This thread is meant as an opposite to the "Signage pet peeves" thread, as such the things you put should be put in list form if possible. ;-)
Lets start with a few:
- Clearview!
- WisDOT shield billboards
- Prismatic Sheeting
- Diagrammatics!
- Replacing old signs when they are no longer reflective and/or are extremely faded.
- New(er) round-a-bout diagrams
- States that respect the need for occasional upgrades of rural roads (widening etc.).
The ODOT state map is pretty nice, and all of them going back to 1925 are on their website. They also have revision history files online for select routes with the exact dates of each realignment, extension, or truncation. Also, the Control Section maps are useful for illustrating unsigned or unnumbered routes.
Wait, you meant things they do with the actual roads? Ahahahahahahahaha.
Wyoming and Idaho are insanely good at signing concurrencies, so I like that about their DOTs.
Washington's map is sex on wheels, so that's good. Plus SRWeb.
Nebraska junction signs.
Arizona's use of kilometers on I-19. (although that may go away)
The abundance of old signs in Arizona and California
California cutouts.
Iowa's refusal to use 1970-spec US route shields
Colorado. Nebraska, and Kansas's (among other states) state highway shield design
Oregon's omission of the word "limit" on the speed limit sign (although that's very slowly going away)
Missouri's preservation of US-59 (coming in from the north into Saint Joe, US-59 from I-80 to St Joe is the way to go. I love that drive and could repeat that every day. Screw I-29)
Nevada, Montana, and West Texas's 70 MPH speed limits on rural 2 lanes
Washington's signage of adjacent state highways
Fixing potholes.
Using aesthetically pleasing highway shields.
Get the snow off the road so people can get to work.
NY is also pretty good about concurrencies...though they do have some pretty pointless ones.
Also, in the case of NYSDOT...not using Clearview. Good for them. (If only we could get NYSTA to stop using it as well!)
Quote from: corco on January 21, 2011, 01:41:56 AM
Nevada, Montana, and West Texas's 70 MPH speed limits on rural 2 lanes
West Texas goes up to 75mph on rural 2 lanes, which is even better.
My own list:
- Electronic letting plans online, where they can be downloaded free of charge
- Online (free) as-built construction plan archives
- RWIS feeds with good geographical coverage of open-road lengths (& no referrer locking so said feeds can be used in homemade camera feed pages with minimum hassle)
- Historical map archives
- Online databases of past projects
Annually updated county maps available online. If they can have city maps too, well that's even better.
Good information online about current and future projects.
Those small green signs that indicate the name of the road at the next junction are excellent. Not the BGS's, you see these on major two lane highways. (SGS's?) Those are very helpful when traveling in new areas. Just ask the traffic behind you.
Over the past six years, Florida DOT has been very responsive to the public's transportation needs, particularly on the Interstate highways and expressways in south Florida and the Atlantic Coast. Many more lanes have been added, roads repaved, pavement re-striped, lighting improved and the signs have been replaced with often newer and larger ones, new and larger sign gantries have been installed to replace worn, damaged and hurricane-destroyed sign assemblies.
3MX: MnDOT calls them "Advance Street Name Signs". Agree they're useful.
Quote from: xcellntbuy on January 21, 2011, 02:48:37 PM
Over the past six years, Florida DOT has been very responsive to the public's transportation needs, particularly on the Interstate highways and expressways in south Florida and the Atlantic Coast. Many more lanes have been added, roads repaved, pavement re-striped, lighting improved and the signs have been replaced with often newer and larger ones, new and larger sign gantries have been installed to replace worn, damaged and hurricane-destroyed sign assemblies.
Do you think that the fact that many of the new highways in the state have been built as toll roads has helped FLDOT be more responsive?
Quote from: froggie on January 21, 2011, 02:54:14 PM
3MX: MnDOT calls them "Advance Street Name Signs". Agree they're useful.
That sort of thing's seen a lot in Texas as well. Here's a picture:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsafety.transportation.org%2Fhtmlguides%2Fold_drvr%2Fimages%2Fimg04.jpg&hash=6b86fa12ef4a0ba5c55a2ffe9ed6f17f31c23d35)
That certainly is possible. There has been an equal amount of emphasis on expanding the State's toll road facilities, particularly the Florida's Turnpike in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties. With Florida's many toll roads, the Florida's Turnpike Enterprise and the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority have been actively deconstructing traditional tollbooths and replacing them with toll-by-plate and high-speed Sunpass lanes to speed traffic and reduce congestion. Interstate 95's HOT lanes in Miami-Dade County will be expanded to Broward County and Interstate 595 over the next five years.
In addition, a prominent safety feature has been the installation of hundreds of miles of double steel median guardrails in grassy wide medians along Interstates 75, 95 and the Florida's Turnpike where there are no high concrete medians in order to stop crossover head-on collisions.
Advance Street Name signs are really nice indeed. Thank you Ontario, no thank you Quebec.
Publishing state/province/federal MUTCDs online for free. Thank you U.S. FHWA and Ontario, half a thank you Quebec (only sign vectors and design sheets are available), no thank you Canada (paper and CD only, over $400).
Building cool fancy things we roadgeeks like.
Making minor, tasteful sign errors so they are unique.
And of course, keeping old signs up when they're still good (button copy...)
NJ respects MUTCD standards with its guide signs - there are very few contractor errors in the entire state, and almost every sign is standard. In fact, their jughandle signs made the 2009 MUTCD!
RI is finally using sheeting that doesn't peel in 5 years or less.
California uses older spec signs in general, but I love their US shield. Also like that they keep button copy around much longer than most, though it's starting to go...
On that note, thank you NJDOT for keeping signs around as long as possible!
Maine does a great job of multiplex signing.
Quebec is just awesome.
Quote from: corco on January 21, 2011, 01:41:56 AM
Oregon's omission of the word "limit" on the speed limit sign (although that's very slowly going away)
I'm glad to see a non-Oregonian agree! Perhaps I'm biased as an Oregon native, but I vastly prefer our "limitless" design over the MUTCD design everyone else uses. It displays the pertinent information clearer, without excessive verbage. It's more useful to know what the actual speed limit is than the mere fact that there is one.
Their disappearance is primarily restricted to Interstates (because the FHWA gave ODOT a hard time), and a few cities (Beaverton, Salem and Roseburg) that started putting them up after the Legislature legalized the "limited" ones, I think in 2002--it was actually illegal to put the word "limit" on a speed sign in the state before then.
-Alex (Tarkus)
Quote from: Tarkus on January 21, 2011, 06:48:57 PMIt displays the pertinent information clearer, without excessive verbage.
except it is
not the pertinent information. If a road is signed "speed 60" and enforced "speed 68", there are eight miles of unspoken divergence from what is correct. the signs in Oregon should say "speed 68" or "speed 70" or whatnot.
QuoteI'm glad to see a non-Oregonian agree! Perhaps I'm biased as an Oregon native, but I vastly prefer our "limitless" design over the MUTCD design everyone else uses. It displays the pertinent information clearer, without excessive verbage. It's more useful to know what the actual speed limit is than the mere fact that there is one.
Well, I'm from Idaho and a good portion of my childhood was spent at the Ontario Wal-Mart, but yeah I agree for all the reasons you mentioned. The numbers are easier to read from a distance, and to me it also implies that traffic should drive the "speed" and that the "speed" is not a "speed limit," so don't go over or under it- just go that speed.
There are numerous things that I like about certain states...
Pennsylvania
-They have the PennDOT symbol on all of their signs, which looks neat.
-Their own weave area sign design.
-How they use their own type of numerals (though they are now restricted to route shields)
-Their "little white signs"
New Jersey
-Like Steve said, NJDOT has been able to keep a ton of old button copy signs out in the field.
-NJDOT's use of black background shields on freeway signs
-How they continue to use traffic signals mounted on truss arms
-How they still insert the state name on their interstate shields
New York
-NYSDOT's use of round cornered freeway signs (same with North Carolina, Virginia, and Florida)
-Their use of the Z-bars mounted on the back of their signs for wind resistance
-Their unique speed limit signs (ex: STATE SPEED LIMIT 55)
-Their reference route system. It looks to be very organized with those little green signs appearing everywhere.
-Their suffixed routes. I may be the minority here, but I like seeing all those crazy suffixed routes like NY 9P or NY 17K.
-Their use of the gold on brown signs in both the Catskills and the Adirondacks.
Connecticut
-Their use of using state named interstate shields
-I also like how ConnDOT uses those new mono-tube sign gantries
-Their use of 2-digit sized shields for all state routes.
Rhode Island
-Although a lot of people don't like them, I appreciate RIDOT's use of putting the "U.S." in the US route shield, even if most are in helvetica.
-For older signs, I think it's neat that the overhead signs were tilted upward rather than downward.
Massachusetts
-Their "paddle signs"
-Their white "opened book" town line signs
-MassDOT also does a really good job at their newer signs
-For older signs, I enjoy the lack of separation line between the exit tab and the rest of the sign
Vermont
-Their black tourist signs
New Hampshire
-How in their suffixed route shields, the letter suffix is below the numeral
-Their JUNCTION signs (however, NHDOT has very recently stopped producing those)
-Their use of large green signs (a.k.a. "unisigns" ) for everything
-Their grooved shoulder sign with the skidding motorcycle (same goes for Vermont)
-Much like Massachusetts, I also enjoy New Hampshire's newest freeway signs
-For their stop/yield ahead signs, I enjoy how when the stop/yield sign is around a bend, the signs have a curved arrow in the stop/yield ahead signs
-Until recently, NHDOT used both standard and metric distances on their freeway signs
-Their famous BREAK FOR MOOSE sign
-Their use of 2-digit sized route shields for all routes
Maine
-How they continue to put the state name in the interstate shield (and until very recently, they used the LeHay font in the state name and the crown of the I-95 shields)
-I admire how Maine has plenty of LeHay font signs lying around the state
-I also admire how Maine DOT still continues to use wood signs and hardware (and until very recently, they painted the wood sign brackets a forest green color)
-I enjoy how signs on the Maine Turnpike are in both standard and metric distances.
-Their "home plate" shaped ferry trailblazer signs
Quebec
-Everything (besides clearview) :P
-Their use of double red horizontal traffic signals (same thing can be seen in Prince Edward Island)
-I also enjoy how their traffic signals feature square reds, diamond yellows, and circular greens (however they recently halted this practice)
-Their unique trapezoidal exit tab
-How the freeway signs were blue when the toll roads were around
One thing I'd like to see more of are mileposts on non-Interstates...that DON'T reset at county (or in the case of Vermont, at town) lines.
Offhand, Minnesota, Iowa, Alabama, and New Jersey do this (though in Alabama's case, the mileposts along US highways are for the underlying state route, not the US route). I'm sure there are other states, but I don't remember them offhand. New York "sorta" does this, if you know how to read their reference markers, though I'd prefer dedicated mileposts instead.
Mississippi (except for US 78), North Carolina, West Virginia, and Virginia (except for a few rare routes) do not. Illinois' reset at county lines. Vermont's reference markers reset mileage at town lines.
Quote from: PennDOTFan on January 21, 2011, 08:47:21 PM
-NYSDOT's use of round cornered freeway signs (same with North Carolina, Virginia, and Florida)
I like it too. It looks cleaner in my opinion.
Quote from: froggie on January 22, 2011, 10:40:12 AMOffhand, Minnesota, Iowa, Alabama, and New Jersey do this (though in Alabama's case, the mileposts along US highways are for the underlying state route, not the US route). I'm sure there are other states, but I don't remember them offhand.
Kansas and Pennsylvania both do this, though in both cases the standard
MUTCD milepost is not used. I think Oklahoma does as well, but I am not totally sure. Texas does not; the numberplates attached to signposts below route markers are actually grid references.
Nebraska also uses mileposts on non-interstates that don't reset at county lines.
Iowa
+ Use of mileage based exit numbers on expressways.
+ Best forced-merge signage I've seen yet (or at least used to; can't find them on GSV today).
Missouri
+ Seems to have held back on relocating US Routes to a parallel interstate in most cases - sure, Missouri didn't save US 66 or keep more of US 40 off of I-70, but a good portion and most of the latter would have been mostly outer road anyway. Then there's US 71 between St. Joesph and KC, and US 59 not getting a bridge replaced just south of Oregon and instead being relocated onto I-29.
I wonder what Missouri will do with US-36 if the freeway becomes I-72. Will it multiplex 36 on the new road, or move it back to the old one? A lot of old two-lane 36 is still drivable, but not all of it.
QuoteQuote from: froggie on Today at 08:40:12 AM
Offhand, Minnesota, Iowa, Alabama, and New Jersey do this (though in Alabama's case, the mileposts along US highways are for the underlying state route, not the US route). I'm sure there are other states, but I don't remember them offhand.
Kansas and Pennsylvania both do this, though in both cases the standard MUTCD milepost is not used. I think Oklahoma does as well, but I am not totally sure. Texas does not; the numberplates attached to signposts below route markers are actually grid references.
And then you've got Oregon and Wyoming, whose mileposts follow an internal highway numbering scheme that is not posted to the public. In Oregon the mileposts are all off, and in Wyoming sometimes the mileposts line up with where the route is relative to its position in the state, but many times they do not
Reference markers. When I'm roaming unfamiliar areas, the frequent reminders that I am in fact still on the same state highway are much appreciated.
I also love seeing standard mile markers on non-freeways.
Quote from: PennDOTFan on January 21, 2011, 08:47:21 PM
Connecticut
-Their use of 2-digit sized shields for all state routes.
Not quite so. 3 digit routes on BGSs are given rectangles rather than squares. Standalone rectangles are decidedly atypical, but at least a few do exist.
Besides, do boring squares really deserve any praise?
I was aware of the rectangular shields on the BGSs, but I don't think I've seen any rectangular shields in Connecticut in person. Even though it is a square, they don't look that bad.
My favorite DOT courtesy is having Variable Message Signs that are most always used for something (Average travel times, upcoming accidents or lane closures, safety reminders, etc...) instead of being blank or off most of the time.
Also, kudos to TxDOT, particularly San Antonio for using overhead lane lights with arrows & X's to denounce what lane(s) traffic should be using in the event of upcoming congestion or lane closures on the freeway. Also VMS's at some of the on-ramps that will tell you of upcoming congestion &/or accidents BEFORE you cross the point of no return and enter the freeway.
Quote from: thenetwork on January 22, 2011, 03:39:40 PM
My favorite DOT courtesy is having Variable Message Signs that are most always used for something (Average travel times, upcoming accidents or lane closures, safety reminders, etc...) instead of being blank or off most of the time.
I really dislike the safety messages. Seriously, if I'm gonna be an asshole and drive drunk, a VMS is not going to convince me otherwise.
I like it when they turn them off when there is nothing to say. Saves power, and doesn't add to the general noise of things.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on January 22, 2011, 12:43:50 PM
I wonder what Missouri will do with US-36 if the freeway becomes I-72. Will it multiplex 36 on the new road, or move it back to the old one? A lot of old two-lane 36 is still drivable, but not all of it.
Most likely multiplex it; looks like there are a decent number of sections that aren't in the state highway system anymore, and MoDOT is not exactly enthusiastic about taking over any more roads.
Quote from: J N Winkler on January 22, 2011, 11:55:14 AM
I think Oklahoma does as well, but I am not totally sure.
They do not. Oklahoma does use reference markers (http://www.denexa.com/roadgeek/ok_ref.php), but they're mostly useless for anything resembling the sort of thing someone would use mileposts for.
Quote from: Michael on January 22, 2011, 11:24:21 AM
Quote from: PennDOTFan on January 21, 2011, 08:47:21 PM
-NYSDOT's use of round cornered freeway signs (same with North Carolina, Virginia, and Florida)
I like it too. It looks cleaner in my opinion.
Thirded.
Quote from: froggie on January 22, 2011, 10:40:12 AM
One thing I'd like to see more of are mileposts on non-Interstates...that DON'T reset at county (or in the case of Vermont, at town) lines.
Offhand, Minnesota, Iowa, Alabama, and New Jersey do this (though in Alabama's case, the mileposts along US highways are for the underlying state route, not the US route). I'm sure there are other states, but I don't remember them offhand. New York "sorta" does this, if you know how to read their reference markers, though I'd prefer dedicated mileposts instead.
Mississippi (except for US 78), North Carolina, West Virginia, and Virginia (except for a few rare routes) do not. Illinois' reset at county lines. Vermont's reference markers reset mileage at town lines.
Washington does this.
New York does not even "sorta" do this. The mileposts on the reference markers reset at every control section -- county line, city line, etc.
Quote from: froggie on January 22, 2011, 10:40:12 AM
One thing I'd like to see more of are mileposts on non-Interstates...that DON'T reset at county (or in the case of Vermont, at town) lines.
Offhand, Minnesota, Iowa, Alabama, and New Jersey do this (though in Alabama's case, the mileposts along US highways are for the underlying state route, not the US route). I'm sure there are other states, but I don't remember them offhand. New York "sorta" does this, if you know how to read their reference markers, though I'd prefer dedicated mileposts instead.
Mississippi (except for US 78), North Carolina, West Virginia, and Virginia (except for a few rare routes) do not. Illinois' reset at county lines. Vermont's reference markers reset mileage at town lines.
I'm pretty sure Virginia's do do this... As far as I can tell the mile markers on US routes do anyway (e.g., US 13, US 17).
^^
Wisconsin uses mile markers on non-Interstate 4-lanes as well....
Louisiana uses milemarkers on state and US routes and they don't reset at towns or parish lines. However, LaDOTD replaces the missing milemarkers every 5-10 years, and the new ones never go back to the same place. :-/ My house always had milemarker 82 across the street at my mailbox. In 1997, I moved the new milemarker from where they put it (about 1/4 mile west of my house) back to the rightful place at my mailbox. They came thru again this past summer and put it about a tenth of a mile west. But this time, it disappeared before I could get my hands on it. :angry:
I wonder why states use constantly-resetting reference markers. There seems to be no benefit to subtracting off the, say, 176 miles from the state line to the county line, and starting over at 0.00 at some mark that the average driver will have little familiarity with.
for maintenance purposes, I don't see the difference between "hey guys, go re-stripe the bridge at 223.19 miles past the state line" vs "go re-stripe the bridge at 16.4 miles past the county line". Either way, it's a uniquely identifying reference marker... except, again, 223.19 imparts additional useful information to the average driver.
If I remember correctly, Georgia resets the mile markers at the county lines on its state highways.
It's easier when a route is realigned.
OK ditching boring old circle to the meat cleaver design
live feed cameras online
Any state that continues to use cutout route markers.
Quote from: corcoIn Oregon the mileposts are all off
I believe Oregon is a case where the mileposts follow the underlying highway name, and not the signed route number.
Quote from: deathtopumpkinsI'm pretty sure Virginia's do do this... As far as I can tell the mile markers on US routes do anyway (e.g., US 13, US 17).
Yes, those few routes where Virginia has mileposts do this. My point was that, outside those few rare routes, VDOT does not have mileposts on non-Interstates at all. US 13 only has them on the Delmarva (the CBBT ones don't count because "Mile 0" is the south end of the CBBT). US 17 only has them on Dominion Blvd in Chesapeake (unless things have changed in the past year). There's only a small handful of other routes that have them, though curiously, that handful includes one secondary route (SR 619 in Prince William County).
QuoteI believe Oregon is a case where the mileposts follow the underlying highway name, and not the signed route number.
Read the sentence before the quote you quoted, good sir
Exit numbers on non-Interstate freeways. :thumbsup:
I appreciate how FDOT can be amazingly efficient when they want to:
- Friday Evening - Tanker truck explodes and destroys both EB and WB overpass on SR-528
- Saturday - Inspectors condemn both bridges; FDOT asks for bids on replacement
- Sunday Morning - FDOT awards bid
- Sunday Afternoon - Work commences
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110124/NEWS01/110124001/SR-528-bridge-demolition-under-way
Quote from: thenetwork on January 22, 2011, 03:39:40 PM
My favorite DOT courtesy is having Variable Message Signs that are most always used for something (Average travel times, upcoming accidents or lane closures, safety reminders, etc...) instead of being blank or off most of the time.
MoDOT is great about the safety messages, So great, in fact, that it is annoying.
I would like the signs to display travel times if there isn't an accident/road closure/lane closure/something ahead. Alabama finally put the VMS's in the Birmingham metro area to use by using cell phone data to compute travel times along the interstate system there. It's cheaper than having to install sensors in the pavement.
Quote from: codyg1985 on January 24, 2011, 01:24:29 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on January 22, 2011, 03:39:40 PM
My favorite DOT courtesy is having Variable Message Signs that are most always used for something (Average travel times, upcoming accidents or lane closures, safety reminders, etc...) instead of being blank or off most of the time.
MoDOT is great about the safety messages, So great, in fact, that it is annoying.
I would like the signs to display travel times if there isn't an accident/road closure/lane closure/something ahead. Alabama finally put the VMS's in the Birmingham metro area to use by using cell phone data to compute travel times along the interstate system there. It's cheaper than having to install sensors in the pavement.
Not quite, there is one VMS on US 280 in Birmingham that does not display travel times and likely never will.
Quote from: xcellntbuy on January 21, 2011, 02:48:37 PM
Over the past six years, Florida DOT has been very responsive to the public's transportation needs, particularly on the Interstate highways and expressways in south Florida and the Atlantic Coast. Many more lanes have been added, roads repaved, pavement re-striped, lighting improved and the signs have been replaced with often newer and larger ones, new and larger sign gantries have been installed to replace worn, damaged and hurricane-destroyed sign assemblies.
I think Florida keeps up with road maintainence and signing because of the huge amount of money that comes from tourism. People want to get to their destination with as little confusion as possible, so its good for the state's tax revenues
CalTRANS was extremely quick a couple of years ago when there was a huge tunnel fire that destroyed part of the Newhall Pass interchange. A tanker truck exploded, and within about a month, it was all repaired. Given the complexity of the interchange and the size of the tunnel, that was very fast.
Quote from: Quillz on January 26, 2011, 03:40:40 PM
CalTRANS was extremely quick
This may be the first time this phrase has ever been used
Quote from: Coelacanth on January 26, 2011, 05:00:08 PM
Quote from: Quillz on January 26, 2011, 03:40:40 PM
CalTRANS was extremely quick
This may be the first time this phrase has ever been used
They responded quickly after the '94 EQ, as well.
ALDOT does a decent enough job at keeping roads in good shape.*
I think that's about the only thing they do good.
I like NHDOT and TDOT for their refusal to adopt Clearview.
* - except in corruption-riddled, broke-ass Jefferson County
I think Florida keeps up with road maintainence and signing because of the huge amount of money that comes from tourism. People want to get to their destination with as little confusion as possible, so its good for the state's tax revenues
[/quote]
Absolutely true. Over 80 million people visit Florida each year on top of our 19 million residents. Highway infrastructure overall does get a great deal of priority. Its expansion and maintenance is truly astonishing.
Quote from: US-43|72 on January 28, 2011, 07:28:40 AM
I like NHDOT and TDOT for their refusal to adopt Clearview.
Same goes for Massachusetts and Maine. Yay!
Well, I can say that a few things that I like about the Utah DOT:
--Mileposts begin at 0 at a route's Southern or Western end, and continue to it Northern and Eastern end, regardless of the number of counties traversed.
--Route clustering. Having UT-20 near UT-21, for example, helps to have a sense of consistency in a given portion of the state.
Quote from: Rover_0 on January 29, 2011, 03:15:45 PM
Well, I can say that a few things that I like about the Utah DOT:
There are also many things our DOT does that frustrate me perpetually. Since this is a thread of good things, I'll just list my number one pet peeve with them: their lack of hesitancy in replacing old signs.
Quote from: The Premier on January 23, 2011, 03:08:44 PM
Exit numbers on non-Interstate freeways. :thumbsup:
Definitely a major positive when I see it. I like the exits to be numbered even on expressways that happen to have interchanges. Hell, US24 in the middle of Kansas on a 2-lane stretch has an interchange. I'd like mileposts and exit numbers to correspond to those posts on every road. That would be perfect.
None of this "Exit A & B" in Roswell or Exit E and W on I-376 (nee Old PA 60)
Sykotyk