Ben, first, your statement about creating the new corridor and expecting the cross sections to update ...is expecting too much from InRoads. You need to consider that things like Profiles and Cross Sections are more of a static display, that will need to be Updated. Hence the Update series of commands.
Chuck's memory is correct. I can verify that if you have the Empty Design Surface option toggled on in the Create Surface command (in the Roadway Designer) that the surface with the same name on your cross sections should update. But the Features and Components will not. (And that goes for the Plan Features displayed too.) My habit is the same as Chuck's, if you know you are going to recreate your surface then you have to remove the Components and Features from the Cross Sections (and plan view) that came from that recreated design surface. And usually, while I'm in the Update Cross Section command, I strip all of the Design surface information off. But you don't need to remove the triangle-based Surface line because that should update.
My last comment is that whenever I know a command should be functioning a certain way, and it is not, then my habit is to save my data, exit InRoads and relaunch and try again.
Chuck's memory is correct. I can verify that if you have the Empty Design Surface option toggled on in the Create Surface command (in the Roadway Designer) that the surface with the same name on your cross sections should update. But the Features and Components will not. (And that goes for the Plan Features displayed too.) My habit is the same as Chuck's, if you know you are going to recreate your surface then you have to remove the Components and Features from the Cross Sections (and plan view) that came from that recreated design surface. And usually, while I'm in the Update Cross Section command, I strip all of the Design surface information off. But you don't need to remove the triangle-based Surface line because that should update.
My last comment is that whenever I know a command should be functioning a certain way, and it is not, then my habit is to save my data, exit InRoads and relaunch and try again.