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

[plain]

I think this one in New Mexico could fit under the "ugly" category. US-285 at NM-20.

https://goo.gl/maps/SN5s3rXSEsHscBCC7

Yeah..... that's definitely ugly!!!!

[machias]

I think this one in New Mexico could fit under the "ugly" category. US-285 at NM-20.

https://goo.gl/maps/SN5s3rXSEsHscBCC7

I think this one in New Mexico could fit under the "ugly" category. US-285 at NM-20.

https://goo.gl/maps/SN5s3rXSEsHscBCC7

Yeah..... that's definitely ugly!!!!

I've noticed New Mexico *really* struggles with signage on any type of roadway. I'm thinking it's mostly contractor driven without a lot of detail on plans?

[JoePCool14]

I think this one in New Mexico could fit under the "ugly" category. US-285 at NM-20.

https://goo.gl/maps/SN5s3rXSEsHscBCC7

I think this one in New Mexico could fit under the "ugly" category. US-285 at NM-20.

https://goo.gl/maps/SN5s3rXSEsHscBCC7

Yeah..... that's definitely ugly!!!!

I've noticed New Mexico *really* struggles with signage on any type of roadway. I'm thinking it's mostly contractor driven without a lot of detail on plans?

We've had this discussion on other threads. New Mexico just struggles. Period.

[CoreySamson]

Interesting pair of signs in Clute, TX I've driven past a couple times:
https://www.google.com/maps/@29.0579619,-95.3509389,3a,53.5y,274.86h,89.17t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sMzo41CzT_R-pYYkj__YE8A!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

And they have a brother on the other side of the chemical plants:
https://www.google.com/maps/@29.0291923,-95.3767887,3a,32.8y,8.73h,88.99t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1ssOiPpGcjli8Fh9vMLMTXuA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Clute has some other strange signs, such as this school speed limit sign:
https://www.google.com/maps/@29.0245021,-95.3993266,3a,15y,279.33h,90.53t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sjvnTNiZhFpM6n3kdEWGvTQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

And this:
https://www.google.com/maps/@29.015016,-95.4048041,3a,15y,116.61h,88.28t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sVvwTnBEh-lXziSDK29M8FQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

[ClassicHasClass]

What on earth is the plant for?

[Scott5114]

What on earth is the plant for?

Looks like it's a Dow chemical plant that also has an R&D component.

[ari-s-drives]

I'm not sure I've ever seen a street blade with a 3/4 error.

[jeffandnicole]

I'm not sure I've ever seen a street blade with a 3/4 error.

One of way too many to count...
https://maps.app.goo.gl/W5Bmybi6xhU9bB2AA

[jakeroot]

I think most of the 3/4ths errors that I see are street blades, followed by BGSs.

[Scott5114]

Yeah, the 3/4 error is actually more likely to appear on street blades, since those are more likely to be put up by city DOTs with engineers that don't know the MUTCD as well as they should. Which means it's more likely to become standard practice, too *cough*KCK*cough*.

[CoreySamson]

What on earth is the plant for?

I believe DOW extracts brine from the ground in the area (which is a salt dome, if my memory serves me right), so the plant might be a salt refinery (I used to know somebody who worked down there). Not sure why these signs were necessary, as there are some chlorine and bleach plants (presumably more dangerous if something goes wrong) in the surrounding area that don't have such signage.

[rarnold]

Interesting pair of signs in Clute, TX I've driven past a couple times:
https://www.google.com/maps/@29.0579619,-95.3509389,3a,53.5y,274.86h,89.17t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sMzo41CzT_R-pYYkj__YE8A!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

And they have a brother on the other side of the chemical plants:
https://www.google.com/maps/@29.0291923,-95.3767887,3a,32.8y,8.73h,88.99t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1ssOiPpGcjli8Fh9vMLMTXuA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Clute has some other strange signs, such as this school speed limit sign:
https://www.google.com/maps/@29.0245021,-95.3993266,3a,15y,279.33h,90.53t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sjvnTNiZhFpM6n3kdEWGvTQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

And this:
https://www.google.com/maps/@29.015016,-95.4048041,3a,15y,116.61h,88.28t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sVvwTnBEh-lXziSDK29M8FQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

If there is a plant emergency, I don't know if I want to travel another 6 feet, let alone 600 feet, towards the plant.

[JoePCool14]

I've never seen this before. A BYS on a railroad crossing gantry.

Grand Ave in Elmwood Park, IL
https://goo.gl/maps/yN4RydaHFzynMMvd6

[plain]

I've never seen this before. A BYS on a railroad crossing gantry.

Grand Ave in Elmwood Park, IL
https://goo.gl/maps/yN4RydaHFzynMMvd6

That's actually pretty neat for that crossing.

[Scott5114]

Oklahoma accidentally posted a run of signs that isn't dogshit! I-44 between S.W. 89th Street in OKC and Newcastle. Only error I can find is a single exit tab on the wrong side. Arrows are correct, shields are correct, fonts are correct (looks like EEM, actually). Very nice to see!

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.3801851,-97.574315,3a,75y,187.81h,90.05t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1smKuu_mmHq3mWSv-IgZR1UQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 and continue south.

[JoePCool14]

Oklahoma accidentally posted a run of signs that isn't dogshit! I-44 between S.W. 89th Street in OKC and Newcastle. Only error I can find is a single exit tab on the wrong side. Arrows are correct, shields are correct, fonts are correct (looks like EEM, actually). Very nice to see!

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.3801851,-97.574315,3a,75y,187.81h,90.05t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1smKuu_mmHq3mWSv-IgZR1UQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 and continue south.

That is able to be unique, odd, and interesting all at the same time. Those are some pretty decent signs.

On the contrary, I made the mistake of going north to discover this monstrosity.
https://goo.gl/maps/V3FUdundrt5d46pS9

[Dirt Roads]

I've never seen this before. A BYS on a railroad crossing gantry.

Grand Ave in Elmwood Park, IL
https://goo.gl/maps/yN4RydaHFzynMMvd6

That's actually pretty neat for that crossing.

Wow.  This railroader's understanding of the MUTCD is that the flashing light signals (FLS) are required to be mounted on the gantry and not under the catwalk.  I don't think that I will find that specifically written in the manual.  We also had a requirement for aiming the focal length of those roundels down the highway based on the height of the FLS and the elevation of the roadway.

[Scott5114]

Oklahoma accidentally posted a run of signs that isn't dogshit! I-44 between S.W. 89th Street in OKC and Newcastle. Only error I can find is a single exit tab on the wrong side. Arrows are correct, shields are correct, fonts are correct (looks like EEM, actually). Very nice to see!

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.3801851,-97.574315,3a,75y,187.81h,90.05t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1smKuu_mmHq3mWSv-IgZR1UQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 and continue south.

That is able to be unique, odd, and interesting all at the same time. Those are some pretty decent signs.

On the contrary, I made the mistake of going north to discover this monstrosity.
https://goo.gl/maps/V3FUdundrt5d46pS9

I mean, those signs looked pretty sharp when installed in the mid 2000s. Deep green and bright white sheeting made them really easy to read. But I guess the sheeting didn't hold up. All of the new signs on that stretch replaced signs that were as beat up as those. Not sure why the ones at the system interchange, of all things, didn't get replaced.

[roadman65]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/54480415@N08/51309101725/

I know the ceiling gives no room for a normal sign, but looks cool though.

[kphoger]

On the contrary, I made the mistake of going north to discover this monstrosity.
https://goo.gl/maps/V3FUdundrt5d46pS9

I mean, those signs looked pretty sharp when installed in the mid 2000s. Deep green and bright white sheeting made them really easy to read. But I guess the sheeting didn't hold up. All of the new signs on that stretch replaced signs that were as beat up as those. Not sure why the ones at the system interchange, of all things, didn't get replaced.

Goodness, yes, I certainly noticed those signs three weeks ago on my way back from Del Rio.  As I mentioned in another thread:

A lot of the BGSes along I-44 on the south side of OKC are really faded, and I don't remember them being that way just 1½ years ago.  What happened?  It's gotten to the point that you can barely even read a couple of them.

Here in Wichita, the Interstate shields have completely peeled off of these signs in the year and a half since the GSV was taken–leaving nothing but a white I-shield-shaped blanks.

[mrsman]

I've never seen this before. A BYS on a railroad crossing gantry.

Grand Ave in Elmwood Park, IL
https://goo.gl/maps/yN4RydaHFzynMMvd6

That's actually pretty neat for that crossing.

Wow.  This railroader's understanding of the MUTCD is that the flashing light signals (FLS) are required to be mounted on the gantry and not under the catwalk.  I don't think that I will find that specifically written in the manual.  We also had a requirement for aiming the focal length of those roundels down the highway based on the height of the FLS and the elevation of the roadway.

In 2005, on the day before Thanksgiving during the afternoon rush hour there was a terrible collision at this point.  A fairly busy commuter rail line intersects the street at an odd angle, so the crossing is very long.  The signage here and other improvements were meant to improve safety.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZTu11n0Ehc

https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna10185175

https://www.flickr.com/photos/54480415@N08/51309101725/

I know the ceiling gives no room for a normal sign, but looks cool though.

These are cool.  Signs like this are becoming more popular within tunnels.  I believe similar type of signage exists in the new WA-99 tunnel in Seattle and in I-93 tunnel in Boston.

[tolbs17]

These signs don't match. Which sign looks better?

[JoePCool14]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/54480415@N08/51309101725/

I know the ceiling gives no room for a normal sign, but looks cool though.

These are cool.  Signs like this are becoming more popular within tunnels.  I believe similar type of signage exists in the new WA-99 tunnel in Seattle and in I-93 tunnel in Boston.

I agree. It might be interesting to try to redesign signs to fit on such a tight space. It would make for quite the challenge!

[wanderer2575]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/54480415@N08/51309101725/

I know the ceiling gives no room for a normal sign, but looks cool though.

Or go with a normal sign if the ceiling does provide enough room, such as this one on northbound M-10 under the TCF Center in downtown Detroit:

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.3263837,-83.0508777,3a,75y,260.65h,70.77t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sVzSFYw2yRrE5wUAaloD8EA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

[FrCorySticha]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/54480415@N08/51309101725/

I know the ceiling gives no room for a normal sign, but looks cool though.

These are cool.  Signs like this are becoming more popular within tunnels.  I believe similar type of signage exists in the new WA-99 tunnel in Seattle and in I-93 tunnel in Boston.

Yes they do in both cases. If multiple lines are needed, they'll space additional signs about 100 feet apart. Here's a streetview example from Seattle: https://goo.gl/maps/YnZPRZVsKaxKBaJ67