Something wonderful has happened in Atlanta. I am agog.

[Tom958]

I was psyched about going through downtown Atlanta today because a friend had told me about something cool that'd been done there . But this is way better.

Within (I'm pretty sure) the last few days, along with some APL-related changes I've already posted about, this sign for the Edgewood Ave exit and the one for the subsequent International Blvd exit were changed from 2009 MUTCD-complaint twin black-on-yellow arrows to the old skool scheme you see here. So were the ones for the Williams Street and Courtland Street exits on the southbound side. To me, this amounts to extending a middle finger to the single most objectionable feature of the 2009 MUTCD, and don't mind admitting that I'm giddy about it. It's all the more remarkable considering that several of the rogue APL's that GDOT is famous for have been corrected recently ( three items on this page). GDOT is improving MUTCD compliance regarding APL's while flauting it re conventional signage for the same condition. Something is going on. Here's the Streetview link in case you want to look around.



Having made my own opinion clear, I'm not gonna reargue the point, but I would like to mention that there are many places in Georgia where the sign is mounted before the option lane starts to widen rather than at or near the physical nose, thereby making it appear that two lanes are being dropped rather than one. That was the case here, actually, until the change. I'm wondering now if practical experience with accidents is playing a bigger role here than philosophy.  Either way, we may be seeing a lot of this in the future.

[Tom958]

Sign replacement is underway on I-85 between I-285 and Sugarloaf Parkway, where two-lane offramps with option lanes are almost universal, and it's clear that GDOT is all-in on the new scheme. The new signs at the point of divergence follow the pattern in the photo above, while the advance signs have only one black-on-yellow down arrow per the MUTCD. The only 2009 MUTCD-compliant two-arrow sign in the corridor, this hideous monstrosity installed as part of a dynamic shoulder lane project, has been modified to have one white and one black arrow, and the border(s) have been fixed, so now it looks normal.

The next thing to watch for is whether there'll be a systematic program of changing the many existing 2009 MUTCD-compliant, two-black-arrow signs to the new style. I'm guessing there will be, if it's not happening already.

[machias]

Now if they'd just switch back to Georgia D.

[roadman]

Streetview link in case you want to look around.

Seems to be a lot of empty green space on that HOV entrance sign.  Does GDOT have a design requirement that all signs mounted on the same gantry have to be the same height?

[freebrickproductions]

Streetview link in case you want to look around.

Seems to be a lot of empty green space on that HOV entrance sign.  Does GDOT have a design requirement that all signs mounted on the same gantry have to be the same height?

I know they at least did, but seem to be moving away from that requirement.

[epzik8]

No Clearview?!

[StogieGuy7]

No Clearview?!

No, and what a massive improvement! 

[OracleUsr]

Georgia, to my knowledge, never used Clearview.

[Eth]

Georgia, to my knowledge, never used Clearview.

Correct, at least at the state level. I've seen a few local governments make use of it.

[Tom958]

So, has this happened in any other state?

[Tom958]

Three and a half months later...

The next thing to watch for is whether there'll be a systematic program of changing the many existing 2009 MUTCD-compliant, two-black-arrow signs to the new style. I'm guessing there will be, if it's not happening already.

Nope. While installation of new old skool signage has continued, there's been no more revision of existing signage AFAIK. However, yesterday I discovered this, installed within the last few weeks. Previously, new conventional signage in advance of option lane exits has been MUTCD compliant. Now, screw that!



!nterestingly, at the next junction upstream, the Olympic era signage has been replaced with an APL. I don't mind admitting that I don't understand GDOT's thinking.

[Tom958]

Gravedig, for late -breaking news: Recently, the name of Freedom Parkway was changed to John Lewis Freedom Parkway, and the BGS's were replaced rather than greened over to accommodate the change. The exit only panels on the new signs are 2009 MUTCD compliant, with two black-on-yellow arrows instead on one white, one black. This could mean that the revolt on this is over, but I suspect and hope that it's a matter of whoever designed the signs not knowing that that aspect of the MUTCD was considered inoperative on the Downtown Connector  and on 85 in Gwinnett.

And yes, John Lewis Parkway would've been better.