The Best of Road Signs

[Scott5114]

To anyone outside this forum, the rust probably makes it an eyesore.

[1995hoo]

My grandmother lived in an apartment on Seagirt Boulevard (Wavecrest Gardens) not far from that sign for many years. I'd say that sign is one of the nicer things in that area.

[Mergingtraffic]

I forgot about this thread.  Anyhow, How about this?



Heading towards the GWB from US-1 & US-9.

[jakeroot]

Here's an obligatory "it's good because it's old" photo from the University of Washington parking garage...first-gen yield sign. I've never seen one before so it was pretty cool:

[vtk]

I forgot about this thread.  Anyhow, How about this?



Heading towards the GWB from US-1 & US-9.

What's with the hardware left and right of the word Bridge?  I'm assuming that's somehow changeable?

[formulanone]

Good to know this one is still around:

[freebrickproductions]

The signs for 14th Street along Governors Drive are the last button copy signs in Huntsville.

Overhead signs on Governors Drive by freebrickproductions, on Flickr

Button Copy sign by freebrickproductions, on Flickr

Here's an old pavement sign in Athens, AL. There are some more in the downtown area, IIRC:

Old Road sign by freebrickproductions, on Flickr

Old Road sign by freebrickproductions, on Flickr

Here are some old street signs on Redstone Arsenal:

Old Street Signs by freebrickproductions, on Flickr

Old Street Signs by freebrickproductions, on Flickr

Old Street Signs by freebrickproductions, on Flickr

Old Street Signs by freebrickproductions, on Flickr

Old Street Signs by freebrickproductions, on Flickr

Old Street Signs by freebrickproductions, on Flickr

EDIT: Here's another one in downtown Athens, AL. This one's in better shape too.

Pavement Sign by freebrickproductions, on Flickr

[CentralCAroadgeek]

What I bet is one of the few remaining button copy signs in Utah:


(With some terrible aligning on that Parleys Way greenout)

[1995hoo]

I know signs at this location have been posted before, but I'm not sure whether these specific pieces of metal have been posted. I was over in Alexandria about an hour ago and, while I was sitting at a red light, I noticed the first cutout on Route 1 (just north of the intersection of northbound Route 1 and Duke Street) looked to be quite new. The parking spot right next to it was empty, so I pulled over to take some pictures. After leaving there, I went up the block to the other cutout (just north of the intersection of northbound Route 1 and King Street) and found a parking spot right near it, so I got some pictures there too. It also looks extremely shiny and new. Notice how the border on the cutout shields is thicker than the one on the "NORTH" plaques, in particular.

Only after I left did it occur to me I should have gone around the back of the signs to see if there was a sticker stating when they were posted. Ah well, maybe I can find time Sunday if I go that way.

Either way, we often post cutouts in "The Best of Road Signs," but how often do we have cutouts that appear to look extremely new?! (Even if they're not as new as they look, they're still spiffy enough to warrant memorialization!)

(The first two pictures are of the one closer to Duke Street; the second two are of the one north of King Street.)

[jakeroot]

That's very interesting, even to someone like me who barely understands shield history.

Does the MUTCD have a restriction on cut-out route shields, or did they just move away from them due to cost? I'm wondering if this is an erroneous error or a one-time splurge by VDOT.

[agentsteel53]

those look to be honeycomb high intensity sheeting.  they don't make that stuff anymore.  I bet this was old stock shields put up recently.

[Brandon]

That's very interesting, even to someone like me who barely understands shield history.

Does the MUTCD have a restriction on cut-out route shields, or did they just move away from them due to cost? I'm wondering if this is an erroneous error or a one-time splurge by VDOT.

I don't think the MUTCD has such a restriction.  The interstate shields are almost all cutouts (with exceptions - see WisDOT).  The US and state route shields in California are cutouts as well.

[jakeroot]

That's very interesting, even to someone like me who barely understands shield history.

Does the MUTCD have a restriction on cut-out route shields, or did they just move away from them due to cost? I'm wondering if this is an erroneous error or a one-time splurge by VDOT.

I don't think the MUTCD has such a restriction.  The interstate shields are almost all cutouts (with exceptions - see WisDOT).  The US and state route shields in California are cutouts as well.

I see. In retrospect, that was a pretty ridiculous question on my part.

those look to be honeycomb high intensity sheeting.  they don't make that stuff anymore.  I bet this was old stock shields put up recently.

I almost typed exactly the same thing. Were the signs that these replaced really old, 1995hoo?

[1995hoo]

I don't have another good picture of the signs from as close-up as the ones I took today. There are various pictures online that show signs there that look older and show some rust, which is clearly not present in the picture I took. We haven't had all that much rain in the past week or so and I assume it's unlikely someone went out there and cleaned the signs.

Hence why I had a bit of a facepalm moment when I realized I hadn't thought to go around the other side to see if there was a sticker showing date of installation. I want to get back there and do that, but I know I won't have time tomorrow. Maybe I'll get to it Friday (won't know until Friday). I can't tell for sure if the signs are indeed new and I don't know how old the existing cutouts there were. But earlier today they sure looked extremely shiny and new, to the point where unless someone cleaned them it sure looks like they put new ones up recently.

(I do note, however, that in the case of the first sign, the top of the "2-hour parking" sign covers the bottom tip of the US Highway shield. You would expect it to be the other way around if they only replaced one sign, wouldn't you? Clearly the "NORTH" plaque looks older given how it's bent.)

Regardless of all the above, though, the cutouts sure look good, don't they?

[hbelkins]

There are a few other honeycomb reflective cutouts scattered throughout Virginia.

[national highway 1]

What I bet is one of the few remaining button copy signs in Utah:


(With some terrible aligning on that Parleys Way greenout)

I like the 'cloud' UT 186 beehive shield. Seems to have been common on button copy signs of that vintage in Utah.

[1995hoo]

I don't have another good picture of the signs from as close-up as the ones I took today. There are various pictures online that show signs there that look older and show some rust, which is clearly not present in the picture I took. We haven't had all that much rain in the past week or so and I assume it's unlikely someone went out there and cleaned the signs.

Hence why I had a bit of a facepalm moment when I realized I hadn't thought to go around the other side to see if there was a sticker showing date of installation. I want to get back there and do that, but I know I won't have time tomorrow. Maybe I'll get to it Friday (won't know until Friday). I can't tell for sure if the signs are indeed new and I don't know how old the existing cutouts there were. But earlier today they sure looked extremely shiny and new, to the point where unless someone cleaned them it sure looks like they put new ones up recently.

(I do note, however, that in the case of the first sign, the top of the "2-hour parking" sign covers the bottom tip of the US Highway shield. You would expect it to be the other way around if they only replaced one sign, wouldn't you? Clearly the "NORTH" plaque looks older given how it's bent.)

Regardless of all the above, though, the cutouts sure look good, don't they?

Following up on this, I was in Alexandria again earlier this afternoon and I stopped to look at the backs of the cutouts. No stickers indicating when they may have been posted. The signs are in outstanding condition, though. Hopefully they don't fall victim to being replaced just for the sake of replacing them.

[Mapmikey]

The US 1 cutout north of King St was installed since 2007 as the photo I took below  then shows a browned shield and rusty bolts.  I can't tell if the other one is as new...



mapmikey

[1995hoo]

Thanks for that. Great info, especially as to the bolts. Not counting Interstate shields, anyone know of any other cutouts posted that recently?

[agentsteel53]

Thanks for that. Great info, especially as to the bolts. Not counting Interstate shields, anyone know of any other cutouts posted that recently?

there are always the occasional installations of cutouts intended for green signs.

as for an actual old-spec shield?  outside of California, these are approximately it.  there is a US-93 California-style cutout in Nevada that was posted around 2006.

[hotdogPi]

US 3 has several cutouts in Massachusetts.

[1995hoo]

US 3 has several cutouts in Massachusetts.

Sure, but how recent are they? There are a fair number of cutouts to be found in Virginia if you know where to look, but most of them are of older vintage (yet still serving perfectly well).

[PHLBOS]

US 3 has several cutouts in Massachusetts.

Sure, but how recent are they?

IIRC, there were some 90s-vintage ones (without the outlines) along the expressway section between Burlington and the NH State Line; but I'm not sure if those survived the recent widening project.

[Mapmikey]

Thanks for that. Great info, especially as to the bolts. Not counting Interstate shields, anyone know of any other cutouts posted that recently?

The VA 36 cutout monstrosity in Hopewell that I can't find the on-line posting of anywhere is/was a recent install.

Looking through the vahighways.com photo gallery, a couple cutouts in Staunton have been installed since the photos that Froggie or I took.  There are some isolated examples of new installs after 2000.

Here is one that was installed between 2004-09: https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Staunton,+VA&hl=en&ll=38.158958,-79.077294&spn=0.000034,0.033023&sll=35.034248,-83.802295&sspn=0.026917,0.066047&oq=staunton,+va&t=h&hnear=Staunton,+Virginia&z=16&layer=c&cbll=38.159044,-79.077231&panoid=pH-2VE1lq_Le15CgO8naqw&cbp=12,59.04,,0,2.75 

Mapmikey

[jakeroot]

Within the same category of cut-outs, does anyone know of cut-out BGSs outside of Virginia and New York? I.e. the edges of the signs are rounded off? I put that in the same category as cut-out shields because both are generally not done because they cost more, however, they both typically look miles better when the treatment is applied.