New Jersey

[storm2k]

What's also worth noting is that the BGS that this one replaced and the other BGS' still remaining at this interchange were one of the last BGS' to have button-copy lettering. 

Interestingly, shortly after these BGS' were erected (which are original due to this stretch being the newest part of I-295 to open); many of the BGS' along I-295 south of this interchange were replaced with non-button-copy signage.

Clearview aside, it seems that NJDOT can't make up its mind as towards using Series D or C numerals for its 3-digit US & NJ shields.  General rule of thumb is if at least one of the digits in the route number contains a "1", then using Series D is appropriate; otherwise use Series C.

The old BGS' rightly (IMHO) used Series D for the US 130 shield whereas this new installation uses Series C.  Oh well, at least the numerals in the US 130 shield weren't in Clearview.

287 still has plenty of button copy north of Exit 14. Some signs have been replaced, but most remain. All of that signage was replaced in 1993 or 94 when the HOV lanes came in.

[Alps]

A new bill will attempt to have yellow lights timed to meet the 85th percentile speed, not the speed limit, to make intersections safer.  Currently, I believe it can be either/or.  This is somewhat in response to the red light traffic camera program, which ended in December.

http://www.nj.com/traffic/index.ssf/2015/01/bill_to_extend_yellow_light_time_could_make_red_li.html#incart_m-rpt-1

IMO this should be DOT policy, not legislation. Also, speed limits are supposed to be set by the 85th percentile, which would make this moot. (In fact, NJ law provides for speed limits to be studied and reset if the 85th percentile is faster than the posted speed limit, barring other interests such as downtown areas with parking or school zones.)

[Zeffy]

I can chalk this up for weirdest reason to close a road - this morning, I was driving up Somerset CR 601 when the RR Xing gates near the J&J building were down with the lights flashing. Got up closer and saw that people were turning into the building to make a U-turn and head backwards. I wondered why, but as I got closer, I could see there was A. no train in sight, and B. cones blocking the roadway. I'm guessing the gate must've malfunctioned, and permanently remained in the closed position. That of which is kind of funny, since they did road work on that segment only a few months ago, and during that time it looked like they might've replaced the crossing gates.

What pissed me off though was that there was no indication that this was coming, no police vehicles, construction vehicles, etc., and not even a hint of a sign to warn you that the road was closed. There was no articles or news alerts either, and if there were cones down, then I guess that someone had to have been here before to put those down.

[Roadrunner75]

I can chalk this up for weirdest reason to close a road - this morning, I was driving up Somerset CR 601 when the RR Xing gates near the J&J building were down with the lights flashing. Got up closer and saw that people were turning into the building to make a U-turn and head backwards. I wondered why, but as I got closer, I could see there was A. no train in sight, and B. cones blocking the roadway. I'm guessing the gate must've malfunctioned, and permanently remained in the closed position. That of which is kind of funny, since they did road work on that segment only a few months ago, and during that time it looked like they might've replaced the crossing gates.

What pissed me off though was that there was no indication that this was coming, no police vehicles, construction vehicles, etc., and not even a hint of a sign to warn you that the road was closed. There was no articles or news alerts either, and if there were cones down, then I guess that someone had to have been here before to put those down.

The cones were probably put down by some municipal or county worker or the police who ran across it as a quick measure until they could get the railroad's people out there to look at it.  You probably got there right after it happened, and they were scrambling to deal with it or they anticipated it would be resolved quickly.

During Sandy, a large tree from my neighbor's yard across the street fell down right across our street just past my driveway, completely blocking the road.  Our blocks are relatively short and there were plenty of other streets to get around the blockage, but it was a big hazard at night for anyone zooming down the street, and my driveway (and cars) were right in the path of anyone who might swerve at the last minute.  I ended up using some yellow caution tape I had to go out and tape both sides.  Eventually after some calls, a day or two later the town showed up and put down some cones as well (they of course were swamped with other Sandy related issues, as we are not far from the shore).  For about a week, I enjoyed having a nice cul-de-sac in front of my house until someone finally showed up and cut it up.

[odditude]

more ugly signs on I-295. thisadvance sign and the 1/4 mile one have been replaced with signs in wide Clearview with no padding anywhere. also, the exit tab has no bottom border (as usual in NJ) but has the same corner radius as the main panel (which is rare and looks odd).
The legend is now EXIT 56: US 206/NJ TPK/NJ 68 - Rising Sun Rd - Joint Base MDL.

[jeffandnicole]

more ugly signs on I-295. thisadvance sign and the 1/4 mile one have been replaced with signs in wide Clearview with no padding anywhere. also, the exit tab has no bottom border (as usual in NJ) but has the same corner radius as the main panel (which is rare and looks odd).
The legend is now EXIT 56: US 206/NJ TPK/NJ 68 - Rising Sun Rd - Joint Base MDL.

(Apologies for the blurriness...I was sitting in the 3rd row of an SUV when I took the pic!)

[PHLBOS]

The only positive thing I can say about that BGS is that NJ 68 (which ends at US 206 nearby) is finally getting mentioned.  Previous BGS' along I-295 as well as Exit 7 BGS' along the Turnpike completely ignore the existence of NJ 68, the main route to Joint Base MDL (aka Fort Dix/McGuire AFB).

[Zeffy]

The only positive thing I can say about that BGS is that NJ 68 (which ends at US 206 nearby) is finally getting mentioned.  Previous BGS' along I-295 as well as Exit 7 BGS' along the Turnpike completely ignore the existence of NJ 68, the main route to Joint Base MDL (aka Fort Dix/McGuire AFB).

I don't think the mentioning of NJ 68 outweighs the general ugliness of that piece of crap. These contractors need to stop infecting the area around my favorite city with this shit.

[PHLBOS]

The only positive thing I can say about that BGS is that NJ 68 (which ends at US 206 nearby) is finally getting mentioned.  Previous BGS' along I-295 as well as Exit 7 BGS' along the Turnpike completely ignore the existence of NJ 68, the main route to Joint Base MDL (aka Fort Dix/McGuire AFB).

I don't think the mentioning of NJ 68 outweighs the general ugliness of that piece of crap. These contractors need to stop infecting the area around my favorite city with this shit.

Just where did I say such outweighed the ugliness?  All I said, see quoted post above, was that including the NJ 68 shield was the only positive that came out of such.  Nothing more, nothing less.

Personally, I would just added the NJ 68 shield to the existing BGS (& reposition the US 206 & NJTP shields as appropriate) and used a mask for the revised/updated destination listings.

Is the reasoning for this new BGS have to do with military bases being consolidated/renamed?

Either way, I find it a bit ironic that there are now BGS' erected in NJ featuring nearly all-Clearview after states that haven't already adopted such are no longer allowed to implement any Clearview on their signs.

[Zeffy]

Just where did I say such outweighed the ugliness?  All I said, see quoted post above, was that including the NJ 68 shield was the only positive that came out of such.  Nothing more, nothing less.

Relax, I was just adding a comment based on yours saying that the sign is just a piece of crap.

Either way, I find it a bit ironic that there are now BGS' erected in NJ featuring nearly all-Clearview after states that haven't already adopted such are no longer allowed to implement any Clearview on their signs.

What's ironic is that newer signs by both PennDOT and TxDOT, two main Clearview states, look heaps better than these latest signs in New Jersey. Unbelievable.

[jeffandnicole]

The only positive thing I can say about that BGS is that NJ 68 (which ends at US 206 nearby) is finally getting mentioned.  Previous BGS' along I-295 as well as Exit 7 BGS' along the Turnpike completely ignore the existence of NJ 68, the main route to Joint Base MDL (aka Fort Dix/McGuire AFB).

I was just thinking the other day how wide a sign would be needed to fit the McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst destination.  MDL takes the fun out of that!

On this and the previously revised signage, it appears the sign is about the same size, but the lettering is larger.  NJ tends to use the minimum acceptable letter height on signage, so the larger lettering is nice to see.  But for a sign like this, they probably should've reduced the lettering size, or enlarged the sign a bit. 

Technically, 206/NJ TPK/68 should all have "TO" mentioned on the sign.  And last time I looked, while there are signs on the exit ramp and along Rising Sun Rd to get you to 206 or the Turnpike, there's nothing to guide you to Rt. 68. (Maybe this will change as well.  Probably just as likely as we'll ever see gas fall below $2 again.  Oh, wait....)

[J Route Z]

I contacted the NJTA a year ago regarding the mentioning of NJ 68, and they said it is not a "major route"....

I don't think the mentioning of NJ 68 outweighs the general ugliness of that piece of crap. These contractors need to stop infecting the area around my favorite city with this shit.

Hey Zeffy, what's your favorite city in NJ?

[Zeffy]

Hey Zeffy, what's your favorite city in NJ?

That one.

[cl94]

That has to be photoshopped. Newark only has factories and smokestacks.

[NJRoadfan]

Except it isn't Newark.

[odditude]

I contacted the NJTA a year ago regarding the mentioning of NJ 68, and they said it is not a "major route"...

NJTA or NJDOT?

[Roadgeek Adam]

That has to be photoshopped. Newark only has factories and smokestacks.

Harrison has smokestacks and factories, Trenton has them, Paterson has them. Kearny has them. Need I continue?

[J Route Z]

I contacted the NJTA a year ago regarding the mentioning of NJ 68, and they said it is not a "major route"...

NJTA or NJDOT?

Oh I meant on the Turnpike..so the Turnpike Authority. They are very stubborn.

[Zeffy]

That has to be photoshopped. Newark only has factories and smokestacks.

Every city has something to offer if you're someone who can take the time to visit it and explore it fully.

Oh, and:

it isn't Newark.

On this and the previously revised signage, it appears the sign is about the same size, but the lettering is larger.  NJ tends to use the minimum acceptable letter height on signage, so the larger lettering is nice to see.  But for a sign like this, they probably should've reduced the lettering size, or enlarged the sign a bit. 

I feel like this sign is a common case for where I argue that is Clearview really more legible than the FHWA series when you have the same letter heights? In this case, this Clearview probably is more legible, but look at it - it's definitely larger than the FHWA lettering before (never-mind the layout changing slightly).

[akotchi]

The only positive thing I can say about that BGS is that NJ 68 (which ends at US 206 nearby) is finally getting mentioned.  Previous BGS' along I-295 as well as Exit 7 BGS' along the Turnpike completely ignore the existence of NJ 68, the main route to Joint Base MDL (aka Fort Dix/McGuire AFB).

I was just thinking the other day how wide a sign would be needed to fit the McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst destination.  MDL takes the fun out of that!

On this and the previously revised signage, it appears the sign is about the same size, but the lettering is larger.  NJ tends to use the minimum acceptable letter height on signage, so the larger lettering is nice to see.  But for a sign like this, they probably should've reduced the lettering size, or enlarged the sign a bit. 

Technically, 206/NJ TPK/68 should all have "TO" mentioned on the sign.  And last time I looked, while there are signs on the exit ramp and along Rising Sun Rd to get you to 206 or the Turnpike, there's nothing to guide you to Rt. 68. (Maybe this will change as well.  Probably just as likely as we'll ever see gas fall below $2 again.  Oh, wait....)

Should also note that it is U.S. 206 South as well, as U.S. 206 North is accessible at the next exit.

[jeffandnicole]

The only positive thing I can say about that BGS is that NJ 68 (which ends at US 206 nearby) is finally getting mentioned.  Previous BGS' along I-295 as well as Exit 7 BGS' along the Turnpike completely ignore the existence of NJ 68, the main route to Joint Base MDL (aka Fort Dix/McGuire AFB).

I was just thinking the other day how wide a sign would be needed to fit the McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst destination.  MDL takes the fun out of that!

On this and the previously revised signage, it appears the sign is about the same size, but the lettering is larger.  NJ tends to use the minimum acceptable letter height on signage, so the larger lettering is nice to see.  But for a sign like this, they probably should've reduced the lettering size, or enlarged the sign a bit. 

Technically, 206/NJ TPK/68 should all have "TO" mentioned on the sign.  And last time I looked, while there are signs on the exit ramp and along Rising Sun Rd to get you to 206 or the Turnpike, there's nothing to guide you to Rt. 68. (Maybe this will change as well.  Probably just as likely as we'll ever see gas fall below $2 again.  Oh, wait....)

Should also note that it is U.S. 206 South as well, as U.S. 206 North is accessible at the next exit.

While that's true, there's a several mile gap between accessing 206 at exit 56 and exit 57. And you actually need to get on 206 North from exit 56 to get to the turnpike (for about 82 feet). So 206 by itself is accurate.

[PHLBOS]

Should also note that it is U.S. 206 South as well, as U.S. 206 North is accessible at the next exit.

While that's true, there's a several mile gap between accessing 206 at exit 56 and exit 57. And you actually need to get on 206 North from exit 56 to get to the turnpike (for about 82 feet). So 206 by itself is accurate.

Unless there was a recent change, the Exit 56 BGS at the gore itself actually has a SOUTH 206 TO NJTP heading with an accompanying advance Exit 57 BGS that has a NORTH 130 206 (stacked vertically) heading.

[odditude]

Should also note that it is U.S. 206 South as well, as U.S. 206 North is accessible at the next exit.

While that's true, there's a several mile gap between accessing 206 at exit 56 and exit 57. And you actually need to get on 206 North from exit 56 to get to the turnpike (for about 82 feet). So 206 by itself is accurate.

Unless there was a recent change, the Exit 56 BGS at the gore itself actually has a SOUTH 206 TO NJTP heading with an accompanying advance Exit 57 BGS that has a NORTH 130 206 (stacked vertically) heading.

as of last night, the sign has been removed and not yet replaced.

the signs on that gantry are new, too - installed upon completion of the full-depth reconstruction just a few years back.

[Zeffy]

as of last night, the sign has been removed and not yet replaced.

the signs on that gantry are new, too - installed upon completion of the full-depth reconstruction just a few years back.

Oh, great - more shit is probably incoming then.

[PHLBOS]

Should also note that it is U.S. 206 South as well, as U.S. 206 North is accessible at the next exit.

While that's true, there's a several mile gap between accessing 206 at exit 56 and exit 57. And you actually need to get on 206 North from exit 56 to get to the turnpike (for about 82 feet). So 206 by itself is accurate.

Unless there was a recent change, the Exit 56 BGS at the gore itself actually has a SOUTH 206 TO NJTP heading with an accompanying advance Exit 57 BGS that has a NORTH 130 206 (stacked vertically) heading.

as of last night, the sign has been removed and not yet replaced.

the signs on that gantry are new, too - installed upon completion of the full-depth reconstruction just a few years back.

And the BGS' that those replaced weren't that old either (mid-90s vintage).

Again, if the reasoning for these BGS replacements are due to the new name for the military bases; couldn't they have just masked the old Fort Dix - McGuire AFB and used the same size letters & font?

Also, were the plans & specs for these new BGS' actually reviewed by NJDOT?  The Clearview font for those BGS' should've been flagged during the shop drawing process at the very latest.