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

[J N Winkler]

If I'm reading that right, that's 800 mm or about 31 inches. That's not that much bigger than the typical BGS arrow in the US, is it?

I think that 800 mm measurement applies to the smaller arrow on the bottom panel.  This design was generated in CarDim (short for dimensionamiento de carteles, cartel being the peninsular Spanish term for a designable guide sign), and the measurement boxes tend to overflow onto a second or even a third page for complex designs.

It's been a while since I studied Norma 8.1-IC (the Spanish direction sign design bible), but I recall that it correlates arrow length to panel height in the 2001 edition (which would have been used to design this sign), and I think that rule has been retained in some form in the 2015 (current) edition since I still see multipanel carteles where each panel has a different-sized arrow.  The arrow in the top panel is probably around 1600 mm (63 in) in length, which makes it wildly oversized for a typical arrow on an American freeway guide sign with capital letter height of 16 in.  On this sign the altura basica ("basic height," or Hb--capital letter height of primary destination legend) is 240 mm (9.4 in), so the arrow is even more out of proportion.

In the US arrow size is typically correlated to capital letter height of primary destination legend, and I think SignCAD defaults to Type A arrow length of 35.6 in for 16 in caps.

[frankenroad]

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.4722606,-77.6706448,3a,15y,10.03h,87.92t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sfGMveqtW9pt8U6DdXEHUmA!2e0!5s20180701T000000!7i13312!8i6656

???

That's a SCHOOL ZONE sign, not a crosswalk sign.  It appears there is a school ahead.
A SCHOOL CROSSING SIGN would have two parallel lines where the "children's" feet are.

[renegade]

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.4722606,-77.6706448,3a,15y,10.03h,87.92t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sfGMveqtW9pt8U6DdXEHUmA!2e0!5s20180701T000000!7i13312!8i6656

???

That's a SCHOOL ZONE sign, not a crosswalk sign.  It appears there is a school ahead.
A SCHOOL CROSSING SIGN would have two parallel lines where the "children's" feet are.

Looking at the street-view timeline, it looks like the new sign has the kiddies going the opposite way.

[Big John]

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.4722606,-77.6706448,3a,15y,10.03h,87.92t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sfGMveqtW9pt8U6DdXEHUmA!2e0!5s20180701T000000!7i13312!8i6656

???

That's a SCHOOL ZONE sign, not a crosswalk sign.  It appears there is a school ahead.
A SCHOOL CROSSING SIGN would have two parallel lines where the "children's" feet are.

That changed with the 2003 MUTCD.  A school crossing sign is now the school ahead sign with a diagonal downward arrow placard.

[tolbs17]

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.4722606,-77.6706448,3a,15y,10.03h,87.92t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sfGMveqtW9pt8U6DdXEHUmA!2e0!5s20180701T000000!7i13312!8i6656

???

That's a SCHOOL ZONE sign, not a crosswalk sign.  It appears there is a school ahead.
A SCHOOL CROSSING SIGN would have two parallel lines where the "children's" feet are.

Looking at the street-view timeline, it looks like the new sign has the kiddies going the opposite way.

I wonder why they did that...

[tolbs17]

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.6074364,-77.3458134,3a,15y,208.38h,84.61t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sWpD2OQb9YufSaI9DbNpfcw!2e0!5s20120401T000000!7i13312!8i6656

Compare the years and see the difference of this sign.

[renegade]

Different color.  Is it good, bad, or ugly?

[tolbs17]

Different color.  Is it good, bad, or ugly?

Well the yellow-green is more visible so that's definitely a step-ups. Those type of signs were first introduced in the 90s to reduce pedestrian deaths.

[ErmineNotyours]

I think I've posted this before, but it bears repeating.

Paper arrow

[jay8g]

Talking about arrows, Seattle loves weird arrows. Seriously, those links are just scratching the surface of the weirdness you can find around here. It feels like almost every Seattle guide sign from more than a few years ago has something wrong with its design!

[roadman65]

This typical Caltrans Freeway Entrance sign hidden from view behind a fence.

[tolbs17]

Do these wires on this sign control the electricity?

https://www.google.com/maps/@36.3351956,-76.9824317,3a,24.3y,6.62h,95.93t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1ssX7pXcUBcah1OW7Z2Nw4ig!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!5m1!1e1

[interstatefan990]

When NYCDOT wanted to be inclusive to that one woman on the team.

[GenExpwy]

Do these wires on this sign control the electricity?

https://www.google.com/maps/@36.3351956,-76.9824317,3a,24.3y,6.62h,95.93t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1ssX7pXcUBcah1OW7Z2Nw4ig!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!5m1!1e1

A closer view shows the signal wires are hanging from the top support cable.

[tolbs17]

And this arrow is odd looking. Hell the signs look terrible looking.

[roadman65]

Looks like Caltrans here put a smaller shield over the larger shield that it is to replace.

[D-Dey65]

Is this sign in Alabama, or somewhere further west?

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:I-10_Pensacola_-_Slatted_Sign_(46016906285).jpg

[Big John]

^^ Alabama had the slotted signs in hurricane areas.  I don't know if that sign still exists.

[Rothman]

^^ Alabama had the slotted signs in hurricane areas.  I don't know if that sign still exists.

Slotted signs are as far north as Montgomery.

[formulanone]

^^ Alabama had the slotted signs in hurricane areas.  I don't know if that sign still exists.

Slotted signs are as far north as Montgomery.

There's also a few left in Huntsville. Mobile has a lot of them, I think all of the Montgomery (signage project, circa 2019) and Birmingham ones (major I-59/20 re-construction) are gone.

US 72 at AL 255 (front)
US 72 at AL 255 (back)
US 231/431 North

Are the Delaware examples still around? I didn't see any in 2019 on I-495, but I don't recall driving the entire length.

[jmacswimmer]

Are the Delaware examples still around? I didn't see any in 2019 on I-495, but I don't recall driving the entire length.

Gone - replaced by regular clearview signs on a monotube gantry.

[JoePCool14]

When NYCDOT wanted to be inclusive to that one woman on the team.

Wow. They tried to virtue signal, but they couldn't even do that right. Unless there is only actually one woman there...

[roadfro]

And this arrow is odd looking. Hell the signs look terrible looking.

The arrow looks fine to me. And the signs in general don't look terrible looking...

[D-Dey65]

^^ Alabama had the slotted signs in hurricane areas.  I don't know if that sign still exists.

Slotted signs are as far north as Montgomery.

So I take it you won't find any of these in Mississippi?

[US 89]

^^ Alabama had the slotted signs in hurricane areas.  I don't know if that sign still exists.

Slotted signs are as far north as Montgomery.

Even further than that - at least one still stands in Birmingham: