The Best of Road Signs

[national highway 1]

Great custom-font US 20 shield in West Yellowstone, MT!

[noelbotevera]

Great custom-font US 20 shield in West Yellowstone, MT!

It faintly resembles LeHay/the old Mass font. Yeah, I don't think you use that road signs anymore.

[Mergingtraffic]

ODOT twittered this out today:

Wow that's great, not even an OH in front of the 202.  I'm guessing this sign was green?

From the 1958 to 1970s grit:
Non-reflective button copy, rusting and graffiti laced.

[cl94]

Wow that's great, not even an OH in front of the 202.  I'm guessing this sign was green?

There never would have been an OH. Unlike many states, the official designation is "SR XX" and, from what I can tell, always has been.

[PurdueBill]

Wow that's great, not even an OH in front of the 202.  I'm guessing this sign was green?

There never would have been an OH. Unlike many states, the official designation is "SR XX" and, from what I can tell, always has been.

"OH" as an abbrev for Ohio wasn't put forth by USPS until 1963 anyway.  Just plain "O." was in common (not postal) use and even appeared on signs in other states...


On modern signs in Ohio that use text (not shields) for route numbers, though, "SR XX" is always used.  Same in Indiana, fwiw.  (There used to be more specimens of the number-only type here and there, but they have disappeared over time.  I can swear I recall one in Medina screaming "18" with an arrow--no other characters--that is gone now, for example.

[thenetwork]

Wow that's great, not even an OH in front of the 202.  I'm guessing this sign was green?

There never would have been an OH. Unlike many states, the official designation is "SR XX" and, from what I can tell, always has been.

"OH" as an abbrev for Ohio wasn't put forth by USPS until 1963 anyway.  Just plain "O." was in common (not postal) use and even appeared on signs in other states...


On modern signs in Ohio that use text (not shields) for route numbers, though, "SR XX" is always used.  Same in Indiana, fwiw.  (There used to be more specimens of the number-only type here and there, but they have disappeared over time.  I can swear I recall one in Medina screaming "18" with an arrow--no other characters--that is gone now, for example.

SR-57 is still alive and kicking in Lorain, OH:  https://www.google.com/maps/@41.445754,-82.120081,3a,75y,64.5h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1suK0vvCMk32aUl8bA3ADP1Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

And just south of Akron, SR-93 is still alive, albeit on a modern-day replica of an old 1960's era BGS.:  https://www.google.com/maps/@41.04787,-81.54772,3a,75y,180h,86.18t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s7fFKl2vts_7u4LCIm5nvDw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[PurdueBill]

Yes! The 57 ones are exactly the kind I was thinking of that used to exist for 18.  Very Massachusetts, with a route number in text.   They get the job done.

[vtk]

On modern signs in Ohio that use text (not shields) for route numbers, though, "SR XX" is always used.  Same in Indiana, fwiw.

I wouldn't be so quick to use the word "same". "SR" in Ohio stands for "state route"; in Indiana it stands for "state road".

[PurdueBill]

On modern signs in Ohio that use text (not shields) for route numbers, though, "SR XX" is always used.  Same in Indiana, fwiw.

I wouldn't be so quick to use the word "same". "SR" in Ohio stands for "state route"; in Indiana it stands for "state road".

Same abbreviation SR on signage is all I was referring to--not necessarily the same what it stands for.  The "SR" thing came up in the context of "OH" not being in front of "202" like PA or NY would do it ("NY 161", "PA 611", etc.) vs. spelling it out.

[cl94]

On modern signs in Ohio that use text (not shields) for route numbers, though, "SR XX" is always used.  Same in Indiana, fwiw.

I wouldn't be so quick to use the word "same". "SR" in Ohio stands for "state route"; in Indiana it stands for "state road".

Same abbreviation SR on signage is all I was referring to--not necessarily the same what it stands for.  The "SR" thing came up in the context of "OH" not being in front of "202" like PA or NY would do it ("NY 161", "PA 611", etc.) vs. spelling it out.

NY isn't consistent. I-390 had a bunch of distance signs for "Rte 17", since patched to become "Rte I-86".

[Zeffy]

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.338941,-74.647584,3a,15.1y,4.55h,83.86t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sVhNoZAKsZKmnak-gErzZMA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

I think that this sign was used way before the WEIGHT LIMIT X TONS signs you see nowadays. The font doesn't look to be 100% FHWA either, but again, not sure on that either.

This isn't really a sign, but...
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.474113,-74.656948,3a,15y,39.02h,73.72t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sXCvjbwVNdiOslDVsQx6wrQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

These babies are slowly becoming illegible to read. These original markers were used extremely early, easily before the 1930s.

[andy3175]

Great custom-font US 20 shield in West Yellowstone, MT!

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed this picture. I posted this and others around West Yellowstone while visiting Montana last month. This was the only one that appeared to be older style fonts; the others I saw appeared newer.

[machias]

On modern signs in Ohio that use text (not shields) for route numbers, though, "SR XX" is always used.  Same in Indiana, fwiw.

I wouldn't be so quick to use the word "same". "SR" in Ohio stands for "state route"; in Indiana it stands for "state road".

Same abbreviation SR on signage is all I was referring to--not necessarily the same what it stands for.  The "SR" thing came up in the context of "OH" not being in front of "202" like PA or NY would do it ("NY 161", "PA 611", etc.) vs. spelling it out.

NY isn't consistent. I-390 had a bunch of distance signs for "Rte 17", since patched to become "Rte I-86".

I always found that "Rte 17" sign to be the oddball because it was very, very rare to see "Rte" instead of "N Y" in New York. Of course, the Thruway used "ROUTE" for everything back in the day, for example "ROUTES 48 - 690".

[mwb1848]

This button copy goodness has survived many Clearview sign replacements nearby and remains on US 62 (Paisano Drive) eastbound before its junction with I-110 which provides access to I-10, US 54, and Ciudad Juárez via the Bridge of the Americas.

[AsphaltPlanet]

^ That is a very cool sign.  Thank's for posting.

[national highway 1]

[formulanone]

Southbound on SC 170/US 17, near the Georgia/South Carolina state line:


Not ALT / SC 170 by formulanone, on Flickr

Wikipedia suggests this routing was once part of US 17, and Alternate US 17 took its place in 1975, so this assembly is at least that old.

[andy3175]

Thanks again for sharing another AARoads picture. Please remember to include a link back to the site where you found this picture.

https://www.facebook.com/aaroads/photos/a.10153589315867948.1073741848.181045197947/10153589316632948/?type=3&theater

[Mapmikey]

Southbound on SC 170/US 17, near the Georgia/South Carolina state line:


Not ALT / SC 170 by formulanone, on Flickr

Wikipedia suggests this routing was once part of US 17, and Alternate US 17 took its place in 1975, so this assembly is at least that old.

The bridge in the interchange is dated 1974 so this sign likely dates to then.  It was definitely there in 1987.

US 17 followed what is now the SC 170 option from 1926-94.  The former US 17 ALT from here was built in the mid-1950s.

Mike

[Zeffy]

This sign looks old. Like, really old. https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0243847,-86.0310355,3a,15y,291.17h,106.86t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sOdCzYmt4jG97jlFOxCv5WA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Also, unrelated, but what is the 'historic marker' that the signs in Gadsden keep referring to?

[SignGeek101]

This sign looks old. Like, really old. https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0243847,-86.0310355,3a,15y,291.17h,106.86t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sOdCzYmt4jG97jlFOxCv5WA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Also, unrelated, but what is the 'historic marker' that the signs in Gadsden keep referring to?

1950's maybe. Even 1940's? That old font looks to be that old.

[iBallasticwolf2]

This sign looks old. Like, really old. https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0243847,-86.0310355,3a,15y,291.17h,106.86t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sOdCzYmt4jG97jlFOxCv5WA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

That sign looks very patched up. The 35 looks newer than the rest of the sign. Perhaps the speed sign on this sign was changed at some point?

[freebrickproductions]

This sign looks old. Like, really old. https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0243847,-86.0310355,3a,15y,291.17h,106.86t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sOdCzYmt4jG97jlFOxCv5WA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Also, unrelated, but what is the 'historic marker' that the signs in Gadsden keep referring to?

1950's maybe. Even 1940's? That old font looks to be that old.

Most likely 1950s or 1960s, as the signals in it are Eagle Flat-backs. I actually have a photo of that sign on my external hard drive at home, and I think I have a photo of it on my Flickr. If anyone can find it on my Flickr, feel free to post it on here for me.

[TravelingBethelite]

Here's a classic from Boston. One of my favorites. 

[empirestate]

Here's a classic from Boston. One of my favorites. 

What's with the weird extra arrow thingy? That didn't use to be there. Or used not to be there. Something like that.