White State Highway Spades

[Max Rockatansky]

On a weekend trip to Universal Studios, I went out of my way to get a couple decent photos of the white CA 134 spade on southbound CA 170 approaching the Hollywood Freeway/Ventura Freeway interchange.  Aside from NPS sourced shields, is this the last white California spade left in field? 

IMG_0434 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

IMG_0436 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

[Quillz]

There is a CA-163 white spade.



I don't know if that "counts" or not. There are also a few signs along PCH that refer to it as a safety corridor, and use white spades.

[Quillz]

There is (or was) also one for CA-154 in Santa Barbara for a long time. I know a pic of it got posted here once, but I can't find it offhand.

There was also one for CA-118. (Referencing when CA-118 extended farther east towards Pasadena).



However, I can't verify if this is still standing or not. (And not too far from where this pic was taken, you can find some all-black Interstate shields on 405 BGS).

[Max Rockatansky]

Someone else mentioned that CA 118 shield on a Facebook group, how long ago did you take your photo?

[Quillz]

Someone else mentioned that CA 118 shield on a Facebook group, how long ago did you take your photo?

Not my photo, but it's dated from 2007.

I'm gonna search and see if I can find that CA-154 spade again, I know it got posted a couple years back because I specifically made a thread asking about what white miner spades still remained.

[Quillz]

Found it!

[Mapmikey]

There is (or was) also one for CA-154 in Santa Barbara for a long time. I know a pic of it got posted here once, but I can't find it offhand.

There was also one for CA-118. (Referencing when CA-118 extended farther east towards Pasadena).



However, I can't verify if this is still standing or not. (And not too far from where this pic was taken, you can find some all-black Interstate shields on 405 BGS).

The CA 118 shield was removed between Jan 2009 and Oct 2011 - https://goo.gl/maps/C56iD558HuQyQLPd9

The CA 154 shield was removed before the 1st GMSV in Nov 2007 - https://goo.gl/maps/PSf8NaEKyvvX59RM8

[cahwyguy]

Found it!

It should be noted that photo was taken during a roadgeeking meet ages and ages ago. You can see me in the picture, and I think my daughter came with (she was under 10 at the time; she's now working on her dissertation and PhD).

[theroadwayone]

There is a CA-163 white spade.



I don't know if that "counts" or not. There are also a few signs along PCH that refer to it as a safety corridor, and use white spades.

It should be a Historic U.S.-395 shield. CA-163 didn't exist (or rather wasn't designated as such) during the white spade era.

[Quillz]

There is a CA-163 white spade.



I don't know if that "counts" or not. There are also a few signs along PCH that refer to it as a safety corridor, and use white spades.

It should be a Historic U.S.-395 shield. CA-163 didn't exist (or rather wasn't designated as such) during the white spade era.

They actually screwed up and had it US-163 prior.



They replaced a mistake with another mistake.

[bing101]

I seen Oahu area freeways use White State Highway Spades before. At first glance they look like the old California route shields though until I saw closely that it's more pointed than a California spade.

[Quillz]

Yes, similar shape but not quite the same. The older template had the state name on them, too.



I think of them more as "raindrop shields" and less "miner spades."

[Max Rockatansky]

The Division of Highways sent an engineer to assist the military during World War II with road development on the Hawaiian islands.  I suspect that played as an influence for the shape of the Hawaii Route shield.  The Hawaii Route Spade originally appeared on secondary roads in the World War II era highway network on Oahu. 

[theroadwayone]

There is a CA-163 white spade.



I don't know if that "counts" or not. There are also a few signs along PCH that refer to it as a safety corridor, and use white spades.

It should be a Historic U.S.-395 shield. CA-163 didn't exist (or rather wasn't designated as such) during the white spade era.

They actually screwed up and had it US-163 prior.



They replaced a mistake with another mistake.

A mistake, may I add, that won't get fixed for quite a while. Maybe not in our lifetimes.

[Quillz]

I'm fine with that. I kind of like white spades.

[ClassicHasClass]

Yes, similar shape but not quite the same. The older template had the state name on them, too.

Yes, I think they're supposed to be raindrops, not spades.

[Quillz]

Yes, similar shape but not quite the same. The older template had the state name on them, too.

Yes, I think they're supposed to be raindrops, not spades.

That's the impression I got. I noticed there is no wide variant, though. You'll just see thinner numbers for three-digit highways. Not a bad shield design but could be improved a bit. Perhaps an arched "HAWAII" (similar to what California does) could help fill it out a bit more. (Right now the numbers aren't centered so the shield just looks really empty and unbalanced).

[StogieGuy7]

Personally, I always preferred the white CA shields (which were already being replaced by green ones when I was born). And the ones with the bear were really cool. Not crazy about the plain green - especially as it ends up being just an outline (or looking like one) on BGS'.

[Max Rockatansky]

The Bear Shield with the black border IMO was the most aesthetically pleasing spade design.  I do prefer the current green spade to the white 1956-63 iteration.

[Quillz]

The Bear Shield with the black border IMO was the most aesthetically pleasing spade design.  I do prefer the current green spade to the white 1956-63 iteration.

Agreed. I loved the bear symbol. It's used on other signs and created some consistency and branding. It could have been modernized fairly easily.

[Henry]

I seen Oahu area freeways use White State Highway Spades before. At first glance they look like the old California route shields though until I saw closely that it's more pointed than a California spade.

Yes, similar shape but not quite the same. The older template had the state name on them, too.



I think of them more as "raindrop shields" and less "miner spades."

I see some similarities with the OR shields too. They look somewhat like the miner's spades, but turned upside down.

Yeah, I do wish the bear logo would carry over to the current shields, come to think of it. While the current (green) shields are pretty good, it was the bear that made them timeless.

[bing101]

Here is a 3 digit Hawaii State Route.





Here is a more interesting one there's a Hawaii State Route that has a state route on 4 digits.http://www.hawaiihighways.com/moanalua-freeway-exit3.jpg


This is Hawaii State Route 7310. 4 digits state routes does not exist in California.

[bing101]

CA-17 at the time Nimitz freeway opened in the 1950's.

Here is the CA-17 since the 1964 renumbering.

[ClassicHasClass]

I see some similarities with the OR shields too. They look somewhat like the miner's spades, but turned upside down.

Best called convergent evolution, as I think it was a simplification of the state seal (the older shields were cutouts with eagles; many examples in the AARoads gallery).

[pderocco]

I seen Oahu area freeways use White State Highway Spades before. At first glance they look like the old California route shields though until I saw closely that it's more pointed than a California spade.

Steel guitar pick?