Big Black Signs

[CapeCodder]

I recall that BBS's were used on the Forest Park Parkway until the late 90's. There was one at Grand, then another at the point where Pershing Ave branches off to the right just after Big Bend. It had button copy.

[1995hoo]

This was the last "big black sign" on I-395 in Virginia (HOV Lanes south at Turkeycock) before the express lane project resulted in its demise in 2018 or 2019:

https://goo.gl/maps/KJLxdYVdUdkhcMeq8

The replacement "All Traffic" sign is essentially the same, but has three arrows and the colors are inverted.

The thing I feel is more of a loss there is the old-school "Do Not Enter" sign. There were two of those on I-66 as well at the HOV exits for Monument Drive and Stringfellow Road, but I'm pretty sure they've met their demise as part of HO/T construction. I'm heading out that way later today, although I might not take I-66; if I do, I'll try to remember to see if they're still there. Even if they are, they won't last long.

[myosh_tino]

California had many black signs and a few are still around on old surface alignments, but one rather large one survived until relatively recently on I-5 at the Newhall Pass truck bypass. I think it came down about a decade or so ago.

I remember seeing those signs much more recently than 10+ years ago.  Looking a GMSV, it looks like those signs were replaced 4 years ago.

[1995hoo]

This was the last "big black sign" on I-395 in Virginia (HOV Lanes south at Turkeycock) before the express lane project resulted in its demise in 2018 or 2019:

https://goo.gl/maps/KJLxdYVdUdkhcMeq8

The replacement "All Traffic" sign is essentially the same, but has three arrows and the colors are inverted.

The thing I feel is more of a loss there is the old-school "Do Not Enter" sign. There were two of those on I-66 as well at the HOV exits for Monument Drive and Stringfellow Road, but I'm pretty sure they've met their demise as part of HO/T construction. I'm heading out that way later today, although I might not take I-66; if I do, I'll try to remember to see if they're still there. Even if they are, they won't last long.

We wound up going a different way and I didn't get to check on those signs.

[sprjus4]

Hampton Roads still has those "Do Not Enter"  signs on the reversible Express Lanes segment in Norfolk. They were never removed or replaced with the conversion from HOV project a few years back.

https://goo.gl/maps/RzWT6ZiEMMF3gndE8
https://goo.gl/maps/MiZ3sYh1YUBkBcvp7
https://goo.gl/maps/n3WWe9xGkTCLHjLi9
https://goo.gl/maps/t2fH5LkbFcqGGst6A

[tolbs17]

Haha, that looks funny.

[Road Hog]

I seem to remember the US 65 freeway in Springfield, Mo. used BBS's instead of BGS's in the 1980s.

[Scott5114]

I seem to remember the US 65 freeway in Springfield, Mo. used BBS's instead of BGS's in the 1980s.

Your eyes were probably deceiving you. MHTD's button-copy signage was such a dark shade of green it looked black sometimes.

[thspfc]

Are there big black signs all over Alabama, or is it just the Mobile area?

[Rick1962]

I seem to remember the US 65 freeway in Springfield, Mo. used BBS's instead of BGS's in the 1980s.

Wouldn't surprise me. There were still a couple of BBS on 71 at the Harrisonville exits into the early 1990s.

SM-T580

[Mergingtraffic]

Some older black BGS that are button copy.






Older RI non button copy

[sprjus4]

I guess the really question is... who's reading this?

Officer: "Well the sign listed the laws clearly, you should know better" .

[jeffandnicole]

Some older black BGS that are button copy.

These signs are clearly not black.

[JoePCool14]

Some older black BGS that are button copy.

These signs are clearly not black.

Well, yeah. They're probably faded to look grey or even like a very dark green.

Although, to the OP of these photos, you can't have a "black big GREEN sign". 

[odditude]

Some older black BGS that are button copy.

These signs are clearly not black.

Well, yeah. They're probably faded to look grey or even like a very dark green.

Although, to the OP of these photos, you can't have a "black big GREEN sign". 

they never were black; Turnpike signs were always dark green.

[SSR_317]

I guess the really question is... who's reading this?

Officer: "Well the sign listed the laws clearly, you should know better" .

Perhaps NJ was planning for when the Borg invade Earth, as their visual implants might allow them to read those "traffic regulations" without slowing down. Then again, the Borg do not respect our laws... "Your regulations are irrelevant, you will be assimilated." 

[StogieGuy7]

they never were black; Turnpike signs were always dark green.

odditude is right!

Been a sign geek since I was tiny and the we traveled the NJ Turnpike to go to Grandma's house up north many times - as far back as the late 60's.  The NJTP was a highlight of that trip and I remember it well: those signs were always dark green. I do recall that hardly any ever used state or US Highway badges on BGS (using just the digits instead) - but all were a dark green.

As an aside, the NY Thruway and CT Turnpike each still had many blue signs at this time, IIRC. 

[Occidental Tourist]

I guess the really question is... who's reading this?

Officer: "Well the sign listed the laws clearly, you should know better" .

Perhaps NJ was planning for when the Borg invade Earth, as their visual implants might allow them to read those "traffic regulations" without slowing down. Then again, the Borg do not respect our laws... "Your regulations are irrelevant, you will be assimilated." 

Probably some court case where an out-of-state visitor challenged a traffic citation on notice grounds, and an appellate court held that under New Jersey law that the traffic regulations had to be posted somewhere in order to give adequate notice.  Either that or the same scenario but specific to turnpike regulations.

[steviep24]

Lake Ontario State Parkway in the Rochester, NY area had wooden white on black guide signs on eastern section between Hamlin Beach SP and Lake Ave in Rochester. Those signs were gone by 1990.

[Alex]

Lake Ontario State Parkway in the Rochester, NY area had wooden white on black guide signs on eastern section between Hamlin Beach SP and Lake Ave in Rochester. Those signs were gone by 1990.

I just missed those then, as I shot some camcorder footage on part of Lake Ontario State Parkway in April 1991.

[steviep24]

Lake Ontario State Parkway in the Rochester, NY area had wooden white on black guide signs on eastern section between Hamlin Beach SP and Lake Ave in Rochester. Those signs were gone by 1990.

I just missed those then, as I shot some camcorder footage on part of Lake Ontario State Parkway in April 1991.

Most of them were already gone in the early 80's but I did remember still seeing one or two in the mid 80's. The last ones were in the at grade section of the parkway. Those old signs were all text and all caps.

[Quillz]

As far as I know, I think some studies have found these to be problematic at night since black is a non-retroreflective sheeting color.  This is the reason why white-on-black street blades did not make it into the 2009 MUTCD.

Makes sense. California used to use white-on-black for their earliest freeway signage, but then switched to the standard white-on-green because white-on-black didn't provide enough contrast, or hold its color during night. It's still used within the state on occasion, mainly for commercial vehicle info (i.e. truckers), and I think this is still allowed per the MUTCD, but that's about the only time I'll see it these days.

However, Idaho uses white-on-black for their highway shields (it's reversed for their markers), so the color scheme does still see usage.

[Quillz]

California had many black signs and a few are still around on old surface alignments, but one rather large one survived until relatively recently on I-5 at the Newhall Pass truck bypass. I think it came down about a decade or so ago.

(EDIT: Here it is. Google has it, but only from certain angles and years. https://goo.gl/maps/PqzBu8DxWhTSL38u7 )

Some signs around the same area (as well as I-15 around Barstow) also had solid black interstate shields. Probably a contractor error. As far as I know, they all still exist.

[US 89]

However, Idaho uses white-on-black for their highway shields (it's reversed for their markers), so the color scheme does still see usage.

Not anymore:

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=22904.msg2496873#msg2496873

[D-Dey65]

Some older black BGS that are button copy.






Older RI non button copy

The second one isn't showing up.