As part of the Reyes Adobe bridge project, Caltrans D7 has done 2 more crazy things to add to their VERY long list.
1. They replaced a less than 5 year old sign that said "Agoura Hills/NEXT 4 EXITS". I thought signs are supposed to have a service life of 25 years. Looks like the state does not mind spending extra to remove perfectly good signs. More likely, the plans were checked and approved by multiple folks who have English as a second (or 3rd) language; as seen in #2
2. They completely misspelled the City name. The new sign reads "Aquora Hills".
UNBELIEVABLE!!! This means the plans called out the removal of the perfectly good sign. The sign was designed and approved with a misspelling, the contractor delivered the sign to the site and was inspected and approved and installed. At least 3 engineers and 2 inspectors must have seen it before it was put up. See for yourself:
Original
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fstpeterandstpaul.org%2Fimages%2Fagoura_hills_before.jpg&hash=7d2e69e212f9e744ad4ffc49dda671c468454821)
New
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theacorn.com%2Fsites%2Fwww.theacorn.com%2Ffiles%2Fimages%2F2013-10-03%2F15p1.preview.jpg&hash=cb36e86a8501822206734a4e163d182a0a627408)
Agoura comes from a French guy's name...
You're right...this area has been prone to name misspelling since 1927 ha ha!
Via Wikipedia:
"To obtain a post office of their own, the residents were required to choose a one-word name, and in 1927 chose the shortest name proposed: a misspelling of the last name of Pierre Agoure, a local Basque man and French immigrant"
Is it possible that the old sign was knocked down or damaged beyond repair? Or did one sign go down one day and the new one came up the next?
Regards,
Andy
There's a sign for an attraction in Prague, OK that does the same thing, spelling it as "Praque". It's a little more understandable, though, since that sign is in Clearview, so you have the curved descender on the Q.
Quote from: andy3175 on October 05, 2013, 12:38:11 AM
Is it possible that the old sign was knocked down or damaged beyond repair? Or did one sign go down one day and the new one came up the next?
Andy, I have written confirmation from an Agoura Hills official that the new sign was part of the Reyes Adobe interchange project.
Almost daily I am baffled by the signage that goes up in District 7. Sloppy is the nicest word I can think of. As mentioned above, multiple people must be signing off on these plans, and yet:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm6.staticflickr.com%2F5332%2F10147920264_262f24bc12_n.jpg&hash=b9040a1822c9ffbcd1398a25f6431e59563fe560)
And it's not like they were doing a new layout or verbage or anything:
(https://www.aaroads.com/california/images405/i-405_nb_exit_029a_02.jpg)
(photo from AARoads)
Is there someone to contact? I'd be happy to volunteer my time to proof their sign plans.
argh, another perfectly good porcelain sign replaced.
I had been hoping to blame d11 for this, but indeed the sign is in d7.
Quote from: AndyMax25 on October 04, 2013, 11:32:16 PM
As part of the Reyes Adobe bridge project, Caltrans D7 has done 2 more crazy things to add to their VERY long list.
1. They replaced a less than 5 year old sign that said "Agoura Hills/NEXT 4 EXITS". I thought signs are supposed to have a service life of 25 years. Looks like the state does not mind spending extra to remove perfectly good signs. More likely, the plans were checked and approved by multiple folks who have English as a second (or 3rd) language; as seen in #2
2. They completely misspelled the City name. The new sign reads "Aquora Hills".
UNBELIEVABLE!!! This means the plans called out the removal of the perfectly good sign. The sign was designed and approved with a misspelling, the contractor delivered the sign to the site and was inspected and approved and installed. At least 3 engineers and 2 inspectors must have seen it before it was put up. See for yourself:
Original
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fstpeterandstpaul.org%2Fimages%2Fagoura_hills_before.jpg&hash=7d2e69e212f9e744ad4ffc49dda671c468454821)
New
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theacorn.com%2Fsites%2Fwww.theacorn.com%2Ffiles%2Fimages%2F2013-10-03%2F15p1.preview.jpg&hash=cb36e86a8501822206734a4e163d182a0a627408)
And on the northbound 101 just before Chesebro Rd, Agoura Hills is once again misspelled as AQOURA HILLS. Unbelievable indeed!
Just caught this yesterday on my drive back to the hotel...Aqoura, indeed.
Northbound on US 101:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm6.staticflickr.com%2F5646%2F22388534860_3b95682aa5_c.jpg&hash=9c31ef7e4c5e3f4d792f65d1d5205f9b751bf6bf) (http://flic.kr/p/A7p6pJ)
Southbound on US 101:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm6.staticflickr.com%2F5629%2F22389670839_b425553a77_c.jpg&hash=fa47ebe37e8254472c12d709659d45437c4fedfa) (http://flic.kr/p/A7uV6z)
Quote from: DTComposer on October 07, 2013, 09:59:55 PM
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm6.staticflickr.com%2F5332%2F10147920264_262f24bc12_n.jpg&hash=b9040a1822c9ffbcd1398a25f6431e59563fe560)
So close to a 3-cherry win! Fortunately, some slot machines have a win for 2 cherries.
Does "Ave" have to be that far to the right?
And, why "Cherry North Ave" and not "Cherry Ave North"? That must be the biggest fail.
Even Google has a surprising number of hits for "Aqoura Hills (https://www.google.com/search?q=aqoura+hills)".
Quote from: formulanone on October 09, 2013, 05:25:04 PM
Even Google has a surprising number of hits for "Aqoura Hills (https://www.google.com/search?q=aqoura+hills)".
Somehow, randomly, it will give either "did you mean" or it will correct it for you. Here is a better link: here (https://www.google.com/search?q=aqoura+hills#nfpr=1&q=aqoura+hills)
Quote from: DTComposer on October 07, 2013, 09:59:55 PM
Is there someone to contact? I'd be happy to volunteer my time to proof their sign plans.
This one drives me crazy, too. I tweeted and e-mailed them about it -- no response.
I am also trying to figure out their position on Lakewood Blvd being signed as SR-19. Most of it south of the 91 was relinquished to local control with no continuity signing requirement. District 7 went so far as to scrape some SR-19 shields off existing button copy signs on the 405 in response. But now the new retroreflective signs being installed on the 405 are putting the shields back on.
I'd love if somebody with a sense perspective in that office would figure out what the policy is before spending tens of thousands of dollars on replacement sign contracts.
Quote from: formulanone on October 09, 2013, 12:38:54 PM
Just caught this yesterday on my drive back to the hotel...Aqoura, indeed.
Northbound on US 101:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.formulanone.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F10%2FAquoraHills-ErrorSign-US101n.jpg&hash=e93ab63a00a02a21ec341fd43721da4a276f11b6)
Southbound on US 101:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.formulanone.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F10%2FAquoraHills-ErrorSign-US101s.jpg&hash=c042be348c19d26a9f42875d73e43951fd35fbfd)
You know when they fix it, they'll put a green-out "g" over it that will either (1) be in a smaller font than the original text, or (2) be completely misaligned with the rest of the text.
Quote from: Occidental Tourist on October 10, 2013, 06:54:58 PM
Quote from: formulanone on October 09, 2013, 12:38:54 PM
Just caught this yesterday on my drive back to the hotel...Aqoura, indeed.
Northbound on US 101:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.formulanone.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F10%2FAquoraHills-ErrorSign-US101n.jpg&hash=e93ab63a00a02a21ec341fd43721da4a276f11b6)
Southbound on US 101:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.formulanone.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F10%2FAquoraHills-ErrorSign-US101s.jpg&hash=c042be348c19d26a9f42875d73e43951fd35fbfd)
You know when they fix it, they'll put a green-out "g" over it that will either (1) be in a smaller font than the original text, or (2) be completely misaligned with the rest of the text.
The "q" in the first sign is an upside-down and reversed "b".
Did anyone notice that besides the use of a q instead of g, that the o and the u are reversed also? That might be a little harder to correct unless they green out the whole word.
It appears to me that Caltrans is suffering the same illiteracy (that means can't read/write) as the rest of the younger population in America today. Gotta wonder what they teach in schools since my days as a school kid in the 1960's when they taught us how to read, write and spell. It is a crying shame.
But getting back to Cherry Ave. and Agoura Hills, yes it is a disgrace that nobody involved in the design and production process caught those errors. That Cherry Ave. mess-up strikes me as maybe a computer generated error. I have seen some similar oddities in the New York area that I think could be the result of inflexible computer programming in the sign design programs. Just a guess of course.
Quote from: SignBridge on November 15, 2013, 10:00:00 PM
Did anyone notice that besides the use of a q instead of g, that the o and the u are reversed also?
No. Nobody fnord noticed that.
My guess is either someone utterly didn't realize that was a Q, or someone unfamiliar with the town had to make up the sign going off of someone else's terrible handwriting. Once the G is a Q, it makes sense to rearrange the O and the U to have the U follow the Q like normal.
I'm barely informed on how this stuff works, but if those letters are really reversed, I'm guessing somebody was tinkering with vector settings and controls which they weren't experienced in using. Couple that to a looming deadline, and violq! screwed up sign that appears to have been made on another planet.
Reminds me of a problem Medford, New York had, where they spelled all kinds of street names wrong. My Aunt lives on Narragansett Avenue, which had an erroneous "Naragansette Drive" sign placed on it. It drove her mad.
Drove on that stretch yesterday. The "Aquora Hills" signs on both directions have been removed.
Unless I missed it, the NB 405 Cherry Ave sign has also been fixed and looks quite nice. I went by there today.
A friend of mine noticed a misspelling of La Cienega along northbound 405 carpool lane exit sings at I-105. The signs say "LA CIENGA".
See links below. I'll try to notify Caltrans.
https://maps.google.com/?ll=33.926182,-118.367976&spn=0.001048,0.001148&t=h&z=20&layer=c&cbll=33.926182,-118.368231&panoid=PXxBs9Ta1MaabaJfOmTacA&cbp=12,287.65,,2,2.4
https://maps.google.com/?ll=33.929406,-118.368243&spn=0.001048,0.001148&t=h&z=20&layer=c&cbll=33.929484,-118.368243&panoid=jHLDH7g3qkgXX-xglvPCvw&cbp=12,307.28,,2,3.27
If CalTrans misspells "La Cienega", how is that an example of not knowing proper English? :sombrero:
Quote from: AndyMax25 on August 04, 2014, 01:55:13 PM
A friend of mine noticed a misspelling of La Cienega along northbound 405 carpool lane exit sings at I-105. The signs say "LA CIENGA".
See links below. I'll try to notify Caltrans.
https://maps.google.com/?ll=33.926182,-118.367976&spn=0.001048,0.001148&t=h&z=20&layer=c&cbll=33.926182,-118.368231&panoid=PXxBs9Ta1MaabaJfOmTacA&cbp=12,287.65,,2,2.4
https://maps.google.com/?ll=33.929406,-118.368243&spn=0.001048,0.001148&t=h&z=20&layer=c&cbll=33.929484,-118.368243&panoid=jHLDH7g3qkgXX-xglvPCvw&cbp=12,307.28,,2,3.27
Never noticed that one despite me being in the HOV lane there almost every time I go through there. There is a misspelling of Amtrak (as Amtrack)on the 60 near Grove St as well.
Looks like Georgia DOT has a similar problem. Sign makers fault according to the article.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/blogs/oddnews/atlanta-highway-sign-misspells-city-s-famous-aquarium-214546256.html
Chalk up another one for District 7. This time on the Long Beach Freeway.
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-sign-spelling-20141125-story.html
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ftapatalk.imageshack.com%2Fv2%2F14%2F11%2F24%2F513f03f25df87f7c4a49c2160d7344f5.jpg&hash=c86acea1b6f7934c3f7a4c9a6b59298e5a74dfb8)
Amazing these things don't get caught, or at least questioned, when going through fabrication.
Quote from: roadfro on November 25, 2014, 01:11:26 AM
Amazing these things don't get caught, or at least questioned, when going through fabrication.
Haven't you heard? It's the unions' fault. Get rid of the unions and everyone will have the balls to bring problems to their bosses.
While not an all out bork like the Olimpic err Olympic Blvd sign, signs along both I-280 and US 101 for Millbrae Avenue were spelt "Millbrea Avenue". It was a simple letter swap but it garnered the attention of the local media. The problem was corrected in a few days (probably by patching the existing sign).
Unfortunately another case of misspelling. This was on the Golden State Freeway northbound.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.tapatalk-cdn.com%2F15%2F10%2F28%2F40e180644707ad5f9cd675e5dc2d9b38.jpg&hash=cc8c24aa3054bf9c73c797ecaf2e30b182b889bb)
California: land of greatness, home of poor English as far as the eye can see.
OK, now this tweet makes more sense: https://twitter.com/LosFelizDaycare/status/659416691852468224
Unless Fezil is one of Frank Zappa's kids.
Thanks AndyMax. Looks like that Los Fezil misspelling was prominent in the LAist:
http://laist.com/2015/10/28/los_fezil_right.php
My question is: How did the 2-step process of reviewing this sign also miss the exit number?
Quote from: noelbotevera on October 28, 2015, 08:59:16 PM
California: land of greatness, home of poor English as far as the eye can see.
Technically, that's poor Spanish, but whatever...
The Fezil-Feliz misspelling made its way to the Sacramento Bee from 10/30/2015:
http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/the-state-worker/article41938107.html
QuoteThe running debate over the name of a Southern California neighborhood — Los Fay-LEASE or Los FEE-lease? — has a new entry this week, courtesy of a Caltrans sign screw-up.
Private contractors on Monday installed a new offramp sign on Interstate 5 for Los Feliz Boulevard as part of a larger repaving and upgrade for a section of the freeway that runs past the city. After hoisting the 4-foot-by-6-foot metal sign aloft and installing over the roadway, someone noticed a problem with the reflective white letters on the Kermit-the-Frog-green background:
"Los Fezil Blvd."
Caltrans spokeswoman Lauren Wonder said Caltrans' plans had everything correct, right down to the last letter. The private contractor that manufactured the sign scrambled the street name, she said, and it was up above the offramp for "several minutes" before the work crew took it down.
That was long enough, however, for passerby to take photos of the mixed-up road marker. One surfaced on social media site Reddit, where it became fodder for a mock debate about the correct pronunciation of the city's "new" designation:
"It's pronounced, "˜Fee-zill.'"
"No no no! All the locals say "˜Fay-seel.'"
"I pronounce it as "˜whatever works,' but ... good enough!"
Wonder said that the old sign was put back up and that a new, correctly-spelled sign will be installed within the next two weeks at no extra charge to taxpayers.
Jon Ortiz: 916-321-1043, @TheStateWorker