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

Started by mass_citizen, December 04, 2013, 10:46:35 PM

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Dirt Roads

Quote from: Dirt Roads on October 26, 2021, 10:14:17 AM
I remember on one of my first trips on the Dulles Greenway having to slow down to avoid a lady out in the middle of the westbound lanes rescuing a box turtle.  Soon after, the signs went up and there was a lengthy front section article in the Washington Post.  Not sure if I witnessed the same person that started this campaign, but it was an interesting coincidence.  I'm surprised that those signs are still in such good shape.

Quote from: 1995hoo on October 26, 2021, 10:44:26 AM
I wonder whether the addition of the Metro line in the median, which poses a rather large obstacle, might cause the turtles to stop trying to cross the road.

Not likely.  Back then, most of the "turtle crossing" hot spots were just east of the Goose Creek bridge.  Nowadays, all of that greenspace is overdeveloped (Belmont Ridge, Goose Creek Village, Belmont Forest).


DrSmith

Not sure what to make of this one.... For a cross street, with arrows to the left and right?

https://goo.gl/maps/QMAwEpH2DxX71pcc7

LilianaUwU

Quote from: DrSmith on October 26, 2021, 08:15:03 PM
Not sure what to make of this one.... For a cross street, with arrows to the left and right?

https://goo.gl/maps/QMAwEpH2DxX71pcc7

If only there was a standard that everyone agreed on... /s
"Volcano with no fire... Not volcano... Just mountain."
—Mr. Thwomp

My pronouns are she/her. Also, I'm an admin on the AARoads Wiki.

ClassicHasClass

Quote from: NoGoodNamesAvailable on October 26, 2021, 11:16:19 AM
Quote from: 1995hoo on October 26, 2021, 09:20:07 AM
Quote from: WillWeaverRVA on October 25, 2021, 02:43:08 PM
Quote from: LilianaUwU on October 22, 2021, 08:14:20 PM
I just found Comic Sans on a road sign.
Thanks, I hate it.

Here's one in Virginia. Apparently at some point there was a problem with an inordinate number of turtles crossing the highway and a lady from Montgomery County was concerned about it and both designed and paid for the signs and their installation (total cost $3000). From what I understand, VDOT wasn't involved–whoever owned the Greenway at the time agreed to post the signs and they've remained up since then.

Telling people to brake for turtles on a freeway sounds like a liability issue for DOT.

In fairness, the Virginia sign isn't actually Comic Sans (but I agree it's fugly).

1995hoo

I never use Comic Sans or similar, so I can't really tell whether it is or isn't, but it sure looks like it to me.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

LilianaUwU

Quote from: 1995hoo on October 27, 2021, 07:43:01 AM
I never use Comic Sans or similar, so I can't really tell whether it is or isn't, but it sure looks like it to me.

In the case of the turtle sign in Virginia, it isn't:



But in the case of the sign I found in Sherbrooke, it is:

"Volcano with no fire... Not volcano... Just mountain."
—Mr. Thwomp

My pronouns are she/her. Also, I'm an admin on the AARoads Wiki.

TBKS1

Found another double arrow sign (whatever they're called idk), here you go Chris.

located in Ripley, Mississippi

I take pictures of road signs, that's about it.

General rule of thumb: Just stay in the "Traffic Control" section of the forum and you'll be fine.

LilianaUwU

Quote from: TBKS1 on October 28, 2021, 01:51:58 AM
Found another double arrow sign (whatever they're called idk), here you go Chris.

located in Ripley, Mississippi



I guess we could call them "PEI arrows" considering their widespread presence in Prince Edward Island.
"Volcano with no fire... Not volcano... Just mountain."
—Mr. Thwomp

My pronouns are she/her. Also, I'm an admin on the AARoads Wiki.

BuildTheRussian

#6758
At the intersection of North Road and Stolley Park Road in Grand Island, Nebraska, there's a stop sign with a plate below saying "OPPOSITE TRAFFIC MAY NOT STOP".

Sounds scary, as if it is warning that oncoming traffic may run the stop sign in any direction.
It would sound better if it instead said "OPPOSITE TURNING TRAFFIC DOES NOT STOP".

On the other side, there's this plate below the stop sign, saying "RIGHT TURN NO STOP REQUIRED".


I can see the railroad crossing as the reason for the setup. My guess is that the right turn without stopping is permitted because most traffic would be turning to stay on Stolley Park road. In other words, a TOTSO.
A bit redundant imo, as even without it, vehicles continuing straight would have to yield to cars from the right.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.9019935,-98.3955777,3a,48.9y,96.37h,82.9t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1siyXdhKhNzzCLKEbwp9Swjg!2e0!5s20190801T000000!7i16384!8i8192

wanderer2575

Quote from: BuildTheRussian on October 29, 2021, 12:08:03 PM
At the intersection of North Road and Stolley Park Road in Grand Island, Nebraska, there's a stop sign with a plate below saying "OPPOSITE TRAFFIC MAY NOT STOP".

Sounds scary, as if it is warning that oncoming traffic may run the stop sign in any direction.
It would sound better if it instead said "OPPOSITE TURNING TRAFFIC DOES NOT STOP".

I think that would be worse.  You could plow into an opposing vehicle turning left in front of you who didn't have his blinker on.

Hard to comment without knowing the full setup.  What's posted in the opposing direction and on the crossroad?

BuildTheRussian

Quote from: wanderer2575 on October 29, 2021, 12:28:45 PM
Quote from: BuildTheRussian on October 29, 2021, 12:08:03 PM
At the intersection of North Road and Stolley Park Road in Grand Island, Nebraska, there's a stop sign with a plate below saying "OPPOSITE TRAFFIC MAY NOT STOP".

Sounds scary, as if it is warning that oncoming traffic may run the stop sign in any direction.
It would sound better if it instead said "OPPOSITE TURNING TRAFFIC DOES NOT STOP".

I think that would be worse.  You could plow into an opposing vehicle turning left in front of you who didn't have his blinker on.

Hard to comment without knowing the full setup.  What's posted in the opposing direction and on the crossroad?

It's a T-intersection. Traffic from the opposing direction has a STOP sign, with another sign below it saying "RIGHT TURN NO STOP REQUIRED".
From the first sign's direction, the ending road would be on the left.

Bruce

Quote from: BuildTheRussian on October 29, 2021, 12:08:03 PM
At the intersection of North Road and Stolley Park Road in Grand Island, Nebraska, there's a stop sign with a plate below saying "OPPOSITE TRAFFIC MAY NOT STOP".

Sounds scary, as if it is warning that oncoming traffic may run the stop sign in any direction.
It would sound better if it instead said "OPPOSITE TURNING TRAFFIC DOES NOT STOP".

On the other side, there's this plate below the stop sign, saying "RIGHT TURN NO STOP REQUIRED".


I can see the railroad crossing as the reason for the setup. My guess is that the right turn without stopping is permitted because most traffic would be turning to stay on Stolley Park road. In other words, a TOTSO.
A bit redundant imo, as even without it, vehicles continuing straight would have to yield to cars from the right.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.9019935,-98.3955777,3a,48.9y,96.37h,82.9t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1siyXdhKhNzzCLKEbwp9Swjg!2e0!5s20190801T000000!7i16384!8i8192

In my area, there's a few intersections with signs posted saying "INCOMING TRAFFIC DOES NOT STOP". Probably a better wording than "Opposite".

LilianaUwU

"Volcano with no fire... Not volcano... Just mountain."
—Mr. Thwomp

My pronouns are she/her. Also, I'm an admin on the AARoads Wiki.

BuildTheRussian

Quote from: LilianaUwU on October 29, 2021, 06:59:18 PM
Quote from: BuildTheRussian on October 29, 2021, 12:08:03 PM



Hold on, is that a non-cutout stop sign?! Very RIDOT of them to do that.

It looks like a cutout stop sign to me, placed over the front of a black backing board.

TBKS1

Here's the front facing version of that double arrows sign that I posted yesterday. I have a picture of this but it's in the background and the quality is... a bit questionable



Located at the intersection of AR 267 at US 67 B in Searcy. There isn't a double arrows sign for this intersection following US 67B north or southbound.



This is a picture that I took of this intersection following US 67B northbound on July 4, 2021.
I take pictures of road signs, that's about it.

General rule of thumb: Just stay in the "Traffic Control" section of the forum and you'll be fine.

Bruce

Green digits on this sign at SR 16 and SR 160 in Port Orchard, WA:


hbelkins

^^^

I have seen a number of West Virginia county route markers, both old and new, with green digits instead of black ones.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

roadfro

Quote from: Bruce on November 02, 2021, 03:52:17 AM
Green digits on this sign at SR 16 and SR 160 in Port Orchard, WA:



The sign also has some odd layout choices. The "west" is more top-aligned to the shield but the "east" is middle-aligned to the shield, and the horizontal separation between the direction and shield varies between the two. Washington's head in the lower section is very close to that horizontal line...possibly because the right-facing arrow is jammed between shield/direction and "Tacoma" text, instead of being set to the right of that whole message block (and having ample space to lay it out that way).
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.

odditude

Quote from: roadfro on November 04, 2021, 10:33:52 AM
Quote from: Bruce on November 02, 2021, 03:52:17 AM
Green digits on this sign at SR 16 and SR 160 in Port Orchard, WA:



The sign also has some odd layout choices. The "west" is more top-aligned to the shield but the "east" is middle-aligned to the shield, and the horizontal separation between the direction and shield varies between the two. Washington's head in the lower section is very close to that horizontal line...possibly because the right-facing arrow is jammed between shield/direction and "Tacoma" text, instead of being set to the right of that whole message block (and having ample space to lay it out that way).

i'd say for the lower half, the positioning of "EAST" is consistent with the upper half; if the shield was shifted down to be top-aligned with EAST, it would look far more "normal".

jakeroot

The sign above is in WSDOT's Olympic Region. I find that their decision choices are often very odd compared to the rest of the state. There seems to be a lot of signs where the elements are laid out in such a way that some elements are needlessly cramped.

ari-s-drives


BuildTheRussian


roadman65

Odd that 29th Street gets its description but Hydraulic Street doesn't.



Looks like Hydraulic is a control city served by 29th Street.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

ClassicHasClass

No, clearly, it's Hydraulic 29th St, right next to Aerodynamic 28th St.  :pan:

Scott5114

Quote from: roadman65 on November 09, 2021, 10:56:30 AM
Odd that 29th Street gets its description but Hydraulic Street doesn't.

It's Wichita; it's more weird when they do post the street type.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef



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