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

[riiga]

Only cops have the power to look up plates;

Is there no public registry in each state or on a federal level where you can look up plates to get non-identifying info about the vehicle? Like model, make, tax, number of previous owners, etc?

[cjk374]

There are at least four of these about a mile or two away from the Caltrans building in Sacramento. They all say 17 mph.

What does this sign mean? Drive around manhole cover at 17 mph?   

[roadfro]

There are at least four of these about a mile or two away from the Caltrans building in Sacramento. They all say 17 mph.

What does this sign mean? Drive around manhole cover at 17 mph?   

I'm assuming there is a traffic calming island in the middle of the road.

[jakeroot]

Only cops have the power to look up plates;

Is there no public registry in each state or on a federal level where you can look up plates to get non-identifying info about the vehicle? Like model, make, tax, number of previous owners, etc?

There are, but not government provided, and not free. To get a full picture, you generally need access to a police database. VIN lookups are far more helpful since plates change in some states quite often. One car might have several plates between its first and last owner.

[Max Rockatansky]

Noticed this black "180 East" sign on Kings Canyon Road in far east Fresno directing bike traffic to the CA 180 freeway to continue east.  Before the freeway was built CA 180 would continue ahead in the photo, now the road ends at the freeway about about a quarter mile east of the light at Temperance Avenue.  The black sign looks like it was recycled from somewhere and is an odd color choice I think:

Untitled by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

[mrpablue]

There are at least four of these about a mile or two away from the Caltrans building in Sacramento. They all say 17 mph.

What does this sign mean? Drive around manhole cover at 17 mph?   

I'm assuming there is a traffic calming island in the middle of the road.

Actually, these are traffic circle (roundabout) signs, which I think makes them even worse. I should've made that clearer, sorry

[riiga]

There are, but not government provided, and not free. To get a full picture, you generally need access to a police database. VIN lookups are far more helpful since plates change in some states quite often. One car might have several plates between its first and last owner.

So plates belong to and move with the person rather than with the car? Interesting, and not something I've heard about before. Here plates remain with the car throughout its entire life, and all info can be looked up for free with the Transport Authority.

[jakeroot]

There are, but not government provided, and not free. To get a full picture, you generally need access to a police database. VIN lookups are far more helpful since plates change in some states quite often. One car might have several plates between its first and last owner.

So plates belong to and move with the person rather than with the car? Interesting, and not something I've heard about before. Here plates remain with the car throughout its entire life, and all info can be looked up for free with the Transport Authority.

Not only do they not go with the car, they don't go with the person. The only plates you can keep are personalized plates. Here in Washington, license plates change with each new registration. If you buy a new car? New plates. Sell someone your old car? New plates. Buy a used car? New plates. Old plates are just recycled and turned into new ones. I think the only time plates don't change is if you transfer ownership, rather than sell. Kind of an odd situation. My first car had the plates from the old owner, since I technically didn't 'buy' the car (as far as the government is concerned).

Not all states are like this. I think in California, plates stay with the car forever. Could be wrong, though, since I have seen old cars with newer plates. But in California, there are a bunch of old cars with old plates that aren't specialty "retro design" plates. The plate has just always been on the car.

[hbelkins]

Only cops have the power to look up plates;

Is there no public registry in each state or on a federal level where you can look up plates to get non-identifying info about the vehicle? Like model, make, tax, number of previous owners, etc?

There are, but not government provided, and not free. To get a full picture, you generally need access to a police database. VIN lookups are far more helpful since plates change in some states quite often. One car might have several plates between its first and last owner.

License plate numbers are public record in Kentucky. I used to work for a newspaper that was located across the street from the county courthouse. Like many small towns in Kentucky, parking was (and still is) at a premium. When people would park in our building's lot on court days, the boss would go over to the county clerk's office and have them run the license plate number of the offending cars. So it's definitely possible for members of the public to get that information, at least in my state, but I suppose some might be jerks about it and make you file an open records request in writing.

There are, but not government provided, and not free. To get a full picture, you generally need access to a police database. VIN lookups are far more helpful since plates change in some states quite often. One car might have several plates between its first and last owner.

So plates belong to and move with the person rather than with the car? Interesting, and not something I've heard about before. Here plates remain with the car throughout its entire life, and all info can be looked up for free with the Transport Authority.

Again, this must vary by state, because in Kentucky, plates stay with the car when the car changes ownership -- unless, of course, it's a personalized plate.

[US 89]

Noticed this black "180 East" sign on Kings Canyon Road in far east Fresno directing bike traffic to the CA 180 freeway to continue east.  Before the freeway was built CA 180 would continue ahead in the photo, now the road ends at the freeway about about a quarter mile east of the light at Temperance Avenue.  The black sign looks like it was recycled from somewhere and is an odd color choice I think:

Untitled by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

If I saw that sign, I'd think that it led to a road called "180 East". Many cities in Utah and Idaho use a grid system that produces names like that.

[jakeroot]

Only cops have the power to look up plates;

Is there no public registry in each state or on a federal level where you can look up plates to get non-identifying info about the vehicle? Like model, make, tax, number of previous owners, etc?

There are, but not government provided, and not free. To get a full picture, you generally need access to a police database. VIN lookups are far more helpful since plates change in some states quite often. One car might have several plates between its first and last owner.

License plate numbers are public record in Kentucky. I used to work for a newspaper that was located across the street from the county courthouse. Like many small towns in Kentucky, parking was (and still is) at a premium. When people would park in our building's lot on court days, the boss would go over to the county clerk's office and have them run the license plate number of the offending cars. So it's definitely possible for members of the public to get that information, at least in my state, but I suppose some might be jerks about it and make you file an open records request in writing.

In that case, it's okay. But the 1994 "Driver's Privacy Protection Act" prohibits willy-nilly research by regular peasants without authorization from the vehicle owner. You can get access but only if you have a reason to need it. I guess in your case, it was due to the vehicles being parked on private property illegally. What was your boss doing with the plate numbers?

There are, but not government provided, and not free. To get a full picture, you generally need access to a police database. VIN lookups are far more helpful since plates change in some states quite often. One car might have several plates between its first and last owner.

So plates belong to and move with the person rather than with the car? Interesting, and not something I've heard about before. Here plates remain with the car throughout its entire life, and all info can be looked up for free with the Transport Authority.

Again, this must vary by state, because in Kentucky, plates stay with the car when the car changes ownership -- unless, of course, it's a personalized plate.

Yes, I said as much in the post you quoted: "plates change in some states quite often". I know it isn't every state that operates this way.

[MNHighwayMan]

There are, but not government provided, and not free. To get a full picture, you generally need access to a police database. VIN lookups are far more helpful since plates change in some states quite often. One car might have several plates between its first and last owner.

So plates belong to and move with the person rather than with the car? Interesting, and not something I've heard about before. Here plates remain with the car throughout its entire life, and all info can be looked up for free with the Transport Authority.

Again, this must vary by state, because in Kentucky, plates stay with the car when the car changes ownership -- unless, of course, it's a personalized plate.

It does, because in Iowa the plates stay with the person. The plates on my mom's car have been on three different vehicles so far.

[jeffandnicole]

Newspapers in NJ seem to get the info with ease. I had to pay $15 to run my own info one time.

[jakeroot]

Newspapers in NJ seem to get the info with ease. I had to pay $15 to run my own info one time.

As a regular part of business, access is allowed.

[ipeters61]

Here's an odd sign assembly I saw in Newport DE about 2 months ago.  I was driving along DE-4 WB heading towards Newark and noticed it after passing under DE-141.

EDIT: Here it is up close on Street View: https://goo.gl/maps/pZKTKBRpQ1v

[mrpablue]

Odd-sized shields on a messy assembly of BGSs, also courtesy of Sacramento. At least it has some button-copy.

[roadman65]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/54480415@N08/43153856021/in/dateposted-public/
Interesting inverted JUNCTION signs along GA Route 31 near Valdosta, GA.

Apparently these are not rare in the South Central part of the Peach State as well as the South-West part either as plenty of them do exist, but this is one sample of these neat signs.

[Eth]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/54480415@N08/43153856021/in/dateposted-public/
Interesting inverted JUNCTION signs along GA Route 31 near Valdosta, GA.

Apparently these are not rare in the South Central part of the Peach State as well as the South-West part either as plenty of them do exist, but this is one sample of these neat signs.

Wow, I didn't know Georgia was still installing these! I'm pretty sure the only ones I've seen in the Atlanta area date back to the 1980s if not earlier. There used to be one on old GA 3 in Lovejoy (turned back to Clayton County in the mid-80s) approaching US 19/41, but I'm sure it's gone now. Based on the particular route marker shape in the Valdosta example, though, that one must be from within the last ~15 years.

[jakeroot]

I thought white-on-black junction signs were still the standard? I seem to recall quite a few black-on-white or white-on-green examples, but I thought white-on-black was still permitted, or even the standard.

Sign salads are pretty rare in WA (most junction signs are guide signs), but there is a white-on-black JUNCTION unisign near Spanaway: https://goo.gl/rcL4DA

[roadman65]

Georgia has sine salad due to its many route designations and concurrencies.  Also the fact that all US routes have a signed GA route to add to the confusion (example would be GA 38 being with US 84 entirely).  As far as the white on black JUNCTION signs I have only seen them around Bainbridge, Thomasville, Albany, and Valdosta in my travels.  I had no idea that they were anything more as being standard throughout the state. 

Along the I-95 corridor you see the standard black JCT on small white cards, and I have not seen any of them there.

[roadman65]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/54480415@N08/7377311884/in/photostream/
I think that this is interesting that NYSDOT added a mileage number just for one destination on a freeway guide sign.

[jakeroot]

What do you guys think makes more sense? "LEFT AT ROUNDABOUT" or (because this is a T-intersection) "SECOND EXIT"?

I'm not sure which is the standard message for other states. WSDOT barely uses diagrammatical signs at roundabouts, opting for message-based signs like this one:


(photo uploaded originally to WSDOT Flickr)

[Jim]

I'm posting this one on I-84 here as "odd" only because it's located in Pennsylvania, is an advance sign for an exit in New York, and lists a New Jersey state highway.  I vaguely recall that we had a daily challenge that was looking for things like this.  Taken May 9, 2018.

[US 89]

This has to be one of the most unique ways to sign a concurrency:

[ipeters61]

I'm posting this one on I-84 here as "odd" only because it's located in Pennsylvania, is an advance sign for an exit in New York, and lists a New Jersey state highway.  I vaguely recall that we had a daily challenge that was looking for things like this.  Taken May 9, 2018.

What's especially interesting there is that they include the black background on the NJ shield.  I know that PennDOT does the same thing for I-95 at the Betsy Ross Bridge. https://goo.gl/maps/oboA3JLwwk62

This has to be one of the most unique ways to sign a concurrency:

I know, after looking at Steve Alpert's website so much when I was younger, the MDC in Boston loved to do weird things like that: http://alpsroads.net/roads/ma/ma_3/3.html (last photo).

EDIT: Fixed typo.