Clearview sign in California?

Started by Bigmikelakers, February 21, 2011, 02:24:30 AM

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Bigmikelakers

Hey guys, while looking through some old highway pics of mine, I found a clearview sign on I-10 Eastbound in Blythe right before the Arizona stateline. Since I know California doesn't use that type of sign, do you guys know if AZDOT went into California and placed it there or did Caltrans?


Interstate 10 Eastbound and US 95 Southbound in Blythe by bigmikelakers, on Flickr


roadfro

Given the fact that there's a federal MUTCD standard exit tab on that sign, I would guess that Arizona DOT (or a contractor under their authority) put that sign there.
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.

agentsteel53

correct.  that is an Arizona-manufactured sign.  on I-10 west in Arizona, one can find the first several signs announcing the CA inspection station and the first Blythe exit, and while some are AZ made, there are a couple older button-copy California signs there as well.
live from sunny San Diego.

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Quillz

I've seen a few Clearview signs in Orange County, so they do exist.

vdeane

Yea, there's no way that's a Caltrans sign, given that it has a proper exit tab.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

J N Winkler

#5
Quote from: roadfro on February 21, 2011, 03:46:30 AMGiven the fact that there's a federal MUTCD standard exit tab on that sign, I would guess that Arizona DOT (or a contractor under their authority) put that sign there.

Yes, it's an Arizona DOT sign.  I have seen the construction plan sheets for it (Arizona DOT TRACS H646001C, with sign panel detail on sheet 184 of 224).  The exit tab is not quite vanilla MUTCD since it is 36" instead of 30" high, which is another giveaway that this is an Arizona sign.

Arizona DOT tends to tag signs by direction of travel and milepost in construction plans and the tag for this one is given as "E156.16 (CA)."  I think the implied zero point is actually the point where I-10 enters Riverside County rather than the end of route in Santa Monica.
"It is necessary to spend a hundred lire now to save a thousand lire later."--Piero Puricelli, explaining the need for a first-class road system to Benito Mussolini

Bigmikelakers

Quote from: Quillz on February 21, 2011, 05:12:56 AM
I've seen a few Clearview signs in Orange County, so they do exist.

You know what, I thought I was just seeing things but, I do remember seeing a clearview sign in OC. Do you remember which freeway you saw the sign?

Quillz

I think it was right along I-5 somewhere.

I'd imagine that as old signs are gradually replaced, we might start seeing more and more new Clearview signs.

myosh_tino

Quote from: Quillz on February 21, 2011, 04:48:48 PM
I think it was right along I-5 somewhere.

I'd imagine that as old signs are gradually replaced, we might start seeing more and more new Clearview signs.
I hope not... god I hope not!

Up here in northern California, all new guide signs being installed stick to using the FHWA font.  Seeing how Caltrans likes to drag its feet on anything "new" (i.e. exit numbering) I don't see Clearview adoption coming anytime soon.  It wouldn't surprise me though if some cities adopt Clearview for street signing purposes.
Quote from: golden eagle
If I owned a dam and decided to donate it to charity, would I be giving a dam? I'm sure that might be a first because no one really gives a dam.

agentsteel53

Quote from: Bigmikelakers on February 21, 2011, 01:47:35 PM


You know what, I thought I was just seeing things but, I do remember seeing a clearview sign in OC. Do you remember which freeway you saw the sign?

there are three Clearview signs I know of in Orange County.  two are white signs in San Clemente referring to a 3 ton weight limit on a particular road that is the upcoming exit on I-5.  Each direction features one sign.

the last one is not a full sign - just a patch of Santa Ana over San Diego as a control city on 57 southbound at 5.  I'm not sure what's worse: the use of the wrong font, or the hawking of a useless suburban destination over where people are likely actually intending to go.
live from sunny San Diego.

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jake@aaroads.com

Bigmikelakers

Quote from: agentsteel53 on February 21, 2011, 05:28:19 PM
the last one is not a full sign - just a patch of Santa Ana over San Diego as a control city on 57 southbound at 5.  I'm not sure what's worse: the use of the wrong font, or the hawking of a useless suburban destination over where people are likely actually intending to go.

Yeah! Thats the one I saw. Looks so out of place. And tacky to just stick it over San Diego like that.

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&gl=us&ie=UTF8&ll=33.784181,-117.880071&spn=0,0.007703&t=h&z=18&layer=c&cbll=33.784535,-117.880076&panoid=balBP6vF16JpujnHr8lwdQ&cbp=12,175.45,,0,-0.11

Scott5114

That's not Clearview on the Santa Ana sign. It's a non-road typeface. I think it's called Frutiger.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

Dr Frankenstein

Switzerland uses Frutiger on new signs.

TheStranger

Quote from: agentsteel53 on February 21, 2011, 05:28:19 PM

the last one is not a full sign - just a patch of Santa Ana over San Diego as a control city on 57 southbound at 5.  I'm not sure what's worse: the use of the wrong font, or the hawking of a useless suburban destination over where people are likely actually intending to go.

Out of curiosity, do you think that San Diego should be the southbound control city for all of the Santa Ana Freeway (including the 101 segment)?  It certainly is the most direct route from downtown LA to there...

Quote from: myosh_tinoUp here in northern California, all new guide signs being installed stick to using the FHWA font.  Seeing how Caltrans likes to drag its feet on anything "new" (i.e. exit numbering) I don't see Clearview adoption coming anytime soon.  It wouldn't surprise me though if some cities adopt Clearview for street signing purposes.

I HAVE seen a few overhead street blades in Arden-Arcade with what appears to be either Clearview or some other font, definitely not the FHWA look...

All new CalTrans installs from the last 2-3 years have been using the traditional font though.
Chris Sampang

agentsteel53

Quote from: TheStranger on February 23, 2011, 10:04:15 AM


Out of curiosity, do you think that San Diego should be the southbound control city for all of the Santa Ana Freeway (including the 101 segment)?  It certainly is the most direct route from downtown LA to there...


of course.  nobody goes to Santa Ana.  there is no reason to sign Santa Ana as opposed to Anaheim or Irvine.  San Diego on the other hand has a reason to be signed, as it is not a suburb of LA.
live from sunny San Diego.

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jake@aaroads.com

TheStranger

Quote from: agentsteel53 on February 23, 2011, 11:16:52 AM
Quote from: TheStranger on February 23, 2011, 10:04:15 AM


Out of curiosity, do you think that San Diego should be the southbound control city for all of the Santa Ana Freeway (including the 101 segment)?  It certainly is the most direct route from downtown LA to there...


of course.  nobody goes to Santa Ana.  there is no reason to sign Santa Ana as opposed to Anaheim or Irvine.  San Diego on the other hand has a reason to be signed, as it is not a suburb of LA.

Interestingly, while the freeway was named for Santa Ana (the Orange County seat then and now, and I think the county's largest city to this day)...its construction helped propel Anaheim into prominence!  More than any mention of SD, I am still surprised that Anaheim barely gets noted on I-5 south at all, even though it is the primary destination for most tourists (Disneyland).
Chris Sampang

Bigmikelakers

I think the whole Santa Ana control city thing dates back to the US 101 days when Santa Ana was pretty much the only major populated area in Orange County pre 1950s.

agentsteel53

and yes, the 101 was the Santa Ana Freeway so I suppose it made sense as a control city, because San Diego Freeway was taken by the 7 (later renumbered to the 405).  Back then, control cities always tended to line up with the freeway name if possible, so that's why Santa Ana got slapped on there southbound.  Can't say it was a good decision then, but if it was the only place with any population in 1949 and San Diego was unavailable, it makes a tiny bit of sense. 

Now there's signs that are specifically changed from San Diego or Los Angeles to Santa Ana, which I find vile and disgusting.  Nobody cares about Santa Ana anymore!

like I mentioned in another thread, the only thing between San Diego and Los Angeles that is a) important enough and b) looked for often enough by non-locals to be worth listing as a control is ... Disneyland.
live from sunny San Diego.

http://shields.aaroads.com

jake@aaroads.com

cjk374

^^^I guess this means Caltrans isn't a Mickey Mouse operation?   :spin:
Runnin' roads and polishin' rails.

Michael

Quote from: Bigmikelakers on February 21, 2011, 08:36:18 PM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on February 21, 2011, 05:28:19 PM
the last one is not a full sign - just a patch of Santa Ana over San Diego as a control city on 57 southbound at 5.  I'm not sure what's worse: the use of the wrong font, or the hawking of a useless suburban destination over where people are likely actually intending to go.

Yeah! Thats the one I saw. Looks so out of place. And tacky to just stick it over San Diego like that.

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&gl=us&ie=UTF8&ll=33.784181,-117.880071&spn=0,0.007703&t=h&z=18&layer=c&cbll=33.784535,-117.880076&panoid=balBP6vF16JpujnHr8lwdQ&cbp=12,175.45,,0,-0.11

Going forward in Street View (link) shows the sign closer, but the image is deformed.  I could tell that the lowercase "a" in "Ana" didn't have a tail on the bottom right, but the Clearview version does.



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