California

Alex · January 24, 2009, 02:47:18 AM

Here's some photos Jeremy Lance scanned years ago from an old publication. These were originally on the California section of the original A.A. Highway Sign Gallery.

Voyager · January 24, 2009, 02:59:11 AM

Wow, talk about a blast from the past!

John · January 24, 2009, 09:21:47 AM

Wow, those are great photos. Don't like a ton different from the current highways.

big t · January 26, 2009, 03:14:08 AM

wow thats such a cool colaboration of photos. I esp like the one at the bottom of the 5/10 in boyle heights. Where do you get those photos?

Quote from: voyager on January 24, 2009, 02:59:11 AM
Wow, talk about a blast from the past!

TheStranger · February 10, 2009, 06:33:33 PM

I think Brooklyn Avenue on the last photo is today's Cesar Chavez Avenue...

tankerdave · February 11, 2009, 05:20:39 PM

It is now Cresar Chavez Ave, think the name was changed about 10 yrs ago.

John · February 11, 2009, 08:42:36 PM

It was Army Ave until the late 90s. IDK when it was Brooklyn, but if it ever was, it would have been called that a long time ago.

TheStranger · February 12, 2009, 02:44:09 AM

Quote from: John on February 11, 2009, 08:42:36 PM
It was Army Ave until the late 90s. IDK when it was Brooklyn, but if it ever was, it would have been called that a long time ago.

If I'm not mistaken, "Cesar Chavez Avenue" was created from connecting several different streets together under the one name.

The one vestige of Brooklyn Avenue ever existing is the parallel street Brooklyn Place.

John · February 12, 2009, 10:06:14 AM

No, that picture has I-10 in it. I-10 is down in LA.

corco · February 12, 2009, 10:07:51 AM

That lane change at the bottom looks slightly dangerous

Bryant5493 · February 12, 2009, 08:05:40 PM

Quote from: corco on February 12, 2009, 10:07:51 AM
That lane change at the bottom looks slightly dangerous

Just slightly?

Be well,

Bryant

Voyager · February 12, 2009, 09:26:19 PM

It's ok, cars only went to 25 MPH back then.

The High Plains Traveler · February 17, 2009, 10:12:03 PM

What font is that on the bear signs, anyway? The older U.S. 6 marker has the squared-off early U.S. highway sign font, but the earlier state route markers (the ones not reflectorized) have a font I haven't seen on other states' older signs.

Alex · February 17, 2009, 10:24:03 PM

Quote from: The High Plains Traveler on February 17, 2009, 10:12:03 PM
What font is that on the bear signs, anyway? The older U.S. 6 marker has the squared-off early U.S. highway sign font, but the earlier state route markers (the ones not reflectorized) have a font I haven't seen on other states' older signs.

They used more custom fonts back then. The question can be more accurately answered by agentsteel53 (send him a PM)

TheStranger · February 21, 2009, 11:40:46 PM

A couple of photos I took tonight (long-exposure) of US 50 in East Sacramento, with my Nikon D40:

Voyager · February 22, 2009, 03:29:49 AM

Oh beautiful Sacramento...

DukeOfURL · February 22, 2009, 10:11:22 PM

Where were you standing when you took those pictures?

TheStranger · February 22, 2009, 11:26:39 PM

DukeofURL: Camera was on a railing at the 48th Street overpass.

AZDude · March 22, 2009, 03:00:27 AM

I like California's unique style of signage and highways. I like how the highway signs are cutout style rather than the white on black background used everywhere else. Also the "Freeway Entrance" signage used near onramps. Also I even liked the use of "Exit" or "Ramp" for interchanges. Although I'm fine with the numbering of exits (which is also a very unique format). The use of "City Limit" rather than "City Limits", "60 Zone Ahead", "Maximum Speed", etc. I hope they don't change anytime soon.

TheStranger · March 23, 2009, 03:05:57 PM

AZDude: I know a lot of folks at the misc.transport.road newsgroup and elsewhere whined about exit numbers being painted onto the signs themselves, as opposed to seperate tabs, but that style has grown on me (seeing that it is just about everywhere here in Sacramento).

Alex · March 24, 2009, 02:49:18 PM

QuoteAZDude: I know a lot of folks at the misc.transport.road newsgroup and elsewhere whined about exit numbers being painted onto the signs themselves, as opposed to seperate tabs, but that style has grown on me (seeing that it is just about everywhere here in Sacramento).

I hated the internally placed exit "tabs" on California signs at first, but after awhile they grew on me. Even on my last visit to the state, I readjusted quickly and began looking to see which exits were now numbered rather than continue to think that they should all be changed to match the rest of the nation.

AZDude · March 25, 2009, 02:02:43 AM

Yeah, I much rather have the an exit tab on top of the sign myself. But what can you do?

Hellfighter · March 25, 2009, 09:26:44 PM

Those photos look cool. I like they still had US-99 and US-70 signed along with I-10.

Alex · April 03, 2009, 10:57:44 AM

Mike Ballard found this on the Los Angeles city website regarding the Ramona Parkway:

http://www.lacity.org/ladot/TopicsAndTales/Freeway1.pdf

J N Winkler · April 05, 2009, 05:57:08 PM

I hate the "bitten-out" and "strip-style" tabs myself, but I don't see that Caltrans has a lot of choice about them if exit numbering is to be carried out at relatively low cost. Caltrans is committed to rather unusual kinds of sign hardware, such as laminated signs and formed panel signs, and these don't accept externally mounted tabs easily. Even PennDOT (which is probably the only agency other than Caltrans which uses laminated signs) has been known to do strip-style tabs on occasion.

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California