AARoads Forum

Regional Boards => Northwest => Topic started by: OrionV on April 08, 2018, 01:40:02 PM

Title: Another New Freeway Entrance Sign in Portland, OR
Post by: OrionV on April 08, 2018, 01:40:02 PM
This is what finally motivated me to create an account here after lurking for several months.

While exploring around with Google Street View, I discovered another California-style "Freeway Entrance sign" has appeared in Portland, OR, specifically at the onramp to I-5 northbound from Jantzen Beach (the last onramp before crossing into Washington.) It is also accompanied by a "Peds/Bicycles Prohibited" sign like those used standard across the river by WSDOT, giving the impression that WSDOT snuck across the river to post it (although the Freeway Entrance sign looks like a California-spec one). https://goo.gl/maps/FhHm97pbEtm
Title: Re: Another New Freeway Entrance Sign in Portland, OR
Post by: TheArkansasRoadgeek on April 08, 2018, 02:58:56 PM
Quote from: OrionV on April 08, 2018, 01:40:02 PM
This is what finally motivated me to create an account here after lurking for several months.

While exploring around with Google Street View, I discovered another California-style "Freeway Entrance sign" has appeared in Portland, OR, specifically at the onramp to I-5 northbound from Jantzen Beach (the last onramp before crossing into Washington.) It is also accompanied by a "Peds/Bicycles Prohibited" sign like those used standard across the river by WSDOT, giving the impression that WSDOT snuck across the river to post it (although the Freeway Entrance sign looks like a California-spec one). https://goo.gl/maps/FhHm97pbEtm
What an interesting relationship those three states have with each other...


iPhone
Title: Re: Another New Freeway Entrance Sign in Portland, OR
Post by: sparker on April 09, 2018, 04:03:54 AM
Quote from: TheArkansasRoadgeek on April 08, 2018, 02:58:56 PM
Quote from: OrionV on April 08, 2018, 01:40:02 PM
This is what finally motivated me to create an account here after lurking for several months.

While exploring around with Google Street View, I discovered another California-style "Freeway Entrance sign" has appeared in Portland, OR, specifically at the onramp to I-5 northbound from Jantzen Beach (the last onramp before crossing into Washington.) It is also accompanied by a "Peds/Bicycles Prohibited" sign like those used standard across the river by WSDOT, giving the impression that WSDOT snuck across the river to post it (although the Freeway Entrance sign looks like a California-spec one). https://goo.gl/maps/FhHm97pbEtm
What an interesting relationship those three states have with each other...


iPhone

The cross-pollination of signage wouldn't be at all surprising; because of the sales-tax differential (WA has it, OR does not) there's a lot of WA residents, particularly from the Vancouver-Camas area, that haul themselves across the river to purchase big-ticket items (appliances, clothing, etc.) in order to save the 7-8% applied in home territory.  Much of that ends up in the Jantzen Beach mall simply because it doesn't requiring schlepping into central PDX.  Supplying WA-standard signage to ODOT for an exit dominated by WA drivers is probably just a cooperative "tip of the hat" from one state agency to the other, saving ODOT the signage cost (although they probably install the signs themselves).  There's some synergy going on here -- OR gets the additional business (and collects taxes on the "back end" from the retailers), while southern WA gets the larger share of regional housing development because of the PDX Metro growth limits (which decidedly do not extend over the river).   
Title: Re: Another New Freeway Entrance Sign in Portland, OR
Post by: JasonOfORoads on April 16, 2018, 02:58:59 PM
Quote from: OrionV on April 08, 2018, 01:40:02 PM
This is what finally motivated me to create an account here after lurking for several months.

While exploring around with Google Street View, I discovered another California-style "Freeway Entrance sign" has appeared in Portland, OR, specifically at the onramp to I-5 northbound from Jantzen Beach (the last onramp before crossing into Washington.) It is also accompanied by a "Peds/Bicycles Prohibited" sign like those used standard across the river by WSDOT, giving the impression that WSDOT snuck across the river to post it (although the Freeway Entrance sign looks like a California-spec one). https://goo.gl/maps/FhHm97pbEtm

Most of the Freeway Entrance signs I've seen in the Portland area have actually been put up by PBOT.
Title: Re: Another New Freeway Entrance Sign in Portland, OR
Post by: sp_redelectric on April 17, 2018, 01:47:52 AM
Quote from: JasonOfORoads on April 16, 2018, 02:58:59 PMMost of the Freeway Entrance signs I've seen in the Portland area have actually been put up by PBOT.

I'd concur, and they aren't a MUTCD style sign (at least they don't look like WSDOT or CalTrans spec) but a custom sign.  The character spacing looks odd, the spacing between the words looks huge...it's just...weird.

The signs ODOT are posting along I-5, in and south of Salem, appear to be more of a CalTrans spec sign.
Title: Re: Another New Freeway Entrance Sign in Portland, OR
Post by: jakeroot on April 17, 2018, 03:10:11 AM
Quote from: sp_redelectric on April 17, 2018, 01:47:52 AM
The signs ODOT are posting along I-5, in and south of Salem, appear to be more of a CalTrans spec sign.

The California-spec part is more of the use of shields with down-pointing arrows, which has actually become more common in WA (although not widespread):

The not-so-California part is the use of regular Series D (like WSDOT). Caltrans uses Series D-Modified for the entrance signs, I believe.
Title: Re: Another New Freeway Entrance Sign in Portland, OR
Post by: roadfro on April 17, 2018, 09:55:41 AM
Quote from: OrionV on April 08, 2018, 01:40:02 PM
(although the Freeway Entrance sign looks like a California-spec one). https://goo.gl/maps/FhHm97pbEtm

Actually, the actual freeway entrance sign looks more like it's fabricated to MUTCD specs than California's. California's standard sign is typically bigger (wider margins and letter spacing) and, as mentioned, may use D modified font.

California example: https://goo.gl/maps/Ua1aHrHjGrF2
MUTCD example from Nevada: https://goo.gl/maps/NWdX9sE6jus
Title: Re: Another New Freeway Entrance Sign in Portland, OR
Post by: D-Dey65 on April 17, 2018, 10:07:28 AM
To hell with the freeway entrance sign. I'm just fascinated with the interchange itself.
Title: Re: Another New Freeway Entrance Sign in Portland, OR
Post by: jakeroot on April 17, 2018, 05:16:26 PM
Quote from: D-Dey65 on April 17, 2018, 10:07:28 AM
To hell with the freeway entrance sign. I'm just fascinated with the interchange itself.

The paperclip interchange just to the south is brilliant, and a one-off IIRC.
Title: Re: Another New Freeway Entrance Sign in Portland, OR
Post by: sp_redelectric on April 18, 2018, 11:49:24 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on April 17, 2018, 05:16:26 PMThe paperclip interchange just to the south is brilliant, and a one-off IIRC.
Quote from: D-Dey65 on April 17, 2018, 10:07:28 AMI'm just fascinated with the interchange itself.

It is an absolutely miserable on-ramp with zero acceleration lane onto the Interstate Bridge, and single-handedly causes quite a bit of backups especially during rush hour.  So you get to go around the 25 MPH curve, to somehow accelerate to 50, in just a couple hundred feet.
Title: Re: Another New Freeway Entrance Sign in Portland, OR
Post by: Hurricane Rex on April 19, 2018, 01:28:49 AM
Quote from: sp_redelectric on April 18, 2018, 11:49:24 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on April 17, 2018, 05:16:26 PMThe paperclip interchange just to the south is brilliant, and a one-off IIRC.
Quote from: D-Dey65 on April 17, 2018, 10:07:28 AMI'm just fascinated with the interchange itself.

It is an absolutely miserable on-ramp with zero acceleration lane onto the Interstate Bridge, and single-handedly causes quite a bit of backups especially during rush hour.  So you get to go around the 25 MPH curve, to somehow accelerate to 50, in just a couple hundred feet.
If the designers were smarter, they would've gotten rid of the Hayden Island exit and replaced it with a local bridge.

LG-TP260