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I-95's "Northern Extension"

Started by ghYHZ, November 20, 2011, 08:42:59 AM

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yakra

Exit 36 has the distinction of being the only exit in Maine (how about the US -- any others?) signed in French. There's a sign up for "Old Orchard Beach / Sortie 36" (greened-out from 5), southbound near the West Gardiner tool plaza at I-295's north end.
It's probably still around... I don't get up that way much, and either haven't been paying attention, or have been staying off the Pike to go to the A1 Diner in Gardiner proper.

Quote(I lived in O.O.B. from 1985 to 1987.)
How's yr painkiller addiction? :D :P
"Officer, I'm always careful to drive the speed limit no matter where I am and that's what I was doin'." Said "No, you weren't," she said, "Yes, I was." He said, "Madam, I just clocked you at 22 MPH," and she said "That's the speed limit," he said "No ma'am, that's the route numbah!"  - Gary Crocker


Alps

#26
Quote from: agentsteel53 on December 04, 2011, 09:01:38 PM
Quote from: AsphaltPlanet on December 04, 2011, 07:31:20 PM

I don't mind this sign.  The sign probably looks better having consistent numeral fonts across all shields than it would if highway gothic had have been used solely on the 95 shield.

I happen to disagree, because I despise Helvetica/Arial/Grotesk/Univers/etc being used for route markers.  I think the entire thing should be in Highway Gothic D.

And it would have been 10+ years ago. The NB 585 shield on my wall attests to that.

Quote from: KEVIN_224 on December 06, 2011, 04:39:44 PM
I hope I could cross this border myself someday. The closest I've been thus far is Bangor, ME. If I'm not mistaken, that highway was upgraded within the last two years or so.
Longer than that - Wiki says 2004, which is about what I would have said.

vdeane

Quote from: yakra on December 06, 2011, 07:23:46 PM
Exit 36 has the distinction of being the only exit in Maine (how about the US
NY has some:


Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

KEVIN_224

@ Yakra: The southern end of I-295 in Scarborough, ME also features a sign for Old Orchard Beach and "Sortie 36", I do believe.

Dr Frankenstein

NY does have English/French bilingual signs on I-87 through Cliton County, and Burlington, VT is about to get some as well.

As for sign trading, NY has some autoroute ("TO A-15" on I-87) and King's Highway ("TO ON-401" on I-81) shields, both of which seem to be coming from their respective provinces. There even is an Ontario-standard metric speed limit sign after the border crossing in Mooers. ON has some ground-mounted I-81 shields as well. Québec has ground-mounted I-89 shields but they're so wrong it's obvious they were made by MTQ. Oh, there is a QC shield in Derby Line VT too.

I don't hate the fact that NB uses Helvetica on shields, but making foreign shields like QC-132 and I-95 with the wrong font is a different story.

Quillz

Quote from: broadhurst04 on November 26, 2011, 12:17:51 AM
Quote from: Quillz on November 24, 2011, 05:30:50 AM
Are they using Arial? Ugh... FHWA Series or Clearview, please.

Is there some rule that US fonts cannot be used by Canadian agencies to point drivers to US routes when they are close to the border? Is it a matter of expense, or is it just that Canadian agencies just don't want to equip sign shops with a font that they will rarely use?
It's just up to the agency. The FHWA series fonts are in the public domain, free for anyone to use. They are used in many Canadian provinces, Mexico, Brazil, even China has started using them.

averill

Quote from: SP Cook on December 04, 2011, 05:20:49 PM
Quote from: Dr Frankenstein on December 04, 2011, 05:06:19 PM
Almost all of Canadian provinces use FHWA fonts (except NB for shields; and a few provinces have switched to Clearview), so they already have them readily available... besides, Interstate shields are correct in Ontario. Everything except the shields in these pictures uses the FHWA fonts...

This brings up a question.  My state doesn't border on Canada, but when we need another state's shields, we just swap with them.  For example, all of the To Ohio 7 signs in WV are made by ODOT, and all of the To WV 2 signs in Ohio are made by WV DOH.  Its a wash on a cash basis, and it saves both states from having to mainain another sign set. 

Why would not the NB or ON or any other Canadian jurisdiction's sign shop just call their cousins across the border and swap the shields as needed?
I know NYDOT gets its Autoroute 15 trail-blazers' which are used on and near I-87 from Quebec.  Quebec however makes their own Interstate shields.  This is only done for the I-87/A-15 corridor.  They should also do it for their secondary roads with border crossings.  I think NY and Ontario does something similar, but on a much smaller scale on I-81/Ont.137 connector to the 401.  This is NOT done in the Buffalo/Niagara area on either side of the border, however.

Pete from Boston

Quote from: SP Cook on December 04, 2011, 05:20:49 PM
This brings up a question.  My state doesn't border on Canada, but when we need another state's shields, we just swap with them.  For example, all of the To Ohio 7 signs in WV are made by ODOT, and all of the To WV 2 signs in Ohio are made by WV DOH.  Its a wash on a cash basis, and it saves both states from having to mainain another sign set. 

Why would not the NB or ON or any other Canadian jurisdiction's sign shop just call their cousins across the border and swap the shields as needed?

I was up there 5-6 years ago and I am trying to remember if there were equivalent NB 95 or TCH-2 signs in the US.  We came up to Houlton on US 1 so I never got a real look.  I would not be surprised if not, because my experience with approaching the border from the US is that "Canada" is often as specific as the signs get (which to me says, "all we know is they speak Canadian over there, and that's all we want to know").


OracleUsr

At least there used to be.  I think there still is a sign for NB 95 right before the US 2 exit at the northern terminus, but I couldn't be sure when I was there last year because I was headed south from Woodstock.
Anti-center-tabbing, anti-sequential-numbering, anti-Clearview BGS FAN

yakra

NB95 shields on a BGS when approaching the N terminus sounds about right, from what I remember seeing on the internet. In my own travels, I got off at US1 NB and on at US2 SB, so I haven't seen much myself.
"Officer, I'm always careful to drive the speed limit no matter where I am and that's what I was doin'." Said "No, you weren't," she said, "Yes, I was." He said, "Madam, I just clocked you at 22 MPH," and she said "That's the speed limit," he said "No ma'am, that's the route numbah!"  - Gary Crocker

ghYHZ

Quote from: yakra on May 03, 2013, 11:08:41 PM
NB95 shields on a BGS when approaching the N terminus sounds about right, from what I remember seeing on the internet. In my own travels, I got off at US1 NB and on at US2 SB, so I haven't seen much myself.

From Google Maps:

http://goo.gl/maps/apXxj

webfil

Quote from: ghYHZ on May 04, 2013, 07:46:24 AM
Quote from: yakra on May 03, 2013, 11:08:41 PM
NB95 shields on a BGS when approaching the N terminus sounds about right, from what I remember seeing on the internet. In my own travels, I got off at US1 NB and on at US2 SB, so I haven't seen much myself.

From Google Maps:

http://goo.gl/maps/apXxj

Rare! A New Brunswick shield with Highway Gothic font!

NB MoT got its revenge on that "abomination".  :-D

yakra

"Officer, I'm always careful to drive the speed limit no matter where I am and that's what I was doin'." Said "No, you weren't," she said, "Yes, I was." He said, "Madam, I just clocked you at 22 MPH," and she said "That's the speed limit," he said "No ma'am, that's the route numbah!"  - Gary Crocker



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