (3 lanes southbound, 2 lanes northbound)
- between US 127 and Exit 164 (M-13 Connector) (2 lanes on each side)
- between Exit 164 and Exit 162 (US 10) (4 lanes each way)
- between US 10 and Exit 130 (M-57) (3 lanes on each side)
- between M-57 and north end of I-475 (Exit 126) (4 lanes each way)
- between the northern I-475 interchange (126) and US 23 (Exit 117) (3 lanes each way)
- between US 23 and southern end of I-475 (2 lanes on each side)
- between I-475 and Pontiac (3 lanes on each side)
- between Pontiac and Exit 75 (Square Lake Rd.) (4 lanes each way)
- between Exit 75 and Exit 59 (Eight Mile Rd.) (3 lanes each way)
- from Exit 59 to I-375 (4 lanes each way)
- through I-375 interchange (2 lanes each way around ramps)
- from I-375 to I-96 (4 lanes each way)
- through I-96 interchange (2 lanes each way)
- from I-96 to Exit 43 (M-85/Fort St.) (4 lanes each way)
- from Exit 43 to Ohio line (3 lanes each way)

Ohio

- between Michigan line and I-280 (3 lanes on each side)
- between I-280 (Exit 208) and I-475 (Exit 204) (2 lanes each way)
- From I-475 (Exit 204) to downtown exits (202A/B) (4 lanes each way)
- From downtown exits (202A/B) to SR 25 (Exit 201B) (2 lanes each way)
- From SR 25 (Exit 201B) to I-475 (Exit 192) (3 lanes each way)
- From I-475 (Exit 192) to milepost 78 near Piqua (2 lanes each way)
- From milepost 78 to SR 4 interchange in Dayton (3 lanes each way)
- Through SR 4 interchange (2 lanes each way)
- From SR 4 to US 35 (mostly 3 lanes each way)
- From US 35 to I-71/US 50 interchange in Cincinnati (3 lanes each way)
- Between I-71 off- and on-ramps (2 lanes each way)
- Brent Spence Bridge over Ohio River (4 lanes each way, SB lanes above NB lanes)

Kentucky

- Brent Spence Bridge over Ohio River (4 lanes each way, SB lanes above NB lanes)
- From 5th St. exit in Covington (192) to I-275 (185) (4 SB, 3 NB)
- Through I-275 interchange (3 lanes each way)
- From I-275 (exit 185) to I-71 split (exit 173) (4 lanes each way)
- From I-71 split (exit 173) to milepost 156 near Dry Ridge (3 lanes each way)
- From milepost 156 to milepost 139 near Corinth (2 lanes each way)
- From milepost 139 to milepost 70 south of Berea (3 lanes each way)
- From milepost 70 to milepost 56 (2 lanes each way)
- From milepost 52 to milepost 56 (4 NB - extra climbing lane, 3 SB)
- From milepost 52 to milepost 42 north of London (2 lanes each way)
- From milepost 42 to milepost 31 north of Corbin (3 thru lanes each way, auxiliary lanes for exits here and there)
- From milepost 31 to Tennessee line (2 lanes each way)

Tennessee

- between Kentucky line and Exit 112 (2 lanes on each side)
- from Exit 112 to I-275/I-640 interchange (3 lanes on each side)
- along I-640 multiplex (3 to 4 lanes each way)
- from I-40/I-640 western split to I-40 milepost 378 (3 lanes each way, being widened as of July 2005)
- from milepost 378 to I-140 (Exit 376) (4 lanes each way)
- from I-140 to I-40/I-75 split west of Farragut (3 lanes each way)
- from I-40 to Exit 7 (SR 317 near Chattanooga) (2 lanes each way)
- from Exit 7 to SR 153 (Exit 3) (4 lanes each way)
- from SR 153 to I-24 (3 lanes each way)
- through I-24 interchange (2 lanes each way)
- from EB 24 to SB 75 ramp to Georgia line (3 thru lanes each way, auxiliary lane SB for US 41 exit)

Georgia

- from Tennessee line to Exit 269 (Barrett Parkway/Kennesaw) (3 lanes each way, a few climbing lanes on longer hills)
- from Exit 269 to I-575 (Exit 268) (4 lanes each way)
- from I-575 to I-285 (Exit 259) (5-7 lanes each way, more closer to 285, with 9 NB lanes very briefly just north of 285)
- from I-285 to I-85 (3 lanes each way)
- "Downtown Connector" (as many as 8 lanes each way)
- not sure from I-20 south to I-285
- from I-285 (Exit 238) to just before I-675 (Exit 227) (4 lanes each way)
- from I-675 to northern city limits of Forsyth (3 lanes each way)
- within Forsyth (4 lanes each way)
- from southern city limits of Forsyth to Exit 177 (I-475) (4 NB, 3 SB)
- from I-475 to I-16 (Exit 165) (2 lanes each way)
- from I-16 to I-475 (Exit 156) (3 lanes each way)
- from I-475 to milepost 103 near Cordele (3 lanes each way)
- from milepost 103 to milepost 64 just north of Tifton (currently mostly 2 lanes each way, undergoing widening)
- within city limits of Tifton (3 lanes each way)
- from southern city limits of Tifton to milepost 19 near Valdosta (mostly 2 lanes currently, also undergoing widening)
- from milepost 19 to Florida line (3 lanes each way)

Florida

- between Georgia line and Florida's Turnpike (Exit 329) (3 lanes each way)
- between Turnpike and SR 582/Fowler Avenue (Exit 265) (2 lanes each way)
- between SR 582 and milepost 201 near Nokomis (3 lanes each way except through Riverview and part of Brandon where it is 4 lanes each way)
- between milepost 201 and I-595 (Exit 19) (2 lanes each way)
- from I-595 to southern terminus (5 lanes each way)

Notes

Florida

The Alligator Alley section west of Fort Lauderdale, Florida is due east/west. Originally, I-75 went through Tampa and St. Petersburg, while the current I-75 was called I-75E. But because of Interstate restrictions dealing with suffixes to routes, I-75 was rerouted along I-75E, and the original I-75 was renamed I-275. I-175 and I-375 are very brief Interstates that go east into downtown St. Petersburg, while I-275 goes into downtown Tampa, across the Howard Frankland Bridge into St. Petersburg, then south across the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, reconnecting with I-75 in Manatee County, Florida.

Georgia

In the center of Atlanta, Georgia, I-75 merges with I-85 for a short time. This strip of highway, called the Downtown Connector, is infamous for its bad traffic. There were plans for a spur from Cordele into Albany, Georgia, called I-175; the roadway was constructed but was not given limited access. It was signed as SR 300 and called the Georgia-Florida Parkway instead.

Ohio/Northern Kentucky

In the Cincinnati, Ohio Northern Kentucky area, I-75 runs together with I-71, from approximately 20 miles south of Cincinnati, over the Brent Spence Bridge across the Ohio River, splitting from I-71 immediately after entering Cincinnati, Ohio.

Michigan

In Detroit, the spur route I-375 is the shortest signed Interstate highway in the United States (i.e. it has an actual sign with the road number on its stretch) at 1.06 miles (1.71 km). There are shorter Interstate highways, but none are signed. I-75 connects Michigan's Upper and Lower Penninsulas via the 5 mile long suspension Mackinac Bridge. At the northern end of I-75, at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge leads into Canada, into Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. This is the closest connection of any Interstate to the Trans-Canada Highway. However, there is no direct freeway connection; bridge traffic funnels onto city streets. The section between Grayling, Michigan and Michigan State Highway 32 was built in 1961. This section was built by converting the northbound lanes of U.S. Highway 27 to southbound lanes and building a new set of northbound lanes leaving the former southbound lanes as a strip of grass. The terminus of the freeway near downtown Grayling was converted to a partial interchange for what would become BL I-75 between that and M-93/Hartwick Pines Road. Alongside that, the former segment of US-27 between Grayling and Gaylord, Michigan was turned back to local control. After this individual segment of freeway was completed, it left a gap between Gaylord and Indian River which was filled in a year later. While the gap was being filled in, a special "TO I-75" designation was applied to the former segment of US-27. Around that time, US-27's northern terminus was scaled back to 5 miles south of Grayling until it was redesignated as an extention of US-127 in 2001. Up to the early 1970s, I-75 between Bay City and Gaylord was routed west to Clare then north, and was signed as "TEMP I-75". The routing between Alger and Roscommon was completed in the mid-1970s, and the temporary section reverted to U.S. routes, although of freeway quality. TEMP I-75 between Bay City and Grayling, Michigan was a segment of freeway built to relay traffic from Bay city to Grayling. This segment was built as the real gap for I-75 was being filled in. That gap that was being filled in is the present-day designation between Bay City and Grayling. This segment of freeway was designated TEMP I-75 in the 1960s when I-75 had several discontiguous segments. Some of the other highways taken to continue the journey were posted as "TO I-75" rather than TEMP I-75. This freeway segment had some at-grade intersections at the time. The freeway had the US-10 designation at the portion between Bay City and Clare; and it had a concurrent transistion to US-27 near Clare. The portion between Clare and Grayling was redesignated as an extention of US-127 in 2002 although it was posted as US-127 on a National Geographic road atlas in the year 2000.

External links

- [http://www.i75online.com/ I-75 Online] Support site for Dave Hunter's book, Along I-75
- [http://roadsidegeorgia.com/interstate/75.html I-75 exits in Georgia] Includes cities and counties
- [http://www.michiganhighways.org/listings/MichHwys70-79.html#I-075 Interstate 75] at Michigan Highways
- [http://www.cincinnati-transit.net/I-75.html] Interstate 75 on Cincinnati-Transit.net

Sources

- 2005 Rand McNally Road Atlas
- [http://www.dot.state.fl.us/planning/statistics/gis/default.htm FDOT] GIS data and [http://www.dot.state.fl.us/PavementManagement/pcs/pcs_rpts.htm pavement management reports] 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 ja:州間高速道路75号線

Interstate Highway

The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly called the Interstate Highway System, is a network of highways in the United States. The Interstate Highway System is a separate system within the larger National Highway System. With very few exceptions, Interstate highways are controlled-access freeways, allowing for safe high-speed driving when traffic permits. They are assigned a special level of funding at the federal level. Despite this federal funding, these highways are owned, designed, built and maintained by the state in which they are located, with the only exception being the federally-owned Woodrow Wilson Bridge on the Capital Beltway (I-95/I-495). The highways in the system are typically known as Interstate XX or I-XX; sometimes Interstate Highway XX (IH XX) or Interstate Route XX (IR XX) is used. In some areas the more generic Route XX or Highway XX is used. The system serves all major U.S. cities, and unlike its counterparts in most industrialized countries, often goes right through downtown areas rather than bypassing them. This facilitated the emergence of automobile-oriented postwar suburban development patterns, often pejoratively referred to as "urban sprawl". The system is prominent in the daily lives of most Americans. Virtually all goods and services are delivered via the Interstate Highways at some point. Many residents of American cities use the urban segments of the system to go to and from their jobs. Most long-distance journeys (for vacation or business) of less than 300 miles (500 km) use the interstate highway system at some point. Hawaii has several signed Interstates, but Alaska and Puerto Rico do not. The latter two do have roads designated as Interstates for funding purposes, but they are not currently or planned to be built to Interstate standards. The public controlled-access highways of Puerto Rico are the Autopistas (PR-22, PR-52, and PR-53).

History

Autopistas The interstate system was authorized by the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, popularly known as the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act of 1956. It was lobbied for by major U.S. automobile manufacturers and championed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and was influenced by both his experiences as a young soldier crossing the country in 1919 following the route of the Lincoln Highway, and by his appreciation of the German autobahn network. Planning for a system of new superhighways began in the late 1930s, even before federal commitment to build the Interstate highway system came in the 1950s. Construction on the world's first public limited-access highway, the Bronx River Parkway, had begun in New York as early as 1907. By the 1920s, longer highways such as the New York City parkway system had been built as part of local or state highway systems. As automotive traffic increased, planners saw a need for such an interconnected national system to supplement the existing, largely non-freeway, U.S. Highway system.The General location of national system of interstate highways, including all additional routes at urban areas designated in September, 1955 maps what became the interstate system, and is informally known as the Yellow Book. Although construction on the Interstate Highway system continues, it was officially regarded as complete in 1991 (though 1.5 miles of the original planned system remain unconstructed as of 2005 [http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/programadmin/interstate.html]). The initial cost estimate for the system was $25 billion over twelve years; it ended up costing $114 billion, taking 35 years to complete. As of 2004, the system contains over 42,700 miles (68,500 km) of roads, all at least four lanes wide.

Standards

:Main article: Interstate Highway standards The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) has defined a set of standards that all new Interstates must meet unless a waiver from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is obtained. These standards have become stricter over the years. One almost absolute standard is the controlled access nature of the roads. Except for a few exceptions, traffic lights (and cross traffic in general) are limited to toll booths and ramp meters (metered flow control for lane merging during rush hours).

Speed limits

Speed limits vary according to location. By initial planning, the Interstate system was designed to provide reasonable road safety at speeds of 75 to 80 miles per hour (120 to 130 km/h) except in limited stretches (such as steep mountain passes or urban cores) where many vehicles cannot maintain such speeds. Many western states had high speed limits. Kansas, for example, had a posted limit of 80 mph (130 km/h)[http://people.smu.edu/acambre/blog/PermaLink,guid,5575625c-bbd4-47a3-be9f-9d5517d3a06f.aspx]. Some states, such as Oregon, defined the limit as whatever was "reasonable and proper", which would not be allowed today (see Montana reference below). In 1974, the federal government enacted 55 mph (90 km/h) as a gasoline conservation measure in response to the 1973 energy crisis. After the end of the embargo this restriction was continued as a safety measure. It was very unpopular, especially in western states. The 55 mph cap was relaxed in 1987 to allow 65 mph (105 km/h) speeds on rural Interstates if the states so chose. During this interim period, some roads (such as I-335 in Kansas) were specifically designated as Interstates to take advantage of this higher speed limit. Shortly thereafter, 65 mph limits were allowed on roads not numbered as interstates but which were built to interstate standards. The 55/65 mph caps were eliminated in late 1995, fully returning speed limit control to the states. Many states maintain several different limits. For example, in California, most interstates are limited to 55 mph within a major city, 65 mph (105 km/h) for most of the suburban highway stretches, and up to 70 mph (115 km/h) throughout the desert and rural stretches of the state. In some states, commercial trucks have a lower speed limit than passenger automobiles. In some mountainous regions, the condition of the roadway mandates a lower speed limit than would otherwise have applied. While some states have maintained the 65 mph limit, other states have increased the limits to 70 or 75 mph (110 or 120 km/h). Generally, the highest speed limits are found in the South and Southwest, while the lowest are found in the Northeast. Soon after the end of the National Maximum Speed Limit, the state of Montana ended daytime speed limits for automobile traffic on Interstate Highways in the state, instead instructing motorists to maintain a "reasonable and prudent" speed. A few years later, the "reasonable and prudent" law was declared unconstitutional for being too vague and a limit of 75 mph (120 km/h) was enacted in its place. Texas recently enacted a law allowing 80 MPH speed limits on certain portions of Interstates 10 and 20 in far west Texas. However, these limits are on hold pending further study by the Texas Department of Transportation.

Dual-purpose design

In addition to being designed to support automobile and heavy truck traffic, interstate highways are also designed for use in military and civil defense operations within the United States, particularly troop movements. One potential civil defense use of the Interstate Highway System is for the emergency evacuation of cities in the event of a potential nuclear war. Although this use has never happened, the Interstate Highway System has been used to facilitate evacuations in the face of hurricanes and other natural disasters. An option for maximizing throughput is to reverse the flow of traffic on one side so that all lanes become outbound lanes. This procedure is known as Contraflow, and could be seen in the evacuations of New Orleans, Louisiana and Houston, Texas prior to hurricanes Katrina and Rita, respectively. Several Interstates in the South, including I-16 in Georgia, I-40 in North Carolina, I-65 in Alabama, I-10 & I-59 in Louisiana, and I-59 in Mississippi, are equipped and signed specifically for contraflow, with crossovers inland after major interchanges to distribute much of the traffic. This is however not limited to Interstates; US 49 from Gulfport to Jackson and State Road 528, in Central Florida, have the same setup. A widespread but false urban legend states that one out of every five miles of the Interstate highway system must be built straight and flat, so as to be usable by aircraft during times of war.[http://www.tfhrc.gov/pubrds/mayjun00/onemileinfive.htm] However, the Germans in World War II used the Autobahns for just such a purpose.

Terminology

While the name implies that these highways cross state lines, many Interstates do not. Rather, it is the system of interstates that connects states. There are interstate highways in Hawaii, funded in the same way as in the other states, but entirely within the populous island of Oahu. They have the designation of H-X, and connect military bases. Similarly, both Alaska and Puerto Rico have public roads that receive funding from the Interstate program, though these routes are not signed as Interstate Highways.

Primary routes

The numbering scheme for the Interstate Highway System (as well as the U.S. Highway System) is coordinated by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), though their authority is occasionally trumped by a number written into Federal law. Within the continental United States, primary Interstates (also called main line Interstates or two-digit Interstates) are given one- or two-digit route numbers. Most Interstates have two numbers; there are only three one-digit Interstates in the system: I-4, I-5 and I-8. Within this category, east-west highways are assigned even numbers, and north-south highways are assigned odd-numbers. Odd route numbers increase from west to east, and even numbered routes increase from south to north. Numbers divisible by 5 are intended to be primary routes, carrying traffic long distances. For example, I-5 runs from Canada to Mexico along the west coast (the only interstate to do so) while I-95 runs from Miami north to Canada. In addition, I-10 runs from Los Angeles, California to Jacksonville, Florida while I-90 runs from Seattle to Boston. However, not all primary routes traverse long distances. I-45 runs from Galveston, Texas north to Dallas, Texas, a distance of only 284 miles. It is the only primary route that does not cross state lines (see List of intrastate Interstate Highways). It should be noted that I-50 and I-60 do not exist (and there are no even-numbered Interstates between 46 and 62), mainly because they would most likely have passed through the same states that already have US 50 and US 60. AASHTO rules discourage Interstate and US Highways with the same number to exist in the same state, although I-24 and US 24 exist at opposite ends of Illinois. Some planned Interstates do not follow this guideline - I-69 will enter Texas (which has US 69), I-74 will have a multiplex with US 74 in North Carolina, and I-41 will do the same with US 41 in Wisconsin. Several two-digit numbers are shared between two roads at opposite ends of the country, namely I-76, I-84, I-86 and I-88. Some of these were the result of a change in the numbering system in the 1970s; previously letter-suffixed numbers were used for long spurs off primary routes; for example, western I-84 was I-80N, as it went north from I-80. In the 1970s, AASHTO decided to eliminate these; some became additional two-digit routes, while others became three-digit routes (see below). Only two pairs of these exist; I-35 splits into I-35W and I-35E through both the Dallas-Fort Worth and the Minneapolis-St. Paul areas. Strict adherence to the directional nature of the system results in some amusing oddities. For a ten-mile stretch east of Wytheville, Virginia, the driver can be traveling on both North I-81 and South I-77 at the same time (and vice versa) (see also Wrong-way multiplex). For the sake of efficiency, some Interstates double up for short or sometimes long distances, as in the example above. Another notable example are Interstates I-90 and I-94, which double and then separate several times as they criss-cross the upper Midwest and Great Plains.

Three-digit Interstates

Three-digit route numbers, consisting of a single digit prefixed to the number of a primary Interstate highway, are used to designate usually short spur or loop routes from their "parent" route, either directly or via another three-digit Interstate. A route that spurs from its parent and ends at an intersection with no other Interstates is given an odd first digit; a route that returns to its parent is given an even first digit. The number given to the first digit of a route that spurs from the parent and ends at another Interstate depends on the state; some consider these routes spurs and give them odd numbers, while others consider them loop-style connectors and give them even numbers. For instance, I-90 in New York has a full set of three-digit Interstates - I-190, I-290, I-390, I-490, I-590, I-690, I-790, I-890 and I-990. Due to the large number of these routes, they can be repeated in different places along the mainline; no two three-digit Interstates in the same state can share a number. The Minneapolis-St. Paul area has a single loop around the entire Metro area. I-94 intersects the loop in two spots and runs directly through it separating it into a northern and southern half. The southern half of it is labeled I-494 while the northern half of it is labeled I-694. Charlotte, North Carolina has a single loop around the city that intersects with both I-77 and I-85, but the entire loop is known as I-485. The Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area has several spur routes off of I-95. The area has I-195, I-295, I-495, I-795 and I-895. It also has two routes numbered I-395 (in Baltimore and Washington) and two I-695s (one is signed, the other is a secret designation), as well as an unsigned route called I-595. No I-995 exists anywhere. New York City has numerous spur routes off of I-78 and I-95, but none of I-78's spur routes actually intersect with I-78. A three-digit spur off a letter-suffixed two-digit Interstate (see above) was given a number without a letter suffix, except for one case - I-184 in Idaho was I-180N.

Exceptions

:Main article: List of gaps in Interstate Highways Interstate 238 near Oakland, California is one of two major exceptions to the numbering scheme, as no Interstate 38 exists. This number exists because Interstate 238 replaced a segment of California Highway 238, and no appropriate number was available. The other exception is I-99 in Pennsylvania, which was written into law as I-99 by Pennsylvania Congressman Bud Shuster; I-99 (which is also U.S. Highway 220) is west of several Interstates that are numerically less than 99, and was the nearest available unused two-digit number. Some proposed future Interstate routes have been given similarly non-conforming designations by their legislative proponents. For example, backers of the proposed Third Infantry Division Highway, a route in Georgia and Tennessee, have suggested it be named Interstate 3, in honor of the division for which the highway is named [http://www.interstate-guide.com/i-003.html].

Other notable examples

- I-82 lies fully north of I-84, but I-84 was I-80N when I-82 got its number.
- I-85 diverts west of I-75 (intersecting it near Atlanta, Georgia) The following two-digit Interstates change signed direction from their normal (even=east-west, odd=north-south) direction:
- I-69
- I-76 (west) Two-digit interstates in Hawaii, as well as the "paper" interstates of Alaska and Puerto Rico, are numbered sequentially in order of funding, without regard to the rules on odd and even numbers. Business Loop and Business Spur Interstates are not subject to any of the Interstate standards. Their designation is simple - a Business Loop heads into a downtown area from its parent and returns to its parent; a Business Spur ends downtown, occasionally continuing from the end of the main Interstate. Business routes can split from either two- or three-digit Interstates, and can be repeated within a state. In a few cases, where an Interstate has been realigned, the old road has been designated a Business Loop because it is not up to standards.

Financing

About 72% ([http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohim/hs03/htm/hf10.htm 2003 FHWA summary]) of the construction and maintenance costs are funded through user fees, primarily gasoline taxes, collected by states and the federal government, and tolls collected on toll roads and bridges. The rest of the costs come out of the federal budget. In the eastern United States, large sections of some Interstate Highways planned or built prior to 1956 are operated as toll roads. The taxes dedicated to the construction and maintenance of highways are often criticized as a direct subsidy from the government to promote and maintain auto-oriented development as we know it today. The dominant role of the federal government in road finance has enabled it to pass laws in areas outside of the powers enumerated in the federal Constitution. By threatening to withhold highway funds, the federal government has been able to force state legislatures to pass a variety of laws. Examples include increasing the legal drinking age to 21, for a number of years reducing the maximum speed limit to 55 miles per hour, passing Megan's Law legislation, lowering the legal intoxication level to 0.08/1000, and other laws. This has proved to be controversial. Those who support this feel that it is a way to provide an impetus to states to pass uniform legislation. Others feel that using highway dollars in this fashion upsets the balance between federal and states' rights in favor of the federal government, and effectively holds funds as ransom in order to coerce state governments into passing laws that would not have otherwised been introduced. As American suburbs push ever outward, the costs incurred of maintaining freeway infrastructure has started to catch up with the economy, leaving little in the way of funds for new interstate construction. This has led to the proliferation of the toll road (turnpike) as the new method of building limited-access highways in suburban areas. Also, some interstates are being privately maintained now (VMS in Texas, I-35) in order to cut rising costs of maintenance and allow state departments of transportation to focus on serving the fastest growing regions in their respective states. The future of the interstate system as we know it is in question. It is entirely possible that parts of the system will have to be tolled in the future to meet maintenance and expansion demands, as is done with adding toll HOV/HOT lanes in certain cities like Minneapolis, Houston, Dallas, and Washington D.C.

Non-chargeable Interstate routes

In addition to Interstate highways financed with federal funds (Chargeable Interstate routes), federal laws allow other highways to be signed as Interstates, if they meet the Interstate Highway standards and that they are logical additions or connections to the System. Called Non-Chargeable Interstate routes, these additions fall under two categories: # Routes that already meet Interstate standards. They can immediately be signed as Interstates once their proposed number is approved. # Routes designated as a future part of the system once they are upgraded to Interstate standards. Until then, it cannot be signed as an Interstate yet.

Signage

dollar Interstate Highways are signed by a number on a red, white and blue sign as shown to the right. In the original design, the state was formerly listed above the highway number, but in many states, this area is now left blank. The sign itself measures 36 inches high, and is 36 inches wide for two-digit interstates, or 45 inches for three-digit interstates. Business Loop and Business Spur Interstates use a special shield where the red and blue are replaced with green; the word BUSINESS appears instead of INTERSTATE, and the word SPUR or LOOP usually appears above the number. The majority of Interstates have exit numbers. All traffic signs and lane markings on the Interstates are supposed to be designed in compliance with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). However, there are many local and regional variations in signage. The state of California is now adapting to an exit numbering system after many years as being the only state in the country that did not use such a system. In most states, the exit numbers correspond to the mileage markers on the Interstates (with an exception being I-19 in Arizona, whose length is measured in kilometers instead of miles). Many northeastern states label exit numbers sequentially, regardless of how many miles have passed between exits. On even-numbered Interstates, mileage increases to the east and decreases to the west; and on odd-numbered Interstates, mileage increases to the north and decreases to the south. In both cases, the exit numbers increase and decrease accordingly.

Interstate oddities

- Vinita, Oklahoma — A McDonalds is built over the top of Interstate 44. It goes from one side of the interstate to the other, passing over the interstate. Customers can sit inside and eat while traffic drives beneath them. It is also purported to be the "world's largest".
- Kearney, Nebraska — The Great Platte River Road Archway Museum is built over top of Interstate 80. The 1,500 ton structure spans 308 feet across the interstate and houses a museum dedicated to frontier culture.
- Reno, Nevada — A Walgreens store sits on top of a segment of Interstate 80 in downtown Reno.
- Newton, Massachusetts — A Star Market supermarket is built over the top of Interstate 90. Traffic reporters refer to this point on the highway as the "Star Market overpass".
- Newton, Massachusetts — A Sheraton hotel is built over the top of Interstate 90.
- Boston, Massachusetts — The Prudential Tower in downtown Boston is built over top of Interstate 90 as well. A less known fact about Interstate 90 is that it is built over what used to be the largest railroad corridor in New England; photos from the 1950s show huge rail yards where I-90 now comes into the city. Many of the oddities on I-90 are the result of deals struck by the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, Perini Corporation (which constructed the majority of the highway), and existing buildings at the time of construction. In return for not obstructing the highway project, the MTA went to lengths such as preserving the aforementioned Star Market.
- Atlanta, Georgia — The Civic Center MARTA station is located over the Downtown Connector (Interstate 75/85) at West Peachtree Street, making it the only subway station built over an Interstate highway.
- Illinois — The Illinois Tollway oasis is a type of rest area which spans the top of the interstate highway it is on. There are seven of them which are on the Tri-State Tollway (Interstates 80, 94 & 294), Northwest Tollway (Interstate 90) and the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway (Interstate 88). Customers are able to sit inside the Oases and eat while traffic goes by beneath them. This type of development is common in the UK.
- Seattle, Washington — The [http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/parks/parkspaces/FreewayPark.htm Seattle Freeway Park] sits on top of Interstate 5 (NB and SB, including HOV express lanes). The park is connected to the [http://www.wsctc.com Washington State Convention Center] connecting downtown to the [http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/tour/capitol.htm Capitol Hill] and First Hill districts (locally, First Hill is also known as "Pill Hill" as this is Seattle's medical district). The park is multi-level and as such, there are areas where visitors are able to watch traffic pass by.
- Breezewood, Pennsylvania — There is a sign of a policeman pointing at you saying, "You! Slow Down!" You then have to drive a few blocks on US 30 before returning to I-70. This is a rare instance of a traffic light on an interstate.
- Jersey City, New Jersey — Interstate 78 follows a pair of one-way streets for a short distance between the Newark Bay Extension of the New Jersey Turnpike and the Holland Tunnel, which leads into New York City. Along with the aforementioned I-70, this is the only other primary interstate with traffic lights.

Criticism

In addition to the various economic issues, the system has roused criticism on aesthetic grounds. The efficiency and faster speeds of the system, made possible in part by engineering techniques that often tend to cut through the land rather than merely following it as with the older U.S. Highway, have inevitably resulted in a safer but less-scenic drive. When the cross-country I-40 was finally finished in the late 1980s, by completing the segment between Raleigh, North Carolina and Wilmington, North Carolina, Charles Kuralt stated, "It is now possible to travel from coast to coast without seeing anything!"

References

# 65 MPH Approved for Route, Wichita Eagle-Beacon, October 24, 1987 # Field, David. "On 40th birthday, interstates face expensive midlife crisis." Insight on the News, 29 July 1996, 40-42.

External links

- [http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/programadmin/interstate.html Interstate Highway information]
- [http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/reports/routefinder/index.htm FHWA Route Log and Finder List]
- [http://www.tfhrc.gov/pubrds/septoct00/urban.htm FHWA Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center] - Analysis and History of Interstate Highway System
- [http://www.kurumi.com/roads/3di/ 3-digit Interstate Highways]
- [http://www.aaroads.com/ Pictures of all Interstates]
- [http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?doc=88 One] of 100 milestone documents of American history
- Federal Highway Administration's [http://www.tfhrc.gov/pubrds/summer96/p96su10.htm article on the act]
- Fortune magazine on [http://www.fortune.com/fortune/fortune500/articles/0,15114,574088,00.html history of the Interstate Highway System]
- [http://www.geocities.com/michelleskinnerfreeway Another great Interstate Page], with facts on all 2-digit Interstates and links to their exit lists
- [http://www.ajfroggie.com/triskele Highway Heaven] Contains exit lists for most Interstate highways
- [http://www.triskele.com/fonts/index.html RoadGeek] - A complete set of TrueType fonts for simulating Interstate and other highway signage ja:ドワイト・デーヴィッド・アイゼンハワー全米州間国防高速道路網

Florida State Road 826

Florida State Road 826 is a bypass route around the greater Miami, USA area, extending 24.4 miles from Miami Beach along Northeast 163rd Street into the Golden Glades Interchange, then becoming the Palmetto Expressway as it extends westward toward Miami Lakes before bending southward to serve Hialeah, Hialeah Gardens, Doral, West Miami, South Miami, and Kendall on its way to its southern terminus at US 1 (SR 5) in Pinecrest. Interstate 95 (SR 9 and 9A) and the Palmetto Expressway are the two most-heavily traveled roads in the southern tip of Florida. State Road 826 didn't start as an expressway: that designation originally applied to a two-lane road (Golden Glades Drive, Northwest 167th Street) connecting US 1 to US 27 (SR 25) to the west. In 1953, the newly-formed Florida Turnpike Authority presented plans for a four-lane Palmetto Bypass going around the Miami area, but nothing was done until 1958, when the Florida Department of Transportation decided to build a Palmetto Bypass Expressway themselves. A north-south section along Northwest (and Southwest) 77th Avenue would be built to connect US 1 to an improved Golden Glades Drive (complete with 90 degree eastward turn) and the portion of Northwest 167th Street west of the curve would be abandoned. The Palmetto Bypass Expressway was opened in June 1961, four years after the opening of Florida's Turnpike and six months before the opening of Miami-Dade County's second expressway, the Airport Expressway (SR 112). The completion of the Palmetto Expressway (the "Bypass" faded from public usage in the 1960's) and the building of Interstate 95 were the impetus of the construction of the massive Golden Glades Interchange involving Florida's Turnpike, US 441 (SR 7), Interstate 95, and SR 9. When the Palmetto Expressway was first opened, it went through tracts of woodland and farmland which have since been urbanized. Originally there were four at-grade intersections in Hialeah and Miami Lakes which were either transformed into full interchanges or blocked off in the 1970's. In addition, increasing traffic loads on SR 826 prompted plans for extending Florida's Turnpike to "bypass the bypass." In 1973, the Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike (SR 821) was opened to traffic four miles to the west of the Miami area's original bypass in an attempt to reduce the traffic demands on SR 826. 826

Hialeah, Florida

Hialeah is a city located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 226,419. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 224,522 [http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2004-04-12.xls], making it the fifth largest city in the state. Hialeah is part of the Miami metropolitan area and the Greater South Florida metropolitan area. It is the home of Orangina's U.S.-based production facility. The city's name is a Calusa word meaning "Pretty Prairie". The city is located upon a large prairie between Biscayne Bay and the Everglades. Hialeah ranks #1 in the list of cities in the United States where Spanish is most spoken. About 89% of its population speaks Spanish as a first language.

Geography

Hialeah is located at 25°51'38" North, 80°17'38" West (25.860474, -80.293971). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 51.1 km² (19.7 mi²). 49.8 km² (19.2 mi²) of it is land and 1.3 km² (0.5 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.53% water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 226,419 people, 70,704 households, and 57,482 families residing in the city. The population density is 4,543.7/km² (11,767.3/mi²). There are 72,142 housing units at an average density of 1,447.7/km² (3,749.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 88.01% White, 2.41% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 5.47% from other races, and 3.55% from two or more races. 85.17% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 70,704 households out of which 36.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.4% are married couples living together, 17.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 18.7% are non-families. 14.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.15 and the average family size is 3.39. In the city the population is spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 89.6 males. The median income for a household in the city is $29,492, and the median income for a family is $31,621. Males have a median income of $23,133 versus $17,886 for females. The per capita income for the city is $12,402. 18.6% of the population and 16.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 22.2% of those under the age of 18 and 22.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Education

See Miami-Dade County Public Schools

External links

- [http://www.ci.hialeah.fl.us City of Hialeah] official site Category:Cities in Florida Category:Miami-Dade County, Florida Category:Boomburbs

Ontario

:This article describes the Canadian province. For other usages, see Ontario (disambiguation). Ontario is the most populous and second-largest in area of Canada's ten provinces. It is found in east-central Canada. Its capital is Toronto. Ottawa, the capital of Canada, is also located in Ontario. Ontario has a population (July 1, 2005) of 12,541,410, representing approximately 37.9% of the total Canadian population (Ontarians) and an area of 1,076,395km² (415,598 sq. mi.).

Geography

Ontario is bounded on the north by Hudson Bay and James Bay, on the east by Quebec, on the west by Manitoba, and on the south by the American states of Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. Ontario's long American border is formed almost entirely by lakes and rivers, starting in Lake of the Woods and continuing to the Saint Lawrence River near Cornwall; it passes through the four Great Lakes on which Ontario has coastline, namely Lakes Superior, Huron (which includes Georgian Bay), Erie, and Ontario (for which the province is named; Ontario itself is an Iroquois word meaning "beautiful lake" or "beautiful water"). There are approximately 250,000 lakes and over 100,000 kilometres of rivers in the province. The province consists of three main geographical regions:
- the thinly populated Canadian Shield in the northwestern and central portions, a mainly infertile area rich in minerals and studded with lakes and rivers; sub-regions are Northwestern Ontario and Northeastern Ontario.
- the mostly unpopulated Hudson Bay Lowlands in the extreme north and northeast, mainly swampy and sparsely forested; and
- the temperate, and therefore most populous region, the fertile Great Lakes-Saint Lawrence Valley in the south where agriculture and industry are concentrated. Southern Ontario is further sub-divided into four regions; Western Ontario (sometimes called Southwestern Ontario), Golden Horseshore, Central Ontario and Eastern Ontario. The Carolinian forest zone covers most of the southwestern section, its northern extent is parts of the Greater Toronto Area at the western end of Lake Ontario. The Saint Lawrence Seaway allows navigation to and from the Atlantic Ocean as far inland as Thunder Bay in Northwestern Ontario. Northern Ontario occupies 90 per cent of the surface area of the province; conversely Southern Ontario contains 94 per cent of the population (see article Geography of Canada). Point Pelee National Park is a peninsula in southwestern Ontario (near Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan) that extends into Lake Erie and is the part of Canada's mainland furthest south. Pelee Island in Lake Erie is even further south. Both are south of 42°N slighty further south than the northern border of California.

Demographics

The major racial/ethnic groups in Ontario are:
- European: 80.9% (Major groups: English, Irish, Scottish, French, German, Italian)
- South Asian: 4.9%
- Chinese: 3.7%
- Black: 3.6%
- Aboriginal: 1.7%
- Filipino: 1.3%
- Latin-American: 0.9%
- Other: 3.0% Increasing immigration from all parts of the world, especially to Toronto and its environs, is rapidly diversifying the province's ethnic makeup. About five per cent of the population of Ontario is Franco-Ontarian. 10 largest municipalities by population

Weather

Franco-Ontarian The weather in Ontario is very diverse. The south, including Greater Toronto Area receives very hot, humid weather in the summer, as the stronger the Bermuda high pressure over the Atlantic Ocean, the more warm, humid air is transported northward from the the Gulf of Mexico. Severe thunderstorms peak in frequency in June and July, most notably in Southwestern and Central Ontario. Northwestern Ontario also receives short periods of hot weather and severe storms. In the winter, lake effect snow squalls affect three primary areas in Ontario known as the "snow belts", the Algoma District in Northeastern Ontario on the east end of Lake Superior; much of the Georgian Bay shoreline including Killarney, Parry Sound District, Muskoka and Simcoe County; the Lake Huron shore from east of Sarnia northward to the Bruce Peninsula. Wind whipped snowsqualls or lake effect snow can affect areas much further inland, as far as 100km or greater from the shore but the heaviest snows usually occur within 20km from the shoreline. At other times, all regions of the province may encounter snow squalls.

Economy

Ontario's rivers, particularly its share of the Niagara River, make it rich in hydroelectric energy. This competitive advantage, as well as excellent transportation links to the American heartland, has contributed to making manufacturing the principal industry, found mainly in the Golden Horseshoe region, the most industrialized area in Canada. Important products include motor vehicles, iron, steel, food, electrical appliances, machinery, chemicals, and paper. Ontario surpassed the American state of Michigan in car production, assembling 2.696 million vehicles in 2004 (see Canada-United States Automotive Agreement). Some economists believe that the North American Free Trade Agreement has led to a decline in manufacturing in part of North America's manufacturing "Rust Belt" that includes a portion of Southern Ontario from roughly Windsor through to St. Catharines (south of Toronto). This area and the Greater Toronto region contain the bulk of the auto sector in the province. As a result of steeply delcining sales, on November 21, 2005 General Motors announced massive layoffs at production facilities across North America including two large GM plants in Oshawa and a drive train facility in St. Catharines by 2008 resulting in 8,000 job losses in Ontario alone. Uncertainty also looms for money losing Ford Motor Co. and an announcement on cutbacks is likely in the coming weeks. Toronto is the centre of Canada's financial services and banking industry. Surburban cities Brampton and Mississauga are large product distribution centres, in addition to having automobile related industries. The information technology sector is also important, especially around Markham, Waterloo and Ottawa. Mining and the forest products industry, notably pulp and paper, are important to the economy of the Canadian Shield of Northern Ontario. Nominal Gross Domestic Product in 2003 was an estimated C$494.229 billion (40.6% of the Canadian total), larger than the GDP of Austria, Belgium or Sweden. Broken down by sector, the primary sector is 1.8% of total GDP, secondary sector 28.5%, and service sector 69.7%. Further economic information on provincial GDP etc. at [http://www.2ontario.com/welcome/oo_000.asp Ontario Facts]

Agriculture

Gross Domestic Product] Once the dominant industry, agriculture occupies a small percentage of the population. The number of farms has decreased from 68,633 in 1991 to 59,728 in 2001, but farms have increased in average size. Cattle, small grains and dairy were the common types of farms in the 2001 census. The fruit, grape and vegetable growing industry is located primarily on the Niagara Peninsula and along Lake Erie. The Ontario origins of Massey-Ferguson Ltd., once one of the largest farm implement manufacturers in the world, indicate the importance agriculture once had to the Ontario economy (see Geography of Canada for more detail).

History

Pre-1867

Before the arrival of the Europeans, the region was inhabited both by Algonquian (Ojibwa, Cree and Algonquin) and Iroquoian (Iroquois and Huron) tribes. The French explorer Étienne Brûlé explored part of the area in 1610-12. The English explorer Henry Hudson sailed into Hudson Bay in 1611 and claimed the area for England, but Samuel de Champlain reached Lake Huron in 1615 and French missionaries began to establish posts along the Great Lakes. French settlement was hampered by their hostilities with the Iroquois, who would ally themselves with the British.

Image:Ontario.jpg
Map of Ontario, showing CMA's and CA's

The British established trading posts on Hudson Bay in the late 17th century and began a struggle for domination of Ontario. The 1763 Treaty of Paris ended the Seven Years War by awarding nearly all of France's North American possessions (New France) to Britain. The region was annexed to Quebec in 1774. From 1783 to 1796, the United Kingdom granted United Empire Loyalists leaving the United States following the American Revolution 200 acres (0.8 km²) of land and other items with which to rebuild their lives. This measure substantially increased the population of Canada west of the Ottawa River during this period, a fact recognized by the Constitutional Act of 1791, which split Quebec into The Canadas: Upper Canada west of the Ottawa River, and Lower Canada east of it. John Graves Simcoe was appointed Upper Canada's first Lieutenant-Governor in 1793. American troops in the War of 1812 invaded Upper Canada across the Niagara River and the Detroit River but were successfully pushed back by British and Native American forces. The Americans gained control of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, however, and during the Battle of York occupied the Town of York (later named Toronto) in 1813. Not able to hold the town, the departing soldiers burned it to the ground. After the War of 1812, many settlers from the British Isles immigrated to Upper Canada, and began to chafe against the aristocratic Family Compact that governed the region, much as the Château Clique ruled Lower Canada. Accordingly, rebellion in favour of responsible government rose in both regions; Louis-Joseph Papineau led the Lower Canada Rebellion and William Lyon Mackenzie led the Upper Canada Rebellion. For more on the rebellions of 1837, see History of Canada. Although both rebellions were crushed, the British government sent Lord Durham to investigate the causes of the unrest. He recommended that self-government be granted and that Lower and Upper Canada be re-joined in an attempt to assimilate the Québécois. Accordingly, the two colonies were merged into the Province of Canada by the Act of Union (1840), with Ontario becoming known as Canada West. Parliamentary self-government was granted in 1848. Due to heavy immigration the population of Canada West more than doubled by 1851 over the previous decade, and as a result for the first time the English-speaking population of Canada West surpassed the French-speaking population of Canada East. A political stalemate between the French- and English-speaking legislators, as well as fear of aggression from the United States during the American Civil War, led the political elite to hold a series of conferences in the 1860s to effect a broader federal union of all British North American colonies. The British North America Act took effect on July 1, 1867, establishing the Dominion of Canada, initially with four provinces: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario. The Province of Canada was divided at this point into Ontario and Quebec so that each linguistic group would have its own province. Both Quebec and Ontario were required by section 93 of the BNA Act to safeguard existing educational rights and privileges of the Protestant and Catholic minorities. Neither province had a constitutional requirement to protect its French- or English-speaking minority. Toronto was formally established as Ontario's provincial capital at this time.

From 1867 to 1896

Once constituted as a province, Ontario proceeded to assert its economic and legislative power. In 1872, the lawyer Oliver Mowat became premier, and remained as premier until 1896. He fought for provincial rights, weakening the power of the federal government in provincial matters, usually through well-argued appeals to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. His battles with the federal government greatly decentralized Canada, giving the provinces far more power than John A. Macdonald had intended. He consolidated and expanded Ontario's educational and provincial institutions, created districts in Northern Ontario, and fought tenaciously to ensure that those parts of Northwestern Ontario not historically part of Upper Canada (the vast areas north and west of the Lake Superior-Hudson Bay watershed, known as the District of Keewatin) would become part of Ontario, a victory embodied in the Canada (Ontario Boundary) Act, 1889. He also presided over the emergence of the province into the economic powerhouse of Canada. Mowat was the creator of what is often called Empire Ontario. Beginning with Sir John A. Macdonald's the National Policy (1879) and the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway (1875-1885) through Northern Ontario and the Prairies to British Columbia, Ontario manufacturing and industry flourished.

From 1896 to the present

Mineral exploitation began in the late 19th century, leading to the rise of important mining centres like Sudbury, Cobalt and Timmins. The province harnessed its water power to generate hydro-electric power, and created the state-controlled Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario, later Ontario Hydro. The availability of cheap electric power further facilitated the development of industry. In 1904, the Canadian automobile industry was launched in what is now Windsor, Ontario with the establishment of the Ford Motor Company of Canada. General Motors of Canada Ltd. was formed in 1918. The motor vehicle industry would become the major industrial component of the Ontario economy. In July 1912, the Conservative government of Sir James P. Whitney issued Regulation 17 which severely limited the availability of French-language schooling to the province's French-speaking minority. French-Canadians reacted with outrage, journalist Henri Bourassa denouncing the "Prussians of Ontario". It was eventually repealed in 1927. Influenced by events in the United States, the government of Sir William Hearst introduced prohibition of alcoholic drinks in 1916 with the passing of the Ontario Temperance Act. Prohibition came to an end in 1927 with the establishment of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario by the government of George Howard Ferguson. The sale of liquor and beer is still tightly-controlled by the state to ensure that the maximum revenues go to the provincial treasury. The post-World War II period was one of exceptional prosperity and growth. Ontario, and the Greater Toronto Area in particular, have been the recipients of most immigration to Canada. Changes in federal immigration law have led to a massive influx of non-Europeans since the 1980s. From a largely ethnically British province, Ontario has now become very culturally diverse. The nationalist movement in Quebec, particularly after the election of the Parti Québécois in 1976, contributed to driving many businesses out of Quebec to Ontario, and Toronto surpassed Montreal as the largest city and economic centre of Canada. According to the provincial government website, English is Ontario's official language, although French language rights have been extended to the legal and educational systems under the French Language Services Act of 1990.

Government

1990 The British North America Act 1867 section 69 stipulated "There shall be a Legislature for Ontario consisting of the Lieutenant Governor and of One House, styled the Legislative Assembly of Ontario". The assembly has 103 seats representing ridings elected in a first-past-the-post system across the province. The legislative buildings at Queen's Park in Toronto are the seat of government. Following the Westminster system, the leader of the party currently holding the most seats in the assembly is known as the "Premier and President of the Council" (Executive Council Act R.S.O. 1990). The Premier chooses the cabinet or Executive Council whose members are deemed "ministers of the Crown". Although the Legislative Assembly Act (R.S.O. 1990) refers to members of the assembly, the legislators are now called MPPs (Members of the Provincial Parliament) in English and députés de l'Assemblée législative in French, but they have also been called MLAs (Members of the Legislative Assembly), and both are acceptable. The title of Prime Minister of Ontario, while permissible in English and correct in French (le Premier ministre), is generally avoided in favour of "Premier" to avoid confusion with the Prime Minister of Canada.

Politics

Territorial evolution 1788-1899

Executive Council in Northwestern Ontario.]] Land was not legally subdivided into administrative units until a treaty had been concluded with the native peoples ceding the land (see Royal Proclamation of 1763). In 1788, while part of the Province of Quebec (1763-1791), southern Ontario was divided into four districts: Hesse, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, and Nassau. In 1792, the four districts were renamed: Hesse became the Western District, Lunenburg became the Eastern District, Mecklenburg became the Midland District, and Nassau became the Home District. Counties were created within the districts. By 1798, there were eight districts: Eastern, Home, Johnstown, London, Midland, Newcastle, Niagara and Western. By 1826, there were eleven districts: Bathurst, Eastern, Gore, Home, Johnstown, London, Midland, Newcastle, Niagara, Ottawa, and Western. By 1838, there were twenty districts: Bathurst, Brock, Colbourne, Dalhousie, Eastern, Gore, Home, Huron, Johnstown, London, Midland, Newcastle, Niagara, Ottawa, Prince Edward, Simcoe, Talbot, Victoria, Wellington and Western. In 1849, the districts of southern Ontario were abolished by the Province of Canada and county governments took over certain municipal responsibilities. The Province of Canada also began creating districts in sparsely populated Northern Ontario with the establishment of Algoma District and Nipissing District in 1858. The northern and western boundaries of Ontario were in dispute after Confederation. Ontario's right to Northwestern Ontario was determined by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in 1884 and confirmed by the Canada (Ontario Boundary) Act, 1889 of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. By 1899, there were seven northern districts: Algoma, Manitoulin, Muskoka, Nipissing, Parry Sound, Rainy River, and Thunder Bay. Four more northern districts were created between 1907 and 1912: Cochrane, Kenora, Sudbury and Temiskaming.
- [http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/exhibits/maps/districts.htm Early Districts and Counties 1788-1899]

External links

- [http://www.gov.on.ca/ Government of Ontario]
- [http://atlas.gc.ca/rasterimages/english/maps/reference/provincesterritories/ont_new.pdf Map]
- [http://www.ontariotenants.ca/government/mpp.phtml Ontario MPP Contact Information]
- [http://www.ontarioghosttowns.com/ Ontario Ghost Towns and Abandoned Places]
- [http://www.historicbridges.org/b_s_ont.htm Learn about and see photos of historic bridges in southwestern Ontario]
- zh-min-nan:Ontario ko:온타리오 주 ja:オンタリオ州 simple:Ontario

Canada

Canada is the second largest country in the world in terms of area, extending from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean with claims extending to the North Pole. The northern-most country on the mainland of North America, Canada has land borders only with the United States. Governed as a parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy, Canada is a federation of ten provinces with three territories. Initially constituted in 1867, the country's constitution was patriated in 1982 from the United Kingdom. Canada's head of state is its monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II, who is represented in Canada by the Governor General, presently Michaëlle Jean. The head of government is the Prime Minister, currently Paul Martin; his minority government recently lost a vote of non-confidence in the Canadian House of Commons and asked for the dissolution of the Parliament by the Governor General, who then issued a Royal proclamation authorising the issue of election writs, and stating a federal election will take place on 2006 January 23. Canada's official languages are English and French. As of 2005, its official population estimate is approximately 32.4 million ^{[http://www.statcan.ca/english/edu/clock/population.htm]}.

Overview

The capital city is Ottawa, Ontario, the seat of Canada's Parliament. The Governor General, the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Loyal Opposition, and the Speaker of the House of Commons have official residences in the National Capital Region.National Capital Region, Ontario.]] Originally a union of British colonies with significant French influence and entitled as a "dominion", Canada is a founding member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, and La Francophonie. Canada defines itself as a bilingual and multicultural nation:
- English is the official (and majority) language in most provinces of Canada.
- French is the official language of Quebec, an official language of New Brunswick, and is spoken in various areas throughout the country.
- Several Aboriginal languages have official status in the Northwest Territories; Inuktitut is the majority language in Nunavut and has official status there. Canada is a technologically advanced and industrialized nation. It is a net exporter of energy because of its large fossil fuel deposits, nuclear energy generation, and hydroelectric power capacity. Its diversified economy relies heavily on an abundance of natural resources and trade, particularly with the United States, with which it has had a long and complex relationship. Canada has ten provinces and three territories: Canada's major cities that are not capital cities include Montreal, Quebec; Vancouver, British Columbia; and Calgary, Alberta.

Canada's name

The name Canada is believed to come from the Huron-Iroquois word kanata, which means "village" or "settlement". In 1535, locals used the word to tell Jacques Cartier the way to Stadacona, site of present-day Quebec City. Cartier used Canada to refer not only to Stadacona, but also to the entire area subject to Donnacona, Chief at Stadacona; by 1547, maps began referring to this and the surrounding area as Canada.

History

Aboriginal tradition holds that the First Peoples have inhabited parts of what is now called Canada since the dawn of time. Archaeological records show that these lands have been inhabited for at least 10,000 years. Several Viking expeditions occurred circa AD 1000, with evidence of settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows. British claims to North America date from 1497, when John Cabot reached what he called Newfoundland, though it is unclear whether Cabot landed in current Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, or Maine. French claims date from explorations by Jacques Cartier (from 1534) and Samuel de Champlain (from 1603). Neither Cabot's nor

Interstate 75

History

Length

Major cities along the route

Intersections with other Interstates

Spur routes

Lane configurations

Notes

Ohio/Northern Kentucky

See also

External links

Sources

Interstate Highway

History

Standards

Speed limits

Dual-purpose design

Terminology

Primary routes

Three-digit Interstates

Exceptions

Other notable examples

Financing

Non-chargeable Interstate routes

Signage

Interstate oddities

Criticism

References

See also

External links

Florida State Road 826

Hialeah, Florida

Geography

Demographics

Education

External links

Ontario

Geography

Demographics

Weather

Economy

Agriculture

History

Pre-1867

From 1867 to 1896

From 1896 to the present

Government

Politics

Territorial evolution 1788-1899

See also

External links

Canada

Overview

Canada's name

History