Arterial County Highways:
A system proposed for Ohio by David "Smith"

Document Status

This document is a working draft.

Purpose and Need

Many older (and some newer) atlases show certain, important county roads on state-level maps. Their prescense on the map implies importance, and looking at the map can usually give a good indication of why the road is shown. Unfortunately, such roads cannot be sufficiently labeled on state-level maps due to space constraints and/or the tendency for these roads to have long names, such as "West Jefferson – Kiousville Rd". At best, a county road number might be printed on the map, but in most counties, a county highway's number is not conspicuously signed in the field. Clearly, mapmakers feel that these roads are of use to the non-local motorist. A system of concise designations for these roads would greatly simplify the task of navigating one without need for a county-level map.

Route Designations

Selecting Roads for the System

Initial selection of roads for the ACH system should be done by county highway agencies or regional planning commissions.  A committee within ODOT should reconcile any discontinuities between the selections coming from different agencies.  That committee should then identify the individual routes needed to cover the selected roads and assign route numbers to them.  Future changes to the ACH route designations, which may be suggested by county or regional planning agencies, should by carried out by ODOT in a way similar to that in which changes to state route designations occur. 

Mileage

In each county, the combined mileage of roadway that is on either the state or ACH highway system shall be at least the land area of the county times 0.4mi^-1; that is, four miles for every ten square miles of land. Exceeding this minimum is encouraged.

In each county, the ACH mileage (not counting state highways) should not exceed the land area of the county times 0.8mi^-1; that is, eight miles for every ten square miles of land.

Appropriate Roads

ACH designation should be considered for a road (or a coherent series of roads) if no state-highway alternative of better time or distance exists, and if any of the following conditions are met:

• The road connects a town or informal population center to a state highway.
• The road connects two towns.
• The road connects two or more ACH routes or state highways which approach or cross each other without a direct connection.
• The road connects a transportation node (such as an airport) to one or more significant components of the local road network.
• The road continues in the same general direction over a considerable distance not typical of most roads near it.
• The road has multiple segments with different local names, but forms a logical, popular route.
• The road serves as an informal bypass around, or detour into, a populated area, and is capable of supporting a minor increase in traffic volume resulting from ACH designation.
• The road closely follows a river, creek, canal, or lakeshore.
• The road is part of the National Highway System.

Certain historical routes shall be part of the ACH system: the Dixie Highway, the Lincoln Highway, the National Road, the Yellowstone Trail, and Zane's Trace. The oldest through route shall be used for this purpose.

Freeways which are not state highways should be part of the ACH system. Overlapping ACH designation with state (or U.S. or Interstate) designations on freeways should be avoided.

Dead Ends

For the purpose of this section, a dead end is a point where a motorist on the ACH system cannot stay on the ACH system without making a U-turn. Dead ends are permitted at the following locations:

• State highways.
• State lines. Ideally, the road across the state line should be either a state highway or a road designated on a similar county/state highway system, but this is not required.
• Airports, train stations, or other transportation nodes.
• Town centers or major attractions.
• At the physical end of pavement, near a natural obstacle such as a lake or mountain, which prevents the road from continuing.

The ACH system shall NOT have dead ends at county lines, corporation limits, or other political boundaries, except as permitted above.

Route Numbering

Number/Letter Format

Each route in the ACH system shall be designated with two letters, a letter and a numeral digit, or a numeral digit and a letter. The numeral zero shall not be used. The letter I shall not be used. The letter O shall not be used after a number, but may be used before a number or before or after another letter. The letter Q shall not be used after a number, but may be used before a number or before or after another letter. The combination XX shall not be used. This arrangement provides 1056 combinations. The term "route number" may apply to any such combination, including those that do not actually contain numerals.

"Home" County

Each route in the ACH system shall have a "home" county, assigned solely for purposes of selecting a route number. A route must pass through its home county. The mileage of a route through its home county must either be the highest mileage of any county along the route, or be at least the lesser of 15 miles or two-fifths the length of the entire ACH route. The specific historical routes listed previously are exempt from these mileage requirements, and must only pass through their home counties.

The route number assigned to an ACH route shall be one allocated to its home county. If possible, the route number should contain an initial or other prominent letter (or number) from the local name of the road. The 1056 route numbers shall be divided 12 to each of Ohio's 88 counties. Each county should have a common letter in all route numbers assigned to it. A possible allocation scheme follows:

Route Continuity

If multiple roads appropriate for ACH designation form a single line with small or no gaps and no significant change in direction, a single ACH route should be designated over those roads. An ACH route should have no gaps.

Overlaps

An ACH route may overlap other ACH routes or state highways to connect otherwise-disconnected segments of the route. However, an ACH route should have independent mileage (not overlapped with any ACH or state route) at both termini.

Termini

An ACH route may terminate anywhere an ACH system dead end is allowed (but does not necessarily exist) as described previously. An ACH route may also terminate at another ACH route, but two ACH routes should not terminate at the same point unless a third ACH route also intersects that point.

Straightness

An ACH route should proceed in the same general direction along its entire length. A significant change in direction is acceptable, however, if necessary to navigate around one side of a natural obstacle, and if navigating around the other side is longer or unfeasible.

Administration

Ownership and maintenance responsibility of roads on the ACH system should be unchanged by their inclusion in the ACH system. 

Signage

Amount and type of signage to recommend has not yet been determined.

Funding

Funding for installation and maintenance of ACH signage should come from ODOT through normal procedures of the Transportation Review Advisory Council.  No other expenses related to the ACH system are envisioned at this time.