New York

[RobbieL2415]

I prefer the plates with Lady Liberty.

You mean the original blue numerals and red Liberty, right?

Oui.

[crispy93]

I prefer the plates with Lady Liberty.

I actually saw a lady liberty plate in the wild in Brooklyn a few weeks ago: Not sure how this is possible but it was quite a throwback haha

I did too, a year or two back. It was on a campus parking lot, with cops actively involved. It didn't occur to me until quite a bit later that a 25 year historic car can legally carry those plates today. Apparently, whatever the issue was, it was resolved as I saw the same car with same plates a few more times.

So the car still had the original plates and got to keep them by renewing the registration all these years? The car I saw was definitely not old enough to have ever had lady liberty plates, maybe an old registration got transferred to another car?

[kalvado]

I prefer the plates with Lady Liberty.

I actually saw a lady liberty plate in the wild in Brooklyn a few weeks ago: Not sure how this is possible but it was quite a throwback haha

I did too, a year or two back. It was on a campus parking lot, with cops actively involved. It didn't occur to me until quite a bit later that a 25 year historic car can legally carry those plates today. Apparently, whatever the issue was, it was resolved as I saw the same car with same plates a few more times.

So the car still had the original plates and got to keep them by renewing the registration all these years? The car I saw was definitely not old enough to have ever had lady liberty plates, maybe an old registration got transferred to another car?

As far as I know, this is the ONLY way to use those pre-2000 plates -  and only on a pre-2000 car:

Any motor vehicle manufactured more than 25 years before the current calendar year that is used only as a collector's item or exhibition piece, and not for daily transportation, may be registered with vintage plates from the model year of the vehicle...... To register your vehicle with vintage plates, you must have actual plates that were valid in New York State in the year the vehicle was manufactured.

Bulk of those plates were taken off the road during 2001-2002 mandatory exchange program.

[D-Dey65]

I see that I-84 still has duplicate signs west of NY 121:
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.3835115,-73.5799762,3a,75y,257.92h,100.19t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1swuVVtfJVcuHw_EYyrcelGg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.3840817,-73.5834026,3a,75y,257.92h,100.19t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sv4PpIvajjCmZ1yq__XkWFQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.3846854,-73.5853422,3a,75y,264.25h,100.29t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sm6tqLC99KWXsYqKpsLX97Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

What's up with that? An overhead sign gantry, or even an overhead signpost for one lane makes much more sense.

[machias]

I see that I-84 still has duplicate signs west of NY 121:
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.3835115,-73.5799762,3a,75y,257.92h,100.19t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1swuVVtfJVcuHw_EYyrcelGg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.3840817,-73.5834026,3a,75y,257.92h,100.19t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sv4PpIvajjCmZ1yq__XkWFQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.3846854,-73.5853422,3a,75y,264.25h,100.29t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sm6tqLC99KWXsYqKpsLX97Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

What's up with that? An overhead sign gantry, or even an overhead signpost for one lane makes much more sense.

I've never understood the need for "To New York City" and "To Brewster" on the secondary destination signs

[Alps]

Another puzzler: What was on this sign between 383 and RIT?
https://goo.gl/maps/hi21GCUWEXPsa8iP8

[webny99]

Another puzzler: What was on this sign between 383 and RIT?
https://goo.gl/maps/hi21GCUWEXPsa8iP8

Testing my memory with this one, but I think it used to say "U of R / RIT" before the Exit 16 reconstruction.
Now, signage instead directs you to use NY 15 to reach U of R, as seen here.

[machias]

Another puzzler: What was on this sign between 383 and RIT?
https://goo.gl/maps/hi21GCUWEXPsa8iP8

Based on the way NYSDOT Region 4 tends to design sign layouts, are we sure there was anything between the route marker and RIT? R4 always did enjoy their left justified route markers.

[Sam]

Another puzzler: What was on this sign between 383 and RIT?
https://goo.gl/maps/hi21GCUWEXPsa8iP8

Based on the way NYSDOT Region 4 tends to design sign layouts, are we sure there was anything between the route marker and RIT? R4 always did enjoy their left justified route markers.

I don't recall seeing anything other than the shield and "RIT"  as far back as the early 1990's.

[SignBridge]

Machias, are you saying in Region-4, it's standard to have the route shield on the left side of the sign, instead of in the center?

[vdeane]

Another puzzler: What was on this sign between 383 and RIT?
https://goo.gl/maps/hi21GCUWEXPsa8iP8

Testing my memory with this one, but I think it used to say "U of R / RIT" before the Exit 16 reconstruction.
Now, signage instead directs you to use NY 15 to reach U of R, as seen here.

That's what the southbund supplemental sign says, at least.  The combo stuck out in my head when you posted that as familiar, so it might have.

[machias]

Machias, are you saying in Region-4, it's standard to have the route shield on the left side of the sign, instead of in the center?

On the exit directional guide sign, yes. On the advance exit sign, not as much.

[Alps]

Another puzzler: What was on this sign between 383 and RIT?
https://goo.gl/maps/hi21GCUWEXPsa8iP8

Testing my memory with this one, but I think it used to say "U of R / RIT" before the Exit 16 reconstruction.
Now, signage instead directs you to use NY 15 to reach U of R, as seen here.

That's what the southbund supplemental sign says, at least.  The combo stuck out in my head when you posted that as familiar, so it might have.

It didn't look like text was there. I didn't really see any scars at all, so I'll go with poor justification.

[GenExpwy]

I'm pretty sure it was just the left-justified 383 when it opened in 1980. An RIT plaque was added a few years later. The layout of the present sign is just a carbon copy of the old sign.

It wouldn't have had U of R in this direction – that was always on this sign (originally more verbose).

[webny99]

I'm pretty sure it was just the left-justified 383 when it opened in 1980. An RIT plaque was added a few years later. The layout of the present sign is just a carbon copy of the old sign.

Could be... maybe I'm misremembering, or thinking of the SB sign that vdeane posted.
Also note that "RIT" appears to have been tacked on after the fact at the actual exit sign here.

It wouldn't have had U of R in this direction – that was always on this sign (originally more verbose).

Good point. I think those signs (there's one on the 590 connection ramp as well) are still there, having never been replaced as part of the Exit 16 reconstruction. It's just the two new signs closer to the exit (here and here) that omit the redundant "U of R" on the second line.

[RobbieL2415]

I-490 really needs to be milled and paved between the Can Of Worms and Victor. I drove it yesterday and it's very rough on my Civic's suspension.

[Rothman]

I-490 really needs to be milled and paved between the Can Of Worms and Victor. I drove it yesterday and it's very rough on my Civic's suspension.

The holes in the center seam are massive.  I don't know how people pass each other without bending up their rims.

[steviep24]

I-490 really needs to be milled and paved between the Can Of Worms and Victor. I drove it yesterday and it's very rough on my Civic's suspension.

The holes in the center seam are massive.  I don't know how people pass each other without bending up their rims.

The stretch between 390 and 531 is pretty bad also. Especially westbound.

[RobbieL2415]

I-490 really needs to be milled and paved between the Can Of Worms and Victor. I drove it yesterday and it's very rough on my Civic's suspension.

The holes in the center seam are massive.  I don't know how people pass each other without bending up their rims.

The stretch between 390 and 531 is pretty bad also. Especially westbound.

That area was recently gutted and resurfaced. I think once you go West of NY 531 it gets bad again but I haven't gone that way in a long time.

[empirestate]

It wouldn't have had U of R in this direction – that was always on this sign (originally more verbose).

On the subject of verbosity and these signs, I remember seeing Paula Poundstone in a local appearance years ago. She had a joke about these signs, and specifically about one that read "University of Roch". Can anybody pinpoint where such a sign would have been (probably talking mid-late 90s here)?

[GenExpwy]

It wouldn't have had U of R in this direction – that was always on this sign (originally more verbose).

On the subject of verbosity and these signs, I remember seeing Paula Poundstone in a local appearance years ago. She had a joke about these signs, and specifically about one that read "University of Roch". Can anybody pinpoint where such a sign would have been (probably talking mid-late 90s here)?

Going northbound, the one I posted above, and its twin at the end of I-590, have been in their locations since the highways opened in 1980. Until a few years ago, their layout was something like:

Monroe Comm College
University of Roch
Strong Mem Hospital

(I am not sure I am abbreviating the correct words, and the lines might have been in a different order)

Going southbound (like an entertainer who just flew in), I think that University of Roch was in advance of exit 17, Strong Mem Hospital for exit 16A, and Monroe Comm College for exit 16B, all since 1980.

[webny99]

Going northbound, the one I posted above, and its twin at the end of I-590, have been in their locations since the highways opened in 1980. Until a few years ago, their layout was something like:

Monroe Comm College
University of Roch
Strong Mem Hospital

(I am not sure I am abbreviating the correct words, and the lines might have been in a different order)

No need to rely on memory for these ones... these were still in place as recently as 2014. They disappeared during the Exit 16 reconstruction, and reappeared in their current form probably sometime in 2017. The line in question actually says "Univ of Rochester" (no "Roch", sadly...) and the second and third lines are swapped. But you still did a much better job remembering that than I would have without the help of Street View! 

[empirestate]

Going northbound, the one I posted above, and its twin at the end of I-590, have been in their locations since the highways opened in 1980. Until a few years ago, their layout was something like:

Monroe Comm College
University of Roch
Strong Mem Hospital

(I am not sure I am abbreviating the correct words, and the lines might have been in a different order)

No need to rely on memory for these ones... these were still in place as recently as 2014. They disappeared during the Exit 16 reconstruction, and reappeared in their current form probably sometime in 2017. The line in question actually says "Univ of Rochester" (no "Roch", sadly...) and the second and third lines are swapped. But you still did a much better job remembering that than I would have without the help of Street View! 

Well, that's kind of what I'm getting at–at the time, I remember everyone getting the joke right away and "knowing" which sign(s) it referred to. But in years afterward (and not long afterward), I remember glancing at these signs with the joke in mind, trying to find the actual "University of Roch" example–and thinking maybe it was made up.

[PHLBOS]

I see that I-84 still has duplicate signs west of NY 121:
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.3835115,-73.5799762,3a,75y,257.92h,100.19t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1swuVVtfJVcuHw_EYyrcelGg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.3840817,-73.5834026,3a,75y,257.92h,100.19t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sv4PpIvajjCmZ1yq__XkWFQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.3846854,-73.5853422,3a,75y,264.25h,100.29t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sm6tqLC99KWXsYqKpsLX97Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

What's up with that? An overhead sign gantry, or even an overhead signpost for one lane makes much more sense.

It's worth noting that prior to the mid(?) 90s; overhead diagrammatic signage were used for the I-684/NY 22 interchange. 

The likely reasoning for going with redundant, ground-mounted signs on each side of the road may have been in reaction to motorists missing the exit ramp due to being behind trucks in both lanes (and, hence, not seeing the signs).  It's also worth noting that the first advance BGS for I-684/NY 22 is only 3/4 mile from the interchange; so one that is either unfamiliar with the area or not paying attention could easily miss the exit if they're stuck behind semis.  With the old overhead signs (guessing 80s-vintage), the first advance notice BGS for I-684/NY 22 was only for a 1/2 mile from the ramp.

While 3/4 mile advance is better than 1/2 mile for a first notice; such IMHO is still too short for a major highway interchange out in the open.  Even if a 1-mile or a 2-mile advance signage is located prior to the NY 121 interchange; such would give an unfamiliar/unsuspecting motorist a better heads-up.

[shadyjay]

I see that I-84 still has duplicate signs west of NY 121:
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.3835115,-73.5799762,3a,75y,257.92h,100.19t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1swuVVtfJVcuHw_EYyrcelGg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.3840817,-73.5834026,3a,75y,257.92h,100.19t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sv4PpIvajjCmZ1yq__XkWFQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.3846854,-73.5853422,3a,75y,264.25h,100.29t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sm6tqLC99KWXsYqKpsLX97Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

What's up with that? An overhead sign gantry, or even an overhead signpost for one lane makes much more sense.

It's worth noting that prior to the mid(?) 90s; overhead diagrammatic signage were used for the I-684/NY 22 interchange. 

The likely reasoning for going with redundant, ground-mounted signs on each side of the road may have been in reaction to motorists missing the exit ramp due to being behind trucks in both lanes (and, hence, not seeing the signs).  It's also worth noting that the first advance BGS for I-684/NY 22 is only 3/4 mile from the interchange; so one that is either unfamiliar with the area or not paying attention could easily miss the exit if they're stuck behind semis.  With the old overhead signs (guessing 80s-vintage), the first advance notice BGS for I-684/NY 22 was only for a 1/2 mile from the ramp.

While 3/4 mile advance is better than 1/2 mile for a first notice; such IMHO is still too short for a major highway interchange out in the open.  Even if a 1-mile or a 2-mile advance signage is located prior to the NY 121 interchange; such would give an unfamiliar/unsuspecting motorist a better heads-up.

I agree.  And a couple-mile widening between CT Exit 1 and I-684 would help to relieve traffic congestion in the area, primarily westbound approaching I-684.  Maybe make it a 2-lane exit.