"Do Not Enter", but not because of one-way

[empirestate]

Where and why might you see a "Do Not Enter" sign on a roadway, even though your entry isn't prohibited by the direction of travel on that roadway (i.e., it's not a one-way roadway) and your access to that roadway isn't otherwise prohibited in general (such as a Do Not Enter sign on the gate to a military installation or a nuclear facility, for example)?

For example, this street has a pair of Do Not Enter signs posted coming out of a town park (there's a second sign on the far side that you can see if you step the view forward). Neither of the streets here is one-way; in fact, on the back of that Do Not Enter sign is another sign specifically showing that the park road is two-way. Likewise, the intersecting street has signage facing both ways, and no turn restrictions are posted at any other intersecting streets.

In effect, this seems to be indicating nothing more than "No Right Turn", and would probably be more appropriately signed as such. Are there other instances out there, particularly cases where there isn't another type of sign that could be more correctly used instead?

[Pete from Boston]

All over the place at bus-only roadways.

Countless "Do Not Enter" signs around here that specify particular hours, to prevent rush-hour cut-throughs or turning cars blocking traffic.

[PHLBOS]

Many local 2-way streets where I live have DO NOT ENTER signs posted but with either a time interval plaque either underneath or painted on the white bar of the main sign itself., or just a LOCAL TRAFFIC ONLY plaque posted underneath. 

Such applications are intended to prohibit/discourage through-traffic from using the local roads as a short-cut/detour during rush hours.

[Pete from Boston]

An otherwise two-way street in Cambridge has a full-time "do not enter" off a main road to prevent its use in circumventing a nearby major intersection that backs up.  It does, however, except traffic bound for the high school that is in just a little ways.

[empirestate]

All over the place at bus-only roadways.

I'd count those among cases where your access is prohibited overall.

Countless "Do Not Enter" signs around here that specify particular hours, to prevent rush-hour cut-throughs or turning cars blocking traffic.

Many local 2-way streets where I live have DO NOT ENTER signs posted but with either a time interval plaque either underneath or painted on the white bar of the main sign itself, or just a LOCAL TRAFFIC ONLY plaque posted underneath. 

Such applications are intended to prohibit/discourage through-traffic from using the local roads as a short-cut/detour during rush hours.

Now those I have seen. Do they actually have the effect of temporarily closing the roadway, or are there classes of traffic that can legally pass them, such as local traffic (in which case, shouldn't they be correctly signed as "Local Traffic Only")?

An otherwise two-way street in Cambridge has a full-time "do not enter" off a main road to prevent its use in circumventing a nearby major intersection that backs up.  It does, however, except traffic bound for the high school that is in just a little ways.

Is there a way to enter this street other than from turning off the main road (such as from a street intersecting on the opposite side)?

[theline]

DO NOT ENTER

The road now ends a half block beyond the signs, but the signs were there years ago when the road continued as a private drive into the grounds of a private school. I think DEAD END would be more appropriate now, and perhaps PRIVATE DRIVE previously.

[PHLBOS]

Many local 2-way streets where I live have DO NOT ENTER signs posted but with either a time interval plaque either underneath or painted on the white bar of the main sign itself., or just a LOCAL TRAFFIC ONLY plaque posted underneath. 
Such applications are intended to prohibit/discourage through-traffic from using the local roads as a short-cut/detour during rush hours.

Now those I have seen. Do they actually have the effect of temporarily closing the roadway, or are there classes of traffic that can legally pass them, such as local traffic (in which case, shouldn't they be correctly signed as "Local Traffic Only")?

While I could've sworn I saw a LOCAL TRAFFIC ONLY sign posted below a DO NOT ENTER sign; I mispoke.  My earlier-post has since been edited per above.

[empirestate]

DO NOT ENTER

The road now ends a half block beyond the signs, but the signs were there years ago when the road continued as a private drive into the grounds of a private school. I think DEAD END would be more appropriate now, and perhaps PRIVATE DRIVE previously.

What's the sign behind the Do Not Enter (and to whom does it presumably apply)?

[theline]

DO NOT ENTER

The road now ends a half block beyond the signs, but the signs were there years ago when the road continued as a private drive into the grounds of a private school. I think DEAD END would be more appropriate now, and perhaps PRIVATE DRIVE previously.

What's the sign behind the Do Not Enter (and to whom does it presumably apply)?

I believe it's a STOP sign. Of course, it makes no sense if one is not allowed to enter. It did make sense back when the private drive was still in use. I'm pretty sure all the signs have been replaced since the drive was closed, and South Bend just replaced everything without thinking it out.

[jeffandnicole]

Just a driveway.  Wonder if that's their sign, or if the county gave it to them... https://goo.gl/maps/9nGEd3ujv8t

[UCFKnights]

Just a driveway.  Wonder if that's their sign, or if the county gave it to them... https://goo.gl/maps/9nGEd3ujv8t

Man that house got a camera, signal, sign that turning traffic must yield to him, etc... thats a lot for a single house

[jeffandnicole]

Just a driveway.  Wonder if that's their sign, or if the county gave it to them... https://goo.gl/maps/9nGEd3ujv8t

Man that house got a camera, signal, sign that turning traffic must yield to him, etc... thats a lot for a single house

Even a left turn lane slot.  Some major roadways and businesses in this state don't even get all of this stuff!!!

[empirestate]

Just a driveway.  Wonder if that's their sign, or if the county gave it to them... https://goo.gl/maps/9nGEd3ujv8t

Man that house got a camera, signal, sign that turning traffic must yield to him, etc... thats a lot for a single house

Even a left turn lane slot.  Some major roadways and businesses in this state don't even get all of this stuff!!!

Looks like their driveway makes use of a platted, but unopened, public road; sometimes we see cases where "all of this stuff" gets installed in a place where there isn't a turn to be made at all, driveway or no.

Still, this looks like another case where the motorist has no right of access in the first place, which I'm not counting. Although you can say that, in this case, the sign has the added function of distinguishing private property from an ostensibly public right-of-way.

[Ian]

This DO NOT ENTER/WRONG WAY sign couple at the west end of State Street where it meets Baltimore Avenue in Media, PA always used to confuse me when I was younger, but I think I figured it out. You can't turn left onto State Street if you're heading north/east on Baltimore Ave into town, so I think these signs are aimed at traffic on Baltimore so they are further discouraged from making the illegal left. State Street is a two-way street here, and there's even a right turn lane for south/westbound traffic on Baltimore Ave to turn onto State, so that's why I was confused before.

Here's an older Google Street View capture showing a little bit more clearly the now faded lane markings to show that the right turn lane on Baltimore is actually for State Street.

[theline]

Check out this one, where a county road becomes a private drive: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.564611,-86.215166,3a,75y,180h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sZcfe-0QCdmAZ-o2p6zSSXw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

If you switch to different views on the timeline, you'll see that the sign switches from NO OUTLET (2007) to a rectangular DO NOT ENTER (2009) to a red-and-white DO NOT ENTER (2013). I contend that the proper sign is PRIVATE DRIVE.

[empirestate]

This DO NOT ENTER/WRONG WAY sign couple at the west end of State Street where it meets Baltimore Avenue in Media, PA always used to confuse me when I was younger, but I think I figured it out. You can't turn left onto State Street if you're heading north/east on Baltimore Ave into town, so I think these signs are aimed at traffic on Baltimore so they are further discouraged from making the illegal left. State Street is a two-way street here, and there's even a right turn lane for south/westbound traffic on Baltimore Ave to turn onto State, so that's why I was confused before.

That is interesting. It looks like what's going on here is that State St. actually is one-way between the right turn channel and Baltimore Ave. proper–there aren't any One Way signs apparently posted, but the pavement markings match a one-way configuration. The big question would be whether you can turn left out of the antiques store parking lot. :-)

[roadfro]

This DO NOT ENTER/WRONG WAY sign couple at the west end of State Street where it meets Baltimore Avenue in Media, PA always used to confuse me when I was younger, but I think I figured it out. You can't turn left onto State Street if you're heading north/east on Baltimore Ave into town, so I think these signs are aimed at traffic on Baltimore so they are further discouraged from making the illegal left. State Street is a two-way street here, and there's even a right turn lane for south/westbound traffic on Baltimore Ave to turn onto State, so that's why I was confused before.

That is interesting. It looks like what's going on here is that State St. actually is one-way between the right turn channel and Baltimore Ave. proper–there aren't any One Way signs apparently posted, but the pavement markings match a one-way configuration. The big question would be whether you can turn left out of the antiques store parking lot. :-)

I don't see it that way. It looks like State St is a right in-right out at Baltimore. The faded markings seem to make a right turn island, and the right turn lane on Baltimore confirms that. There's also the yellow center line on State St that, while not going all the way to the intersection, seems to imply the road is two lanes throughout.

In that case, DO NOT ENTER/WRONG WAY is not appropriate here. There are two "NO LEFT TURN" signs on eastbound Baltimore, but perhaps another one on the far corner, as opposed to the do not enter pair, would be a better marking.

[empirestate]

This DO NOT ENTER/WRONG WAY sign couple at the west end of State Street where it meets Baltimore Avenue in Media, PA always used to confuse me when I was younger, but I think I figured it out. You can't turn left onto State Street if you're heading north/east on Baltimore Ave into town, so I think these signs are aimed at traffic on Baltimore so they are further discouraged from making the illegal left. State Street is a two-way street here, and there's even a right turn lane for south/westbound traffic on Baltimore Ave to turn onto State, so that's why I was confused before.

That is interesting. It looks like what's going on here is that State St. actually is one-way between the right turn channel and Baltimore Ave. proper–there aren't any One Way signs apparently posted, but the pavement markings match a one-way configuration. The big question would be whether you can turn left out of the antiques store parking lot. :-)

I don't see it that way. It looks like State St is a right in-right out at Baltimore. The faded markings seem to make a right turn island, and the right turn lane on Baltimore confirms that. There's also the yellow center line on State St that, while not going all the way to the intersection, seems to imply the road is two lanes throughout.

Try checking the Satellite view: there, you can see from the stop bar on State that only the southbound lane actually meets Baltimore, other than via the right turn channel. The hatch marks take the place of what would be the northbound lane between Baltimore and the channel.

Of course, different views seem to show different generations of pavement markings, so whether it's one-way or not may simply depend on which coat of paint was most recently applied.

In that case, DO NOT ENTER/WRONG WAY is not appropriate here. There are two "NO LEFT TURN" signs on eastbound Baltimore, but perhaps another one on the far corner, as opposed to the do not enter pair, would be a better marking.

Yes, I don't think we've found an example yet where Do Not Enter is actually the correct signage. I'm starting to doubt whether there's any way these signs can be correctly deployed other than in a one-way context. But let's keep looking!


iPhone

[vdeane]

In Albany there's one that was put in place to keep through traffic out of a local street.  A concrete island was even built to enforce it.
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6630612,-73.818047,3a,75y,131.01h,85.4t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sulzfTEe9-C2NlwJ9Qa9uFw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[cl94]

VERY common in the Toronto area. Mostly at subway stations and where streetcar ROWs do not allow cars, but there are some bus-only roadways with the signs.

[empirestate]

In Albany there's one that was put in place to keep through traffic out of a local street.  A concrete island was even built to enforce it.
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6630612,-73.818047,3a,75y,131.01h,85.4t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sulzfTEe9-C2NlwJ9Qa9uFw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Bingo; that's probably as close as we're going to find to a legitimate example. It would be really hard to argue that the street there is one-way at all. It's definitely two-way up until the last driveway, and arguably right up to the bump-out, depending on whether the yellow line there has been intentionally erased or has just faded over time. If anything, the street is one-way for about three or four feet (the width of the bumped-out sidewalk).

The test here would be whether, if the northeast leg of the intersection were a two-way street and not the freeway on-ramp it actually is, you could make a left turn from there into Buckingham Dr. Evidently, the stop bar on Buckingham has been moved back at some point, allowing a certain amount of clearance between it and the bump-out; what would be the function of that space?

VERY common in the Toronto area. Mostly at subway stations and where streetcar ROWs do not allow cars, but there are some bus-only roadways with the signs.

No doubt they're common, but again, those are cases where you wouldn't normally have access anyway, so we're not counting those.

[doorknob60]

Not signed with Do Not Enter, but it reminds me of the newly constructed intersection between the ID-16 freeway (currently its terminus) and 2 lane US-20/26 (Chinden Blvd in the picture). If this intersection allowed it, traffic would naturally flow onto McDermott Rd., which is a 2 lane county road that locals wanted to keep through traffic off of. Eventually the ID-16 freeway will be extended, but not anytime soon.

[briantroutman]

I see that the channelization didn't stop at least one hot dog.