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

[hotdogPi]

If going on the left side can safely be done 90% of the time, then why bother making them go around the long way?. I might even go on the wrong side only if nobody else were approaching the intersection.

That's kind of beside the point. You can do a lot of things when no one is around.

But if doing can be done safely most of the time, then I still say there's no problem to complain about.  It only becomes a problem when people's practices conflict.

Not stopping at a red light, which I remember you saying you sometimes do, might be fine in your area. Where I live, there are trees and houses everywhere, so it would be dangerous in eastern Massachusetts even with no other vehicles visible.

I could imagine a hidden vehicle at these traffic calming circles.

[roadfro]

Almost all of the traffic calming circles in Tacoma show only left and through movements. Is this normal for calming circles? I know it's not for roundabouts, but these aren't those.

I wish Richmond would use these. Most of our traffic calmers have been in place for like 3 or 4 years now and people STILL drive on the wrong side of the island when making a left.

But it implies that you can't turn right.

I would say a good compromise is showing all movements, rather than just those that interact with the circle. The problem is when they get carried away with only using one type of sign, such as when left turns aren't even possible:



These are especially annoying because Tacoma (and other neighboring cities, like Seattle) have been using calming circles for decades now. I don't understand how these types of errors keep occuring. The engineers (especially new hires) should be familiar with all aspects of their design, operation, and signage needs.

This sign is definitely not normal, and it's also non-compliant with the MUTCD. It appears they used the symbol from regulatory lane assignment signs used in approaching roundabouts.

A more MUTCD-kosher way to sign this would be to use a "roundabout circulatory plaque" (R6-5P).

Typically, this would be installed underneath the yield sign on the entrance approach. If there are no yield signs at these intersections, then I could see installing the circulating sign within the circle island instead of the diamond warning signs.

Side note: is there anything in the MUTCD banning traffic calming circles in the same way that all-way stops for traffic calming are prohibited?

My understanding is that calming circles are not intersection control devices like a stop sign. Unsigned intersection rules apply at calming circles (at least in Washington State): give way to all vehicle from the right.

I believe the engineering parlance for these types of intersections, where a small circulating island is plopped into an otherwise unmodified intersection, is "mini roundabout". I don't think there's any MUTCD language prohibiting them.

[CoreySamson]

On the other hand, we now have over 200 pages of unique signs!

[kphoger]

Not stopping at a red light, which I remember you saying you sometimes do, might be fine in your area.

I can count the number of times I've run a red light on purpose on ... two fingers.
Also, I totaled my car a few years ago by accidentally running a red light by T-boning someone else.
When did I say I sometimes run red lights?

[Eth]

A more MUTCD-kosher way to sign this would be to use a "roundabout circulatory plaque" (R6-5P).

Typically, this would be installed underneath the yield sign on the entrance approach. If there are no yield signs at these intersections, then I could see installing the circulating sign within the circle island instead of the diamond warning signs.

Much like this, except pretending that the local government knows to use YIELD signs for this purpose rather than STOP signs.

[hotdogPi]

Not stopping at a red light, which I remember you saying you sometimes do, might be fine in your area.

I can count the number of times I've run a red light on purpose on ... two fingers.
Also, I totaled my car a few years ago by accidentally running a red light by T-boning someone else.
When did I say I sometimes run red lights?

I was thinking of this thread:
https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=25406.0

[kphoger]

Not stopping at a red light, which I remember you saying you sometimes do, might be fine in your area.

I can count the number of times I've run a red light on purpose on ... two fingers.
Also, I totaled my car a few years ago by accidentally running a red light by T-boning someone else.
When did I say I sometimes run red lights?

I was thinking of this thread:
https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=25406.0

What I meant is that I don't always stop at stop signs–for example, here in the middle of nowhere is one I commonly drive through at 20 mph or more.  Or here's one in a shopping area I almost never stop at, especially when turning right.  A lot of stop signs are really pointless.  I suppose I should have only quoted the "Stop sign" part of MNHighwayMan's post instead, for clarity.

Re: Places you always stop at

Stop sign
Red light

Not me.

[mrsman]

A more MUTCD-kosher way to sign this would be to use a "roundabout circulatory plaque" (R6-5P).

Typically, this would be installed underneath the yield sign on the entrance approach. If there are no yield signs at these intersections, then I could see installing the circulating sign within the circle island instead of the diamond warning signs.

Much like this, except pretending that the local government knows to use YIELD signs for this purpose rather than STOP signs.

Even if that is the best sign, I have seen signs like this predominate in other areas:

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.7661846,-118.1415337,3a,75y,0.93h,86.16t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s-EJ4q9e3FzjbKuxZ180W-Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[plain]

Try entering street view if you didn't already.

That's what caused the confusion.  You had apparently panned away from the intersection in question before grabbing the link to post.  Therefore, your link didn't actually display a pin on the map or go to Street View of any particular location.  It just showed a map with dozens of intersections in them, the largest circular one of which isn't the one you expected us to look at.

Here's what displayed:



Only by zooming out did I realize there was even a pin on the map.



So I too, like jakeroot, first looked at the big circular intersection in the middle of the map–at which there are no blind corners (because one must yield to the left rather than to the right), it is easy to see if cars are coming...  You can understand the confusion.

Oh, I see.

Maybe it has something to do with linking it using my phone, not sure.

[roadfro]

A more MUTCD-kosher way to sign this would be to use a "roundabout circulatory plaque" (R6-5P).

Typically, this would be installed underneath the yield sign on the entrance approach. If there are no yield signs at these intersections, then I could see installing the circulating sign within the circle island instead of the diamond warning signs.

Much like this, except pretending that the local government knows to use YIELD signs for this purpose rather than STOP signs.

Even if that is the best sign, I have seen signs like this predominate in other areas:

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.7661846,-118.1415337,3a,75y,0.93h,86.16t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s-EJ4q9e3FzjbKuxZ180W-Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Even though that's not an MUTCD sign, that might be a better way to sign these situations.

[jakeroot]

Quick-note: I am intrigued that none of the other calming circles linked since my first post have been unsigned. All of them have included yield signs on entry.

[kphoger]

Quick-note: I am intrigued that none of the other calming circles linked since my first post have been unsigned. All of them have included yield signs on entry.

I'm too lazy to go back and check, but it's possible they've been posted from states that don't do uncontrolled intersections to begin with.

[jakeroot]

Quick-note: I am intrigued that none of the other calming circles linked since my first post have been unsigned. All of them have included yield signs on entry.

I'm too lazy to go back and check, but it's possible they've been posted from states that don't do uncontrolled intersections to begin with.

Seems so. I thought every state used unsigned intersections in some capacity.

[kphoger]

Quick-note: I am intrigued that none of the other calming circles linked since my first post have been unsigned. All of them have included yield signs on entry.

I'm too lazy to go back and check, but it's possible they've been posted from states that don't do uncontrolled intersections to begin with.

Seems so. I thought every state used unsigned intersections in some capacity.

I assumed so too, until recently on this forum it was pointed out that it isn't the case.

[ErmineNotyours]

Speaking of not stopping at stop signs:

[jakeroot]

Speaking of not stopping at stop signs:

The British have a remarkably good road safety record, so it's astonishing to watch that video and watch numerous drivers either do California stops or not even slow down at all. Part of me says "they know what's best because they're clearly good on paper", and my other half says "well, if they're that good, why does that intersection perform poorly?"

It's also remarkable to me that an intersection design they consider poor is one that is amazingly common in North America.

[D-Dey65]

Is it just me, or does this speed limit sign at Montauk Point State Park date back to the 1960's?

[kurumi]

Route marker on NY 120A in CT belongs to neither state: https://goo.gl/maps/5AgN3PFKyM1wWxWb8

[jakeroot]

Saw this sign in rural Washington State. Might not be unique but I've never seen it before. It's a relatively new sign along a gravel road:

"SUMMER ROAD" / "NO WINTER MAINTENANCE" (also this sign from the other direction)

The road (E Bradshaw) stretches a bit over two miles between Old US-195 and Spangle Waverley Road, about 20 miles south of Spokane.

[J N Winkler]

The British have a remarkably good road safety record, so it's astonishing to watch that video and watch numerous drivers either do California stops or not even slow down at all. Part of me says "they know what's best because they're clearly good on paper", and my other half says "well, if they're that good, why does that intersection perform poorly?"

I would just observe--since the video narrator does not appear to, as far as I can tell from the closed captioning--that the stop signs are not placed according to the criteria that have traditionally been used in Britain.  Before TSRGD 2012 deregulated stop signs (AIUI), a local council wishing to place a stop sign had to prove a nonremovable sight obstruction before it could get permission from central government.

It seems to me that motorists clearly see there are no visibility limitations and thus act as if the intersection were still subject to Give Way control.

The narrator focuses on car pillars hiding conflicting traffic as a cause of the high accident rate at this location.  But it is not established that this is not a statistical blip.  The mechanism he points to is a subtle human factors problem that, AFAIK, is not currently used as a basis for engineering interventions, and in any event the causal relationship is not proven.  Given that he then goes on to pooh-pooh possible interventions, some of which are widely accepted remedies--lighting, traffic signals, reconstruction as a staggered junction--I'm inclined to suspect an agenda of using motorist noncompliance to justify more stringent enforcement, possibly automated using cameras.

It's also remarkable to me that an intersection design they consider poor is one that is amazingly common in North America.

The British preference for two staggered tee junctions over crossroads dates from the 1930's at least.  But I would say the transatlantic differences in this regard are largely a matter of nuance.  Skew intersections are not all that common in the US compared to right-angle crossroads or tee junctions, and in US geometric design it is established practice to prevent skew intersections on new locations (either three- or four-leg) by putting in curves on one or both sides of an intersection so that all of the legs intersect at right angles.  Meanwhile, at diamond interchanges where ramps terminate at unsignalized flat junctions rather than roundabouts, it is more common for these to be staggered in Britain than in the US (compare M40 J9 with Kansas I-235 Exit 11).

[US 89]

Saw this sign in rural Washington State. Might not be unique but I've never seen it before. It's a relatively new sign along a gravel road:

"SUMMER ROAD" / "NO WINTER MAINTENANCE" (also this sign from the other direction)

The road (E Bradshaw) stretches a bit over two miles between Old US-195 and Spangle Waverley Road, about 20 miles south of Spokane.

Utah uses a somewhat similar sign on roads it doesn't plow during overnight hours. This is on SR 199 near Dugway:

[Scott5114]

Is it just me, or does this speed limit sign at Montauk Point State Park date back to the 1960's?

That thumbnail is so tiny it's hard to even see the sign. Here's a version cropped from the original.

[SectorZ]

Saw this sign in rural Washington State. Might not be unique but I've never seen it before. It's a relatively new sign along a gravel road:

"SUMMER ROAD" / "NO WINTER MAINTENANCE" (also this sign from the other direction)

The road (E Bradshaw) stretches a bit over two miles between Old US-195 and Spangle Waverley Road, about 20 miles south of Spokane.

Utah uses a somewhat similar sign on roads it doesn't plow during overnight hours. This is on SR 199 near Dugway:

There any reason they can't plow at night?

[US 89]

Saw this sign in rural Washington State. Might not be unique but I've never seen it before. It's a relatively new sign along a gravel road:

"SUMMER ROAD" / "NO WINTER MAINTENANCE" (also this sign from the other direction)

The road (E Bradshaw) stretches a bit over two miles between Old US-195 and Spangle Waverley Road, about 20 miles south of Spokane.

Utah uses a somewhat similar sign on roads it doesn't plow during overnight hours. This is on SR 199 near Dugway:

There any reason they can't plow at night?

Not enough traffic to justify it. The more well-used roads will get plowed at night, but roads like this have such low traffic volumes it’s not worth it for UDOT.

[D-Dey65]

I keep thinking this would be better off on the Traffic Signals board, but as I've been trying to sort our various road sign images in Wikimedia Commons in New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and other locations, I've noticed other types of signs on traffic signal masts besides street name signs.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2014-05-11_08_24_58_View_south_along_Canal_Boulevard_(New_Jersey_Route_129)_at_Lalor_Street_(Mercer_County_Route_650)_in_Trenton,_New_Jersey.JPG

In the meantime, 25 years ago during the Oklahoma City bombing (yes, it has been that long), I saw footage of One Way signs specifically designed for traffic signal masts (Sorry, I can't find any images of them right now).

Though I don't see that many of those types of signs too often, I'm going to assume they're MUTCD complaint. Am I right or not?