Regional signing practices that are unusual compared to everyplace else

[roadman65]

Check out this unusual inverted JUNCTION sign instead of the typical black on white JCT sign.

Signs like this are very common in parts of SW Georgia as this one here is in Valdosta along Perimeter Road (the latest alignment for US 41 and GA 7) approaching the north end of the business loop for both highways from the south. 

There are even some along US 84 in Bainbridge, US 82 in Albany, and other places in that whole region of the Peach State.  Nonetheless it is different from traditional methods, but cool in that its being used. IMO I think it makes traveling more interesting to run across these.

[SignGeek101]

The city of Sault Ste. Marie ON has an unusual practice I haven't seen anywhere else in Ontario.

They sign the direction of ON 17 as North (West). The highway goes northward from here even though it's an east - west highway. Personally I'm not a fan. I think it just adds confusion.

Not only that, but the city also uses the largest concentration of Clearview signs in Ontario. Currently the MTO doesn't use Clearview on its signs (there are exceptions). I know the MTO has done experiments on Clearview, but I believe those signs were installed on busier highways in the south (there's one on the QEW at the 403 junction in Burlington). And yes, I am aware of the Clearview on the Gardener Expressway in Toronto.



The first sign into Canada one would see:


GSV had some bad blurring here. The shield is an ON 17 in Series E.


First sign one would see as they enter the city limits.

[Scott5114]

Check out this unusual inverted JUNCTION sign instead of the typical black on white JCT sign.

Signs like this are very common in parts of SW Georgia as this one here is in Valdosta along Perimeter Road (the latest alignment for US 41 and GA 7) approaching the north end of the business loop for both highways from the south. 

There are even some along US 84 in Bainbridge, US 82 in Albany, and other places in that whole region of the Peach State.  Nonetheless it is different from traditional methods, but cool in that its being used. IMO I think it makes traveling more interesting to run across these.

I really like this. The "JUNCTION" nicely spans the two columns of signs, and then the black background matches the mostly-black shields very well. Nice going, Georgia.

[Brandon]

Welcome to Chicago.

Why follow the MUTCD when you can make up your own?



No outlet on a regulatory sign.



Tiny directional signage.



Turn on headlights.



Explicit parking restrictions.



No peddling.



MUTCD?  Fuck the MUTCD, it wasn't sent.

[cl94]

"State/Area/City/Town/Village/Park/Campus Speed Limit" (that all of them?) in New York. I don't think I need to post an image of this one.

Erie County, NY omitted "Rd/St/etc." from blade signs until about a decade ago. A sign for "Central Ave" would read "Central". Got confusing when there were two roads of the same name in an area. Not entirely unique, but frowned upon.

Pennsylvania's love of 2 mile advance signs, unheard of anywhere else I've been.

Ohio's slanted arrows to indicate option lanes stopped within the past 3 years, after the 2009 MUTCD explicitly banned downward slanting arrows.

[dfwmapper]

Pennsylvania's love of 2 mile advance signs, unheard of anywhere else I've been.

Arizona is quite fond of them for major road junctions in rural areas.
http://goo.gl/maps/PBkAn
http://goo.gl/maps/B168J
http://goo.gl/maps/Eches
http://goo.gl/maps/5LgyK
http://goo.gl/maps/t7TSw

[KEK Inc.]

Here's a 2 mile advance sign with a EXIT ONLY legend.

http://goo.gl/maps/jImIM
http://goo.gl/maps/jBRey

[jeffandnicole]

Pennsylvania's love of 2 mile advance signs, unheard of anywhere else I've been.

The NJ Turnpike uses them at about every interchange, and I've seen these elsewhere in NJ...along with I-95 in Delaware (SB, approaching Exit 1).

[Brandon]

Pennsylvania's love of 2 mile advance signs, unheard of anywhere else I've been.

The Ohio Turnpike always uses them, and ISTHA uses much, much longer distances, choosing to list the next exit or next two exits on guide signs.

Ohio Turnpike:



I-88 west at Rochelle, IL:

[froggie]

Minnesota has a few 2-mile advance signs as well outside the Twin Cities, though MnDOT's preference is for the 1-mile advance sign.  I also know of at least one 1 1/4-mile advance sign (NB 35 for the MN 19 exit), though this type of situation is due to topography or other reasons why a normal 1-mile sign cannot be used.

[vdeane]

NY does too.  These come to mind:

[formulanone]

Pennsylvania's love of 2 mile advance signs, unheard of anywhere else I've been.

Arizona is quite fond of them for major road junctions in rural areas.
http://goo.gl/maps/PBkAn
http://goo.gl/maps/B168J
http://goo.gl/maps/Eches
http://goo.gl/maps/5LgyK
http://goo.gl/maps/t7TSw

Yup, Florida's Turnpike as well - 2 Miles, then 1 Mile, then 1/2 Mile...when some exits are over 40 miles apart, it's not a bad idea.

Some I-95 exits are also 10-15 miles apart, so they also get 2 Mile approach BGSes.

[1995hoo]

Off the top of my head I can think of one 2-mile advance sign in Virginia for an exit in Maryland. Not saying there aren't others, this one just comes to mind immediately.

Every time I see this sign I think it reads sort of like the old name of Reagan Airport: "Washington National Harbor," as opposed to "Washington" the city and "National Harbor" the development in PG County.

[freebrickproductions]

This two mile advance sign here in Huntsville, AL comes to mind:
http://goo.gl/maps/phbX1

[roadfro]

Pennsylvania's love of 2 mile advance signs, unheard of anywhere else I've been.

Although I didn't see any standard/guidance/option text to support one way or the other, several examples in the MUTCD show advance guide signs at 1-mile and 2-mile location (there are also 1-mile and 1/2-mile examples as well, although these appear to be more urban situations).

[roadman]

In general, Massachusetts practice has been to use 2 mile - 1 mile - 1/2 mile advance signing for major (freeway to freeway) interchanges, and 1 mile - 1/2 mile (or 3/4 mile - 1/4 mile) advance signing for all other interchanges.  The exception is the Massacusetts Turnpike between West Stockbridge and Weston, where 2 mile - 1 mile - 1/2 mile advance signing is used for all interchanges.

These tretaments are not specifically mandated in the MUTCD, but are strongly implied by the language and figures in the various guide signing sections.

[SidS1045]

Massachusetts practice has been to use 2 mile - 1 mile - 1/2 mile advance signing for major (freeway to freeway) interchanges, and 1 mile - 1/2 mile (or 3/4 mile - 1/4 mile) advance signing for all other interchanges.  These tretaments are not specifically mandated in the MUTCD, but are strongly implied by the language and figures in the various guide signing sections.

AFAIK all the interchanges on the Turnpike west of I-95 are advance-signed at two miles, one mile and one-half mile.

[hotdogPi]

Massachusetts:
"Thickly settled"
"Dangerous SLOW Intersection", "Children SLOW Crossing", and similar

New York:
"State Speed Limit 55"

[roadman]

AFAIK all the interchanges on the Turnpike west of I-95 are advance-signed at two miles, one mile and one-half mile.

Correct - I've updated my original post.

[Mergingtraffic]

CT liked to have exit tabs without borders.



or



for a few years (2009-2011 or so) they were doing right/left alligned exit tabs without borders and they looked really sharp.

Now, with all the new signing contracts, the exit tabs have borders and look like any other state.

[roadman]

Looks like that Scott Road sign hasn't been replaced since I first started riding I-84 with my parents in the late 1960s.

[agentsteel53]

CT liked to have exit tabs without borders.

I seem to vaguely recall that the 1971 California exit tab experiment also lacked borders.  I'll pay close attention the next time I drive through there.

[NoGoodNamesAvailable]

CT liked to have exit tabs without borders.

[redacted]

or

[redacted]

for a few years (2009-2011 or so) they were doing right/left alligned exit tabs without borders and they looked really sharp.

Now, with all the new signing contracts, the exit tabs have borders and look like any other state.

Found one of the ones you were talking about while heading down to CT. It struck me as looking really nice.
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.3845435,-73.5606782,3a,90y,93.65h,75.61t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1svq0DYLBeXmjn6iAwykCBqA!2e0

[Pink Jazz]

Doesn't VDOT's Richmond district have a habit of placing shields on black background unisigns?  I know they did in the past, but not sure if they still do.

[Takumi]

Not as much anymore. Most of the I-95 ones have been replaced with regular cutouts. Independent cities still do them from time to time though.

Many independent cities in Virginia do their own thing when it comes to signage. Richmond, Suffolk, Newport News and Williamsburg all have their own styles of unisigns. Williamsburg and NN are very similar, using the 1950s-style specs on a colored background (NN is dark grey, Williamsburg is dark green). Richmond has its distinct unisigns (which I actually like, although I'm in the minority), and Suffolk's new signage is just awful.

NN unisign:


Williamsburg unisign: