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Favorite Caltrans Screwups

Started by Occidental Tourist, March 07, 2022, 01:58:44 PM

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DTComposer

Quote from: plain on March 23, 2022, 03:20:47 PM
Quote from: kurumi on March 23, 2022, 01:55:23 PM
Come onnnnn Caltrans, it's like you're not even trying :-)

I see this abomination every day on Moffett Boulevard (no, that's not true)



Did you post the correct image? I never been to the west coast but I'm certain CA doesn't use yellow signal housings and that's obviously a UT state route on the street blade...

That's the joke, y'all. UT-85 is the Mountain View corridor, and CA-85 goes through the city of Mountain View (and uses it as a control city).


Max Rockatansky

Quote from: DTComposer on March 23, 2022, 03:36:54 PM
Quote from: plain on March 23, 2022, 03:20:47 PM
Quote from: kurumi on March 23, 2022, 01:55:23 PM
Come onnnnn Caltrans, it's like you're not even trying :-)

I see this abomination every day on Moffett Boulevard (no, that's not true)



Did you post the correct image? I never been to the west coast but I'm certain CA doesn't use yellow signal housings and that's obviously a UT state route on the street blade...

That's the joke, y'all. UT-85 is the Mountain View corridor, and CA-85 goes through the city of Mountain View (and uses it as a control city).

The interesting thing is that the 101 signage (very Washington State feeling) on Moffett Boulevard made it feel plausible:

https://goo.gl/maps/Hp4N5ugvdaU3yTFKA

Having worked out there a couple times it wouldn't have surprised me if the Moffett Field had some weird home brew signage erected.  It totally would be in keeping with other Federal/Military properties I have worked on.

plain

Quote from: DTComposer on March 23, 2022, 03:36:54 PM
Quote from: plain on March 23, 2022, 03:20:47 PM
Quote from: kurumi on March 23, 2022, 01:55:23 PM
Come onnnnn Caltrans, it's like you're not even trying :-)

I see this abomination every day on Moffett Boulevard (no, that's not true)



Did you post the correct image? I never been to the west coast but I'm certain CA doesn't use yellow signal housings and that's obviously a UT state route on the street blade...

That's the joke, y'all. UT-85 is the Mountain View corridor, and CA-85 goes through the city of Mountain View (and uses it as a control city).

Oooops!!  :-D :spin:
Newark born, Richmond bred

DTComposer

This is my current favorite:
https://goo.gl/maps/Hav5i8YJzEnA92ck7

The implication being I-680 north only continues in the left-most lane, while the next three lanes take some un-named route towards Benicia and Sacramento.

(This is replicated in the other direction using I-680 south, Walnut Creek and San Jose).

kurumi

Quote from: plain on March 23, 2022, 03:20:47 PM
Quote from: kurumi on March 23, 2022, 01:55:23 PM
Come onnnnn Caltrans, it's like you're not even trying :-)

I see this abomination every day on Moffett Boulevard (no, that's not true)



Did you post the correct image? I never been to the west coast but I'm certain CA doesn't use yellow signal housings and that's obviously a UT state route on the street blade...

It's from Utah. The state route 85 to Mountain View in UT and CA is a coincidence and led to a satirical post
My first SF/horror short story collection is available: "Young Man, Open Your Winter Eye"

US 89

Satire often doesn't seem to work on this forum...

On a more serious note, it looks like that "w" is a different font from the rest of the sign. This is not totally unprecedented in Utah (check out "12300" on this sign on I-15) but looks really weird once you notice it.

heynow415

It's not really a screw-up but just a really incongruous sign.  https://goo.gl/maps/b85xN56nNdkof1oe6  It's on "the" 205 westbound at the west end of Tracy.  I remember chuckling about this as a kid (many, many years ago) coming back from visiting family in Sacramento, and still do when I occasionally pass through.  Despite what it implies, there is nothing for miles (especially in those days) and certainly no Hollywood sign, Sunset Blvd, Capitol Records building, Warner Bros. studios, Tommy's Burgers, Griffith Park or any semblance of an urban downtown. 

Since there is no direct ramp from 205 west to 580 east (actually southeast) back towards I-5 south, you would need to get off here and travel about a mile south on the surface road to get to 580 enroute to LA. The button copy original has since been replaced with a exit-tabbed sign and changed to "next exit"   https://goo.gl/maps/pHMwF3xWCfzfDcfK6. It's definitely gotten built up out there but LA is still not at the end of the Exit 2 ramp.

roadfro

Quote from: DTComposer on March 23, 2022, 04:19:11 PM
This is my current favorite:
https://goo.gl/maps/Hav5i8YJzEnA92ck7

The implication being I-680 north only continues in the left-most lane, while the next three lanes take some un-named route towards Benicia and Sacramento.

(This is replicated in the other direction using I-680 south, Walnut Creek and San Jose).

The layout of the sign leaves a lot to be desired, but I don't look at the sign and come to that same conclusion.
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.

djsekani

The signage for CA-111 in Indio and points southeast. If not for this forum I would have no clue exactly where it's routed.

Scott5114

Quote from: roadfro on March 24, 2022, 12:03:34 PM
Quote from: DTComposer on March 23, 2022, 04:19:11 PM
This is my current favorite:
https://goo.gl/maps/Hav5i8YJzEnA92ck7

The implication being I-680 north only continues in the left-most lane, while the next three lanes take some un-named route towards Benicia and Sacramento.

(This is replicated in the other direction using I-680 south, Walnut Creek and San Jose).

The layout of the sign leaves a lot to be desired, but I don't look at the sign and come to that same conclusion.

I don't either, but that's mostly because I know non-APL signs are rarely designed so that separate movements appear on the same physical sign panel. A driver who doesn't grok fine details like that could easily incorrectly assign significance to the way the shield and direction is aligned over the arrow and the ocean of green space to the right of it.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

plain

Quote from: Scott5114 on March 26, 2022, 11:35:11 PM
Quote from: roadfro on March 24, 2022, 12:03:34 PM
Quote from: DTComposer on March 23, 2022, 04:19:11 PM
This is my current favorite:
https://goo.gl/maps/Hav5i8YJzEnA92ck7

The implication being I-680 north only continues in the left-most lane, while the next three lanes take some un-named route towards Benicia and Sacramento.

(This is replicated in the other direction using I-680 south, Walnut Creek and San Jose).

The layout of the sign leaves a lot to be desired, but I don't look at the sign and come to that same conclusion.

I don't either, but that's mostly because I know non-APL signs are rarely designed so that separate movements appear on the same physical sign panel. A driver who doesn't grok fine details like that could easily incorrectly assign significance to the way the shield and direction is aligned over the arrow and the ocean of green space to the right of it.

On top of what you guys are saying, I don't like the dancing arrow being so close to the other like that.

That assembly definitely should be APL'd.
Newark born, Richmond bred

RZF

Quote from: djsekani on March 26, 2022, 01:46:39 PM
The signage for CA-111 in Indio and points southeast. If not for this forum I would have no clue exactly where it's routed.
I know the Salton Sea was a big tourist destination at one time, but it makes no sense to me why two state highways (111 and 86) simply parallel each other for miles going SE out of the Coachella Valley with no access to each other, except for 62nd Ave. Couldn't a junction occur just NW of Mecca with one highway truncating at the other, and CA-111 north of this being relinquished?

skluth

Quote from: RZF on March 27, 2022, 10:39:36 PM
Quote from: djsekani on March 26, 2022, 01:46:39 PM
The signage for CA-111 in Indio and points southeast. If not for this forum I would have no clue exactly where it's routed.
I know the Salton Sea was a big tourist destination at one time, but it makes no sense to me why two state highways (111 and 86) simply parallel each other for miles going SE out of the Coachella Valley with no access to each other, except for 62nd Ave. Couldn't a junction occur just NW of Mecca with one highway truncating at the other, and CA-111 north of this being relinquished?
I don't understand why parallel roads need to be connected when one is designed for high speed traffic. CA 86 is an expressway between I-10 and the Salton Sea which bypasses the smaller communities of Coachella, Thermal, and Mecca. Drivers can easily go between the two highways on several local roads like Dillon Rd, Avenue 50, Airport Rd, and the recently upgraded 66th Av.

CA 111 is also the only state highway connecting the Coachella Valley cities of Palm Springs to Indio and is the main connection for drivers from Palm Springs to the Inland Empire and LA. I live in Palm Springs. I don't think PS or any other Coachella Valley city would appreciate losing CA 111.

Occidental Tourist

Quote from: skluth on March 28, 2022, 01:36:06 PM

CA 111 is also the only state highway connecting the Coachella Valley cities of Palm Springs to Indio and is the main connection for drivers from Palm Springs to the Inland Empire and LA. I live in Palm Springs. I don't think PS or any other Coachella Valley city would appreciate losing CA 111.

Technically the only part of 111 through the Coachella Valley cities that is still state highway is the section in Palm Springs.  Everything else east and south to Highway 86 has been relinquished to local cities.

Despite this, the relinquished portions are still signed as "Highway 111"  as the street name in most of these cities.  There'd be a lot of cost in redoing business addresses if the relinquishment was finally acknowledged and the road got a different name or names in those cities.  But with such a large gap between the western and eastern portions of 111, it somewhat makes sense to renumber the western stub as something other than 111, particularly given how that section runs more east-to-west than the north-south section from the Salton Sea to the border.  Or to keep the 111 name and number in the Coachella Valley as a sort of historical/fictional highway name but renumber the Salton Sea to the border section as something else (195?).

Scott5114

I believe Caltrans policy is to use the lowest unused number when adding a new state highway designation. If that's true, it would be CA 21.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

mrsman

#65
Quote from: Occidental Tourist on March 28, 2022, 06:42:23 PM
Quote from: skluth on March 28, 2022, 01:36:06 PM

CA 111 is also the only state highway connecting the Coachella Valley cities of Palm Springs to Indio and is the main connection for drivers from Palm Springs to the Inland Empire and LA. I live in Palm Springs. I don't think PS or any other Coachella Valley city would appreciate losing CA 111.

Technically the only part of 111 through the Coachella Valley cities that is still state highway is the section in Palm Springs.  Everything else east and south to Highway 86 has been relinquished to local cities.

Despite this, the relinquished portions are still signed as “Highway 111” as the street name in most of these cities.  There’d be a lot of cost in redoing business addresses if the relinquishment was finally acknowledged and the road got a different name or names in those cities.  But with such a large gap between the western and eastern portions of 111, it somewhat makes sense to renumber the western stub as something other than 111, particularly given how that section runs more east-to-west than the north-south section from the Salton Sea to the border.  Or to keep the 111 name and number in the Coachella Valley as a sort of historical/fictional highway name but renumber the Salton Sea to the border section as something else (195?).

I had a similar idea that I posted a number of years ago on the Fictional Forum.  Basically assigning one number (86) for the main Indio-Calexico route (that is largely expressway) and reassign all other sections of 111 and 86 accordingly.  Part and pacel with that is separating the 111 along the east side of Salton from the Palm Canyon-Cathedral City-Indio rounting, which should have a separate number.

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=11063.msg263399#msg263399

This post is back from 2013.  So while Caltrans has done a few things to make things clearer, like decomissioning 195, I think they still have a long way to go to make sensible numbered corridors in this section.

It would also be nice if the PS - indio section of current (decomissioned) 111 actually had a distinct name.  (Maybe Desert Blvd).  IF the highway is decomissioned, why are we still referring to it as "Highway 111."

FredAkbar

There is an errant "50 zone ahead" sign on US-101 in San Francisco, just north of the I-280 interchange: https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7423178,-122.4068587,3a,75y,18.17h,90.52t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s80CoX7uALyP8vUFNI4gy4Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

This is fairly new, as it wasn't there in the previous (2019) Google maps images--I had to wait for the updated one to be posted so I could post it here.

The sign doesn't make sense, as the speed limit is already 50mph at that point. It's marked as such on 101 just before the Alemany exit, and the sign isn't even a (late) warning to the merging traffic from 280, since that onramp has its own "speed limit 50" sign, before that point.

TheStranger

Quote from: FredAkbar on July 05, 2022, 01:50:01 AM
There is an errant "50 zone ahead" sign on US-101 in San Francisco, just north of the I-280 interchange: https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7423178,-122.4068587,3a,75y,18.17h,90.52t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s80CoX7uALyP8vUFNI4gy4Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

This is fairly new, as it wasn't there in the previous (2019) Google maps images--I had to wait for the updated one to be posted so I could post it here.

The sign doesn't make sense, as the speed limit is already 50mph at that point. It's marked as such on 101 just before the Alemany exit, and the sign isn't even a (late) warning to the merging traffic from 280, since that onramp has its own "speed limit 50" sign, before that point.

I wonder if this was installed as part of the Alemany Maze reconstruction project in 2020 (though with the limit actually going down to 50 earlier on 101 north, it is still redundant at best!).
Chris Sampang



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