If you have traveled on New York State's highways throughout your lifetime, you are probably aware of the assigned number on many of the exits. If someone asks me what the exit is for Johnson City, I know it's Exit 70S and 70N of Route 17.

I still remember that Exit 42 of Route 86 is where I used to exit to go home when I lived in the Painted Post area. Well, back then, it was Route 17.

According to the New York State Department of Transportation, a conversion to mile-based exit numbering along key central New York highways has begun. I think that is a better system. Pennsylvania uses mile numbering on its major highways.

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The NYS DOT press release on June 14, 2024, outlined the initial changes., which include exits on Interstate 81, 690, and State Route 481 in Cortland, Oswego, and Onondaga Counties.

Existing numbered exit signs will be replaced with new panels indicating the mileage location along the highway. The NYS DOT notes that this gives motorists a better indication of how many miles they need to travel to reach their destinations.

Central New York is the first in the state to make this conversion, which will eventually occur on all exits along Interstate 81 from Pennsylvania to Canada.

Expect to see these changes on Interstate 81 in Cortland County, beginning with Exit 9  in Marathon, through Onondaga County at Exit 16, which is the Onondaga Nation/Nedrow exit.

I am pleased to see this critical infrastructure program get underway here in our region. I thank DOT Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez for her support for our roads and highways. This transition to a mile-based system will align our highways with national standards and assist motorists in determining their location and the distance to their exit. Additionally, this efficiency will help our first responders reach drivers in distress with speed and efficiency. - New York State Senator Lea Webb 

The NYS DOT notes that the new mile-based exit numbers will be added to the upper panel on the existing signs.  The old sequential exit numbers will be added to the bottom of the first approaching existing exit sign.

Numbers will be assigned northbound, For example, in Marathon, Exit 9 will become Exit 38, which is the total mileage from the Pennsylvania state line. For more details, visit the NYS DOT website.

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