CONN 15 Prototype Update

[ctsignguy]

Well, i spoke to Jeff at the ConnDOT Sign Shop this morning...he did get the email with all the photos you saw in that other thread attached, your opinions as expressed in LJ as well as the AARoads Forum and the Signal Traffic Forums (which had the blue 15 ahead by a significant margin over the blue on white, with support for a black and white versions as well as the original outline sign.   He did forward them to his superiors....

The consensus he got was that there was no real interest in pursuing any changes now, even under a 'grandfathering' situation as in South Carolina (there, they are not replacing old with new designs pell mell, but as sign replacement needs dictate).  It was also felt these signs might not meet MUTCD standards (Dunno how in the hell Vermont gets away with their green markers then, but oh well), but that at some point, when the economy improves, maybe they could revisit the issue with standard black and white coloring.  But as he also noted "We Connecticut Yankees tend to not like to change things just to change them...."

So that is where the matter rests for now......

Thanks for all your help in this project...even though it didnt end as maybe we might have liked, at least we tried to do something positive...

[Scott5114]

Perhaps you could show there is a potential for confusion of a white square vs. a speed limit sign. Especially with older drivers. Heck, I've even done it driving in Texas before.

[treichard]

Which MUTCD standards did the signs not meet?

[ctsignguy]

The Feds really, really, REALLY prefer state route markers be boring black and white......that was what i got from our chat

[thenetwork]

Okay, so Connecticut is dead in the water...Fine, lets go after another state...

How about Indiana (looks too much like the neighboring Illinois shields)?   

[Duke87]

The Feds really, really, REALLY prefer state route markers be boring black and white......that was what i got from our chat

There's a certain logic to this. Next to each other, color shields stand out from black and white ones. Interstate shields are color and stand out over US shields, as they should, since they are the higher-grade route. But if you have color state highway shields, they stand out over US highway shields and appear on par with interstate shields - in violation of the hierarchy.

Though, we could always just use the old black outline design and still have an improvement over just squares without violating the color standard.

[ctsignguy]

Though, we could always just use the old black outline design and still have an improvement over just squares without violating the color standard.

I think that might be the more likely direction Jeff would consider once the State economy settles down to a dull roar based upon our discussion...they would obviously have to do a new silkscreen for the outline, but that would be a minimal issue....and he might be able to sell that one better since that design has already been on CT roads....

[US71]

The Feds really, really, REALLY prefer state route markers be boring black and white......that was what i got from our chat

I wonder if that's the real reason Louisiana changed to b/w