New York

[KEVIN_224]

This one was up on Tuesday afternoon, on I-84 West, town of Southeast, Putnam County:

[vdeane]

I assume that's the one near the state line.  If so, IMO that one is fine because it's actually welcoming people to the state (which is what welcome signs are supposed to do).

[cl94]

That one is at the state line. The one on the LIE west of Riverhead that I saw an hour ago isn't. Region 10 is also signing the Peconic River, LI Sound, and "South Shore" watersheds along the LIE.

[machias]

Thruway version. It looks very faded even though the sign is brand new.

[kalvado]

That one is at the state line. The one on the LIE west of Riverhead that I saw an hour ago isn't. Region 10 is also signing the Peconic River, LI Sound, and "South Shore" watersheds along the LIE.

Partial inventory of Ugly Blue Signs on Thruway:
6 between exit 50 and 49 westbound, 2 big and 4 small
4 small between exit 45 and 44
5 between 40 and 39
5 between 35 and 34a
Few on toll booths exit 41 entering toll road

For the record, there was 1 airport sign on the stretch, for Oneida county airport
Update: at least 4 more before exit 25. One BGS for Albany airport past the toll booth should not count towards Thruway signage

[Jim]

Update: at least 4 more before exit 25.

I mentioned the ones EB approaching 25, but noticed later that there's also a complete set WB approaching 25.

[mariethefoxy]

they stuck one of those signs on the LIE West by Exit 44, and teh whole progression about food and drink and other random NY stuff. I dunno why they put it there since its not a place near a state line nor is it a spot that a lot of out of towners end up near.

[Buffaboy]

WHO puts them up? Where are the plans? It seems like whenever we hear about signs going up there are at least plans publicly available, contracts, etc...

[amroad17]

Thruway version. It looks very faded even though the sign is brand new.

Are these the signs that seem to be popping up like dandelions all along the Thruway or are they more like welcome signs that would be at state lines?  If they are like this, then I could see one on each side of one of the cities the Thruway passes (Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, Albany, Kingston, Newburgh, and each side of the Tappan Zee).

In the photo above, I believe that is westbound, east of Syracuse about 2 miles east of I-481.  That would be fine.  An eastbound one for Syracuse could be near the NY 173 overpass (mm 294) in Warners if one was to be placed.  Don't need a bunch of them like most of you are describing.

[kalvado]

WHO puts them up? Where are the plans? It seems like whenever we hear about signs going up there are at least plans publicly available, contracts, etc...

Well, some changes seem to fly under the radar. For example, certain arterial in Albany had speed limit lowered from 45 to 30 this Friday - and I don't think there was any word of that until news were published Thursday evening.

[Dougtone]

Update: at least 4 more before exit 25.

I mentioned the ones EB approaching 25, but noticed later that there's also a complete set WB approaching 25.

Plus there are signs on the toll booths at 25 itself as well.

[route17fan]

WOW! Way too much overkill with the welcoming. A state line welcome message is one thing - but to post it this often ... it sounds like (to me) a better display would be at "it can wait" (formerly known as 'rest or parking areas') where tourism could be promoted to the hilt.

[mariethefoxy]

After doing a JFK Run for someone, I noticed JFK Expressway coming out of Kennedy Airport has a set of those stupid Welcome signs. Also I found them on Grand Central Parkway at the NYC Line. Why the hell do we need so many of these signs?!

[noelbotevera]

I'm planning on going to Toronto next year and so I'm gonna check out some things on the way there. Notably, the US 219 construction project. Was that project killed, just like I-86, or is it on life support? I'll see whatever they've done in 2017, and check out I-86 (between exits 14 and 21).

Also, I'll see the overkill welcome signage, since I'll use the Thruway between exits 55 and 53.

[vdeane]

At least the Thruway signs are noticeably different from the welcome signs, so it's not as bad as I feared.  I guess we can now say that the majority of the "WTF?" factor is in Regions 10 and 11.  As for the JFK Expressway, that's because of the airport.

Yikes on how it's faded though.  The shields on the mile markers on I-87 in Warren County are faded too.  I wonder if a few batches of blue paint were defective?

Well, some changes seem to fly under the radar. For example, certain arterial in Albany had speed limit lowered from 45 to 30 this Friday - and I don't think there was any word of that until news were published Thursday evening.

That one surprised me.  Normally there's warning as the press will report on when the municipality goes to NYSDOT for a speed study.  There was no news on anything until the change happened, making me wonder if such a study was ever done (plus is an obvious arterial, not much city-style development, and they seem to think that going 30 through the expanse of nothing near the state office campus won't be painful... how was this approved?).

[Buffaboy]

I'm planning on going to Toronto next year and so I'm gonna check out some things on the way there. Notably, the US 219 construction project. Was that project killed, just like I-86, or is it on life support? I'll see whatever they've done in 2017, and check out I-86 (between exits 14 and 21).

Also, I'll see the overkill welcome signage, since I'll use the Thruway between exits 55 and 53.

It's basically on hiatus/life support, certainly not dead though. Every few months a story pops up in the news about how they (interest groups) are looking to see if Cuomo will put in funding in the budget, but it doesn't happen. I can't think of when it will be built, but it needs to be.

Edit: a little research shows that a study was reportedly approved by NYSDOT last month... anyone here can verify that? Interesting if true.

[Buffaboy]

At least the Thruway signs are noticeably different from the welcome signs, so it's not as bad as I feared.  I guess we can now say that the majority of the "WTF?" factor is in Regions 10 and 11.  As for the JFK Expressway, that's because of the airport.

Yikes on how it's faded though.  The shields on the mile markers on I-87 in Warren County are faded too.  I wonder if a few batches of blue paint were defective?

Well, some changes seem to fly under the radar. For example, certain arterial in Albany had speed limit lowered from 45 to 30 this Friday - and I don't think there was any word of that until news were published Thursday evening.

That one surprised me.  Normally there's warning as the press will report on when the municipality goes to NYSDOT for a speed study.  There was no news on anything until the change happened, making me wonder if such a study was ever done (plus is an obvious arterial, not much city-style development, and they seem to think that going 30 through the expanse of nothing near the state office campus won't be painful... how was this approved?).

Sounds like NY 198.

[7/8]

I'm planning on going to Toronto next year and so I'm gonna check out some things on the way there. Notably, the US 219 construction project. Was that project killed, just like I-86, or is it on life support? I'll see whatever they've done in 2017, and check out I-86 (between exits 14 and 21).

Also, I'll see the overkill welcome signage, since I'll use the Thruway between exits 55 and 53.

It's basically on hiatus/life support, certainly not dead though. Every few months a story pops up in the news about how they (interest groups) are looking to see if Cuomo will put in funding in the budget, but it doesn't happen. I can't think of when it will be built, but it needs to be.

Edit: a little research shows that a study was reportedly approved by NYSDOT last month... anyone here can verify that? Interesting if true.

It'd be nice if they could get it built to Ellicottville (my family usually goes skiing at Holiday Valley for Family Day/President's Day weekend)

[cu2010]

I found some more of those stupid blue signs on NY812 today, near the entrance to the Ogdensburg International Airport.

I realize that there are soon going to be flights to Florida coming to and from that airport soon, but still...it's a tiny airport in the middle of nowhere, why does it need all those stupid signs? The only people who are really going to be flying into there are locals and Canadians...and the latter aren't staying in the state anyways.

To add insult to injury, said airport is just four miles away from the bridge from Canada, meaning all those Canadians will soon be greeted by those dumb signs as soon as they come over anyways. What a waste of money.

[Michael]

I was on the Thruway earlier this afternoon, headed westbound between exits 34 and 36, and I was on the lookout for the new blue signs.  I agree that they're bright and quite obnoxious.  I didn't see the faded blue sign that was posted earlier, but I wasn't looking.  I looked in Street View, and it is westbound, so I would have passed it.  I saw the signs on the toll booths that Doug mentioned earlier in Canastota as well.

Yeah every time o get on the Thruway now around Buffalo they're all over the place. There are smaller versions of signs that don't really tell drivers much and act almost as billboards for the governor's pet projects like the wine country stuff and TasteNY™...

Governor Cuomo is really pushing tourism, and the signs everywhere (even off the Thruway) drive me nuts.  IMO, they're a waste of money.

On another topic, I saw a sign I've never seen before at the intersection of NY 13 and Center Street in Canastota.  I initially thought it was "ONCOMING TRAFFIC MAY HAVE EXTENDED GREEN", but it was "SIGNAL UNDER STUDY FOR REMOVAL".  I only saw a set of signs hanging from the span wire for NY 13.

[Buffaboy]

I'm planning on going to Toronto next year and so I'm gonna check out some things on the way there. Notably, the US 219 construction project. Was that project killed, just like I-86, or is it on life support? I'll see whatever they've done in 2017, and check out I-86 (between exits 14 and 21).

Also, I'll see the overkill welcome signage, since I'll use the Thruway between exits 55 and 53.

It's basically on hiatus/life support, certainly not dead though. Every few months a story pops up in the news about how they (interest groups) are looking to see if Cuomo will put in funding in the budget, but it doesn't happen. I can't think of when it will be built, but it needs to be.

Edit: a little research shows that a study was reportedly approved by NYSDOT last month... anyone here can verify that? Interesting if true.

It'd be nice if they could get it built to Ellicottville (my family usually goes skiing at Holiday Valley for Family Day/President's Day weekend)

It's the quickest way to get to DC too (by car).

[froggie]

Have noticed that the recent I <3 NY television ads have started mentioning the app.  They also show a scene of one of these blue signs next to a roadway that I'm pretty sure is fake.

[machias]

Have noticed that the recent I <3 NY television ads have started mentioning the app.  They also show a scene of one of these blue signs next to a roadway that I'm pretty sure is fake.

The a Thruway ran into an issue where the ads started before the signs were up, so they rushed installation.

The first of the series of signs is the only faded one and it's faded in both directions just east of Exit 34A.  There are sign post mounts between exits 31 and 32, I'll take a look to see of those signs are faded as well once they're installed.  The other signs in the series are the normal services blue color.

I noticed that all the toll booths entering the Thruway are getting the logo signs for the various I Love NY app features.  One of the things I liked about the Thruway was the lack of advertising at entrances like the PA Turnpike does.  It seems those days are gone.

[kalvado]

\ installation.

The first of the series of signs is the only faded one and it's faded in both directions just east of Exit 34A.  There are sign post mounts between exits 31 and 32, I'll take a look to see of those signs are faded as well once they're installed.  The other signs in the series are the normal services blue color.

Honestly speaking, they don't look actually faded to me, more like designed or fabricated with a strange background. I actually thought that was intentional.

[Snappyjack]

As previously mentioned, there's one SB on the Thruway past Exit 23, but yesterday I saw them preparing to install one NB directly across from the parking area. It's the same light blue as seen on the ones by 34A in the pic.