Route numbers on street blades

[TheStranger]

Thought of this topic after I saw the following last night: this Route 82 signage in South San Francisco (from Arlington Drive)
https://goo.gl/maps/uo6fJsWRYUH2

Sacramento County's River Road (Route 160) has seen a state route shield added to the newer, mixed-case streetblades in recent months too.

Any other examples of this type of practice?  Though route-number-only street blades are interesting enough, I find the mixture of street/road name and route number to be more intriguing.

[jwolfer]

NJ has the shield on the blade along with street name.. Or just the shield if no street name. I wish Florida did that

[Pink Jazz]

I know in the Albuquerque area NMDOT has added shields to signal-mounted street blades on most of their routes.  The only exception seems to be Coors Blvd (NM 45, formerly NM 448), which have blades installed by the City of Albuquerque even though NMDOT still owns the road. 

In fact, at one point the City of Albuquerque got in trouble with NMDOT for installing blue street blades on Coors Blvd, when the state rules at the time required that street blades on state highways be green.  This required the city to change them to green on the state maintained portion of the road.  Apparently some time before NMDOT took over maintenance of the entire length of Coors Blvd, the state's rules on street blade colors have become more lax, since the blue street blades are still up on the portion of the route that was previously city-maintained (consistent with the 2009 MUTCD, the background colors of green, blue, brown, or white are acceptable).

[Brandon]

They're common enough, but not everywhere.

Here's a few examples in Illinois I know of:
Crystal Lake
Lombard
Aurora

[bzakharin]

NJ has the shield on the blade along with street name.. Or just the shield if no street name. I wish Florida did that

This only applies to blades at traffic lights and the name of the street isn't consistently signed. For example, Speedwell Ave in Morristown is signed exclusively as a US 202 shield at traffic lights. On regular non-traffic light blades, the route number does not appear unless there is no other name or the name is not widely known. In such cases, it signed "Route x" or even "rt. X". Here is an example: https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9159565,-75.0209031,3a,37.5y,11.76h,80.31t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sRvqCDZWsae-NmU-kpmf0HA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DRvqCDZWsae-NmU-kpmf0HA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D325.91446%26pitch%3D0!7i13312!8i6656!5m1!1e1!6m1!1e1?hl=en

As an aside, you sometimes get interstate shields on blades at traffic lights at intersections where the road acts as an exit/entrance to the interstate only. Here's an example: https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7970837,-74.4709423,3a,37.5y,205.09h,85.55t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sySXdJHAUhFpG97T-rjL16Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!5m1!1e1!6m1!1e1?hl=en

[froggie]

Over the past 6 years, Prince William County, VA has replaced most (all?) of their street blades with blades that include the route number.  More recent blades also include the year of sign installation.  To my knowledge, they are the only county in Virginia that does this.

[Ace10]

OR 99W has a few sign blades with the route shield on it. Below is one at the intersection of OR 99W (Pacific Highway W) and Hall Blvd in Tigard, near its interchange with OR 217.

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4340902,-122.7647784,3a,15.5y,346.52h,95.21t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sVJv8dG4HNt0Q1YQmvNNwlQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

I like when the route shield is signed on street blades as it makes it more apparent that that's where the route is in case you're trying to follow it, but it's probably more expensive (though I'm not sure by how much) to do that than to just simply put the street name with no route shield on the blade.

[SignGeek101]

Several regions I know of:

County route written out:
https://goo.gl/maps/xHSi8szF5SG2

Just the number:
https://goo.gl/maps/8zYiUyZwjcr

Clearview:
https://goo.gl/maps/UUutq2e4vGP2

[Zeffy]

The only one I can think of offhand:
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.3238258,-74.9165544,3a,18.6y,64.22h,83t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sSNFCztqyBfXn_R7ZzCNcVw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[roadfro]

Places in Nevada will sometimes spell out route numbers on street name signs, such as "State Route 431" or "SR 88" or "US 95A" (for US 95 Alternate). But I don't know of a single entity that puts route shields on street name signs.

This is a practice I wish some of the agencies would adopt, at least for lighted street name signs at signalized intersections. Reno & Sparks tend to put the city logo, so I don't see them adding this anytime soon. And the agencies in the Vegas area are moving toward oversized street name fonts to increase readability, so there's little likelihood of them doing it either.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

I noticed them in parts of north Texas, including this sloppy job near my romantic partner's house.

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.2195288,-96.8980735,3a,15y,168.25h,114.45t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sVtI6RyQv2ASDVYNcSpk9tg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

[74/171FAN]

Philadelphia does this for PA 611 at some intersections:

Correctly:(at the US 13 intersection)
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0184516,-75.1491992,3a,75y,294.31h,97.61t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sVYaxcrfq-_ZxUJhNg08iLg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

And still thinking of it as US 611(more often than not):
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9596228,-75.1619556,3a,75y,23.72h,94.58t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s_PRrnNwANQIWm2PS3UfWuA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

And one for US 13 at PA 73:
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0367376,-75.0407781,3a,37.5y,194.54h,87.21t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sOSJajFQB7Fdd93EWetZvjQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

[jeffandnicole]

NJ has the shield on the blade along with street name.. Or just the shield if no street name. I wish Florida did that

This only applies to blades at traffic lights and the name of the street isn't consistently signed. For example, Speedwell Ave in Morristown is signed exclusively as a US 202 shield at traffic lights.

While there's always going to be a few variances such as shield only or name only, the vast majority of NJ traffic light blades include both name and number.  The difference becomes if the lettering for the street name uses lower case lettering (NJDOT and some counties) or all uppercase lettering (some counties).  At least in Gloucester County, it makes it real easy who has jurisdiction because of the lettering used on the sign.

[Mapmikey]

Over the past 6 years, Prince William County, VA has replaced most (all?) of their street blades with blades that include the route number.  More recent blades also include the year of sign installation.  To my knowledge, they are the only county in Virginia that does this.

Powhatan County has started doing this...here is one where they identify VA 13 as US 13 - https://goo.gl/maps/xD4fdS6Bphq
Chesterfield County is also identifying SR numbers on their street blades as well...

This practice is widespread in North Carolina...

Mike

[noelbotevera]

Philadelphia does this for PA 611 at some intersections:

Correctly:(at the US 13 intersection)
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0184516,-75.1491992,3a,75y,294.31h,97.61t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sVYaxcrfq-_ZxUJhNg08iLg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

And still thinking of it as US 611(more often than not):
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9596228,-75.1619556,3a,75y,23.72h,94.58t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s_PRrnNwANQIWm2PS3UfWuA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

And one for US 13 at PA 73:
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0367376,-75.0407781,3a,37.5y,194.54h,87.21t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sOSJajFQB7Fdd93EWetZvjQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

Beat me to the punch, but Philadelphia has wayyyy more than the PA 611 examples.

-PA 73, along the time it is on Cottman Avenue
-PA 3, I think along JFK Blvd., mostly near the 30th Street Station
-US 13 and US 30, and along the multiplex on Girard Avenue
-I-676 surface street section of 6th Street...might be wrong here

[Ian]

-I-676 surface street section of 6th Street...might be wrong here

If I remember correctly, all the street blades along that stretch just say Vine Street. The city does have interstate trailblazers on street blades though...

https://goo.gl/maps/W8DDVZZGGWR2

[kj3400]

I think I like the way my state does it:
https://goo.gl/maps/9rCGp6hMohy

And without the street name:
https://goo.gl/maps/BDGmiRF5yBu

Anne Arundel County does actual street blades like this, usually:
https://goo.gl/maps/cpndejgGjLM2

[slorydn1]

My area of NC's method. This particular one probably now belongs in erroneous signs (well,sort of, I'll explain later) because this particular stretch of highway is no longer US-17 but US-17 Business now that the bypass is open.


Now for the explanation: The reason why I say "sort of" is because when the bypass was opened as a freeway it was decided by the county GIS department that it just wouldn't be worth the hassle to rename the street US-17 Business and all the work that entails for both the county and the residents/business owners of each address along it since the freeway would not, obviously, have any addresses along it. They learned from the chaos/hate/discontent that was created when the section of road that is in the city limits of New Bern was renamed Martin Luther King Jr Blvd from Clarendon Blvd back in the 90's.


So, even though the highway has been re-designated as US-17 Business, an address along it is xxxx US-17 Hwy South for E-911 purposes (etc).

[Scott5114]

I noticed them in parts of north Texas, including this sloppy job near my romantic partner's house.

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.2195288,-96.8980735,3a,15y,168.25h,114.45t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sVtI6RyQv2ASDVYNcSpk9tg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

Dallas does it quite consistently on their newer signs.
https://www.google.com/maps/@32.8671331,-96.9078734,3a,53.3y,211.18h,102.99t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s3xahRHx-ofqMyLONvZ7GvA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

[jakeroot]

Street blades maintained by WSDOT, AFAIK, always use the route shield. Street blades maintained by local municipalities usually have shields as well, but it's less consistent.

Sometimes, at T-junctions, instead of a street blade, there is a uni-sign with respective route shields.

[chays]

NJ has the shield on the blade along with street name.. Or just the shield if no street name. I wish Florida did that

US 1 through downtown Titusville area has lots of these.  I was able to snap this one...apologies for it not being zoomed in more.

[national highway 1]

[cl94]

NYSDOT does it on occasion. Seems to be most prevalent in Region 3, which has them all over the place in recent installs, but there are a couple on US 20 in the Albany area as well. I think it looks quite sharp and that it should be done everywhere, as online mapping services often use the number first.

Herkimer County, NY and Summit County, OH put pentagons on their blades, but rarely (if ever) post shields by themselves.

[Quillz]

I was vacationing in Washington recently, I drove through the Spokane area and liked how US-2 had shields on the street blades. Looked quite nice, too. Don't have a pic handy, unfortunately.

[jakeroot]

I was vacationing in Washington recently, I drove through the Spokane area and liked how US-2 had shields on the street blades. Looked quite nice, too. Don't have a pic handy, unfortunately.

Washington State is very consistent with their use of route numbers on street blades. That said, I'm pretty sure that Hwy 2 through Spokane is maintained by the city, so I'm happy to see Spokane following WSDOT's lead.