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

[SignGeek101]

This street sign here in Huntsville's missing the "Avenue" suffix on it:
Clinton Avenue by freebrickproductions, on Flickr

Some cities do not add the suffix at all. Can be confusing for 'street versus avenue' cities like New York.

Here in Winnipeg, there are a few street blades that are in mixed-case FHWA, even though the vast majority are in all-caps FHWA or Clearview.

[freebrickproductions]

Found this neutered I-565 shield at the eastern end of I-565 recently:
Neutered I-565 Sheild by freebrickproductions, on Flickr
There also used to be another one for westbound traffic, but that shield is currently MIA due to the construction going on there. However, I did spot another neutered I-565 shield on US 72 facing the I-565 overpass, so that makes three neutered interstate shields here in Huntsville, AL.

[jakeroot]

Pretty unique sign in Seattle. Where else in the US is a U-turn legal on red?

FWIW, this is a left turn onto a one-way. Montlake @ Hamlin:

[Ace10]

Pretty unique sign in Seattle. Where else in the US is a U-turn legal on red?

FWIW, this is a left turn onto a one-way. Montlake @ Hamlin:

While I was poking around Louisiana's statutes, I came across this gem (only relevant parts quoted, and emphasis mine):

RS 32:232

§232.  Traffic-control signals
(3)  Steady RED indication:
(c)  Except when a sign prohibits a turn, vehicular traffic facing any steady red signal may cautiously enter the intersection to turn right, or to turn left from a one-way street into a one-way street, or to U-turn at a signalized U-turn after stopping as required by Subparagraph (a) or Subparagraph (b) of this Paragraph. Such vehicular traffic shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians lawfully within an adjacent crosswalk and to other traffic lawfully using the intersection.

So it looks like a U-turn on red is legal in Louisiana at "signalized U-turns", whatever that might actually mean. I didn't dig around the statutes for a definition, but I imagine if the signal's arrows are in the shape of an upside-down letter 'U" (I've seen these in a few places) or, at the very least, when there is a sign that reads something like "U-turn only", making such a signal a de-facto "signalized U-turn", I'd say the turn can be made on red. I imagine these would be used on roads that are designed with a lot of Michigan lefts and have these kinds of turns past intersections.

[Kacie Jane]

Pretty unique sign in Seattle. Where else in the US is a U-turn legal on red?

FWIW, this is a left turn onto a one-way. Montlake @ Hamlin:

There are a handful of intersections in Seattle where it's legal to turn left on red from a two-way onto a two-way.  (However, Lake City Way @ 30th Ave is the only one I could recall the exact location of off the top of my head.)  The sign here specifies "left turn" permitted, and doesn't mention U-turns, though I still wonder making a U on red would be legal here as well.  (Incoming traffic on 31st has a stop sign, not a signal.)

[1995hoo]

I think this has been posted here before, but if so, no big deal. Passed this today on Mountain Road in Albuquerque walking back to our hotel from Old Town. I noted the street had purple signs calling it "Bicycle Boulevard" and the 18-mph speed limit made a right turn onto another street when the purple signs did. So maybe the speed limit has something to do with cyclist traffic. As you can see, there was no bike lane.

[formulanone]

Olympic Rings device used on a BGS - located outside Charlotte, NC on I-85.

[roadman65]

https://flic.kr/p/z6DEfm
I think this one here is interesting that the recommended exit speed limit should be 60 mph considering that is 5 mph higher than the previous National Speed Limit that was the max for over 2 decades.

[english si]

Olympic Rings device used on a BGS - located outside Charlotte, NC on I-85.

Don't let the IOC see - breach of copyright and all that!

[1995hoo]

Note the "left turn only" sign. Can't say I recall seeing a BGS or LGS used in this particular fashion before, but I liked it. Passed it twice today on Old Route 66 in Albuquerque.




Speaking of Route 66, I had breakfast at a diner along there, the Route 66 Diner. Out front were some nice roadside nostalgia signs:



(In case it's unclear, it says "It would/be great/to stop/for a shake/66 Diner.")

Bit of an anachronism inside: 1950s-themed diner with a Darth Vader Pez dispenser. I suppose, however, in November 1955 George McFly was allegedly visited by Darth Vader from the planet Vulcan, so maybe it's not totally out of place.

[PHLBOS]

YIELD sign that's still stuck in the 1950s(?)

Another one further up

Note: these signs have since been replaced with yellow YIELD signs, sans the RIGHT OF WAY text.  So now these signs are up to late 60s standards LOL.

[1995hoo]

[kkt]

"But without the AC, I will overheat!"

I am sure I've seen that sign, but I don't remember where it is now.

[jakeroot]

I get the feeling that the sign serves little purpose these days. New cars don't really overheat, so far as I know (or at least not as often as they may have).

[1995hoo]

"But without the AC, I will overheat!"

I am sure I've seen that sign, but I don't remember where it is now.

Northbound I-17 somewhere north of Phoenix just before the first big uphill.

[noelbotevera]

I-10 has a sign east of exit 146 (Dillon Road) near mile 149 that has this sign (the A/C-overheating sign).

[Zeffy]

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.5184779,-80.4351279,3a,15y,58.41h,89.6t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s5nIPkz3p2_jShbtC---n5A!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

As much as I love text-only signs, I would not know what the fuck Road 400 referred to if I saw this sign in real life.

[Mapmikey]

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.5184779,-80.4351279,3a,15y,58.41h,89.6t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s5nIPkz3p2_jShbtC---n5A!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

As much as I love text-only signs, I would not know what the fuck Road 400 referred to if I saw this sign in real life.

South Carolina had referred to secondary roads on BGSs in rural areas this way and had back to at least the early 1980s.  I haven't been on interstates all over SC lately but I believe they are replacing most (all?) those with road names instead of the number. 

For example: https://goo.gl/maps/vw6ia5NnBwH2 changed to https://goo.gl/maps/rgV2w2qoTfs

incidentally, the text US 15-301 was on the BGS here even before US 15-301 was moved onto I-95 in this area.

Mike

[thenetwork]

South Carolina had referred to secondary roads on BGSs in rural areas this way and had back to at least the early 1980s.  I haven't been on interstates all over SC lately but I believe they are replacing most (all?) those with road names instead of the number. 

Utah has been doing the same thing, replacing signs which are simply named "Ranch (access) Exit" with at least what that specific area is referred to, not necessarily a road name.  I-70 "Ranch" exits have slowly been converted over the last 3-5 years.

[kkt]

"But without the AC, I will overheat!"

I am sure I've seen that sign, but I don't remember where it is now.

Northbound I-17 somewhere north of Phoenix just before the first big uphill.

Ah, about 35 years ago...

[freebrickproductions]

YIELD sign that's still stuck in the 1950s(?)

Another one further up

Note: these signs have since been replaced with yellow YIELD signs, sans the RIGHT OF WAY text.  So now these signs are up to late 60s standards LOL.

IMO, those qualify for "best of".

[formulanone]

I get the feeling that the sign serves little purpose these days. New cars don't really overheat, so far as I know (or at least not as often as they may have).

Cars can still overheat...that will probably never change, so as long as miniature combustion chambers exist in inside of them!

Shutting off the A/C can reduce load on its compressor, which is driven by belt on a pulley. Depending on the design of cooling system, how many belt(s) and pulleys are used, the same belt might be used to drive the radiator fan motor, which cools the engine, and the alternator, which helps keep the electricity flowing throughout the vehicle. (Note: this is a simplistic view on the matter - there's numerous configurations of cooling/charging/drive-belt/accessory-belt/hybrid drivetrains out there, with all sorts of intricacies and special snowflakes that also abound.)

If your car is in fine working shape, it should have no trouble, with the A/C on. But driving something a few years old? Not too hot outside? Had cooling system, charging system, or drivability issues? ...I'd shut it off.

[kkt]

I saw a couple of overheated vehicles stopped just a couple of weeks ago.  Light pickup and a crossover, towing biggish trailers, hot day, uphill = overheat.

[Brandon]

I imagine these would be used on roads that are designed with a lot of Michigan lefts and have these kinds of turns past intersections.

There are no signs like that at any Michigan Left that I have seen in Michigan.  Instead, it's treated as a left turn, and therefore, you can turn left on red.

[cappicard]

Manhattan, Kansas has an oddball group of signs at the intersection of 4th and Pierre Sts.  They feature generic circular highway shields for K-177, instead of the regular sunflower ones on the traffic light arms.