New York Roads - US 2



END is about all US 2 does in New York. The first intersection across the Vermont border is US 11, and that's it for 2 until the number reappears in Michigan. In the early days of highway numbering, there were TO US 2 trailblazers posted in Canada to link the two sections - and I'm talking about Québec shields pointing hundreds of miles west. However, the two 2's were not actually planned as a single route - the eastern one was supposed to be US 0, but the idea of a 0 never caught on. Coincidentally, no state has a Route 0 either, although many allow the signing of Exit 0.


Starting with the bridge over Lake Champlain as seen from NY 9B northbound.


The first signs in the state spell the end of the route. I applaud the use of the TO plate to correct the misinformation - NY 9B ends in town to the south. I also applaud the shields that come from Canada, although if Montréal is to the right, then why not use the Rouses Point crossing to QC 202 as a shorter and less-used path to 15? The back roads can handle the pittance of traffic coming from US 2, and every car taken off the overloaded I-87 crossing is an economic and traveling boon. Conversely, if New York really wants traffic to turn left, why sign the most popular destination to the right? Incidentally, with a sign so close to the border pointing the distance to a Canadian city, it should be specified that it's 50 miles away, not km.


Customs has its own shield, and in the years between my two photographs they moved it to its own signpost. If they really wanted to get people's attention, the first step should be to get a much larger sign with bigger, bolder letters. Oh, and also have one in French, given the language spoken a mile to the north.

Into Vermont on US 2
Onto US 11
To Autoroute 15
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