New York

[cl94]

R5 has gone backplate and FYA crazy. Taking time, but it's good that they are finally  doing this.

NYSDOT in general has gone backplate and FYA crazy. A couple of regions are still installing left turn doghouses and four section bimodals for dedicated turn lanes, but they are becoming very rare in new installs. Backplates caught on a few years before FYAs in most places, if only because the 2009 MUTCD explicitly requires them for high-speed roads.

Not sure about R5 though I have seen at least one instance there, but it seems that more and more new FYA installs around here are of the three section variety (RA-YA-Bimodal FYA/GA).

I want to say R2 is New York's testbed for three section FYAs. They were also one of the first regions to install a decent number of FYAs in general; NY 5S in Mohawk was the first place I ever saw them.

[baugh17]

I want to say R2 is New York's testbed for three section FYAs. They were also one of the first regions to install a decent number of FYAs in general; NY 5S in Mohawk was the first place I ever saw them.

Binghamton and Rochester were the first areas to get FYAs (The ones in Mohawk were activated in late 2013).  R2 did seem to catch on at a good pace but I think other areas were seeming to catch on at the same time.  As for being the testbed for the three section FYAs, I tend to agree (I have seen them in a few other areas outside of R2, but not many).

[steviep24]

Region 4 is installing back plates on a large scale now, even on their older diagonal span wire installs. Monroe County is also installing back plates on their yellow bodied signals which almost gives them that Canadian look.

Speaking of three section FYA here's one that Region 4 installed around 2016 in Rochester.
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.1474909,-77.7094574,3a,75y,36.28h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sLZfIMqlxafoG-cewE_Gkgg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en&authuser=0

EDIT: I should mention that this three section FYA is a permissive only signal so no bi-modal arrow here.

[Mergingtraffic]

They repaved the last concrete segment of I-684 near Katonah and parts of the Saw Mill Pkway, but the button copy signs remain.  Aren't their replacement part of the project?
Any idea how old these are?

[amroad17]

They repaved the last concrete segment of I-684 near Katonah and parts of the Saw Mill Pkway, but the button copy signs remain.  Aren't their replacement part of the project?
Any idea how old these are?

Probably early 1980's as New York used a text form throughout the 1970's (the right sign would have "N.Y. 35" instead of the shield).  I say this because when the Camillus bypass was completed in 1979, the BGS's at the western freeway terminus had one with N.Y. 174 SOUTH/Camillus and the other with N.Y. 5 EAST/Syracuse without shields.

[interstatefan990]

They repaved the last concrete segment of I-684 near Katonah and parts of the Saw Mill Pkway, but the button copy signs remain.  Aren't their replacement part of the project?
Any idea how old these are?

I drive past this point pretty frequently on my commutes and weekend drives, and I can tell you that these signs are in desperate need of replacement. They are almost completely illegible at night.

[fmendes]

Any body got any news on the progress at the kew gardens interchanges there is no news coverage ive heard nothing about it since 2018 ik they started phase 4 on the grandcentral

[SignBridge]

I drove thru there in both directions on GCP in the last two months. It's still a mess but it looks like it is progressing. Among other things, the Union Tpk. westbound overpass with the arches appears to be gone, I'm sorry to say. And both directions on GCP is an awkward drive.

[ixnay]

They repaved the last concrete segment of I-684 near Katonah and parts of the Saw Mill Pkway, but the button copy signs remain.  Aren't their replacement part of the project?
Any idea how old these are?

Probably early 1980's as New York used a text form throughout the 1970's (the right sign would have "N.Y. 35" instead of the shield).

When did NYS stop using button copy interstate shields?

ixnay

[fmendes]

I drove thru there in both directions on GCP in the last two months. It's still a mess but it looks like it is progressing. Among other things, the Union Tpk. westbound overpass with the arches appears to be gone, I'm sorry to say. And both directions on GCP is an awkward drive.

yeah i saw that to the last time i drove through there that overpass reminds me of when we used to drive to LGA but these improvements are needed here is a link to the video of the improvements if ur interested  https://youtu.be/pvmGYA-wQj4

[Alps]

When did NYS stop using button copy interstate shields?

ixnay

I've only seen them myself in the NYC area, which suggests it's a region by region approach. Those signs could very well be original to the 1960s completions of the freeway network.

[cl94]

When did NYS stop using button copy interstate shields?

ixnay

I've only seen them myself in the NYC area, which suggests it's a region by region approach. Those signs could very well be original to the 1960s completions of the freeway network.

I have seen pictures from upstate that have button copy shields, but again, we're talking early 70s at the absolute latest and all original signs. These were long gone upstate by the time I was old enough to remember signs. The button copy shields downstate are pretty much all original (60s), so this would track.

[machias]

1973 or so in Syracuse. Interestingly the northbound overhead signs at Exit 32 with the same design (replacing "Cortland"  with "Watertown" ) did not have a button copy interstate marker, and it was put up around the same time. Unfortunately I don't have a photo of that assembly.

Photo taken in 1976.

[froggie]

Two things of interest on that photo.  First, the more things change, the more they stay the same...note the colors on the license plate.

Second, is that a 40 or 45 MPH speed limit attached to the 2nd overhead gantry?

[SignBridge]

Very unusual for NYSDOT to have the route shield next to the destination instead of above it. Used to be common in California, but not here.

[machias]

Very unusual for NYSDOT to have the route shield next to the destination instead of above it. Used to be common in California, but not here.

I only saw that in Region 3 for that generation of signs, but that's how they did it on most of the overhead signs I remember. When they were replaced in the early 90s, they went with the standard layout.

[machias]

Two things of interest on that photo.  First, the more things change, the more they stay the same...note the colors on the license plate.

Second, is that a 40 or 45 MPH speed limit attached to the 2nd overhead gantry?

It's a 45 MPH speed limit. I think it's still 45 today.

[fmendes]

1973 or so in Syracuse. Interestingly the northbound overhead signs at Exit 32 with the same design (replacing "Cortland"  with "Watertown" ) did not have a button copy interstate marker, and it was put up around the same time. Unfortunately I don't have a photo of that assembly.

Photo taken in 1976.

the funny thing is those look like the signs they use on the Belt Pkwy and the BQE like the very square styling and the color

[D-Dey65]

When did NYS stop using button copy interstate shields?

ixnay

I've only seen them myself in the NYC area, which suggests it's a region by region approach. Those signs could very well be original to the 1960s completions of the freeway network.

Oh, we had them on Long Island too. Of course, they started replacing most of them in the 1970's.

[Bumppoman]

I was out in Orleans County last week and had occasion to drive on NY-279.  I understand that it is under county maintenance, but there was absolutely no signage (reassurance or reference markers) between NY-104 and NY-18.

I contacted Region 4 and got this response:

" Route 279 between Route 104 and Route 18 is owned, maintained, and operated by the Orleans County DPW.  This portion of the highway includes the segment you are referring to.  It was a State road but had been transferred to the County as part of a jurisdictional transfer many years ago.  If you would like to speak with someone at the County regarding this, they can be contacted at (585) 589-6145."

Does this mean that it's decommissioned?  In my experience most county-maintained segments still have reference markers and reassurance shields.  I can't imagine Orleans County would post these.

[webny99]

I was out in Orleans County last week and had occasion to drive on NY-279.  I understand that it is under county maintenance, but there was absolutely no signage (reassurance or reference markers) between NY-104 and NY-18.

I contacted Region 4 and got this response:

" Route 279 between Route 104 and Route 18 is owned, maintained, and operated by the Orleans County DPW.  This portion of the highway includes the segment you are referring to.  It was a State road but had been transferred to the County as part of a jurisdictional transfer many years ago.  If you would like to speak with someone at the County regarding this, they can be contacted at (585) 589-6145."

Does this mean that it's decommissioned?  In my experience most county-maintained segments still have reference markers and reassurance shields.  I can't imagine Orleans County would post these.

Interesting. If there really is no signage whatsoever, it must have been taken down fairly recently, as here's June 2019 Street View from NY 104. With that said, the rest of the route does seem to be very under-signed compared to most other state routes, although there is this from 2011 (which could easily be gone by now). It's also signed in advance on NY 18, although there is no reassurance shield once you make the turn, which is rare.

I would guess that it's not decommissioned unless it's something that happened very recently - but there are a few folks on here with more subject knowledge than me, so I'll defer to them.

[cl94]

NY 279 has been signed like crap along the route itself for years. There were only a couple shields along the county-maintained segment itself when I drove it in 2017, but it was signed well from both 104 and 18. I'll believe it's gone when signs are removed along both 104 and 18.

[empirestate]

I would guess that it's not decommissioned unless it's something that happened very recently - but there are a few folks on here with more subject knowledge than me, so I'll defer to them.

There are some other nearby routes that have been decommissioned along county-owned sections, if I'm not mistaken.

[Roadgeek Adam]

NY 279 is still active.

[baugh17]

NY 279 has been signed like crap along the route itself for years. There were only a couple shields along the county-maintained segment itself when I drove it in 2017, but it was signed well from both 104 and 18. I'll believe it's gone when signs are removed along both 104 and 18.

I couldn't tell you how far off course I went when I eventually clinched NY 279 on my return trip from the NE Ohio meet in 2018 because I missed turns due to the lack of signage, particularly in Waterport (*NO* signs other than at the intersections with NY 104 and NY 18).  I honestly feel they should just drop the number in Orleans County altogether and move it to the New York portion of the Bennington Bypass.