MUTCD LEFT plus full-width tab = crappy signage in IL

[Stratuscaster]

After taking a look at the "TOLL" banner topic - https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=3589.0 - I opted to post this - a bit of an annoyance to me and possibly others (but likely just me.)

IDOT tends to use full-width exit tabs on their BGS, something I do like. However, with the new LEFT banner MUTCD requirement, it leads to a problem. Here's the sign for Exit 7, I-355 S on I-290 E:

Notice the huge expanse of empty green space on the exit tab, forced by the LEFT banner. Also notice that the addition of the LEFT banner has also caused that sign to exceed the height of the gantry - not a problem other than those gantries had always had signs of the same height on them (which admittedly also caused a huge amount of empty green space on some signs, but it didn't look bad.)

It doesn't look THAT bad in this example - but let's look at another. This is I-290 E at IL-43, exit 21B:

End result is that the route shield and text is crammed into the available space and looks like garbage.

For an even better (worse?) example, here's I-355 S at Army Trail Road, exit 29:

The exit tab is actually taller than the space for the road name. 

Now, as referenced in the "TOLL" banner thread, IDOT puts the TOLL banner above the route shield. If they tried that with the first image, they'd either have to make the sign even taller or just try to cram it all in there.

Might be nice if the MUTCD allowed for the LEFT banner to go on the same line as the "EXIT xxx" text at least.

Might be nicer if IDOT could get some folks that could produce better looking signage as well. At best, they are consistently inconsistent.

[pctech]

LADOTD has switched to big gaudy all yellow left exit tabs.
The sign that's too high for the gantry would give them a cold sweat in CA! 

Mark