Comments on just up the pike: forgotten village of norwood makes comeback with I...

Also, in regards to Ashton, those who did choose t...

2011-12-09T12:07:10.380-05:00

Also, in regards to Ashton, those who did choose the ICC to there would much more logically exit the eastbound ICC at Layhill Rd., not New Hampshire, since Layhill is a much shorter route to Ashton with a lower toll.

I would have to agree that Sandy Spring would have...

2011-12-09T12:02:29.360-05:00

I would have to agree that Sandy Spring would have been a better choice than Norwood, but an even bigger issue is the short shrift given to Colesville (Randolph & New Hampshire) and Cloverly (Briggs Chaney & New Hampshire).

Using White Oak over Colesville is questionable because it's not remotely close to the ICC and the vast majority of people would take 495/29 or 495/New Hampshire to get there. Colesville is a major commercial and residential area well know and in common usage among those that live and work there. Also, putting this on the exit sign might reduce the current confusion about where Colesville actually is among people from other parts of the area -- many mistaken think it is on Route 29/Colesville Rd.

Using Ashton fails because very few people headed that far north would opt for the ICC over the back roads. Not to mention that the Cloverly area is closer and more densely developed and populated than Ashton.

Did any of this ever get publicly disclosed and discussed or did some clueless official from elsewhere in the state just make arbitrary choices?

As someone who grew up in NJ, where pretty much ev...

2011-12-07T20:47:22.520-05:00

As someone who grew up in NJ, where pretty much every "town" is legitimately its own municipality and has its own post office, I found this article fascinating. Now I understand why all my friends down here always say they are from Moco or Hoco, but never mention the actual town they are from.

Don't think Colesville is right, as that is co...

2011-12-07T17:59:14.198-05:00

Don't think Colesville is right, as that is considered the intersection of Randolph Road and New Hampshire Ave (MD-650).

What destination would I have used for Layhill Road (MD-182) northbound? Sandy Spring.

Another way to look at it is that they put Norwood...

2011-12-06T03:47:11.474-05:00

Another way to look at it is that they put Norwood on there so all the old-timers (did I just call myself that?)won't get lost when they take the ICC, hahaha!

Those designations make perfect sense to me becaus...

2011-12-06T03:41:22.564-05:00

Those designations make perfect sense to me because Glenmont is at one end of Layhill Road and Norwood is at the other. When we lived in Colesville I remember my mother making reference to the old country store out in Norwood. There used to be one of those in "Layhill" too, even after they built Plaza del Mercado.

A long time ago I knew a bunch of kids who went to Wheaton HS and they always described where they lived as Glenmont rather than Wheaton. My parents also called it Glenmont when I was a small child. Glenmont was famous for having one of the very first MacDonalds.

As you said, Norwood is definitely not what it used to be. Out in the countryside, even today, a lot of places have been given their very own names simply because they are at a crossroads, and having a store and/or a post office provides additional validation.

There are a few very informative signs near the Norwood Road intersection with Layhill and Ednor Roads that provide some nice background about the store and the Underground Railroad route that passed through Norwood long ago. They even offer guided tours, I think on Saturdays. I've stopped to read all those signs but I haven't taken a tour yet. There's quite a bit of history there.

Dan, good comments. You wrote: ''the are...

2011-12-05T11:38:58.963-05:00

Dan, good comments. You wrote:

''the area around Georgia Avenue and Colesville Road was called "Simpsonville." ''

Today, there's a Simpsonville in Howard County. It is more or less surrounded by Columbia, but there's still a Simpsonville, Maryland Post Office, Just up the Pike (as in U.S. 29 :-) ) Google Maps even "knows" Simpsonville, Md.: http://g.co/maps/hj5gn

Excellent thoughts, Dan. In this case, Norwood is...

2011-12-05T10:27:37.449-05:00

Excellent thoughts, Dan.

In this case, Norwood is not a "control city." Control cities are used on guide signs.

So for example, let's say you're driving north on I-270 at Montrose Road. A large sign with 4 downward-pointing arrows over the center of the freeway proclaims "I-270 NORTH / Rockville / Fredrick".

In that case, both Rockville and Frederick are control cities. That's because they are shown on a sign guiding (through) freeway traffic.

Let's think about a different (hypothetical) sign. Now, you're approaching interchange 5. That sign reads:

"Exit 5 / MD-189 Falls Road / Rockville / Potomac".

This is not a guide sign, so the cities that appear on it are not control cities. (Rockville is (I believe) a control city, but it's not acting as such on an exit sign). They are provided simply to indicate which destinations can be reached from that exit.

So, while Norwood might be a dubious name for this exit sign, it's technically not a "control city". Control cities are designated by each state, but they must be approved by AASHTO.

They would not approve Norwood for a "control city", but they have no authority over what is shown on exit signs.