Streets, Boulevards, Avenues, and Other Types of Roads

Have you ever wondered what the real differences are between streets, boulevards, avenues, and other road types?

Wonder no more!

  • Road (Rd.): Can be anything that connects two points.
  • Way: A small side street off a road.
  • Street (St.): A public way that has buildings on both sides of it. They run perpendicular to avenues.
  • Avenue (Ave.): Also a public way that has buildings or trees on either side of it. They run perpendicular to streets.
  • Boulevard (Blvd.): A very wide city street that has trees and vegetation on both sides of it. There’s also usually a median in the middle.
  • Lane (Ln.): A narrow road often found in a rural area. Basically, the opposite of a boulevard.
  • Drive (Dr.): A long, winding road that has its route shaped by its environment, like a nearby lake or mountain.
  • Terrace (Ter.): A street that follows the top of a slope.
  • Place (Pl.): A road or street that has no throughway—or leads to a dead end.
  • Court (Ct.): A road or street that ends in a circle or loop.
  • Throughway: a major road or highway
  • Highway: Any public road or other public way on land. It is used for major roads, but also includes other public roads and public tracks.
  • Freeway: A controlled-access highway is a type of highway which has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow and ingress/egress regulated.
Posted by jonn on November 21st, 2016 | No Comments Posted in Blog

Getting a-round-about

Roundabouts are becoming more and more popular in Minnesota, especially in the most dangerous intersections.

The Minnesota Drivers Manual lists the following driving tips:

  • Slow down as you approach the roundabout.
  • For multi-lane roundabouts, as with any intersection, get into
    the appropriate lane as you approach the roundabout.
  • Yield to pedestrians and bicyclists crossing the roadway.
  • Watch for signs or pavement markings that require or prohibit
    certain movements.
  • When entering a roundabout, yield to vehicles already in the roundabout. Do not cross into the roundabout until all traffic from the left has cleared.
  • After entering the roundabout, drive in a counter-clockwise direction until you reach your exit.
  • Do not stop, pass or change lanes within a roundabout.
  • If an emergency vehicle approaches, exit the roundabout immediately and then pull over.
Posted by jonn on September 24th, 2012 | No Comments Posted in Uncategorized

The MN Merge

Minnesota is commonly known as the Land of 10000 Lakes. What is not as commonly known is that we really only have two seasons; winter and road construction.

One of the biggest problems in the road construction season is when one or more lanes are reduced, requiring drivers to merge. Many drivers mistakenly merge too soon and get angry when other drivers zip past them to the actual merge junction. This can create accidents, aggressive driving and road rage.

The state got so many complaints that MNDOT created a PR blitz to try to explain how it should work. There was even a video created.

Basically, drivers are encouraged to use the “Zipper Merge” method, using all lanes of traffic until the actual point of merge.

I can’t tell you how many times I have come up along an early merger who tries to block my passage by moving over slightly. I have even seen a few times that the early merger forced someone into the ditch!

Posted by jonn on September 20th, 2012 | 1 Comment Posted in Blog