Best / worst region-specific practices?

[mp_quadrillion]

For the well-traveled among us, what's your most-liked or most-hated peculiarity as far as traffic control goes? This could mean signals, signage or other guidance. Liking or disliking needn't mean that the practice should be implemented / abolished everywhere.

What immediately comes to my mind:

LIKE:

• Horizontal rather than vertical signals in Albuquerque.
• Texas' frontage road and turnaround system
• The signed-detour system in Penna.
• Lagging-left turns in Tucson
• Flashing green arrow in Montreal
• The truck bypasses at several interchanges on I-5
• Michigan lefts

DISLIKE:

• 
  Lane marking in NY and AL: rather than leaving a gap that shows where the merge ends (NY) or where the turn lane begins (AL) often they just make the lines more dotted. Made for more surprises than I cared for when I was there.
• Lane marking in OR: off the freeways they leave most of the hills and curves in and don't put reflectors on the pavement (or so my experience has been). It's a contrast to California, where they straighten, flatten, reflectorize and more.

[national highway 1]

I like the internal exit tabs in California, and I also like Arizona's exit tabs (not the Clearview ones)
In Australia I do like the signage style of New South Wales, my home state. It's very clear and consistent, however there are a few aged signs that are in need of replacement (in a positive way).
One thing I hate on 90's signage is the plastered RTA logo (former gov authority) on signs installed in that era
Example

Also i don't like the thick borders on Victorian signs and their unconventional signing practices.

[vdeane]

Lane marking in NY and AL: rather than leaving a gap that shows where the merge ends (NY) or where the turn lane begins (AL) often they just make the lines more dotted. Made for more surprises than I cared for when I was there.

In NY at least, this is a VERY recent practice done I believe to comply with the new MUTCD.  Just a couple years ago you couldn't find a single instance of the more dotted lines in the entire state; now it's hard to find a place that doesn't use them.

[Takumi]

I hate the new interstate shields that VDOT has started using in the past year. Unfortunately, their use is becoming more and more widespread.

[mp_quadrillion]

Lane marking in NY and AL: rather than leaving a gap that shows where the merge ends (NY) or where the turn lane begins (AL) often they just make the lines more dotted. Made for more surprises than I cared for when I was there.

In NY at least, this is a VERY recent practice done I believe to comply with the new MUTCD.  Just a couple years ago you couldn't find a single instance of the more dotted lines in the entire state; now it's hard to find a place that doesn't use them.

I guess I should read that fine manual then! And I just did. Interesting change..

My experience: A finely dotted line tends to look too much like a solid one at speed.

I don't mind the lines becoming more dotted near the end of the merge; I just find the cue of a gap to be valuable, especially if the sightlines are less-than-perfect or if there's tons of traffic to pay attention to. More than a few of my merges in NYC ended with "#$%! That's it?"

In Alabama, I'd tend to overshoot the entrance to a turn lane because of this, too. It's even worse at night. I'm trying to figure out the advantage to striping things this way.

[1995hoo]

I like North Carolina's usage of "REDUCE SPEED AHEAD" instead of the grammatically-incorrect "REDUCED SPEED AHEAD" often seen elsewhere. Whether the "speed" is reduced depends on the driver–it is the speed LIMIT that is reduced.

I prefer the yellow signs advising what the lower limit will be, but if the white variety is used, then North Carolina's version is the proper style.

[NE2]

I hate PennDOT's overuse of 'no pedestrians' signs in all directions at seemingly every rural intersection.

[cpzilliacus]

Likes - California's "FREEWAY ENTRANCE" assemblies (and the "END FREEWAY" signs, too).

Dislikes - inconsistency in putting up mile markers every 1/10th (or some other fraction of a mile) in Maryland.

[Eth]

One that I like:

Little overhead route markers when approaching (and often right after) an intersection.  I don't think I've seen any widespread use of these outside of Georgia.

[Brian556]

Dislikes:
Tennessee
-Lack of double turn signage.
-sign posts are often too short and/or leaning.
-general shoddy condition of non-BGS signage.
-failure to repair slope failures that endanger/and or damage roads. (US 41/64/72 between Haletown and Chattanooga)( One place the paved shoulder dropped 8in straight down, no cones around it.)

Texas
-Failure to always use "THRU TRAFFIC MERGE LEFT" signs when a thru lane becomes a turn only lane.
-no median tip deliniators
-removal of LANE ENDS SYMBOL from TEXAS MUTCD
-no barricade lights. Would like to see them required for tapers, road closures, and small repair location hazards.

Likes:
Florida
-Use of deliniators on all median tips
-heavy use of barricade lights
-good pavement markings that are well-maintained.
-signs mounted on high-quality strong posts

[jeffandnicole]

In NY at least, this is a VERY recent practice done I believe to comply with the new MUTCD.  Just a couple years ago you couldn't find a single instance of the more dotted lines in the entire state; now it's hard to find a place that doesn't use them.

New Jersey has just started doing this.  While it has been done on the Garden State Parkway for decades (when it was it's own authority), the NJ Turnpike Authority and NJDOT never used the short skip lines (dotted lines).  NJDOT is now using them whenever new line painting is performed (such as after a major construction project or repaving).

Interestingly, NJDOT has been using them *during* road work projects at interchanges for several years, but after the work is completed the final stripping would be the normal, longer skip lines.

Other practices: 

Like: Jughandles.  Keeps slower traffic to the right.
Dislike: Jughandle signage - especially on roadways where there are left turn lanes at some intersections and jughandles at other intersections.  There is usually just a single sign approaching and often very close to the intersection, detailing what side of the roadway to be on.

Dislike: Lack of overhead signs, especially in heavy traffic areas.  Prime example: Rt. 73, between I-295 and the NJ Turnpike.  Good luck knowing what lane to be in if you're not familiar with the area, especially when there's the traffic light with Fellowship Rd (btw...a dislike mentioned above - one direction uses a jughandle for left turns, the other direction uses a left turn lane).

Like: The traffic circles

Indifferent: All roads are called "Route"...not Interstate or State Route.  As in, Route 295; Route 322, Route 42...

Like: Routes/Street names on the traffic lights.  Not region-specific since other states have used them for many years, but they're a great improvement over the small street signs generally used.

[agentsteel53]

Texas
-Failure to always use "THRU TRAFFIC MERGE LEFT" signs when a thru lane becomes a turn only lane.

I definitely call that a "Texas turn".  it seems to be de-emphasized in design here in California... very rare that a lane abruptly becomes a turn lane.  generally, CA keeps the lane an option if it is not geographically possible to build a new turn lane to the right of an existing lane.

the best thing CA does?  cutouts, and infrequent replacement of old green signs. 

the worst is not maintaining roads under overpasses.  on I-5, there are places where I must merge into the left lane (for seemingly no reason) to avoid destroying my suspension when going under a bridge.

[Scott5114]

In Northern Wisconsin and the UP, passing lanes on otherwise two-lane roads are striped such that the thru traffic is pushed into the right lane. That is, there is a skip line placed at an angle to the centerline, which then straightens out and turns into a regular dashed line when the lanes are at full width.

This is better than the Oklahoma setup for such a lane, where the lane just begins on the right and the driver must be cognizant of KRETP laws and specifically move to the right.

[jwolfer]

Dislike/Despise:  NJ jughandles.  I know some people love them

Like: NJ state highways for the most part have full paved shoulders.  Here in FL its annoying when trying to drive in the right lane and cars are coming to a stop to turn into the Walmart

[1995hoo]

Something I had forgotten about until I was reminded of it by seeing my screen-saver showing pictures of our June 2003 vacation in Hawaii: On some roads in Hawaii where there's no traffic light, traffic turning left onto the main road is sometimes given its own short protected lane so that if the traffic coming from the left eases to allow a turn but the traffic coming from the right doesn't allow a safe gap, you can turn into the protected lane and then wait for a gap (although in practice I found people usually just slowed down and flashed their lights to let you in....Hawaii was easily the most relaxed place I've ever driven and was perhaps the only place I've never felt the need to exceed the speed limit).

The concept is maybe a little similar to a center "suicide left turn lane" except the lane is not used for turning off the main road and isn't meant for traffic going in either direction. To be sure, those left-turn lanes are used as well; there's one just a short distance behind the Street View car at the link below. It's just that this particular style of what I guess you could call a "waiting area" isn't something I ever recall seeing elsewhere as a routine sort of thing.

Here's a Street View of one such place near Kapa`a on Kauai. This isn't the precise one I remember the most clearly after looking at our pictures, but it's the same idea.



As an aside, I just noticed that the Google Street View man you drop on the map is wearing an Aloha shirt and carrying a surfboard when you use that feature in Hawaii.

[Ian]

Likes...
-New Jersey's use of mile markers on every single numbered highway, including the county routes.
-PennDOT's colored detour system
-Québec's use of symbol signs, such as this one.
-New Hampshire and their practice of putting the letter suffix below the number on suffixed routes (an example). NHDOT doesn't do this for routes with one numeral, such as NH 3A.
-New Hampshire's JUNCTION signs that you see whenever you approach a numbered road. Sadly, NHDOT isn't making these signs anymore.
-The color combo seen on the traffic signals in New England. It consists of a yellow backside and visors, with a black front.
-New York's boxed street names on the BGS's. The fact that NYSDOT also rounds the corners of their freeway signs is also pretty cool.
-Maryland's black route shield unisigns you see at traffic signal intersections. Example.
-The gold on brown signage seen up in the Adirondacks in New York.
-New York's use of "Z-bars" on the backs of their signage.
-Massachusetts and their "paddle" signs.

Dislikes...
-PennDOT's lack of passing zones.
-Maryland's extra extra large exit tabs with very tiny text. And I guess the same goes for Delaware now.
-Rhode Island's lack of cut-out interstate shields. And their helvetica signage. And their compressed font signage. I guess Rhode Island signage in general is awful (except for the BGS's, they look decent).
-The fact that New York has so many styles of their state route shield. Examples:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/iccdude/5381678442/in/set-72157625788140076
http://www.flickr.com/photos/iccdude/5341570972/in/set-72157625788140076
http://www.flickr.com/photos/iccdude/5998237402/in/set-72157625788140076
http://www.flickr.com/photos/iccdude/5997699297/in/set-72157625788140076
http://www.flickr.com/photos/iccdude/6326768384/in/set-72157625788140076
http://www.flickr.com/photos/iccdude/6776087320/in/set-72157628476701259
-Maine's lack of directional banners at a lot of intersections. New York as well, though they seem be a little more consistent Maine.

[deathtopumpkins]

Something I had forgotten about until I was reminded of it by seeing my screen-saver showing pictures of our June 2003 vacation in Hawaii: On some roads in Hawaii where there's no traffic light, traffic turning left onto the main road is sometimes given its own short protected lane so that if the traffic coming from the left eases to allow a turn but the traffic coming from the right doesn't allow a safe gap, you can turn into the protected lane and then wait for a gap (although in practice I found people usually just slowed down and flashed their lights to let you in....Hawaii was easily the most relaxed place I've ever driven and was perhaps the only place I've never felt the need to exceed the speed limit).

The concept is maybe a little similar to a center "suicide left turn lane" except the lane is not used for turning off the main road and isn't meant for traffic going in either direction. To be sure, those left-turn lanes are used as well; there's one just a short distance behind the Street View car at the link below. It's just that this particular style of what I guess you could call a "waiting area" isn't something I ever recall seeing elsewhere as a routine sort of thing.

Here's a Street View of one such place near Kapa`a on Kauai. This isn't the precise one I remember the most clearly after looking at our pictures, but it's the same idea.



As an aside, I just noticed that the Google Street View man you drop on the map is wearing an Aloha shirt and carrying a surfboard when you use that feature in Hawaii.

I've noticed those lanes at signalized intersections in various places, particularly CA, and Maryland loves using them on high capacity corridors like US 113.

Maine uses them frequently at unsignalized intersections like you describe, though the lane exists both before and after the intersection and tends to function more as a lane to pass left turning traffic.

[Special K]

As an aside, I just noticed that the Google Street View man you drop on the map is wearing an Aloha shirt and carrying a surfboard when you use that feature in Hawaii.

He rides the board when you move him about the map.  I wonder what happens when you drop him in the ocean?

[kkt]

Dislike:  Use of the flashing green signal to mean completely different things in B.C. and the rest of Canada.  If there's no general agreement what a traffic signal means, post a sign instead.

[Mr_Northside]

He rides the board when you move him about the map.  I wonder what happens when you drop him in the ocean?

I'd like to think the song "Wipeout" starts playing.  Though I doubt it.

[kphoger]

Minnesota
Like:   Paved shoulders and good signage on many state and county highways.
Like:   Frequent wide spots for passing turning vehicles (called bypass lanes).
Dislike:   Infrequent painting of lane arrows on the pavement.

Illinois
Like:   Speeding tolerated.   
Dislike:   Somewhat common traffic circles that are either uncontrolled or not completely yield-upon-entering.
Dislike:   Unsigned secondary state routes (except on reference markers).

Iowa
Like:   Not much.
Dislike:   I-35 potholes (though this has been getting better over the last few years).
Dislike:   Low speed limits on two-lane highways.
Dislike:   Lack of paved shoulders on major non-freeway highways.

Missouri
Like:   Experimentation with alternative intersections like roundabouts and diverging diamonds.
Dislike:   Inadequate advisory speed signage on sinuous primary and secondary state highways.
Dislike:   Centerline rumble strips.

Kansas
Like:   Reasonable speed limits, varying by road type.
Like:   "Next exit ## miles" signage on the Turnpike.
Dislike:   Erroneous traffic control signs in Wichita, especially W4-2 (though without that dotted line...when did that change?)

Oklahoma
Like:   Not much.
Dislike:   I-35 potholes (though this has been getting better over the last few years).
Dislike:   Overabundance of dotted lines.
Dislike:   Turnpikes with no shoulders boasting higher speed limits than Interstates.

Texas
Like:   Well maintained and signed secondary state routes.
Like:   Decent pavement and signage.
Dislike:   Slip ramps from frontage road to mainline with inadequate acceleration lane.
Dislike:   Toll roads with no option to pay cash.

México
Like:   Lax adherance to traffic laws but good adherance to left lane discipline.
Like:   Slow traffic encouraged to ride the shoulder.
Dislike:   Inconstistent signage when it comes to route numbers.
Dislike:   No left turn on a solid green ball at signals with left turn arrows, even if red arrow not included.
Dislike:   Speed bumps, many not painted.

[Brian556]

Texas
Like:   Well maintained and signed secondary state routes.
Like:   Decent pavement and signage.
Dislike:   Slip ramps from frontage road to mainline with inadequate acceleration lane.
Dislike:   Toll roads with no option to pay cash.

I agree with all these. The inadequate merging lanes are the worst problem. The worst were on the oldest part of US 75 (Central Expy), but that section has been rebuilt. There are still some that are too short on I-35E/Stemmons Frwy.

Also, I dislike that Frontage Roads are often too close to mainlanes, and ramps are often too short, so you cannot tell if someone is exiting in time to yield to them if you are on the frontage road. I-35E in Denton is horrible about this.
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=33.203904,-97.151105&spn=0.000004,0.003133&t=m&z=19&layer=c&cbll=33.203947,-97.151204&panoid=h6R7lwJ0F23B_7R9ejc7Dw&cbp=12,320.62,,0,0

[mcdonaat]

Texas
Like - speed limits suitable for the roads. A rural two-lane with wide ROW could be 70MPH.
Dislike - every single rural Interstate seems to have a frontage road
Dislike - truncation of US 80 to Dallas, especially when US 180 continues.

Louisiana
Like - always up-to-date with the newest signs, especially on reinforced posts.
Like - Most of the US highways (with the exception of US 65, US 51, US 11, and US 79) are four-laned.
Dislike - about ten different sign specs that will be put up at any given time. One intersection has seven state shield variations.
Dislike - the continued use of 55 MPH on ANY AND ALL two-lane roads.

Mississippi
Like - the quality of the highways, always smooth, scenic, and well maintained with little litter.
Like - The continued signing of US 98 in Natchez.
Dislike - most rural highways have no shoulder at all. Also, the "40 MPH OVER HILL" is weird, but I've become acquainted to it.

Arkansas
Like - Welcome center signage and cleanliness. Each welcome center sign is completely different.
Like - posting of county routes, especially when entering from Louisiana.
Dislike - Welcome center locations - usually about 15-20 miles into the state on US highways.

[Brandon]

Illinois:
Like - Toll authority is willing to try new ideas and keeps the roads in good shape.
Like - Oodles of permitted left turns.
Dislike - Double left turn lanes used where Michigan Lefts would be better.
Dislike - Low speed limits on Chicago expressways and tollways.

Indiana:
Like - InDOT has rebuilt the entire Borman Expy so it actually moves.
Dislike - Lack of permitted left turns.
Dislike - Lack of shoulders on US and state routes (non-freeway).

Wisconsin:
Like - Pavement quality (IDOT can learn something here).
Dislike - Slow limit for their quality roads.

Michigan:
Like - The use of Michigan Lefts and permitted left turns.
Like - Ability to turn left on red from a two-way onto a one-way street.
Like - Wide cleared areas on highways with wide paved shoulders.
Like - Maintains higher speed limit on freeways in cities.
Dislike - 55 mph limit on rural roads, especially in the UP.

Ohio:
Like - 70 mph on the Turnpike.
Dislike - It's Ohio, 'nough said.

Iowa:
Like - County routes are signed.
Like - Exit numbers are signed from the side roads so you know where you enter a freeway.
Dislike - Speed cameras allowed on freeways (Cedar Rapids, I'm looking at you).

Missouri:
Like - Bridges along the rebuild of I-64/US-40.
Dislike - Lack of space for the roads leading into the Poplar Street Bridge.

California:
Like - Interchange design.
Dislike - Lack of permitted left turns.
Dislike - Double left turn lanes where Michigan Lefts would be better (Bakersfield, I'm looking at you).
Dislike - Crappy, ancient signage.

Nevada:
Like - Pavement quality.
Like - Decent signage and higher speeds on two-lane roads.
Dislike - Low speeds on I-15 through Las Vegas.

Ontario:
Like - The curved arrows used for exits.
Dislike - Overuse of parclos.  To get from London Line Rd to westbound 402 is a pain in the ass due to this.

[bassoon1986]

Mississippi
Like - the quality of the highways, always smooth

Where in Mississippi was that? In my experience it always seemed to be the opposite! Although I'll admit it's been a while since I've driven there.


Here's a couple of mine:

Louisiana:
dislikes - agreed mcdonaat...the max 55 mph on 2 lanes sucks
dislikes - scarce mileage signs on some less than interstate hwys. especially after construction. case in point US 165 since they've 4 laned it all. I'd wager to say 167 is that way too
dislikes - the black state highway signs becoming the standard. The green was unique compared to all the bordering states

likes -  the 4 laning of most of the major US highways
likes - decent signage of all routes, concurrencies, etc
likes- always was a fan of the BGS's down south with lane diagrams for major exits/splits