The Best of Road Signs

[hbelkins]

[Central Avenue]

I wouldn't mind the outlined OH 734 shield so much if it were a bit thicker...I feel like it gets lost when viewed from a distance.

I suppose technically it would be best if it were a black-on-white shield, but I imagine that would make the sign more expensive and it's probably not worth it for something meant to be temporary.

By any chance, is the original photo of sufficient resolution to make a good blow-up of the state route shields?  That would be good for examining the differences between the 2-digit and 3-digit shapes as used in practice.

I couldn't get them all that big, but here they are at the original resolution FWIW:

[vtk]

This one might still might be around, Along US 23, west of Upper Sandusky, approaching (Old) US 30
(this predates the US 30 expressway connecting Upper Sandusky and Bucyrus)

I think that's gone. I haven't been through there much recently, but there's enough signage that bugs me in that area that I pay attention and I think I'd remember that sign amongst the irksome ones if it were still up.

[Dr Frankenstein]

Angled exit signs were common in Ontario until the late 1970s or so when there use was phased out.  A few still exist.  Not the best photo (and the old king's highway crowns have been covered over as a result of highway downloading), but a contender nevertheless:

Those are definitely the best of Ontario's highway signs. This particular one is gone, I think there are two or three left around Brockville on 401 EB, maybe less in the other direction.

In several cases, when old advance signs were replaced with newer ones, they kept the old exit tab.

I'd post the signs at the 7th Street roundabout in Cornwall here, but I haven't managed to get a good shot of them yet (it's either raining or night when I'm there).

[Ian]

Those are definitely the best of Ontario's highway signs. This particular one is gone, I think there are two or three left around Brockville on 401 EB, maybe less in the other direction.

I recall seeing about 2 of them going westbound when I was going through there last week. They didn't appear to be strikingly old either, or at least they weren't very weathered. I can post photos of them once I get them uploaded.

[agentsteel53]

what is the difference between a generic 2 and an SD&G 34?  different shield style, or actually different jurisdiction?

I'd assume they're both Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry County roads, or no?

[AsphaltPlanet]

The highways were transferred to the county on two different dates. The decision to include the county name on the shield design is a fairly recent one so I am guessing the CR 2 overlay predates that decision.

[relaxok]

I really enjoy the image this brings to mind - some sort of adventure movie where the trees are actively falling as you go by them.  I googled searched and found this one, which is apparently on Mt. Lemmon Control Road in Oracle, AZ.  However, the only one I've ever actually seen in person is on CA-116 around Lakeville, CA outside of Petaluma.  Lots of huge eucalyptus trees on either side.  I just looked it up to see if there were other examples since I had never seen it my entire life.

[Kacie Jane]

Unfortunately this isn't really "best of", since it seems to be missing a space on the bottom line.  It's also not the one I'm thinking of, since when I drove this road I only remember seeing a 60-mile warning, not a 77.  But I'm posting this here since relaxok's sign reminded me of my personal favorite, on US 12 in Idaho.

[cpzilliacus]

Angled exit signs were common in Ontario until the late 1970s or so when there use was phased out.  A few still exist.  Not the best photo (and the old king's highway crowns have been covered over as a result of highway downloading), but a contender nevertheless:

Too bad about the removal of the downgrade (I'm  a big fan of Ontario's crown "shield" on BGS panels), but the angled sign is still cool. Reminds me of the entrances to New Jersey's Garden State Parkway like the one in this CBS New York story.

[Duke87]

Now here's something fun and odd:

[vtk]

Nice of them to put the sign spec code in the corner!

[PurdueBill]

Now here's something fun and odd:

I need to get a pic of an old, very faded sign in Akron with a similar message (but no red text) about left on red being legal (and encouraged, or else why have the sign?).  Street view of it isn't very good.

This one might still might be around, Along US 23, west of Upper Sandusky, approaching (Old) US 30
(this predates the US 30 expressway connecting Upper Sandusky and Bucyrus)

I think that's gone. I haven't been through there much recently, but there's enough signage that bugs me in that area that I pay attention and I think I'd remember that sign amongst the irksome ones if it were still up.

Yep, gone.  I started going through there frequently in 2006 and remember that sign and relatives of it being there then, but within a couple years they were gone.  When the Upper Sandusky-Bucyrus expressway opened, the sign in the picture was now ON US 30 (while multiplexed with US 23) and the exit ahead was no longer for US 30 EB (the old route).

There were corresponding signs on the other side, approaching the same interchange, that were there to notify those with a habit of exiting for US 30 EB to stay on 23 one more exit for the new road, but those signs only lasted a couple years after the new road opened as well.  I think the US 30 trailblazers in question happened to go when the button copy was replaced around there, but it happens that it was also time for the trailblazers to go after the new road was in operation long enough.

When the US 23 to OH 235 segment of expressway opened, there wasn't a corresponding batch of signs to blaze the new trail since the new road's connection to US 23 was already built and at 235, it met the stub under the 235 overpass.  It was nice of ODOT to leave the 1999 button copy in place when the 2007 segment opened with reflective signs.  The 1999 segment of US 30 from I-75 to OH 235 has some of the only button copy on US 30 outside Mansfield anymore!

[agentsteel53]

Nice of them to put the sign spec code in the corner!

I've always appreciated it, from a research perspective.

its practical value is to allow for installation blueprints to refer only to, say, "M1-1", and have the installing crew be able to easily locate it, even if they are not familiar with all the possibilities in the palette.

[1995hoo]

Now here's something fun and odd:

There used to be a similarly-worded sign ("Left Turn on Red Permitted After Stop") with all-black text in Fairfax City, Virginia, near the courthouse, but it's gone because they reconfigured the streets and they're no longer one-way, thus eliminating the left-on-red option. I always liked the sign because in my experience probably 95 percent of drivers have absolutely no idea this maneuver is ever legal (and indeed I've had people look at me like I were a toad rapist or something when I've mentioned turning left on red). While the sign should be unnecessary, it's a helpful thing because without it a lot of people just won't go even when it's allowed. I'm about the only person I know who makes lefts on red. I can even think of one street in the City of Alexandria that has a "No Turn on Red When Pedestrians Are Present" sign for a left turn on red.

[agentsteel53]

and indeed I've had people look at me like I were a toad rapist or something

a subtly different look from "you're a frog rapist or something" and "you do really bad things with newts on the weekend, don't you?"

[formulanone]

You've both ruined Mr. Toad's Wild Ride for me forever. And that ride went through Hell.

[corco]

Going through some photos of a drive I took last winter and re-discovered the best US-180 shield in all of New Mexico

[Special K]

Going through some photos of a drive I took last winter and re-discovered the best US-180 shield in all of New Mexico

Only to be spoiled by the destination sign (direction priority is straight, left, right).

[agentsteel53]

Going through some photos of a drive I took last winter and re-discovered the best US-180 shield in all of New Mexico
['61 spec US-180]

I believe there are four between Silver City and the Arizona state line, and another three on the 62-180 multiplex.  I would have to go through my photos and count for sure, but I just did all of US-180 in New Mexico over Memorial Day weekend.

why no, there aren't any cutouts.

[corco]

On 180 west I can only find this one
in Carlsbad


and then a couple of these around Silver City, which aren't nearly as exciting


Haven't driven 180 eastbound though

[agentsteel53]

I photographed the following on the 62/180 segment:

* 62/180 east pair just after the split with 285 in Carlsbad
* 62/180 west at the same location, just before the split (kinda hidden by a tree)
* a JCT assembly on a side street just a block south of the split (doesn't mention 285, oddly - and has Series C on the "180")

there is also a single remaining example of a shield which has all three numbers in it.  northbound on the multiplex.  so that makes either three or four, depending on your definition.

(the WEST/62/180/SOUTH/285 gantry you photographed is gone, unless I plain old missed it)

I did not photograph the other segment of 180 in NM, because I had done that in July of 2011, and the purpose of this trip was to find older 62 shields.

there is an additional old 62 shield at a junction assembly on the rural stretch between Hobbs and Carlsbad.  It is paired with a 30x30 inch '70 spec 180 shield - similar to the reassurance you posted, but wood.  rounded corners on both shields, though, as well as Series D on "62".  1990 on all three signs in that assembly.

[Takumi]

These are still standing in Richmond.

[Alps]

These are still standing in Richmond.

Hm, never noticed the WB one. Guess that's why we have a meet (:

[Takumi]

They're not far apart, so they can easily be added to the itinerary.