Modoc County Highways

[cahwyguy]

Today, I was driving OR 39 and CA 139 from Klamath Falls to Susanville. Saw something I hadn't seen before. Modoc County is using the blue pentagon -- sometimes -- to mark their county roads. I don't mean the signed county road system of Axx, but thinks like Modoc County 88, Modoc County 139A, etc. The numbers correspond to the County Road XXX numbers.

I also saw both Modoc and Lassen county having square signed with those road numbers on them an the county name.

[Max Rockatansky]

Sierra County has some of those as well.  I didn't get a picture but I did spot a County Route S450 signed on Henness Pass Road off CA 89 back in 2017:

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.504598,-120.262406,3a,15y,62.59h,88.53t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sclDNSzOPN1B9d3HbngkfyA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

[cahwyguy]

Although I took a picture, this is easier:

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.9416167,-121.4567316,3a,15y,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s2QruUcMkP-3cYVIiy6_mTw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[ClassicHasClass]

That must be very new. They didn't used to do that; the road number was just on street signs and such. (Forest highways were signed, though.) However, I've only driven US 395 and a bit of CA 299 in Modoc county, so maybe it's just not around those routes.

[cahwyguy]

They are certainly doing it occasionally along the joint 139/299 section:

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.2765709,-120.8953812,3a,37.5y,20h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s4iIlXHNwcbKvUkSLSXo6Lg!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo1.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D4iIlXHNwcbKvUkSLSXo6Lg%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D20%26pitch%3D-10%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

[sparker]

Seeing as how the previous statewide county-route system was largely voluntary on the part of the individual counties -- and thus quite inconsistent -- it doesn't come as a surprise that the concept of signed county-maintained routes has devolved to the counties themselves with little or no reference to the previous partially alphanumerical distribution.  The discontination of this system in such counties as Tulare (which previously made extensive use of the system) probably made the idea of formally continuing the previous system untenable to Caltrans.   Simply utilizing numerical designations county by county -- as long as there's no chance of confusion with similarly numbered state highways -- seems a reasonable way for the local jurisdictions to proceed.  Personally, I would have preferred some sort of statewide "secondary" route system similar to NJ (but with posted disclaimers regarding maintenance responsibility) -- but leaving it to the counties might work out as well.  It'll be interesting to see if the concept becomes more widespread; my last trip south along US 101 indicated that Monterey County, for one, was reposting several of the formerly "G" prefixed county routes as simply numerical without the alphabetical regional designation, but retaining the blue pentagons with yellow lettering. 

[cahwyguy]

I think the big difference is that the lettered routes sometimes spanned multiple counties. It is unclear whether the numbered routes (which in Modoc and Lassen appear to be based on the county road numbers) span county lines, and if they do, what happens.

[sparker]

I think the big difference is that the lettered routes sometimes spanned multiple counties. It is unclear whether the numbered routes (which in Modoc and Lassen appear to be based on the county road numbers) span county lines, and if they do, what happens.

Chances are that these are strictly intra-county routes.  The last time I was in the NE corner of the state, most of the original alphanumeric (in the "A" series) routes remained signed as they have for the last 50 years.   These are probably intended to delineate shorter county connectors in addition to the existing historical county routes, which were largely limited to either longer or more prominent connectors -- the famous "A3" forming the cutoff of the sharp angle US 395 negotiates east of Susanville is certainly among those despite its relatively short length. 

[ClassicHasClass]

my last trip south along US 101 indicated that Monterey County, for one, was reposting several of the formerly "G" prefixed county routes as simply numerical without the alphabetical regional designation, but retaining the blue pentagons with yellow lettering.

I saw those too, but my interpretation was they were simply errors (since the signage on US 101 would be Caltrans, not local). I should see if the actual shields on the route match. G18 comes to mind; I distinctly remember a "18" by itself on BGSes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_County_Routes_in_zone_G#G18

[Max Rockatansky]

my last trip south along US 101 indicated that Monterey County, for one, was reposting several of the formerly "G" prefixed county routes as simply numerical without the alphabetical regional designation, but retaining the blue pentagons with yellow lettering.

I saw those too, but my interpretation was they were simply errors (since the signage on US 101 would be Caltrans, not local). I should see if the actual shields on the route match. G18 comes to mind; I distinctly remember a "18" by itself on BGSes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_County_Routes_in_zone_G#G18

It is 18 and it's supposed G14:

https://flic.kr/p/VtzH5s