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National Boards => General Highway Talk => Topic started by: Android on January 15, 2010, 07:20:47 PM

Title: Directional Shields on Stop Signs
Post by: Android on January 15, 2010, 07:20:47 PM
Forgive me if this has been discussed here before, but I did a search and got no matches ( but it could be my choice of keywords was wrong ) 

The first 10 years of my life I lived in northern Illinois.  I clearly remembered seeing some stop signs somewhere in the rural counties south of Rockford that had a directional shield on them, making so you could only see them from straight on.  This was where side roads would meet a main road at an angle and at night from a distance it was hard to tell which road the stop sign was pointing at.   

I then lived 20 years in Colorado, and when I learned to drive, and then subsequently drove all over the state (and country), I noticed many similar intersections, particularly in the mountains, that really could use that sort of thing applied to the stop signs.  But when I'd mention this to people I knew out here, they'd never heard of what I was talking about.   So on a road trip back to Illinois and I encountered one of those signs, I made sure to stop and take a photo (below) of it so I'd have an example.    (I wish I had recorded where I took this photo.  It was at least 10 years ago though.  All I know is it was somewhere south or southwest of Rockford)

My question is - where else outside of N. Illinois can these be found?  Over the years, I've driven in like 44 states and 4 provinces and I do not believe I have ever seen any other examples like this.   I don't even know if there is a proper term for what I called a "directional shield" -other than perhaps, "blinders". 

Anecdotes or photos of other examples would be appreciated! TIA!


(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmembers.trainorders.com%2Fandroid%2Fmisc%2FStopWithShield2.jpg&hash=ee92b73dfca4da4851fe36fbce74c14e5625ab7b)
Title: Re: Directional Shields on Stop Signs
Post by: mightyace on January 15, 2010, 07:29:53 PM
Back in the 70s and 80s, I remember seeing them in the Milwaukee area particularly on the frontage roads on S. 76th Street.

As Google Streetview shows,

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=76th+st+West+Allis+wi&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=48.374125,44.384766&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=S+76th+St,+West+Allis,+Milwaukee,+Wisconsin&ll=42.976246,-88.004758&spn=0.005824,0.013937&t=k&z=17&layer=c&cbll=42.974456,-88.008073&panoid=dFn6GQtl04e2gPEpgl2i4Q&cbp=12,209.92,,0,13.87

These are now gone but this is one place where I remember there being one.
Title: Re: Directional Shields on Stop Signs
Post by: Bryant5493 on January 15, 2010, 09:02:51 PM
^^ I've seen ones like that in the Google Streeview mightyace has provided, but none like in the first example.


Be well,

Bryant
Title: Re: Directional Shields on Stop Signs
Post by: mightyace on January 15, 2010, 09:07:29 PM
Quote from: Bryant5493 on January 15, 2010, 09:02:51 PM
^^ I've seen ones like that in the Google Streeview mightyace has provided, but none like in the first example.

Well, back in the day, the one's in Milwaukee had the blades too, except they were colored black.
Title: Re: Directional Shields on Stop Signs
Post by: Ian on January 15, 2010, 10:13:05 PM
I know about these signs. Blinders, direction shields, louvers, shutters, whatever you want to call them. Not too uncommon.
Title: Re: Directional Shields on Stop Signs
Post by: Scott5114 on January 15, 2010, 10:34:00 PM
ODOT has a few of these on Yield signs along the interstates in central Oklahoma. They've mainly appeared at merge points on cloverleafs where ODOT has inexplicably made the c/d road yield to one of the on-ramps (thus the sign must be placed where either direction could see it). In OK, the "blinders" extend the full height of the sign and are held in a triangular frame around the perimeter of the sign.
Title: Re: Directional Shields on Stop Signs
Post by: US71 on January 17, 2010, 12:44:26 AM
Used to be one or two along MO 7 west of Clinton, but don't remember the location
Title: Re: Directional Shields on Stop Signs
Post by: bugo on January 17, 2010, 02:09:12 AM
Quote from: US71 on January 17, 2010, 12:44:26 AM
Used to be one or two along MO 7 west of Clinton, but don't remember the location

I think you sent me a picture of one of these signs for my old No-Frills page.  I recall you called it a "stop sign with sunglasses" or something like that.
Title: Re: Directional Shields on Stop Signs
Post by: hbelkins on January 22, 2010, 12:21:40 AM
I've seen them in southern Illinois but unfortunately never stopped to get a picture.
Title: Re: Directional Shields on Stop Signs
Post by: cjk374 on January 27, 2010, 06:37:44 PM
Going up US 63 thru the middle of Missouri, I would see alot of them on the county roads that would intersect with US 63.