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

[jakeroot]

I'm not sure why we don't use those permanently. They couldn't be any clearer or simple.

I'm about 90% in agreement. I would prefer a blue outline versus green, because green and red look the same to colorblind individuals. Having more than just a slash being different between the two would be better. There's no blue/red colorblindness that I know of, so people could tell those colors apart.

Indeed. As show by this comparison, blue stands out much more than green:

I rather like the signs.  The first two can replace the "DO NOT PASS" and "PASS WITH CARE" signage.  The latter then becomes a double symbol sign (the symbol inside, and the pennant itself being a giant arrow pointing you back to the right).

Fun fact: The "do not pass" signs depicted here were actually considered for inclusion in the 2009 MUTCD, but the FHWA ultimately didn't adopt it as there was concern that it wouldn't be intuitively understood.

Apparently we Americans are the only people only the planet who can't be counted on to understand non-wordy signs. That seems to be the view of the FHWA.

I'm all for increased symbolization on our road signs. But even with an optional supplemental plaque, FHWA ended up thinking it wouldn't be intuitive. (FWIW, at first sighting, I also didn't immediately understand the meaning without the plaque.)

Realistically, we're going to have to create some version of the sign that has a symbol. We can't rely on English text forever.

The FHWA does have to lighten up a bit and allow things that take a hair longer to read, if it means allowing those who aren't fully proficient in English some chance of understanding the message.

[Amtrakprod]

I just saw a YouTube comment mentioning that Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited should be called the Late Shore Limited.  When I Googled "Late Shore Limited", I came across a train blog with a picture of the Lake Shore Limited in North East, PA.  When I went to find the location of the picture in Street View, I came across a railroad crossing sign with a "1 TRACK" plaque.  I've never seen any plaques for a single track before.

Neat! Those are pretty unique, not rare. In fact, I saw one at a NEW crossing I'll send google maps view later but here is a photograph and here's a video link: https://youtu.be/gn6agC3sYZ0


iPhone

[D-Dey65]

Crooked Creek Road? Or is it really Cameltoe Lane?

Naw, it's a chicken foot. One kid here knows. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yA7RiwMevT8

[Zeffy]

Apologies for the absolute dogshit quality, but apparently there was more salt on the windshield than I originally thought. I know construction signs aren't that great to begin with but... it looks like someone stuck a north plaque from another sign onto this sign and called it a day.

[kphoger]

Found an interesting and old One Way sign on US-50 Business/Salisbury Parkway in Salisbury MD this morning:

What's do you find interesting?  All I see is a normal-looking ONE WAY sign with some fading.

[Eth]

Found an interesting and old One Way sign on US-50 Business/Salisbury Parkway in Salisbury MD this morning:

What's do you find interesting?  All I see is a normal-looking ONE WAY sign with some fading.

It also looks like it's using an older font. Probably the same one I've seen elsewhere in Maryland:

[ipeters61]

Found an interesting and old One Way sign on US-50 Business/Salisbury Parkway in Salisbury MD this morning:

What's do you find interesting?  All I see is a normal-looking ONE WAY sign with some fading.

It also looks like it's using an older font. Probably the same one I've seen elsewhere in Maryland:

(MD-355 shields)

Yes, it was the font that got me.

[ErmineNotyours]

Another old One-Way sign, under the Alaska Way Viaduct, Seattle, WA.  I had to take this the week they closed it, because previously this had been a dangerous off-ramp crosswalk that nobody stopped for peds at.

Old One-Way sign under the Alaksa Way Viaduct by Arthur Allen, on Flickr

[KEVIN_224]

East Columbus Avenue in Springfield, MA, heading north by the new MGM Casino. The wind looks like it's trying to rip off the down arrows on the left sign! The faded I-91 shield doesn't help either!


Meanwhile, back home in central Connecticut:


Southbound Berlin Turnpike (US 5/CT 15) in Newington, across from Walmart. This "JCT 173" sign was literally being held up by one bolt instead of two (a couple of inches above the grass). High winds back on February 25th said "Well enough of that s---!" The sign more or less flapped back and forth on other days. There even a distinct gouge in the dirt below where it stood! The sign had been covered with snow for a week or so, if you couldn't tell.

[RobbieL2415]

I'm not sure why we don't use those permanently. They couldn't be any clearer or simple.

I'm about 90% in agreement. I would prefer a blue outline versus green, because green and red look the same to colorblind individuals. Having more than just a slash being different between the two would be better. There's no blue/red colorblindness that I know of, so people could tell those colors apart.

Indeed. As show by this comparison, blue stands out much more than green:

I rather like the signs.  The first two can replace the "DO NOT PASS" and "PASS WITH CARE" signage.  The latter then becomes a double symbol sign (the symbol inside, and the pennant itself being a giant arrow pointing you back to the right).

Fun fact: The "do not pass" signs depicted here were actually considered for inclusion in the 2009 MUTCD, but the FHWA ultimately didn't adopt it as there was concern that it wouldn't be intuitively understood.

Apparently we Americans are the only people only the planet who can't be counted on to understand non-wordy signs. That seems to be the view of the FHWA.

I'm all for increased symbolization on our road signs. But even with an optional supplemental plaque, FHWA ended up thinking it wouldn't be intuitive. (FWIW, at first sighting, I also didn't immediately understand the meaning without the plaque.)

Realistically, we're going to have to create some version of the sign that has a symbol. We can't rely on English text forever.

The FHWA does have to lighten up a bit and allow things that take a hair longer to read, if it means allowing those who aren't fully proficient in English some chance of understanding the message.

Let's use railroad abbreviations instead.

[cjk374]

Found an interesting and old One Way sign on US-50 Business/Salisbury Parkway in Salisbury MD this morning:

What's do you find interesting?  All I see is a normal-looking ONE WAY sign with some fading.

It also looks like it's using an older font. Probably the same one I've seen elsewhere in Maryland:

(MD-355 shields)

Yes, it was the font that got me.

I was enjoying the old car in the pic.

[Ben114]

Just found this sign about ten minutes ago at Wachusett Regional High School, in Holden, MA.

[vdeane]

If it weren't for the text, I'd think that sign referred to some giant caterpillar thing attacking the schoolchildren.

[kphoger]

Wouldn't it be simpler to just advise the children not to breathe?

[plain]

Apologies for the absolute dogshit quality, but apparently there was more salt on the windshield than I originally thought. I know construction signs aren't that great to begin with but... it looks like someone stuck a north plaque from another sign onto this sign and called it a day.

Is that a unisign behind that? If it is something looks seriously off with it.

[PHLBOS]

Apologies for the absolute dogshit quality, but apparently there was more salt on the windshield than I originally thought. I know construction signs aren't that great to begin with but... it looks like someone stuck a north plaque from another sign onto this sign and called it a day.

Is that a unisign behind that? If it is something looks seriously off with it.

It's not a unisign.  Such looks to be a black tarp to cover the signs when the ramp is temporarily closed.

[formulanone]

If it weren't for the text, I'd think that sign referred to some giant caterpillar thing attacking the schoolchildren.

It's a very hungry caterpillar. Apparently, that one green leaf just wasn't enough after that Saturday binge.

[kphoger]

It's a very hungry caterpillar. Apparently, that one green leaf just wasn't enough after that Saturday binge.

I see what you did there.

[RobbieL2415]

I swear RI is a treasure trove of bad and obscure signs.  Here's some I passed on Wednesday.

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.3290242,-71.8318636,3a,25.4y,41.56h,89.67t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sw-gH5W1nLURmupNDEPvMrQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

https://goo.gl/maps/FY72pF4qBi52

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.3549779,-71.7126705,3a,15y,103.87h,90.09t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sbt5zgnUGFYaDudPg4uKiKA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[sprjus4]

I swear RI is a treasure trove of bad and obscure signs.  Here's some I passed on Wednesday.

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.3290242,-71.8318636,3a,25.4y,41.56h,89.67t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sw-gH5W1nLURmupNDEPvMrQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

https://goo.gl/maps/FY72pF4qBi52

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.3549779,-71.7126705,3a,15y,103.87h,90.09t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sbt5zgnUGFYaDudPg4uKiKA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

I'd have to say that the last sign is actually normal. I've seen that type of signage (next left, turn left, etc.) in lots of places.

[ipeters61]

I swear RI is a treasure trove of bad and obscure signs.  Here's some I passed on Wednesday.

...

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.3549779,-71.7126705,3a,15y,103.87h,90.09t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sbt5zgnUGFYaDudPg4uKiKA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

I'd have to say that the last sign is actually normal. I've seen that type of signage (next left, turn left, etc.) in lots of places.

Yeah, that's fairly standard by RIDOT standards.

They use a lot of "[Destination] - Stay on [road]" signs on Delmarva:

US-113 in Georgetown DE: https://www.google.com/maps/@38.7093471,-75.4045797,3a,15.9y,185.9h,87.99t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sq_iCbkweVaSecT9cdIBwiQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

US-50/301 approaching Bay Bridge from the east: https://www.google.com/maps/@38.9661426,-76.2266957,3a,16.5y,300.96h,87.41t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sHZc3LPQsZ80iL1uye5xxNw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

And then there's the jog left sign used when you should turn off US-113 (at DE-20 in Dagsboro): https://www.google.com/maps/@38.5704156,-75.2821134,3a,15.6y,111.43h,90.63t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sxIvONNhpbC92qFTXwUaEwg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[Max Rockatansky]

Ran into several "Historic" Lincoln Highway shields between French Camp and Altamont Pass today.  I'm not sure who put these up but it appears to likely have been a single individual given that they don't really follow expected signage guides to direct traffic in any way.  Nonetheless I found the LH shields to be a welcome addition, too bad the same corridor doesn't have any Historic US 48 or US 50 signage:

IMG_0339 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

[djlynch]

I thought a blue circle meant "required".

I think it's an equivalent to our regulatory signage. Which has variable uses, from what's OK, to what's absolutely required.

Blue circles are regulatory signs but they have a specific meaning. The closest American equivalent would be putting the word "only" under the same legend in a black-on-white sign, whether it's an arrow or a type of vehicle. In other words, a truck pictogram on a blue circle would mean that cars, buses, motorcycles, etc. aren't allowed, and not that trucks must be in that lane or follow that route.

European signage doesn't seem to have a standard way to say "this is not prohibited," which is what a green circle seems to mean on the proposed passing zone signage and the handful of American signs where it's in use.

[frankenroad]

Ran into several "Historic" Lincoln Highway shields between French Camp and Altamont Pass today.  I'm not sure who put these up but it appears to likely have been a single individual given that they don't really follow expected signage guides to direct traffic in any way.  Nonetheless I found the LH shields to be a welcome addition, too bad the same corridor doesn't have any Historic US 48 or US 50 signage:

IMG_0339 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

Here's one on old US-30 near Beaverdam, OH.
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.8333918,-83.9508068,3a,90y,58.44h,97.54t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sc_t1gqOwFQtzihYKMGFo1Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[Max Rockatansky]

Ran into several "Historic" Lincoln Highway shields between French Camp and Altamont Pass today.  I'm not sure who put these up but it appears to likely have been a single individual given that they don't really follow expected signage guides to direct traffic in any way.  Nonetheless I found the LH shields to be a welcome addition, too bad the same corridor doesn't have any Historic US 48 or US 50 signage:

IMG_0339 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

Here's one on old US-30 near Beaverdam, OH.
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.8333918,-83.9508068,3a,90y,58.44h,97.54t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sc_t1gqOwFQtzihYKMGFo1Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Found one on the Old Dutch Flat and Donner Lake Road at Central Pacific rail tunnels.  I'm to understand there are other shields up on the old alignments elsewhere on Donner Pass:

https://flic.kr/p/PHt3qd

For what it's worth the Lincoln Highway seems to be the US 66 of Auto Trails.  The Dixie Highway gets some historic attention but the Lincoln Highway appears to have the largest nostalgic Auto Trail following.