On Mon, Oct 22, 2012 at 11:00 AM, Paul Johnson <[email protected]> wrote: > They use the same shield, and even TXDOT signs Farm Road and Ranch Road > interchangeably. They're definitely the same network.
While they use the same numbering sequence (as do State Highway Spurs and State Highway Loops), they are definitely signed differently (with either "Farm Road" or "Ranch Road" shields, or "F.M." or "R. M." advance signage on guide signs), and most (if not all) routes are either one or the other (there's a vague "zone" in the sense that FM tends to be east of I-35 and RM tends to be west of I-35, but there are exceptions based on the local agriculture - i.e. whether ranching or farming takes place - although below San Antonio it's all FM, even in ranching areas). You can check the highway designation file for the correct designation of specific routes. If something else is on the sign, the local district probably screwed up (several TxDOT district offices aren't exactly known for their scrupulous observance of state standards). Further confusing matters, some FM and RM roads are technically designated as Urban Roads, but TxDOT always signs them as FM or RM roads. The designation file will probably tell you what it used to be, which is usually what's on the signs. Now, some FM roads are listed as Ranch Roads (and vice versa) in TIGER for reasons I don't understand; probably data quality issues based on transcribing from other maps (TxDOT's official state highway map, for example, uses the same rectangular shield design for both route types; the same [but hexagonal] deal with loops & spurs). Chris -- Chris Lawrence <[email protected]> Website: http://www.cnlawrence.com/ _______________________________________________ Talk-us mailing list [email protected] http://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/talk-us
