Unique, Odd, or Interesting Signs aka The good, the bad, and the ugly

[LilianaUwU]

I feel like this is a great case of 'similar-looking stuff means similiar stuff'.

I don't speak French, and the text of the signs is unreadable by me. But, the shapes, colors, etc. seem to translate well. I could probably dope out "EST" is "East" etc.

Yep, EST is "east" and OUEST is "west" (the latter pronounced the same way, too).

Speaking of English signage, here's a sample of the bilingual signage on the federally-maintained Pont Samuel de Champlain:

Bilingual Champlain signage - 1 by Liliana Vess, on Flickr

Bilingual Champlain signage - 2 by Liliana Vess, on Flickr

Bilingual Champlain signage - 3 by Liliana Vess, on Flickr

All of those signs are odd for Québec, as English cardinal directions are unheard of outside of structures maintained by the federal government (and even then, I'd say only this bridge has them).

Edit: How could I forget the classic "Avenue Atwater Avenue" sign (bilingualism to the extreme, to quote Alps):

Avenue Atwater Avenue, A-15 SB/A-20 EB, sortie 61 by Liliana Vess, on Flickr

[Big John]

I don't speak French, but I think LIGNE D'ARRET is STOP LINE.  As stop signs say "ARRET.

[LilianaUwU]

I don't speak French, but I think LIGNE D'ARRET is STOP LINE.  As stop signs say "ARRET.

Yes, that's exactly what it is.

[Hunty2022]

I just find it interesting that the 25 MPH sign is below a stop ahead sign:


(My image; uploaded here via Flickr)

[wanderer2575]

A nice little STOP AHEAD sign in a quiet Royal Oak MI neighborhood.  Not really to MUTCD spec and yet I like its use at this location.

[kirbykart]

Strange EXIT ONLY signage in Gallup: https://goo.gl/maps/mKN11iNDbXX1Gyk59

[ethanhopkin14]

Strange EXIT ONLY signage in Gallup: https://goo.gl/maps/mKN11iNDbXX1Gyk59

The EAST I-40 trailblazer downstream is missing the arrow. Shocking!

[zachary_amaryllis]

I don't speak French, but I think LIGNE D'ARRET is STOP LINE.  As stop signs say "ARRET.

Yes, that's exactly what it is.

And really, your signs there really don't look that much different, other than different shields etc. Were one to blur out the text, it's still easy to figure out what's going on where. I like the bilingual ones - they make sense in an area where there's, well, more than one language being spoken.

And plus, it's Canada.

[StogieGuy7]

I don't speak French, but I think LIGNE D'ARRET is STOP LINE.  As stop signs say "ARRET.

Yes, that's exactly what it is.

And really, your signs there really don't look that much different, other than different shields etc. Were one to blur out the text, it's still easy to figure out what's going on where. I like the bilingual ones - they make sense in an area where there's, well, more than one language being spoken.

And plus, it's Canada.

The irony of the "ARRET" stop signs in Quebec is that they are pretty unique to Quebec and other corners of Canada that have a francophone community (basically Quebec and half of NB). In France and most other French-speaking nations, stop signs say "STOP". But the language fanatics in Quebec insist that having a standardized sign is verboten if the standard is not French-based.  Just to stick it to the anglophones.

[NoGoodNamesAvailable]

There's still some bilingual signage hanging around in the Outaouais. Mainly ARRÊT/STOP signs.

[StogieGuy7]

There's still some bilingual signage hanging around in the Outaouais. Mainly ARRÊT/STOP signs.

You see that in francophone-heavy parts of (generally eastern) Ontario. But once you cross into Quebec, they're rare.

[hotdogPi]

I have a photo of a bilingual stop sign in Quebec... but the second language is one of the indigenous languages, not English. (Wendake reservation, surrounded by Quebec City inside city limits but nowhere near downtown.)



I didn't realize until just now that "Bed & Breakfast" is in English. While the people there knew enough English to talk to us, it doesn't seem to be that common here.

Fortunately, red octagons are obvious in meaning, and the only time it doesn't mean the same thing as every other red octagon is if there's also an arrow (i.e. stop ahead sign).

Quebec is pretty good about bilingual signage. Take this, for example.

"Bus" on the signal works in both languages, as does [pictogram] Excepté Autobus, and the orange signs meant for pedestrians could be in Bengali or even blank and it would be understandable; drivers see that they're low down and not meant for them, and pedestrians, since they're moving at 3 mph, see that there's a section physically closed ahead and that's what the sign must be referring to. Green circle meaning mandatory rather than allowed isn't obvious, but that's an all of Canada issue, not a language issue.

[StogieGuy7]

That's a new language for me on that sign. Yet it illustrates my point on how Quebec goes out of its way to hate on English.

Meanwhile, in France (the actual home of French):
https://www.google.com/maps/@48.1273383,-1.684728,3a,37.5y,4.54h,89.16t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sxSUvaIetWXFH4oXAZSuBsw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

[kirbykart]

Here, Iowa uses "TO I-80 WEST" as an exit tab: https://goo.gl/maps/7QNi2swx1hZzWQ3B8

[ethanhopkin14]

Here, Iowa uses "TO I-80 WEST" as an exit tab: https://goo.gl/maps/7QNi2swx1hZzWQ3B8

I don't think that qualifies as an exit tab since it's for the through route.  Please let me know if I'm wrong about this. 

[NoGoodNamesAvailable]

That's a new language for me on that sign. Yet it illustrates my point on how Quebec goes out of its way to hate on English.

There's some long history behind this. The short of it is Quebec very nearly left the country twice and the language issue is a big part of it. Legally speaking, Quebec is hardly bilingual. It's a French province and given that they are basically a French island on an English continent, they feel the need to actively protect it.

[kphoger]

Here, Iowa uses "TO I-80 WEST" as an exit tab: https://goo.gl/maps/7QNi2swx1hZzWQ3B8

I don't think that qualifies as an exit tab since it's for the through route.  Please let me know if I'm wrong about this. 

It's an exit tab because it's a tab at an exit.

It's not an exit tab because does not communicate the same information as an MUTCD "smaller horizontal rectangular plaque" (Figure 2E-22).

[ethanhopkin14]

Here, Iowa uses "TO I-80 WEST" as an exit tab: https://goo.gl/maps/7QNi2swx1hZzWQ3B8

I don't think that qualifies as an exit tab since it's for the through route.  Please let me know if I'm wrong about this. 

It's an exit tab because it's a tab at an exit.

It's not an exit tab because does not communicate the same information as an MUTCD "smaller horizontal rectangular plaque" (Figure 2E-22).

It is clear.  It both is and isn't an exit tab. 

[hbelkins]

Here, Iowa uses "TO I-80 WEST" as an exit tab: https://goo.gl/maps/7QNi2swx1hZzWQ3B8

I don't think that qualifies as an exit tab since it's for the through route.  Please let me know if I'm wrong about this. 

It's an exit tab because it's a tab at an exit.

It's not an exit tab because does not communicate the same information as an MUTCD "smaller horizontal rectangular plaque" (Figure 2E-22).

It is clear.  It both is and isn't an exit tab.

OK, you all are now writing Alanland's MUTCD.

[kirbykart]

^It's the Alanland MUGGED.

[Bruce]

This one is interesting since there is no Interstate 90 Alternate: https://goo.gl/maps/g2sofhJhXgrxn8WX7

Unless they mean it as an alternate way to get to Interstate 90, and they don't mean it like US Route 97 Alternate or Washington State Route 141 Alternate, both of which do exist. Although I don't know why you would go all the way that way to get back on Interstate 90 in either direction when there are entrances and exits right there by Chevron. Coming from that way if you took the earlier exit, I understand, but...

Might be leftover from before the North Bend bypass opened in 1977. Those signs roughly mark out the old route of US 10.

[thefraze_1020]

This one is interesting since there is no Interstate 90 Alternate: https://goo.gl/maps/g2sofhJhXgrxn8WX7

Unless they mean it as an alternate way to get to Interstate 90, and they don't mean it like US Route 97 Alternate or Washington State Route 141 Alternate, both of which do exist. Although I don't know why you would go all the way that way to get back on Interstate 90 in either direction when there are entrances and exits right there by Chevron. Coming from that way if you took the earlier exit, I understand, but...

Might be leftover from before the North Bend bypass opened in 1977. Those signs roughly mark out the old route of US 10.

Disagree, that sign definitely doesn't look like it's 45 years old. Also, this sign is located on the frontage road. Old US 10 and Temp I-90 was on North Bend Way. I think this sign simply was posted by the city of North Bend and refers to a different way to get to I-90, even if it doesn't make any sense.

[jay8g]

Seattle similarly uses "ALT I-5" to mean "alternate route to I-5", which has always bothered me.

[J N Winkler]

This general problem--signing incident detours so that they are not confused with permanent alternates to the numbered route in question--has actually been the subject of a MUTCD interpretation letter from FHWA issued in 2017.  The attachment shows the preferred options first, followed by various permutations FHWA deems unacceptable, including the use of "Alternate" or "Bypass" tabs with regular trailblazers.

I've seen designs substantially similar to FHWA's preferred options from Iowa DOT, and I think Minnesota DOT has added one to its baby SHS, but quite a few agencies haven't gotten with the program.

[Stephane Dumas]

That's a new language for me on that sign. Yet it illustrates my point on how Quebec goes out of its way to hate on English.

Meanwhile, in France (the actual home of French):
https://www.google.com/maps/@48.1273383,-1.684728,3a,37.5y,4.54h,89.16t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sxSUvaIetWXFH4oXAZSuBsw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

A bit ironic.   Meanwhile elsewhere in the world, interesting to note then Mexico use "Alto" https://goo.gl/maps/XGmUAe3ZXXaJtnvk7 while Argentina use "Pare". https://goo.gl/maps/exJ7e359kwayRCgS8