3di shields: Bubble vs. standard (non-CalTrans)

[Duke87]

Bubble shields are just further evidence of America's obesity problem.

[Bickendan]

what font is that?  the "405" seems to be a bit wide of a font and a bit more far-apart spaced than standard

Blue Highway, most likely bold. Done in Adobe Fireworks a few years back, so I can't remember if it was bold or regular or the size (it's a .gif now).

Also, the blue is brighter than specs.

[myosh_tino]

California went through the bubble phase too...

I-880 Bubble shield and newer "Angular" shield:


I-880 and I-580 Bubble shield:


Fortuantely, the bubble phase seems to have passed.  Below are signs installed over the past couple of years...

"Normal" I-680 shield:


"Normal" I-780 shield and "Slightly Angular" I-680 shield:

[shoptb1]

It seems like the states around here (Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, Indiana) seem to all use the standard spec 3di shields, which look MUCH better in my opinion to these "bubble-shields".  I'm happy to say that I agree with the group when I say that I think the bubble shields are generally stupid and ugly looking.  Although I'm sure that if I look hard enough, I might find an example of one of these in Ohio...I'm pretty sure we have at least one of everything else.

I have, however, seen these bubble shields in Pennsylvania.  Here's one in Pittsburgh -- not sure if they used bubble-shield on the I-376 replacement?

[Scott5114]

Hawaii interstate renumbering schemes may be found in the Fictional Highways section.

[Mr_Northside]

I have, however, seen these bubble shields in Pennsylvania.  Here's one in Pittsburgh -- not sure if they used bubble-shield on the I-376 replacement?

For the signs that are being replaced/updated due only to the I-376 renumbering, they've used standard shields.
However, at about the same time, separately, there is a rehab project on the stretch of Parkway East from Penn Hills to the Turnpike where the contractor doing it decided to put up brand new "bubble" 376 shields.

[shoptb1]

However, at about the same time, separately, there is a rehab project on the stretch of Parkway East from Penn Hills to the Turnpike where the contractor doing it decided to put up brand new "bubble" 376 shields.

I'm guessing that PennDOT doesn't have strict standards for contractors to adhere to regarding signage?

[jjakucyk]

It seems like the states around here (Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, Indiana) seem to all use the standard spec 3di shields...

Yeah, I don't recall ever seeing one of these beasts around here.  What I have seen, and which bugs the hell out of me, are on free-hanging signs and some pole-mounted signs, the 2di shields are cutout, but the 3di shields aren't.  WTF?  Sometimes they really phone it in, and even the 2di shield isn't cutout either.  http://maps.google.com/maps?gl=us&om=0&ie=UTF8&ll=39.099593,-84.502979&spn=0,359.995118&z=18&layer=c&cbll=39.099686,-84.502842&panoid=faC10uKgLgvSclKGKahsVg&cbp=12,289.76,,0,-2.75

[Bickendan]

At least that's a white border... here's a hairbrained 2di ODOT put up on I-5: a black non-cutout.
http://maps.google.com/maps?gl=us&om=0&ie=UTF8&layer=c&cbll=45.491519,-122.674361&panoid=_pzNWLmFGqfVqcSQBeDhug&cbp=12,245.18,,1,3.26&ll=45.491617,-122.674308&spn=0,359.99858&t=h&z=20

(Lovely non-HD resolution, Google.)

[xonhulu]

At least that's a white border... here's a hairbrained 2di ODOT put up on I-5: a black non-cutout.

(Lovely non-HD resolution, Google.)

Yeah, these are starting to crop up in a few places in Oregon.  In fact, there's one of these monstrosities just down the road from my house here in Salem.  I agree, a white background would look much better!

[corco]

There's a few on the Banfield as well


I actually prefer the black to the white. When I think white non-cutout interstate shields I always think about the Washington monstrosities

[Ian]

There's a few on the Banfield as well


I actually prefer the black to the white. When I think white non-cutout interstate shields I always think about the Washington monstrosities

I think of Rhode Island when I see those...

[corco]

At least those are formatted somewhat correctly, not with the ugly Series E (or is that F?) fonts

That said, RIDOT is probably the most notorious for not using cutouts

[jjakucyk]

At least those are formatted somewhat correctly, not with the ugly Series E (or is that F?) fonts

I dunno, this one's pretty darn awful, offensive even.

[corco]

The fun part is that last time I was on I-82 (mid 2008) there were at least 8 of those bad boys (formatted in that godawful way)

[Riverside Frwy]

These bubble shields deserve a:

[hbelkins]

It seems like the states around here (Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, Indiana) seem to all use the standard spec 3di shields...

Yeah, I don't recall ever seeing one of these beasts around here.  What I have seen, and which bugs the hell out of me, are on free-hanging signs and some pole-mounted signs, the 2di shields are cutout, but the 3di shields aren't.  WTF?  Sometimes they really phone it in, and even the 2di shield isn't cutout either.  http://maps.google.com/maps?gl=us&om=0&ie=UTF8&ll=39.099593,-84.502979&spn=0,359.995118&z=18&layer=c&cbll=39.099686,-84.502842&panoid=faC10uKgLgvSclKGKahsVg&cbp=12,289.76,,0,-2.75

I think some of the signage at that intersection is leftover temporary contractor signage from a project there a few years ago.

[jjakucyk]

They're all over downtown though.  The I-75 shield is an odd one, but while all the I-71 shields are cutout, the I-471 shields are not. 

[Scott5114]

We're talking about non-cutout shields?

Wisconsin.

[Bickendan]

These bubble shields deserve a:

Disagree. They're worthy of one if you dislike them -- which seems to be the consensus here.
The non-cutout interstate shields, the CalTrans interstate shields, and the Rand McNally interstate shields? Yeah, those are worth of a double facepalm.

[Brandon]

There's a few on the Banfield as well

For a minute there, it looked like I-84 took a jaunt to Wisconsin.  WisDOT's been using non-cutout shields for interstates for at least 15 years or so.

www.aaroads.com/shields/show.php?image=WI19880391t100390.jpg - I-39
www.aaroads.com/shields/show.php?image=WI19880432t100430.jpg - I-43 & I-94
www.aaroads.com/shields/show.php?image=WI19880434t100430.jpg - I-43
www.aaroads.com/shields/show.php?image=WI19790901t100940.jpg - I-90 & I-94 (even with a state name on I-90)
www.aaroads.com/shields/show.php?image=WI19888942t108940.jpg - I-894 (even 3dis get in on the act)

Then there's this bizarre one: www.aaroads.com/shields/show.php?image=WI19880436t100430.jpg - I-43

[Ian]

At least those are formatted somewhat correctly, not with the ugly Series E (or is that F?) fonts

I dunno, this one's pretty darn awful, offensive even.

If the I-82 shield was a cutout, it would remind me of the New Jersey Turnpike because their I-95 shields have series E (or whatever the font is).

[shoptb1]

How did we go from these awful Bubble-Shields to the highly-offensive non cut-out shields again?

[jjakucyk]

Awful begets awful, I suppose.  I'll take the blame and accept whatever punishment you wish to administer.

[Bickendan]

Hey now. I have no qualms about my threads getting hijacked or evolving to other discussions.

Now that I've been forced to pull out the threadjacked smiley on my own thread, I should start a thread about offensive non-cutouts and leave the merely annoying bubbles in here, I guess