Signs for Idiots

[Brandon]

These are signs installed for the person who has missed their exit (or something otherwise obvious).

On I-80/294 north/westbound to get back to inbound I-94:

[andrewkbrown]

https://maps.google.com/?ll=39.653113,-77.907173&spn=0.000002,0.001321&t=h&z=20&layer=c&cbll=39.653121,-77.907567&panoid=kHxkgnZaEN1-AndqHe-lCQ&cbp=12,338.56,,0,-10.61

I'd think this one would apply. The sign that helps you differentiate between MD 68 and I-68.

[Takumi]

^ There was, at one point, and may still be, a smaller-scale thing like that on US 220 southbound near Rocky Mount, VA, where it meets VA 40. There was an I-40 shield with a straight arrow, and "73 Miles" posted with it.

Edit: I found it on GSV. It looks like it says 76 miles, but it may just be the image. Still, it's an I-40 shield a whole state away, almost certainly the only one of its kind in Virginia.

[hbelkins]

[Alps]

Southbound just past the major I-495 split.

[1995hoo]

These are signs installed for the person who has missed their exit (or something otherwise obvious).

....

It's been a few years since I've driven on the Delaware Turnpike, but for as long as I can remember they had this string of pull-through arrow-per-lane signs every few hundred yards on the southbound carriageway, essentially hitting drivers over the head with the idea that the road serves Newark and Baltimore. I don't know whether they were trying to give an extra-strong warning that the left lane ended or what, but a simple "Left Lane Ends xx Feet" might have been sufficient.

Pictures from AARoads.com. Notice in the second image how there's another BGS in the background that's basically identical except for the "H/Hospital" marker. I've omitted the first of these signs because that one is/was located right where I-95 and I-295 merge and so that one seemed legitimate, but the rest of these seem like total overkill.






I seem to recall that in a thread last year Alex said most of these signs remain and a new Clearview version has been added a bit further south at Exit 4.

[vtk]

At railroad crossings: "DO NOT STOP ON TRACKS"

[xcellntbuy]

At railroad crossings: "DO NOT STOP ON TRACKS"

Absolutely necessary in south Florida.  WAY TOO many people stop on the tracks.

[agentsteel53]

At railroad crossings: "DO NOT STOP ON TRACKS"

Absolutely necessary in south Florida.  WAY TOO many people stop on the tracks.

why the fuck would anyone do that?

I will admit to stopping very damn close to the tracks, if it is one of those nearly-abandoned rail lines (one train every several weeks) and it's overgrown enough that you just cannot physically see the lawnmower coming.  but if it gets worse than giving me about 3 feet of space between the tracks and the front of my car, I'm just going to get out to take a look.

[1995hoo]

At railroad crossings: "DO NOT STOP ON TRACKS"

Absolutely necessary in south Florida.  WAY TOO many people stop on the tracks.

why the fuck would anyone do that?

I will admit to stopping very damn close to the tracks, if it is one of those nearly-abandoned rail lines (one train every several weeks) and it's overgrown enough that you just cannot physically see the lawnmower coming.  but if it gets worse than giving me about 3 feet of space between the tracks and the front of my car, I'm just going to get out to take a look.

Yeah. Unless I knew to a 100% certainty that a set of tracks is abandoned, I'd never stop on the tracks. Back in my teens when I had my first car (a 1977 Granada) I sometimes stopped before crossing the tracks, like school buses do, because the car was so unreliable that I was afraid if I shifted while on the tracks the clutch might fail and I'd get stuck!

[Compulov]

why the fuck would anyone do that?

Because people are idiots? There's two intersections I use regularly where people do it all the time, both with a traffic light controlled intersection just beyond the tracks. The first is Faculty Road at Alexander Rd in Princeton, NJ. At least this light is tied to the train signal. Just before the crossing lights come on, the light for Faculty Road turns green to clear the intersection. The other one is at US 13 and Green Ln in Bristol, PA. I've only ever seen the warning lights activated twice since I've been living down there, and both times it's been a really slow (I don't even know if it was doing 5 mph) freight train crossing 13. At both of these intersections, people always seem to stop right on the tracks. In the case of Faculty Rd, you'd think people would at least not want to get hit by the barrier when it swings down.

[Special K]

At railroad crossings: "DO NOT STOP ON TRACKS"

Absolutely necessary in south Florida.  WAY TOO many people stop on the tracks.

why the fuck would anyone do that?

I will admit to stopping very damn close to the tracks, if it is one of those nearly-abandoned rail lines (one train every several weeks) and it's overgrown enough that you just cannot physically see the lawnmower coming.  but if it gets worse than giving me about 3 feet of space between the tracks and the front of my car, I'm just going to get out to take a look.

We have a signalized interesection here in town where there is a dual set of tracks just preceding it, with space for 2-3 cars between the stop line and the tracks.  When stopping at the light, you have to be cognizant of how much space you'll have between you and the car in front of you.  If you're not paying attention, it's really easy to get caught stopped on the tracks.

[citrus]

why the fuck would anyone do that?

Close to home for you - I've seen it all the time near the San Diego airport on Laurel Street. For some reason people assume that if their traffic light is green, they can go through the light regardless of what's on the other side. I'm pretty sure the city installed an actual signal at that railroad crossing sometime recently.

[roadman]

At railroad crossings: "DO NOT STOP ON TRACKS"

Where railroad crossings are very close to intersections, it is all too common for traffic to stop on the tracks.

[agentsteel53]

Close to home for you - I've seen it all the time near the San Diego airport on Laurel Street. For some reason people assume that if their traffic light is green, they can go through the light regardless of what's on the other side. I'm pretty sure the city installed an actual signal at that railroad crossing sometime recently.

it is beneficial to my sanity to not ever think about that lovely freeway we have going from I-5 to the airport.

I know which green light you're talking about... I think you can fit maybe two cars on the other side of the traffic light, before the tracks.  then you're in the queue for the next light, but still the question remains: who the fuck would queue up for that light on the railroad tracks??

[Alex]

It's been a few years since I've driven on the Delaware Turnpike, but for as long as I can remember they had this string of pull-through arrow-per-lane signs every few hundred yards on the southbound carriageway, essentially hitting drivers over the head with the idea that the road serves Newark and Baltimore. I don't know whether they were trying to give an extra-strong warning that the left lane ended or what, but a simple "Left Lane Ends xx Feet" might have been sufficient.

Pictures from AARoads.com. Notice in the second image how there's another BGS in the background that's basically identical except for the "H/Hospital" marker. I've omitted the first of these signs because that one is/was located right where I-95 and I-295 merge and so that one seemed legitimate, but the rest of these seem like total overkill.

I seem to recall that in a thread last year Alex said most of these signs remain and a new Clearview version has been added a bit further south at Exit 4.

I need to update the Interstate 95 Delaware page to reflect several sign changes... As for that inane array of signs, I believe those signs were added in mid 80s. There was a repaving job in 1984 or 1985 IIRC that replaced the original concrete of I-95. That was perhaps when a lane was added from I-295 south onto I-95 south. In the mid 1980s (1985?) after Christiana Hospital opened, the signs were amended to add the blue H for Exit 4B (then Exit 4N).

As it was last month:
https://www.aaroads.com/delaware/delaware050/i-095_sb_exit_005a_02.jpg - signs removed, sign bridge remains in place empty.
https://www.aaroads.com/delaware/delaware050/i-095_sb_exit_004b_01.jpg - signs also removed, leaving an empty sign bridge.
https://www.aaroads.com/delaware/delaware050/i-095_sb_exit_004b_02.jpg - Clearview carbon copy for the Delaware Turnpike sign, lane ends sign removed, new sign for the Welcome Center with a yellow/black "LEFT" tab, new smaller sign for "I-95 South Newark Baltimore" without arrows.
https://www.aaroads.com/delaware/delaware050/i-095_sb_exit_004b_03.jpg - completely removed.
https://www.aaroads.com/delaware/delaware050/i-095_sb_exit_004b_04.jpg - removed, a new sign bridge with guides signs for Exits 4B/A was added further to the west.

Just when you thought they were gone, they added a new Clearview version ahead of the DE 58/Churchman's Road overpass:

[thenetwork]

These are signs installed for the person who has missed their exit (or something otherwise obvious).

....

It's been a few years since I've driven on the Delaware Turnpike, but for as long as I can remember they had this string of pull-through arrow-per-lane signs every few hundred yards on the southbound carriageway, essentially hitting drivers over the head with the idea that the road serves Newark and Baltimore. I don't know whether they were trying to give an extra-strong warning that the left lane ended or what, but a simple "Left Lane Ends xx Feet" might have been sufficient.

I think that was the case in the Buffalo area as well on WB I-90 approaching US-219 South.  There were boatloads of I-90 West -- Erie pull through signs even though you had passed the opportunity to exit at West Seneca or US-219 and you will have to go onto the Tolled portion of the NYS Thruway.
.

[txstateends]

Wow, somebody up there must really think drivers along there have route/control-city-amnesia or something 8)

[Scott5114]

Maybe my geography is a bit muddled, but how do you get to Newark from Delaware using I-95 south??

[NE2]

Maybe my geography is a bit muddled, but how do you get to Newark from Delaware using I-95 south??

If you're in the right city in Delaware, you stay put.

[agentsteel53]

Maybe my geography is a bit muddled, but how do you get to Newark from Delaware using I-95 south??

drive. swim. repeat.

[1995hoo]

Maybe my geography is a bit muddled, but how do you get to Newark from Delaware using I-95 south??

Look at a map....Newark, Delaware–whose name is pronounced as though biblical character Noah had built himself a new boat and called it "New Ark"–is located near the Maryland state line.

[Scott5114]

Weird. Never heard of Newark, DE... I'd imagine most people seeing just "Newark" would assume it was referring to Newark, NJ as I did.

[1995hoo]

Weird. Never heard of Newark, DE... I'd imagine most people seeing just "Newark" would assume it was referring to Newark, NJ as I did.

I don't know...the one in New Jersey is around 120 miles to the north, so I don't know how many people would assume that.

[Scott5114]

Weird. Never heard of Newark, DE... I'd imagine most people seeing just "Newark" would assume it was referring to Newark, NJ as I did.

I don't know...the one in New Jersey is around 120 miles to the north, so I don't know how many people would assume that.

If you're not from the area, like I am, how would you know? I had assumed it was referring to some sort of circuitous routing involving a 3di and the New Jersey Turnpike somehow...