The Best of Road Signs

[Takumi]

Some more of my favorite finds over the years. All are extant unless otherwise noted.

One of several old US 301 ALT assemblies in Petersburg. All of them are one-piece except for the ALT banner.


Faded almost to black, also from Petersburg.


Rare reassurance for a 4-digit secondary, plus an all-text guide for VA 36.


One of two of these I know of around here.


The West banner on the VA 156 is an error, which is why it was covered.


Heading in the opposite direction at the same intersection. This was replaced earlier this year with something that can go into Worst Of Road Signs...


"The" last Hopewell cutout in front of "The" Hopewell bowling center.


This was located at the traffic light in the previous picture. It was probably added when VA 36 was routed this way in 1961 (before that, it turned right here). Disappeared in late 2010, but the pole is still there so it was probably stolen.


This is on Laburnum Ave in Richmond just west of where VA 197 joins/leaves it. The combination of glare and age mostly obscures the state name, but it's on it.


Old VA 40 one-piece in Blackstone


These last few are from Baltimore, on a trip I took Memorial Day weekend. This was the only state-name interstate shield I saw.


These are a few blocks northeast of that, near the beginning of I-83.


That's 648.

[formulanone]

The one-piece US Route assemblies also used to be a staple of "old" Florida...rare finds nowadays.

Welcome to our boards, Takumi.

[1995hoo]

Welcome, Takumi. Blackstone, Virginia! That brings back some memories from college. A friend lived in the area and one year we did an Alternative Spring Break type of thing helping to repair a house that belonged to the Catholic church in town. I haven't been there in at least 15 years. I seem to recall that there was some kind of aircraft warning sign east of town on VA-40 through Fort Pickett that really took me aback the first time I saw it, but I'll be darned if I can remember what it was and Street View isn't clear. Do you have any idea what I might be struggling to remember? (Sorry I can't be more specific. It's been a long time.)

[Takumi]

Welcome, Takumi. Blackstone, Virginia! That brings back some memories from college. A friend lived in the area and one year we did an Alternative Spring Break type of thing helping to repair a house that belonged to the Catholic church in town. I haven't been there in at least 15 years. I seem to recall that there was some kind of aircraft warning sign east of town on VA-40 through Fort Pickett that really took me aback the first time I saw it, but I'll be darned if I can remember what it was and Street View isn't clear. Do you have any idea what I might be struggling to remember? (Sorry I can't be more specific. It's been a long time.)

The Fort Pickett Airport is right next to VA 40 just southeast of town. Across the road from it is just forest, so maybe it was a "watch for low-flying planes" warning. I don't recall any aircraft warning signs being there when I drove by it, though. However, there are several tank crossings, complete with signs, on the route.

Shame on me for forgetting this original I-95 shield from Hopewell (taken in 2008, but still there)

[1995hoo]

It was probably the tank crossings that I'm remembering. Thanks for the reply!

[agentsteel53]

great finds!

there are several state-named shields in Baltimore if you know where to look.  but the oldest ones around are neutered, interestingly enough.

[OCGuy81]

I haven't seen these mentioned yet, but I recently saw them in Seattle and really liked these.  They're on I-5 (at least the ones I saw) from roughly the airport and into downtown.  Really nice looking, and it'd be cool to see them more.

[Takumi]

Welcome to our boards, Takumi.

Welcome, Takumi.

Thanks to both of you. I'm glad to be here.

[architect77]

I haven't seen these mentioned yet, but I recently saw them in Seattle and really liked these.  They're on I-5 (at least the ones I saw) from roughly the airport and into downtown.  Really nice looking, and it'd be cool to see them more.

Very clean and attractive. I like this very much.

[tdindy88]

I haven't seen these mentioned yet, but I recently saw them in Seattle and really liked these.  They're on I-5 (at least the ones I saw) from roughly the airport and into downtown.  Really nice looking, and it'd be cool to see them more.

I was recently in Seattle right at rush hour in the morning when I saw those signs, it was neat to see the speed limit go from 60 to 40 and in various lanes. But since it was rush hour, no one was even doing 40.

[Takumi]

I forgot to post this one with my other favorites as well. Whenever I see cutouts with direction banners there's usually just one shield and both directions in one banner. I occasionally see newer assemblies do this as well and I really like it. Here's an example from Lightfoot, VA.

[brownpelican]

This is from a construction zone in Warren, Maine. Route 1. I thought it was pretty cool. Unsure of the font though.

Looks like Comic Sans.

[agentsteel53]

Looks like Comic Sans.

good lord, what will they think of next?  I hate those sorts of signs.  so if a construction worker has no children, I can go ahead and floor it, plowing his ass into the next county?

[US71]

This is from a construction zone in Warren, Maine. Route 1. I thought it was pretty cool. Unsure of the font though.

I've seen those around OKC a couple times.

[Dr Frankenstein]

<snip>

My guess is these have been posted before but searching for new jersey turnpike and nj turnpike on the thread didn't turn them up and I haven't seen it posted myself.

A friend of mine said these are going away soon.. too bad.  I'm a sucker for neon.

Edit: for the curious it looks like a thread discussing these signs going away happened early last year:  https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=2468.0

I'm surprised this one works properly and isn't displaying something like "RED PEE".

[KEK Inc.]

I haven't seen these mentioned yet, but I recently saw them in Seattle and really liked these.  They're on I-5 (at least the ones I saw) from roughly the airport and into downtown.  Really nice looking, and it'd be cool to see them more.

Here's a real photo I took a year ago.

[Kacie Jane]

Thanks, KEK.  I was about to post saying that the other was just a rendering, but just posting a photo is even better.  IMHO, the real thing is even more attractive.

[Ian]

These beauties are along I-276/Pennsylvania Turnpike...




EDIT: forgot one...

[Ian]

Cell phone shot of some brand new bittersweet signs on the Roosevelt Expressway portion of US 1 in Philadelphia. Bitter in the fact that there is Clearview, but sweet in the fact that it includes state named I-76 shields!

[agentsteel53]

the signs which were replaced by those deserve some mention as the "best of road signs" as well!

[hbelkins]

Looks like the button copy signs are in a different location than the new Clearview/state name signs.

[architect77]

The new "Central Phila/Valley Forge" are an improvement. Wouldn't it be funny if it read, "Central Philly"?

[Alex]

Looks like the button copy signs are in a different location than the new Clearview/state name signs.

Jake posted the following sign bridge, here is the one that was replaced:



I do have to wonder if the black/yellow "This Lane" is MUTCD-legit?

[roadfro]

^ The MUTCD doesn't have any provision for "this lane" signing.

Seems like the 'Central Phila' panel could've been designed with regular white on green down arrows, and the 'Valley Forge' panel using exit only legend... Or, given that the "through" route is US 1, both panels could've used simple "ONLY" legend.

[ctsignguy]

Those new Clearview signs are no improvement over the old button copy to me....different isn't always better, and even with my eyes being less than perfect, i can still read the FHWA fonts just fine....