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New LA county unincorporated street name signs? as well as new LA street signs

Started by bulkyorled, April 14, 2012, 10:38:45 PM

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bulkyorled

Most the signs in LA county that go for places that either don't have their own style or are in an unincorporated area have these signs;

which I don't see in any other county nearby anyways. Im curious if there was something changed since in the nearby unincorporated areas I've started to see these:

That one is signed Altadena, and I've seen them in East Los Angeles, Topanga, and Littlerock. Im just curious if the unincorporated signs changed or if it was just some weird coincidence that they all got the style. Since it's not uncommon for two cities to have the same style if they're just simple green strips.

I assume all counties have standard things for such cases. I notice all the unincorporated places in LA county have the same things. Same blue signs, they always have green illuminated signs and standard poles and such, rarely do they ever have anything fancy or custom.


Typical lit hanging signs.^



The "Shotgun" Sign (used 1946-1962)



Black Blade; 1967-1973. I RARELY see these. They're few and far inbetween



Blue blade; 1973-1985


Trapezoid sign 1985-2010 basically the most common of them all I'd say next to the shotgun style.

This is a variant of the trapezoid. Text more bold and they're much larger than the regular trapezoids. They're in areas with much newer housing in such places like Porter Ranch or Chatsworth but they seem to be rare so the company that made them just did it a bit different I'm assuming.




2011 -
Not sure what you'd call this but its the first sign ever to recognize the city itself with the city seal on it. Not counting the district signs that always have them.

^ edit so people see the pics when they first come into the thread
Your local illuminated sign enthusiast

Signs Im looking for: CA only; 1, 2, 14, 118, 134, 170, 210 (CA), and any california city illuminated sign.


mapman

It could be that L.A. County is implementing the MUTCD standard that required larger fonts on street name signs such as these.  A number of agencies up here in Northern California have been upgrading their signs over the past 5 year or so, some of which are using new formats for the signs.

CenVlyDave

I also have noticed the change through East Whittier and Hacienda Heights.  I believe by putting the community name at the top of the sign, it is supposed to assist with "Community Identity". 

bulkyorled

Quote from: CenVlyDave on April 16, 2012, 01:05:31 PM
I also have noticed the change through East Whittier and Hacienda Heights.  I believe by putting the community name at the top of the sign, it is supposed to assist with "Community Identity". 

That helps a lot in my opinion. A lot of cities you can identify by the signs they have, especially in communities where there are a lot of cities crammed into a small area, they have their city name on them or city seal or something.


Quote from: mapman on April 15, 2012, 09:27:51 PM
It could be that L.A. County is implementing the MUTCD standard that required larger fonts on street name signs such as these.  A number of agencies up here in Northern California have been upgrading their signs over the past 5 year or so, some of which are using new formats for the signs.

That's quite possible. I didn't think of that, they're way easier to see than the "old" ones, there's still a few in Altadena and I notice the font is small. The newer Los Angeles city ones are the same way with the larger font, it looks a lot better than current font. (pictured)

Your local illuminated sign enthusiast

Signs Im looking for: CA only; 1, 2, 14, 118, 134, 170, 210 (CA), and any california city illuminated sign.

Bigmikelakers

I'm loving the new LA City street signs but I doubt the whole city would get them any time soon. Heck, they still have the 1940s and 1950s street signs hanging around.


bulkyorled

Oh yea I totally agree. It'll be ages before you see many of them. Downtown doesn't even have them all replaced yet, but a lot have been. The only street other than Main Street that I know that's done is Exposition Blvd, they replaced 90%+ of them on there for some reason. Alameda has many too.
I love most of our signs. The only ones I don't like are the "blue blade" ones from the 70s/early 80s before the trapezoid ones started showing up. They're nearly identical to the unincorporated signs (or maybe they are identical)
There's such an abundance of the trapezoid ones those will probably be extremely common for decades to come
Your local illuminated sign enthusiast

Signs Im looking for: CA only; 1, 2, 14, 118, 134, 170, 210 (CA), and any california city illuminated sign.

tdindy88

I got back from a trip to Los Angeles and saw several of the neighborhood signs, but was wanting to see one for just Los Angeles. I only saw one of Santa Monica Blvd but I wasn't sure if there were others, since I couldn't get it at the time (taking pictures and driving in LA generally not being a good idea.)

bulkyorled


The "Shotgun" Sign (used 1946-1962)



Black Blade; 1967-1973. I RARELY see these. They're few and far inbetween



Blue blade; 1973-1985


Trapezoid sign 1985-2010 basically the most common of them all I'd say next to the shotgun style.

This is a variant of the trapezoid. Text more bold and they're much larger than the regular trapezoids. They're in areas with much newer housing in such places like Porter Ranch or Chatsworth but they seem to be rare so the company that made them just did it a bit different I'm assuming.




2011 -
Not sure what you'd call this but its the first sign ever to recognize the city itself with the city seal on it. Not counting the district signs that always have them.

Your local illuminated sign enthusiast

Signs Im looking for: CA only; 1, 2, 14, 118, 134, 170, 210 (CA), and any california city illuminated sign.

agentsteel53

how did you get those dates?  can you post examples of what came before the shotgun?  I seem to remember an all-caps porcelain black blade with the folded-into-a-U edge profile of the shotgun.  If I recall correctly, there are several in the area of approximately Vermont Ave at Santa Monica Blvd, but I could not tell you the exact streets.
live from sunny San Diego.

http://shields.aaroads.com

jake@aaroads.com

bulkyorled

#9
Pre 1946 (Shotgun) I believe the signs were wooden and I do not have any pictures of them but I'm sure you could find some. Even some signs that don't resemble these could be mistakes too.
I did once see on eBay a white shotgun version that had Century Blvd on it that it said was from 1930 however I've never seen another one like it or ever seen it mentioned since. It looks real, even had minor chips in the paint and rusted slightly. But it coulda been one of those mistake signs or something someone made for personal use or redid at a later time

I have another thread open about Illuminated signs as I think you might have posted on it, I mistakenly said LA doesnt have any other than the one on Main & 1st but on Wilshire & Sepulveda there's actually a set of bulky ones, I'm not sure if they ever worked, I recall them working but theres construction there so they're off currently, as well as long on Sepulveda & Constitution Ave which that one is green for some reason


http://militantangeleno.blogspot.com/2011/03/signs-of-times.html
That page kinda spits back what I said and I used a couple pictures from it too coincidentally haha
Your local illuminated sign enthusiast

Signs Im looking for: CA only; 1, 2, 14, 118, 134, 170, 210 (CA), and any california city illuminated sign.

bulkyorled

Oh wait I defined my search and found another page on the same site;
http://militantangeleno.blogspot.com/2011/03/more-street-signs-of-times.html

None of these seem to be left however in very old pictures I have seen them before.
Wooden signs could have been pre-1920 or even over 100 years ago now based on what this is saying
Your local illuminated sign enthusiast

Signs Im looking for: CA only; 1, 2, 14, 118, 134, 170, 210 (CA), and any california city illuminated sign.

Quillz

Hmm... That new street blade is interesting. Very odd looking at first glance but something I could surely get used to. Personally, my favorite style is the 1973-1985 blue blade, because it's simple and aesthetically pleasing.

bulkyorled

Thats my least favorite :( Its a tad boring to me. But I hope they replace old ones with the new ones quickly I rather like the new ones
Your local illuminated sign enthusiast

Signs Im looking for: CA only; 1, 2, 14, 118, 134, 170, 210 (CA), and any california city illuminated sign.

agentsteel53

Quote from: bulkyorled on April 17, 2012, 09:20:23 PM
Oh wait I defined my search and found another page on the same site;
http://militantangeleno.blogspot.com/2011/03/more-street-signs-of-times.html

yep, the plank is what I had been thinking of.  again, I think somewhere near Vermont at Santa Monica there are a couple.
live from sunny San Diego.

http://shields.aaroads.com

jake@aaroads.com

Quillz

On Valley Circle Boulevard just before the intersection with Vanowen Street there is a very old variation of the shotgun style, where the address is centered below the street name, rather than left or right justified. It's a very dark blue, maybe black. I'll have to get a pic of it, since I can't get a very good one of it on Google Maps. But I presume it dates to around the same time as the other shotgun style blades.

bulkyorled

Im thinking the plank one doesn't exist anymore, I use to have to go around the area of Santa Monica & Vermont and don't recall seeing it but if you're ever near there keep a look out. But I also feel like I might have seen one somewhere and not thought anything of it
Your local illuminated sign enthusiast

Signs Im looking for: CA only; 1, 2, 14, 118, 134, 170, 210 (CA), and any california city illuminated sign.

bulkyorled

Your local illuminated sign enthusiast

Signs Im looking for: CA only; 1, 2, 14, 118, 134, 170, 210 (CA), and any california city illuminated sign.

hm insulators

Quote from: Bigmikelakers on April 17, 2012, 03:51:16 AM
I'm loving the new LA City street signs but I doubt the whole city would get them any time soon. Heck, they still have the 1940s and 1950s street signs hanging around.



Those ones are my favorite.
Remember: If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.

I'd rather be a child of the road than a son of a ditch.


At what age do you tell a highway that it's been adopted?

CL

Would anyone care to explain how the Los Angeles street grid works? I see "7400 North" and think, oh, that must be seventy-four blocks north of the street that is defined as 0 North/South, as in Salt Lake City.
Infrastructure. The city.

Bigmikelakers

I'll try to explain as best as I can. 7400 N is 74 blocks north of 1st St. If a east/west street was Santa Monica Bl 9400 W, then that street is 94 blocks west from Main St. The LA grid is a little strange because its not exclusive to only the city of LA. One town may use the same LA system while the next town over (usually an older town pre 1920) will have its own system. For example, Long Beach and Lakewood use the same system. While the next town over, such as Bellflower or Cerritos use the Los Angeles grid system even though they are nearly 15-20 miles from the LA City limits. Its complicated I know.

bulkyorled

Quote from: Bigmikelakers on April 25, 2012, 11:55:11 PM
I'll try to explain as best as I can. 7400 N is 74 blocks north of 1st St. If a east/west street was Santa Monica Bl 9400 W, then that street is 94 blocks west from Main St. The LA grid is a little strange because its not exclusive to only the city of LA. One town may use the same LA system while the next town over (usually an older town pre 1920) will have its own system. For example, Long Beach and Lakewood use the same system. While the next town over, such as Bellflower or Cerritos use the Los Angeles grid system even though they are nearly 15-20 miles from the LA City limits. Its complicated I know.

I understood how it worked but I didn't quite get how they decided where the block of 00 would be.
I was trying to figure out how Burbank's worked and I think 00 is everything that ends at the 5 freeway. West has more numbers since East is just whats on the other side of the fwy. Thanks for that post!
Your local illuminated sign enthusiast

Signs Im looking for: CA only; 1, 2, 14, 118, 134, 170, 210 (CA), and any california city illuminated sign.

Bigmikelakers

With Burbank, theres a 1st St so thats where the E/W 00 blocks would be. 1st St is so close to I-5 it may seem like the freeway is the E/W divide. I'm surprised San Fernando Rd Old US 99 isn't actually the divider though.

Edit: Well after looking at google maps a little longer it does appear that the 00 blocks start around I-5. Seems weird because Burbank and their address system was there before I-5 was built.

bulkyorled

Because before they built the 5, there was a major street right there named Bonnywood Pl, which they took away when they built the 5. Bonnywood still exists, however its basically a one way street thats RIGHT next to the freeway that takes you to an onramp. The only part that was once Bonnywood Pl that still exists is Front St, when they built the 5 it threw off the numbers and street directions so they changed it to Front St so that the street numbers and names didnt get jumbled. So Bonnywood & 1st was like city center "00". But now 00 is Front Street. Not sure what 00 intersection would be, I've only seen the corner of Verdugo & Front with a sign that says 00

its possible Bonnywood/Verdugo is 00 center. Because Verdugo also use to go through to the other side instead of having a break in it but it doesnt anymore because of the fwy and development. Or what was once Olive & Bonnywood which doesnt exist anymore
Your local illuminated sign enthusiast

Signs Im looking for: CA only; 1, 2, 14, 118, 134, 170, 210 (CA), and any california city illuminated sign.

DTComposer

Quote from: bulkyorled on April 29, 2012, 03:14:14 AM
Because before they built the 5, there was a major street right there named Bonnywood Pl, which they took away when they built the 5. Bonnywood still exists, however its basically a one way street thats RIGHT next to the freeway that takes you to an onramp. The only part that was once Bonnywood Pl that still exists is Front St, when they built the 5 it threw off the numbers and street directions so they changed it to Front St so that the street numbers and names didnt get jumbled. So Bonnywood & 1st was like city center "00". But now 00 is Front Street. Not sure what 00 intersection would be, I've only seen the corner of Verdugo & Front with a sign that says 00

While it is true that part of the 5 was built over the Bonnywood right-of-way, looking at the historical topo maps, Bonnywood was never a major street - at most, it provided access to the train depot, but was only ever perhaps a mile in length.

It seems much more reasonable that the dividing point for east/west was/is the railroad.

Bigmikelakers

Thats funny. I thought about the railroad being the dividing line. But, never heard of a railroad doing that before in anytown's address system.



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