States' contributions

[Scott5114]

Someone mentioned in another thread that Iowa invented the No Passing Zone pennant. I know Kansas was the first to develop the small-caps style of cardinal direction signage, and California gave us tions of freeway signage innovations, including the basis of the modern FHWA Series fonts.

What other states have invented innovations that eventually made it into the national MUTCD?

[NE2]

Jersey barriers? I think New Jersey gave us mile-based exit numbers (Garden State Parkway).

[froggie]

What other states have invented innovations that eventually made it into the national MUTCD?

How about the MUTCD itself?  Minnesota was arguably the first state to have one.

[NE2]

Wisconsin: route markers

[agentsteel53]

Wisconsin: route markers

route numbers in general, as far as I know.

California invented about half of the MUTCD for freeways as we know it.  The other half, California hung on to their own style anyway as long as they could.

the Yield sign was first installed in 1950 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

I believe the route marker on a black square was first invented in Maryland, as long ago as 1949.  At the time, it had the full state name and US designation, but just happened to be not cut out, with a black background for contrast.  This became a federal standard in 1961.

the first use of wider route markers for three-digit numbers was either New York or Massachusetts.  Both definitely had them by the early 1930s.

[Dr Frankenstein]

Michigan: Center line (1911), Stop sign (Detroit, 1915), 3-colour traffic signals (Detroit, 1920).

New Jersey: "ALL TURNS", "U TURN", "U AND LEFT TURNS" jughandle signs.

At least 16 states and Canada: Deer, Bear, Sheep, Caribou, Wild Horse, etc. symbolic warning signs

Canada (other states might have used those too before they were added to the MUTCD...): School Bus Stop sign (with Virginia), Ferry symbol, Push button symbol for traffic light, Time-restricted and Pay Parking (Green circle P), Photo Enforced symbol, No Straight Through.

Ontario: Overhead arrow-per-lane signs for exits?

Europe: Centre island directional chevrons for roundabouts.

[NE2]

Wisconsin: route markers

route numbers in general, as far as I know.

*signed* route numbers. Other states had unsigned networks previously; for example, California began numbering routes in 1917. Outside the US, France's numbering system dates to Napoleon (I don't know when they were signed).

[KillerTux]

Maryland 1941, Safe Speed Sign

[agentsteel53]

Michigan: Center line (1911)

California claims that it was Dr. June McCarroll in 1917.  there's even a section of I-10 named after her, as the route that she originally hand-painted (!) a stripe down the middle of later, after many upgrades, become I-10.

(that's gotta be a first - naming a highway after someone useful, as opposed to a senator or whatnot.)

[agentsteel53]

Maryland 1941, Safe Speed Sign

[neato picture snipped]

Maryland sure liked their black signs.  I think that's what gave them the idea for the black square route marker.  Patrick, can you confirm that 1949 date?

[Dr Frankenstein]

Michigan: Center line (1911)

California claims that it was Dr. June McCarroll in 1917.  there's even a section of I-10 named after her, as the route that she originally hand-painted (!) a stripe down the middle of later, after many upgrades, become I-10.

(that's gotta be a first - naming a highway after someone useful, as opposed to a senator or whatnot.)

I found that on the FHWA's website with no further precisions. http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/kno-history.htm

[Brandon]

Michigan: Center line (1911)

California claims that it was Dr. June McCarroll in 1917.  there's even a section of I-10 named after her, as the route that she originally hand-painted (!) a stripe down the middle of later, after many upgrades, become I-10.

(that's gotta be a first - naming a highway after someone useful, as opposed to a senator or whatnot.)

California likes to claim a lot of things developed elsewhere.

[cu2010]

Pennsylvania gave us Clearview...

(oh, are we only talking about GOOD contributions?)

[Alps]

WV gave us the school bus sign (with modifications). PA gave us "EXCEPT RIGHT TURNS" to go below stop signs. The NYC area gave us purple for toll road signs by virtue of E-ZPass. I'd say California gave us wide shield variants, but I'm not as familiar with that history. Alabama gave us the state route template.

[Quillz]

Pennsylvania gave us Clearview...

(oh, are we only talking about GOOD contributions?)

From what I've read, it was actually developed jointly by both Texas and Pennsylvania. Although Pennsylvania might have been the first state to use it on actual guide signs.

[KillerTux]

Maryland 1941, Safe Speed Sign

[neato picture snipped]

Maryland sure liked their black signs.  I think that's what gave them the idea for the black square route marker.  Patrick, can you confirm that 1949 date?

Yep. 1946 they moved from embossed 16 inch to large cutouts then sometime in 1949 it was moved to black 24x24 squares.

[roadfro]

At least 16 states and Canada: Deer, Bear, Sheep, Caribou, Wild Horse, etc. symbolic warning signs

Nevada would be one of those states. Nearly every animal warning sign in the 2006 Nevada Sign Supplement made it into the 2009 MUTCD with little modification.

Also, the 2009 MUTCD adopted the standard layout used and wording previously used by NDOT for the daytime headlight section series and the slow vehicle turnout series of signs. Many states in the west were using similar signs with slight variation (i.e. Caltrans was using "daylight headlight section" instead of "daytime headlight section").

[J N Winkler]

I'd say most of those animal warning signs also appeared in the previous (print only) edition of the Nevada signs supplement, which came out in (IIRC) 1998.  But it would be tough to tell which signs originated where because Arizona, for example, was also using an elk warning sign at the time.  I am pretty sure that the mustang and wild ox warning signs are Nevada originals.  I think MUTCD 2009 now has a bear warning sign which is a California original.

Applying "MUTCD archaeology" to the guide signs, I would guess that Missouri invented the community interchanges sign.  California definitely invented the interchange sequence sign.

[PAHighways]

Pennsylvania gave us Clearview...

(oh, are we only talking about GOOD contributions?)

It was developed jointly by the Texas Transportation Institute and Pennsylvania Transportation Institute.

If you want a good contribution, how about the SNAP (Sonic Nap Alert Pattern) rumble strip on the sides of roads.  While other states had used of rumble strips to help eliminate D-O-R (Drive Off Road) accidents, the SNAP design was devised by a PTC engineer in the mid-80s and first tested on the abandoned Turnpike then installed in a trial between mileposts 82 and 88 in the late 80s.

[SSOWorld]

I'd be willing to bet that Wisconsin gave us the all shields on a single black background sign.

[thenetwork]

Wasn't Iowa the first state to use individual big blue Gas, Food, Lodging signs w/ business logos?   I remember seeing those on a cross country trip in the heartland state in 1983, but it took several more years before I saw them anywhere else.   I still remember Ohio doing a "test" of these signs in the late 80s on I-75 between Findlay & Lima, as if they thought it may not be such a great innovation.

[Ian]

I'd be willing to bet that Wisconsin gave us the all shields on a single black background sign.

Just like Rhode Island gave us non-cutout interstate shields!

[deathtopumpkins]

I'd be willing to bet that Wisconsin gave us the all shields on a single black background sign.

Depends on how long Virginia's been doing that.

[Quillz]

Which state gave us Interstate bubble shields?

[mjb2002]

Pennsylvania gave us Clearview...

(oh, are we only talking about GOOD contributions?)

Clearview is a good contribution. Only in mixed case, though.