I've always liked Turnpike trailblazers, probably because I grew up in the northeast where they are plenty of them. Many roads still have them, but the trend in using them appears to be on a state-by-state basis. Texas is using them still and coming up with new ones, such as the Fort Bend Parkway and updating old ones, such as the new Dallas North Tollway design. Other areas have phased them out, such as the New England Thruway trailblazer, the Connecticut Turnpike trailblazer, and the Delaware Turnpike trailblazer (relegated to just turnpike vehicles and three overheads on Interstate 295 south). Some states opt for a toll shield based upon the highway number, which Texas is now doing statewide (SH-183A, SH-130, SH-255, SH-121, etc.), and Florida has been using on its toll roads since 1991.
Some of my favorites include the New Jersey Turnpike, the defunct Dallas Fort Worth Turnpike, and the Garden State Parkway. I also like the Texas toll highway shield designs for its state highways.
I listed just a handful of the toll roads with trailblazers. So what other roads used them, which may use them, what are some of your favorites?
I personally love the simplicity and class of the New York Thruway and Ohio Turnpike shields, but I think the Mass Pike shield takes the cake as my favorite anywhere
In the Rochester, NY area we have a few; the Thruway, the Inner Loop, and the Lake Ontario State Parkway (for the last two you can see the shields on the Upstate NY Roads exit list page (http://www.upstatenyroads.com/exitindex.shtml).
One thing that PA and, to a lesser degree, OH are notorious for is Turnpike trailblazers well away from the road.
In the early '90s in Conneaut, OH; I spotted an Ohio turnpike trailblazer at the junction for OH 7 south. Conneaut is just off of I-90 in the NE corner of the state and you have to go over 50 miles south on OH 7 and through Youngstown to get to the OH Turnpike!
Unfortunately, at the moment, I cannot remember some "long distance" PA Turnpike trailblazers.
But, I can say this, it used to be normal practice to put up trailblazers with distance starting at 5 miles from the interchange!
As an NJ resident, I love the NJ Turnpike and GS Parkway shields but I also happen to like the lil' pilgrim hat of the Mass Pike.
New York Thruway :love:
Everett Turnpike (NH) :love:
Maine Turnpike :love:
Massachusetts Turnpike :love:
New Jersey Turnpike :love:
Palasades Parkway (NJ-NY) :love:
Pennsylvania Turnpike :love:
The farthest PA Turnpike shield I have seen is in Greensburg at the US 30/US 119-PA 819-BUS PA 66 interchange which is five miles north of the New Stanton Interchange. The only extension that I have seen with assemblies that far out is PA Turnpike 43 with trailblazers at Lebanon Church Road which is the same distance north from the current terminus.
Quote from: PAHighways on February 26, 2009, 10:21:10 PM
The farthest PA Turnpike shield I have seen is in Greensburg at the US 30/US 119-PA 819-BUS PA 66 interchange which is five miles north of the New Stanton Interchange. The only extension that I have seen with assemblies that far out is PA Turnpike 43 with trailblazers at Lebanon Church Road which is the same distance north from the current terminus.
I think your right that 5 miles is the limit today. I have some vague memories back in the 70s on seeing some that were 20 or 30 miles from the turnpike or even more. I just wish I could remember where. :banghead:
I think those far away trailblazers were mainly from pre-interstate days when the PA and OH Turnpikes were all there were. So, it's not surprising that they're not around anymore.
I am surprised that no one has mentioned Florida's Turnpike yet.
Wont list any faves but here they are.....
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi166.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu102%2Fctsignguy%2FCTTpkeAssbly.jpg&hash=907fb413c12acf59b06117cf22a83d05157f6ec7)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi166.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu102%2Fctsignguy%2FCtTpke.jpg&hash=f6698bc2904aa7cceb653dd684b6d80f387fed08)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi166.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu102%2Fctsignguy%2Fmerritpkwy.jpg&hash=d1354838da2a8c4502fce2a9c228211f41a8aecc)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi166.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu102%2Fctsignguy%2Fwilburcrosspkway.jpg&hash=2701211d3b16c04009262d6bc73c8fe9a8449cf8)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi166.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu102%2Fctsignguy%2Fohtpke.jpg&hash=3b52344669a6c03f71689e2c33904af9d62feed2)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi166.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu102%2Fctsignguy%2Fnythru.jpg&hash=4b1e3022d04da832de3384250ba439d6b7a03dfa)
I wish OTA was more inventive with their turnpike shields. All the turnpikes have the same shield; the only difference is the name at the top.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fen%2Fthumb%2F9%2F94%2FChickasaw_turnpike_logo.svg%2F90px-Chickasaw_turnpike_logo.svg.png&hash=253a5aa2e1a4a16676c923780168f589fc8b6fb3)
On I-78 going Eastbound, there is a 30 mile sign for the NJ Turnpike.
When I was a kid, I remember little green Kentucky Turnpike trailblazers. They were green and had a cardinal on them. I suspect they have been gone for years, especially since that turnpike has been defunct since the 70's, but I wonder if there are any old ones remaining in some obscure locations.
Quote from: Scott5114 on February 27, 2009, 01:26:42 AM
I wish OTA was more inventive with their turnpike shields. All the turnpikes have the same shield; the only difference is the name at the top.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fen%2Fthumb%2F9%2F94%2FChickasaw_turnpike_logo.svg%2F90px-Chickasaw_turnpike_logo.svg.png&hash=253a5aa2e1a4a16676c923780168f589fc8b6fb3)
Did they change over the turnpike trailblazers that used the state of Oklahoma as a back-drop? The Indian National and Muskogee Turnpikes used them: http://www.okhighways.com/062304/intpkshield.JPG (http://www.okhighways.com/062304/intpkshield.JPG)
The Pa Turnpike generally posts trailblazers at most five miles away along roadways that connect to the interchanges. Others are placed on other major roadways, like U.S. 202 in King of Prussia, that intersect other highways near their Turnpike interchange.
I miss the old Keystone-shaped trailblazers, though. Now they are one-piece rectangular.
Regarding the New Jersey Turnpike trailblazer -- the Authority has not liked to use their trailblazer within the limits of their toll system -- most of them appear on approaches or interchange roadways. A few are posted in Ridgefield Park where the two spurs come back together. As part of the future widening (interchanges 6-9), they are changing their through traffic sign to include the trailblazer, so it will be shoing up in more places.
Finally, an oddity about placement of the NJ Turnpike trailblazer -- coming out of Interchange 15W (I-280 toward Newark), there is a trailblzer posted on the first sign structure exiting the toll plaza directing to take I-280 to the second ramp to get on the Turnpike. Just in case you mistakenly got off, I suppose. . .
Quote from: aaroads on February 27, 2009, 09:58:03 AM
Quote from: Scott5114 on February 27, 2009, 01:26:42 AM
I wish OTA was more inventive with their turnpike shields. All the turnpikes have the same shield; the only difference is the name at the top.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fen%2Fthumb%2F9%2F94%2FChickasaw_turnpike_logo.svg%2F90px-Chickasaw_turnpike_logo.svg.png&hash=253a5aa2e1a4a16676c923780168f589fc8b6fb3)
Did they change over the turnpike trailblazers that used the state of Oklahoma as a back-drop? The Indian National and Muskogee Turnpikes used them: http://www.okhighways.com/062304/intpkshield.JPG (http://www.okhighways.com/062304/intpkshield.JPG)
Yep, those have changed as well:
Indian Nation Turnpike
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm4.static.flickr.com%2F3079%2F3087223781_cae279915c_o.jpg&hash=b2a900cfc7fb397c4a5edc3ade0c75c257a77a72)
Muskogee Turnpike
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm4.static.flickr.com%2F3162%2F3282775867_3428620bd7_o.jpg&hash=9b2756c3a45db86aa051c1ea07a6632a534a9ef9)
It still strikes me as strange to see highways signed only with the highway name trail blazer. Oklahoma is one of the two states that I can think of that still does it. The other one is Kentucky for their parkways.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike's Northeast Extension was signed this way before it became PA 9. (Of course it is now I-476) The sign was the generic PA Turnpike trailblazer with no notation that this was the Northeast Extension and not the main turnpike. The only way to tell at the time was that the mile markers were like this: A104 with the start point being the junction with the main turnpike. Once I-476 got replaced PA 9, the mile markers were redone to fit I-476 as a whole.
Quote from: mightyace on February 27, 2009, 03:56:23 PM
It still strikes me as strange to see highways signed only with the highway name trail blazer. Oklahoma is one of the two states that I can think of that still does it. The other one is Kentucky for their parkways.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike's Northeast Extension was signed this way before it became PA 9. (Of course it is now I-476) The sign was the generic PA Turnpike trailblazer with no notation that this was the Northeast Extension and not the main turnpike. The only way to tell at the time was that the mile markers were like this: A104 with the start point being the junction with the main turnpike. Once I-476 got replaced PA 9, the mile markers were redone to fit I-476 as a whole.
Florida does the same with Florida's Turnpike even though it does have its own secret state designations like all freeways with US Routes and interstates on them as well.
I did find one picture of an old "long distance" PA Turnpike trailblazer.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm4.static.flickr.com%2F3116%2F3143247582_201e9c243b.jpg&hash=ac45cc75c6c4010d90e3e19ac7f33d3eef601439)
This sign is somewhere in West Newton, PA approx. 10 miles from the New Stanton exit.
The full page is at http://www.flickr.com/photos/15530177@N05/3143247582/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/15530177@N05/3143247582/)
Quote from: mightyace on February 27, 2009, 04:31:09 PM
I did find one picture of an old "long distance" PA Turnpike trailblazer.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm4.static.flickr.com%2F3116%2F3143247582_201e9c243b.jpg&hash=ac45cc75c6c4010d90e3e19ac7f33d3eef601439)
This sign is somewhere in West Newton, PA approx. 10 miles from the New Stanton exit.
The full page is at http://www.flickr.com/photos/15530177@N05/3143247582/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/15530177@N05/3143247582/)
Thanks, mightyace. I think there is also one on I-95 SB at Exit 2 in New Jersey, very worn.
I believe it is on PA 136 in the western side of the borough. From it's condition, I wouldn't be surprised if it was installed when it was signed as PA 31 to show motorists the way to the Turnpike via I-70.
Oklahoma used to use a different trailblazer on its turnpikes. It was retangular in shape with an image of the state in blue on the sign and the name of turnpike in white lettering inside the state image.
About those far off turnpike trailblazers, I was driving down NJ 23 today and saw a GSP trailblazer about 40-50 miles from the nearest junction. :clap: :pan:
Oh well, gotta love NJ :sombrero:
I wish the Illinois tollway did that for their tollways instead of the same tollway trailblazer for each tollway.
There is a NJ Turnpike trailblazer on an overhead sign, eastbound on the PA Turnpike at Interchange 326. The sign reads "East NJ Turnpike" - in other words, it says that you are going east on the NJ Turnpike. This is in PA so this is really odd. Sign has been there for years and years.
Quote from: LPCJr on March 02, 2009, 10:12:38 PM
There is a NJ Turnpike trailblazer on an overhead sign, eastbound on the PA Turnpike at Interchange 326. The sign reads "East NJ Turnpike" - in other words, it says that you are going east on the NJ Turnpike. This is in PA so this is really odd. Sign has been there for years and years.
Interestingly, that structure and panels survived the widening between Valley Forge and Norristown. I did not know that NJTA's jurisdiction extended into Pennsylvania . . .
Sometimes state highway departments have 'understandings' about certain roads that dip into other jurisdictions...
for instance, NY 120 actually dips into Connecticut briefly....while it is firmly in Connecticut, NYSDOT is in charge of all maintenance for that road...signing, painting, plowing, potholes, etc....same with I-684, which runs a few miles inside Connecticut but has no interchange in the state (closest exit is NY120 just inside the NY state line....)
i dont think it is all that unusual on the East Coast...
Quote from: RoadWarrior56 on February 27, 2009, 07:16:03 AM
When I was a kid, I remember little green Kentucky Turnpike trailblazers. They were green and had a cardinal on them. I suspect they have been gone for years, especially since that turnpike has been defunct since the 70's, but I wonder if there are any old ones remaining in some obscure locations.
I haven't seen any. I also have seen no photos of them that I can recall; the best I can do is a graphic illustration that's on an older KY road map. I think Jim Lin may have it on his site.
Quote from: aaroads on February 26, 2009, 07:34:50 PM
I've always liked Turnpike trailblazers, probably because I grew up in the northeast where they are plenty of them. Many roads still have them, but the trend in using them appears to be on a state-by-state basis. Texas is using them still and coming up with new ones, such as the Fort Bend Parkway and updating old ones, such as the new Dallas North Tollway design. Other areas have phased them out, such as the New England Thruway trailblazer, the Connecticut Turnpike trailblazer, and the Delaware Turnpike trailblazer (relegated to just turnpike vehicles and three overheads on Interstate 295 south). Some states opt for a toll shield based upon the highway number, which Texas is now doing statewide (SH-183A, SH-130, SH-255, SH-121, etc.), and Florida has been using on its toll roads since 1991.
Some of my favorites include the New Jersey Turnpike, the defunct Dallas Fort Worth Turnpike, and the Garden State Parkway. I also like the Texas toll highway shield designs for its state highways.
I listed just a handful of the toll roads with trailblazers. So what other roads used them, which may use them, what are some of your favorites?
All of Kentucky's toll roads (all called parkways, with the exception of the old Kentucky Turnpike) used them. The KY Turnpike, mentioned in another post, had a unique trailblazer. So, too, did the Mountain Parkway. It looked similar to what is now used for the West Virginia Byway signs.
Beginning with the Blue Grass Parkway, once called the Kentucky Bluegrass Parkway, signs used the initials of the route. BG for Bluegrass and WK for Western Kentucky. The Pennyrile, Purchase, Audubon and Cumberland parkways used the name of the route with a larger initial letter. The Green River Parkway (renamed the William Natcher Parkway before any of the other roads had politicians' names appended to them) had the name rather than initials "GR." And the Daniel Boone Parkway had a logo with a famous representation of ol' Dan'l's visage.
Sadly they're gone now. Signs on the WK Parkway were changed to include the politician's name, whereas on most other parkways a supplemental banner was used with the honoree's name. Then the state changed the name of the Daniel Boone to the Hal Rogers to honor a long-serving congressman from the area who had federal money appropriated to pay off the tolls. The signs changed to using his name.
Then, under the Ernie Fletcher administration (in one of the few things I disagreed with them about), they changed the signs to incorporate the Kentucky Unbridled Spirit logo. Now they all look the same, blue and white signs with text. Nothing unique about the marker for each road. There are still a few of the old trailblazers that can be found in the western part of the state, but for the most part the old signs are gone.
As one might expect, you can find pictures of all the signs except the old KY Turnpike logo sign on http://www.millenniumhwy.net (http://www.millenniumhwy.net).
I snagged an image of this Kentucky Turnpike trailblazer from Ebay two years ago:
(//www.aaroads.com/shields/img/KY/KY19560651i1.jpg)
Does anyone have a decent image of the West Virginia Turnpike trailblazer?
That Kentucky Turnpike 'blazer reminds me of the one that the Kansas Turnpike uses...
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fen%2Fthumb%2Ff%2Ffe%2FKansas_Turnpike.svg%2F70px-Kansas_Turnpike.svg.png&hash=e2b825932130d5c67d17163c872226fd627cf503)
Quote from: ctsignguy on March 02, 2009, 11:01:02 PM
Sometimes state highway departments have 'understandings' about certain roads that dip into other jurisdictions...
i dont think it is all that unusual on the East Coast...
It does happen such as NY 17 dipping into Bradford County which is maintained and patrolled by New York.
The NJ Turnpike sign at Valley Forge should be prefaced with "TO" since the PTC has not relinquished control of the Delaware River Extension.
Quote from: aaroads on March 03, 2009, 01:56:16 PM
Does anyone have a decent image of the West Virginia Turnpike trailblazer?
I know I've seen one online somewhere. It's not in my WV collection from Michael Summa, maybe it's on one of the Gribblenation pages where he's contributed some old photos.
Quote from: PAHighways on March 03, 2009, 06:21:02 PM
The NJ Turnpike sign at Valley Forge should be prefaced with "TO" since the PTC has not relinquished control of the Delaware River Extension.
What makes this especially odd is that this is ~30 miles from the state line. If it was on the approach to the Del River Bridge, it still wouldn't be correct, but I could at least sort of get the logic.
Sorry to beat a dead horse, but each time I do Disney, go on a cruise, go to Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, etc. I'd usually see the Florida's Turnpike trailblazer on a regular basis, but I care less about it.
My recent trip back home to NJ in 2011 was nostalgia overload! Oh, the times when I see the trailblazer shields of good ol' Garden State Parkway and, my personal favorite of the two, the New Jersey Turnpike, during my childhood. I was ever so fascinated by them since!
I took a gazillion BGS's, freestanding shields, etc, most including both. Here's one I took going to the airport to the plane back to Tampa.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm8.staticflickr.com%2F7186%2F6842710222_018f17a18b.jpg&hash=84eecbc490f4dd13851e17de08673dd4c50a5ea0)
Le nostalgia indeed.
The NJ toll road trailblazers are the best. I even had a GSP marker made for me in 2008. Followed that with a Delaware Turnpike sign in 2010. Don't have much interesting here in FL these days, I agree.
I greatly dislike the NJTP trailblazers. I also dislike the big ugly green gantries that were formerly used on the turnpike and the weird white dotted lines.
Quote from: Alex on March 03, 2009, 01:56:16 PM
I snagged an image of this Kentucky Turnpike trailblazer from Ebay two years ago:
(//www.aaroads.com/shields/img/KY/KY19560651i1.jpg)
Does anyone have a decent image of the West Virginia Turnpike trailblazer?
Call answered...
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi166.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu102%2Fctsignguy%2Fwvatpk.jpg&hash=07b483348a78ea2d5be7a2abab7023952ed97be4) (http://s166.photobucket.com/user/ctsignguy/media/wvatpk.jpg.html)
On South Street in downtown Morristown, NJ, there is a Garden State Parkway trailblazer (closest entrance 17 miles away) before there is an I-287 shield (a few blocks ahead). I assume they want you to take 287 North to 24 East to 78 East, though you *could* take 124 (which South Street is) all the way to the Parkway, which is 15.6 miles, but 35 minutes. Did the trailblazer precede the construction of the 24 freeway?
http://goo.gl/maps/qpRM6
Update: Looking at Street View, the Parkway trailblazers do continue along 124 beyond the I-287 interchange. At the first entrance from 124 to 24, oddly, there isn't one pointing onto 24, nor is there one along 124 (though there is an NJ Turnpike one pointing at 24). I can't currently find any more after that until right before the entrance to 78 which makes sense as that actually is the road to the Parkway, and of course, right at the entrance to the Parkway itself..
Quote from: LPCJr on March 03, 2009, 10:17:30 PM
Quote from: PAHighways on March 03, 2009, 06:21:02 PM
The NJ Turnpike sign at Valley Forge should be prefaced with "TO" since the PTC has not relinquished control of the Delaware River Extension.
What makes this especially odd is that this is ~30 miles from the state line. If it was on the approach to the Del River Bridge, it still wouldn't be correct, but I could at least sort of get the logic.
What's worse is that you can clearly see the Interstate 276 shield behind the NJTP shield! AARoads photo: http://www.interstate-guide.com/images276/i-276_pa_wt_22.jpg
(Edited to make my comment a response to the most recent message about that.)
My question regarding Turnpike Trailblazers is.... what was the design intent behind some of them?
MassPike's logo is the pilgrim hat, relative due to the pilgrims landing at Plymouth, MA.
Conn Turnpike, NY Thruway, and GSP all feature the respective state outlines
Merritt Parkway features the CT state flower, the mountain laurel
WCP and Merritt Parkway general shapes are very similar to a US shield.
But what about the NH Turnpike system and Maine Turnpike shields? Was a random shape/design chosen by the turnpike authority and utilized as a shield? Or is there any historical significance behind some of them? Same with the NJ Turnpike logo. Any significance behind the shape? The emphasis on the "T" and "P"?
I went back through this thread and I don't see the Dulles Greenway mentioned. Technically it's not a turnpike, but I think it counts for this thread because some of the BGSs associated with it use the trailblazer instead of the VA-267 shield (example: Street View near Leesburg (http://goo.gl/maps/7NKx4)). The trailblazer looks like this:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-8sZUKrC3eiY%2FUP232Pcw4JI%2FAAAAAAAAE1U%2FGw9U7es67z0%2Fs1600%2FDullesGreenwayLogoweb.gif&hash=d3f2345b97d76a12f1fed26e73d289cf6a90abbc)
The odd sign, though, is one on the westbound Dulles Toll Road near Dulles Airport at the interchange for Route 28. One of the signs has a yellow "Last Exit Before Toll" banner, but in between the words "Before" and "Toll" it has a small black version of the Greenway trailblazer! I don't think I've ever seen that anywhere else. Street View doesn't have a picture of that sign.
Quote from: shadyjay on October 21, 2013, 04:16:30 PM
My question regarding Turnpike Trailblazers is.... what was the design intent behind some of them?
MassPike's logo is the pilgrim hat, relative due to the pilgrims landing at Plymouth, MA.
Conn Turnpike, NY Thruway, and GSP all feature the respective state outlines
Merritt Parkway features the CT state flower, the mountain laurel
WCP and Merritt Parkway general shapes are very similar to a US shield.
But what about the NH Turnpike system and Maine Turnpike shields? Was a random shape/design chosen by the turnpike authority and utilized as a shield? Or is there any historical significance behind some of them? Same with the NJ Turnpike logo. Any significance behind the shape? The emphasis on the "T" and "P"?
NJ Turnpike, I learned recently, is actually an angled view of a cube, projected onto a 2D surface and cut.
Quote from: 1995hoo on October 21, 2013, 05:24:50 PM
The odd sign, though, is one on the westbound Dulles Toll Road near Dulles Airport at the interchange for Route 28. One of the signs has a yellow "Last Exit Before Toll" banner, but in between the words "Before" and "Toll" it has a small black version of the Greenway trailblazer! I don't think I've ever seen that anywhere else. Street View doesn't have a picture of that sign.
That is
relatively new. That BGS panel used to have just say TOLL Va. 267 West.
The 267 shield was replaced by the Greenway logo. Same thing headed east on Va. 7 ( and north on U.S. 15 - Leesburg Bypass) approaching the western entrance to the Greenway.
Quote from: Steve on October 21, 2013, 09:08:50 PM
NJ Turnpike, I learned recently, is actually an angled view of a cube, projected onto a 2D surface and cut.
Far and away the best and most-iconic toll road shield I have ever seen, though I still dislike "secret" route numbers (gimme some N.J. 700 between 1 and 6 or get an X95 from FHWA).
<----------------
I always loved the simplicity of this, which really does illustrate where the road goes. I'd love to know where the inspiration for that sign came from, but I'm not sure who to ask.
Quote from: hbelkins on October 21, 2013, 10:41:30 PM
<----------------
I always loved the simplicity of this, which really does illustrate where the road goes.
A mountain shaped like a tree?
I love the Garden State Parkway and NJ Turnpike shields. The Atlantic City Expressway with the red flag is not so attractive, along with its "PHILA" or "ATLANTIC CITY" instead of EAST and WEST on its trailblazers.
The NYS Thruway has a very nice shield I must say with an awesome blue shade.
Quote from: LPCJr on March 02, 2009, 10:12:38 PM
There is a NJ Turnpike trailblazer on an overhead sign, eastbound on the PA Turnpike at Interchange 326. The sign reads "East NJ Turnpike" - in other words, it says that you are going east on the NJ Turnpike. This is in PA so this is really odd. Sign has been there for years and years.
PTC recently corrected that 18-year oversight by placing an I-276 shield over the NJTP shield (about time, the BGS originally
had an I-276 shield on it BTW) and added a supplemental ground-mounted sign reading
TO NJTP USE EAST 276.
Quote from: NE2 on October 21, 2013, 10:45:44 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on October 21, 2013, 10:41:30 PM
<----------------
I always loved the simplicity of this, which really does illustrate where the road goes.
A mountain shaped like a tree?
Well, our mountains do have trees on them.
Quote from: hbelkins on October 21, 2013, 10:41:30 PM
<----------------
I always loved the simplicity of this, which really does illustrate where the road goes. I'd love to know where the inspiration for that sign came from, but I'm not sure who to ask.
Agreed, even though I have never driven it. Reminds me (a little) of the Blue Ridge Parkway's Trailblazer, as seen in the vintage Michael Summa image via Gribblenation below:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gribblenation.com%2Fvapics%2Fvintage%2Fbrp-summa1990.jpg&hash=08d7a2a65983250db00d7951909ce11d4be7e4fb)
The first time my parents took me to the Chicagoland Area, I had thought that the "Illinois Tollway" was merely just a SINGLE turnpike within all the other freeways in Chicago, and it puzzled me why those damn trailblazers were all over the Tri-State area, since you rarely (if ever) saw the Tollway logo signs once you were ON the Tollway.
Quote from: mightyace on February 27, 2009, 03:56:23 PM
It still strikes me as strange to see highways signed only with the highway name trail blazer. Oklahoma is one of the two states that I can think of that still does it. The other one is Kentucky for their parkways.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike's Northeast Extension was signed this way before it became PA 9. (Of course it is now I-476) The sign was the generic PA Turnpike trailblazer with no notation that this was the Northeast Extension and not the main turnpike. The only way to tell at the time was that the mile markers were like this: A104 with the start point being the junction with the main turnpike. Once I-476 got replaced PA 9, the mile markers were redone to fit I-476 as a whole.
How about New York, with all the parkways in New York City, on Long Island, and in Westchester? Ditto for the Garden State Parkway and the Palisades Parkway in New Jersey, as well as the southern section of the New Jersey Turnpike. These are NJ 444, NJ 445, and NJ 700, respectively, but the route numbers are unsigned.
Quote from: ctsignguy on March 02, 2009, 11:01:02 PM
Sometimes state highway departments have 'understandings' about certain roads that dip into other jurisdictions...
for instance, NY 120 actually dips into Connecticut briefly....while it is firmly in Connecticut, NYSDOT is in charge of all maintenance for that road...signing, painting, plowing, potholes, etc....same with I-684, which runs a few miles inside Connecticut but has no interchange in the state (closest exit is NY120 just inside the NY state line....)
i dont think it is all that unusual on the East Coast...
Do you mean NY 120A? I don't think that NY 120 crosses the border, although it comes very close in a couple of spots.
Quote from: thenetwork on October 23, 2013, 09:05:34 PM
The first time my parents took me to the Chicagoland Area, I had thought that the "Illinois Tollway" was merely just a SINGLE turnpike within all the other freeways in Chicago, and it puzzled me why those damn trailblazers were all over the Tri-State area, since you rarely (if ever) saw the Tollway logo signs once you were ON the Tollway.
That's because they are directing you to the Tollway System. Here's a modern one in the wild:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi837.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fzz298%2Fmidamcrossrds%2F100_3231_zps717f683f.jpg&hash=6c841500cc2e88c3d3fb2c9c9f07f1a19d42e7ee) (http://s837.photobucket.com/user/midamcrossrds/media/100_3231_zps717f683f.jpg.html)
Quote from: mightyace on February 27, 2009, 03:56:23 PM
It still strikes me as strange to see highways signed only with the highway name trail blazer. Oklahoma is one of the two states that I can think of that still does it. The other one is Kentucky for their parkways.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike's Northeast Extension was signed this way before it became PA 9. (Of course it is now I-476) The sign was the generic PA Turnpike trailblazer with no notation that this was the Northeast Extension and not the main turnpike. The only way to tell at the time was that the mile markers were like this: A104 with the start point being the junction with the main turnpike. Once I-476 got replaced PA 9, the mile markers were redone to fit I-476 as a whole.
I first drove the NE Extension (which was still PA 9 at the time) back in 1991-1992 (and got off at the PA 63 Lansdale interchange (Exit 31)) and I remember seeing mile markers numbered as 1 through 10 w/no A-prefix along that stretch. The call-boxes OTOH had the A-prefixed mile markers (A1 through A10) on the posted signs.
I miss the Bee Line shield. Worse, there's no replacement shield for the Beachline (spit), just the TOLL 528 shield. That Bee Line shield not only had character, but accurately described the drive...
Quote from: rmsandw on March 02, 2009, 10:03:17 PM
I wish the Illinois tollway did that for their tollways instead of the same tollway trailblazer for each tollway.
Have you seen the C-KC thing on IL 110 yet?
Genuine Autoroute des Cantons-de-l'Est trailblazer, 9 miles from where that turnpike used to begin : http://goo.gl/maps/WovLh
The Florida Turnpike has a bunch of variations.
Usually, they don't use Series D for the legend, but it's the basic layout.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.formulanone.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F05%2FFloridasTurnpikeSign-SR7-CR808.jpg&hash=40c9e3f7aac7f62ed3f6a0a3671433fb22034656)
Inverted state colors:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.formulanone.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F07%2FInverseTurnpikeSign-FL997nAtFL94.jpg&hash=610ca9852acb4a68719ac15e2046c7a267f1bad5)
Green-black-white oddball:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.formulanone.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F07%2FTurnpikeSign-GreenBlackInverted-atFL823.jpg&hash=9090ac83f72c9c0f581d649eb52d1acf51528bf3)
SR-like one-off:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.formulanone.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F07%2FWhiteTurnpikeSignSR804.jpg&hash=fd057e398753fd7de1a0f32c8389c849565e9be3)