Erroneous road signs

[agentsteel53]

At first, I thought the mixed message was that anything with a Headquarters could not be Pleasant.

it's a big building where generals meet - but that's not important!

[1995hoo]

The fact that hardly any of the general public notices that the side the tab's on is the side the exit's on makes me wonder why states still do it, and why we make a big deal out of it when a tab's on the wrong side. Especially now that "LEFT EXIT" tabs are mandated for left exits.

Indeed, and I just mentioned this yesterday in the Northern Virginia HO/T lanes thread (link is to the entire thread, not a specific post). The picture below appeared yesterday on the Dr. Gridlock blog at the Washington Post website and it's a picture of the Inner Loop of I-495 (the Capital Beltway) showing the new "Express Lanes" (high-occupancy/toll) that open this Saturday on the left side and the existing general-purpose lanes to the right. What I found interesting about the picture is that the Express Lane exit for VA-267 (the Dulles Toll Road) and the Dulles Access Road doesn't have an exit tab, but the one for Jones Branch Drive does. As I thought about it, I thought it made perfect sense in this particular context: The MUTCD-mandated "E-ZPASS EXPRESS EXIT" banner serves as the functional equivalent of an exit tab for a right-side exit, and for the left-side exits they simply add the auxiliary "LEFT EXIT" tab to remind people it's on the left. (I should point out that the Express Lane exits do not have exit numbers. The general-purpose exits do.)

I assume the graininess indicates that the reporter used his mobile phone to take the picture.

[agentsteel53]

I assume the graininess indicates that the reporter used his mobile phone to take the picture.

I disagree.  the extreme compression of perspective implies a very high zoom.  I think they used an ordinary telephoto lens (maybe 200 or 400mm) and cropped it down to 800 or even more equivalent zoom.

[kj3400]

Two of those signs for Rt 267 on I-495 have a white 'TOLL' banner.

[1995hoo]

Two of those signs for Rt 267 on I-495 have a white 'TOLL' banner.

Yeah, I think those were just copied from the old signs, which had been there for at least 15 years (probably more) and had white "TOLL" banners. No idea why some of them use yellow and some white. In general they've done a pretty good job with the signs on the Beltway during the reconstruction.

Here's a picture from AA Roads showing what the old signs looked like. I always found the absence of any destinations to be odd. This sign was located roughly where the very long gantry in the foreground of the new picture posted above is located (the one that spans both carriageways and carries four signs).

[Henry]

Downtown Corydon, Indiana site of the latest sign goof. INDOT just put up big ole signs spelled Capital Blvd. Well it's spelled Capitol Blvd. INDOT might have been confused by Old Capital Bank at the corner (Capital as in money..). For those that don't know Corydon is the first state Capitol of Indiana.

Methinks it's a very common mistake. When you think of it, Capital refers to a city where the state/national governments meet, and Capitol refers to the building where said meetings take place. The three Capitol Streets in Washington (North, South, East) are somewhat of an exception, as they lead away from the U.S. Capitol. Why there's no West Capitol Street, I'd say that the Smithsonian museums and the city parkland might have something to do with it.

[Michael]

While I was positioning a Street View link for a Sine Salad I found at the east end of the Clark Bridge between Illinois and Missouri, I noticed that there were chevrons used to denote the end of the road, which isn't allowed by the MUTCD:

Chevron Alignment signs shall not be placed on the far side of a T-intersection facing traffic on the stem approach to warn drivers that a through movement is not physically possible, as this is the function of a Two-Direction (or One-Direction) Large Arrow sign.

[yakra]

Why not have both?

[Billy F 1988]

I'm not familiar with MUTCD but judging by what I saw in that link, the double-headed horizontal arrow tabs are fine to stay. The chevrons aren't supposed to be there, unless there came an exempt for the chevrons to be installed next to the double-headed horizontal arrow tab, which I doubt.

[Central Avenue]

I'm willing to bet the two chevron examples predate this specific MUTCD prohibition.

At the very least, the text Michael quoted doesn't seem to be in the 2003 edition.

[yakra]

The Maine example is "As Long As I Can Remember", which may be mid-late 80s.
Or so.
Or not.

[Billy F 1988]

I'm willing to bet the two chevron examples predate this specific MUTCD prohibition.

At the very least, the text Michael quoted doesn't seem to be in the 2003 edition.

Was that added in the '09 MUTCD update?

[Central Avenue]

I'm willing to bet the two chevron examples predate this specific MUTCD prohibition.

At the very least, the text Michael quoted doesn't seem to be in the 2003 edition.

Was that added in the '09 MUTCD update?

As far as I can tell, yes.

Of course, that doesn't mean the previous MUTCD condoned the misuse of chevrons in any way, just that they hadn't outright said NO yet.

[vtk]

In Coldwater, MI yesterday I spotted a W2-4 sign (T intersection ahead diamond) on the far side of an intersection where a street ended.  No double-headed arrow, no chevrons, no red or yellow diamond reflector arrays.

Maybe we need a thread for "signage fail" – as in, "No, [local street agency], this is not adequate."  Or would that already be covered by this thread?

[Central Avenue]

Makes me think of Taylor Road Extension at Taylor Road in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. It's a normal T-intersection, but Taylor Road to the right is a dead end, and this is how they chose to signify that:

[PHLBOS]

Not sure if this one was ever picked up earlier in this thread (if it was, pardon any redundance); but along I-95/MA 128 southbound in Wakefield, there's a distance BGS for I-93, I-90/Mass Pike & Providence (around mile marker 60.5 or 60.6) .  It lists the distance to I-93 as 3-1/2 miles when in reality (this will become more apparent when MA switches over to mile-marker-based exit numbering in the foreseable future) it's about 5 miles (I-93 overpass is at mile marker 55.6).

[hbelkins]

Should be US 25W.



Spot the spelling error.



This one's subtle.



In Harrisonburg, Va.



One of these routes does not appear on the US Ends site.

[yakra]

The 62/55 one is sailing over my head.
Should "Bluegrass" be spelled out?

[Alps]

The 62/55 one is sailing over my head.
Should "Bluegrass" be spelled out?

Colors are reversed.

[Kniwt]

Installed recently on San Antonio Road in Palo Alto, Calif.:

[NE2]

The 62/55 one is sailing over my head.
Should "Bluegrass" be spelled out?

Colors are reversed.

No parking on the parkway hurr hurr hurr

[hbelkins]

The 62/55 one is sailing over my head.
Should "Bluegrass" be spelled out?

Colors are reversed.

There were a lot more reversed BG signs than WK signs, although I saw a few of them too over the years.

[Alps]

Installed recently on San Antonio Road in Palo Alto, Calif.:

Don't tell anyone about it. I'll be there next year. Meet me there with bolt cutters.

[kphoger]

If they had used a white-on blue arrow, would it be better or worse?

[Roadsguy]