Difference between revisions of "Route 2"

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A highway (although everyone on the East Coast uses "[http://www.google.com/search?hs=Vvc&hl=en&lr=&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&q=%22highway+2%22&btnG=Search route]" rather than "[http://www.google.com/search?hs=Vvc&hl=en&lr=&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&q=%22highway+2%22&btnG=Search highway]" - like [http://www.popvssoda.com pop/soda argument]).
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Route 2 is a highway that runs from Boston across Massaschusetts, straight through [[North Adams]] and the middle of campus, over [[Petersburg Pass]], through [[Troy]] to [[Albany]] and points west. The portion in Williamstown is also known as Main Street (though ''West'' Main Street refers to the street that you'd take if you went due west at the [[town green]], instead of following Route 2 south along [[Route 7]]).
  
It runs through campus, from east to west.
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See also [[the logic behind road numbers]] and [[route/highway argument]].
 
 
Or west to east.
 
 
 
Depending on which way you want to look at it.
 
  
 
According to [[Professor James Wood|Prof. Wood]], Route 2 cutting through the middle of campus would make Williams College very difficult to defend were we attacked by two Roman legions.
 
According to [[Professor James Wood|Prof. Wood]], Route 2 cutting through the middle of campus would make Williams College very difficult to defend were we attacked by two Roman legions.
  
Bob Quay '04 authored a [http://francis/search/aquay/aquay/1%2C22%2C46%2CE/frameset&FF=aquay+robert+i&1%2C1%2C senior history thesis] about its history.
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[[Bob Quay '04]] authored a senior history [[thesis]] [http://francis.williams.edu/search/aquay/aquay/1%2C22%2C46%2CE/frameset&FF=aquay+robert+i&1%2C1%2C] about its history.
 
 
In response to the comment above—"everyone on the East Coast uses 'route' rather than 'highway'"—several things should be noted.
 
  
1. The East Coast of the United States is not homogenous. What people do in Massachussetts is not necessarily the same as what people do in Georgia.  Just because people from MA call it "Route 2" doesn't mean that everyone else on the East Coast calls it "Route 2." Be wary of assuming that everything you observe in Williamstown is true of the entire East Coast.
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Watch it cut right through campus:
  
2. Those of us in MA who do call highways "routes" do so in very particular circumstances. We might call it "Route 495," but we'll also refer to Route 495 as a "highway" when saying something like, "I live just a few miles from the highway." This is a little more nuanced than the [http://www.popvssoda.com pop/soda argument].
 
  
3. It's worth noting the logic behind highway and road numbers, because it can give you a clue about where they go. A highway is assigned 3 digits if it circumscribes a major metropolitan area. That's why the highway that circumscribes Boston is 495. A road/highway that runs north/south is assigned an odd number. Thus, the highway that runs from Montreal all the way down the east coast to Florida is numbered 95. A road/highway that runs east/west is assigned an even number. Thus, the one that runs west from downtown Boston all the way out through Williamstown (and beyond) is numbered 2. Similarly, anyone who's travelling from one coast to the other might drive on the famed Highway/Route 66, which also runs east/west. So, if you're ever completely lost, but you know the general direction that you want to travel, you can sort of navigate by the road/highway number. Sort of.
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<googlemap lat="42.70956078286087" lon="-73.20370674133301" type="satellite" zoom="14" width="550" height="200" scale="no" selector="yes" controls="medium">
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#758bc5 (2.22 miles)
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42.705208902985625, -73.22258949279785
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42.70785790967934, -73.22207450866699
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42.71025453261556, -73.22052955627441
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42.71113747563425, -73.21889877319336
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42.711642008862746, -73.21632385253906
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42.71315558394019, -73.21426391601562
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42.71429074102464, -73.21134567260742
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42.713660100763285, -73.20928573608398
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42.710632938304435, -73.1960678100586
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42.70539812149829, -73.1898021697998
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</googlemap>
  
 
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Latest revision as of 02:21, September 12, 2006

Route 2 is a highway that runs from Boston across Massaschusetts, straight through North Adams and the middle of campus, over Petersburg Pass, through Troy to Albany and points west. The portion in Williamstown is also known as Main Street (though West Main Street refers to the street that you'd take if you went due west at the town green, instead of following Route 2 south along Route 7).

See also the logic behind road numbers and route/highway argument.

According to Prof. Wood, Route 2 cutting through the middle of campus would make Williams College very difficult to defend were we attacked by two Roman legions.

Bob Quay '04 authored a senior history thesis [1] about its history.

Watch it cut right through campus:


<googlemap lat="42.70956078286087" lon="-73.20370674133301" type="satellite" zoom="14" width="550" height="200" scale="no" selector="yes" controls="medium">

  1. 758bc5 (2.22 miles)

42.705208902985625, -73.22258949279785 42.70785790967934, -73.22207450866699 42.71025453261556, -73.22052955627441 42.71113747563425, -73.21889877319336 42.711642008862746, -73.21632385253906 42.71315558394019, -73.21426391601562 42.71429074102464, -73.21134567260742 42.713660100763285, -73.20928573608398 42.710632938304435, -73.1960678100586 42.70539812149829, -73.1898021697998 </googlemap>

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