The Department of Transportation has announced that it will replace exit signs on Interstate 84 this spring with new signs with a new numbering system. The sign numbers will now indicate how many miles the sign is from either the end of the highway or the start of it. The numbers will progress from west to east.
For instance, the Port Jervis exit will remain Number 1. But the New York State Thruway/Union Avenue exit, 36 miles to the east in Newburgh, will be re-christened Exits 36A-36B from Exits 7A-7B.
So why the change?
According to the Times Herald Record, the Federal Highway Administration's Manual says that mileage-based exit numbers are superior to a traditional sequential system as these signs are "primarily for the benefit and direction of road users not familiar with the route or area." They also make exits easier to locate for police officers and first responders.
Here's the whole story from the Times Herald Record with a guide to the new numbering.
The Newburgh-Beacon Bridge portion of Interstate 84, headed east. Photo: RF Bailey