Goodbye "Inner and Outer" Beltline

One of the things I found most confusing when I moved here from Flroida back in February 2007, was the "inner" and "outer" signs in relation to I -440, or what I soon learned should be referred to as "the beltline."

I wrote a blog about it back then, and my friend Dave Sweeney explained the whole concept of "inner" meaning clockwise and outer meaning counter-clockwise. That is essentially how I've managed it to date. I found it quite bizarre and I've always wondered why it wasn't simply "east" and "west." 

As a newcomer, that was quite frustrating but I did learn to manage.

Given that the beltline is actually a circle, there are ultimately instances when you are traveling "north" and "south," so maybe that's why the "inner" and "outer" came to be in the first place--the avoid all of that potential confusion. 

So, with the new changes-I know there will be gripes and after living here for 18 months and talking to countless NATIVES who only understnad the inner and outer concept, I also know that confusion will soon return.

So, listen up  DOT. You'd better save some of that $1 million contract you're getting to give beltline drivers a new sense of direction, for additional customer service representatives to man the phones.

I could be wrong, but I think you're in for it!