Hi everyone,
I find it great that different states have different shaped shields for each state. Compared to the default blue shield we have in Australia, I do like the variety of shields all over the US (apart from the Circle states and the Square states across New England and the Central US), but here are a few of my favorites.
California- I do like the fact the spade is green (my favorite color) and how it is different to the Interstate and US Shields. I also do like the wide variant for 3 digit shields Great job for introducing the green spade in 1964!
(//www.aaroads.com/shields/img/CA/CA19790054t300990.jpg)
Colorado- I like the colorful state flag across the top of the shield, and also the square shield needs no changes in dimensions for 3 digits. A Lone Star equivalent for Texas would be good in improving its various SH shields.
(//www.aaroads.com/shields/img/CO/CO19266661t307890.jpg)
Idaho- I do like the white-on-black contrast for its SH shields and also the fact the number is outside the state outline.
(//www.aaroads.com/shields/img/ID/ID19790862t300390.jpg)
Minnesota- I do like the blue and gold color scheme. But when were the shields with gold digits (//www.aaroads.com/shields/img/MN/MN19701692t300930.jpg) phased out? Also worth noting is the 'Star' Shields (//www.aaroads.com/shields/img/MN/MN19310311t300310.jpg) similar to early Texas shields and 'Kite' Shields (//www.aaroads.com/shields/img/MN/MN19330431t300430.jpg). Does anyone know when these were around?
(//www.aaroads.com/shields/img/MN/MN19884941t300050.jpg)
New Mexico-I do like the zia, but NM needs to have a more consistent approach to signage in whole with consistent fonts and shield sizes and not putting 'Denver 439' before 'US 550 (in both text and shield)' in Bernalillo. There needs to be a 3 digit oval shield with the zia and also the zia needs to included on BGSes like here (//www.aaroads.com/shields/img/NM/NM19690041i1.jpg) (currently a black bordered circle/oval). The latter is actually possible on Kurumi SignMaker.
(//www.aaroads.com/shields/img/NM/NM19580662t300100.jpg)
New York- I like how unique their shape is, that it is a simplified version of their state seal.
(//www.aaroads.com/shields/img/NY/NY19700311t300310.jpg)
North Dakota- The 'Young Face' is definitely an awesome shape.
(//www.aaroads.com/shields/img/ND/ND19700461t300460.jpg)
South Dakota- I do like the green square outside the state outline, and 3 digits (and 1804 and 1806) are easy to make by just simply stretching the state outline. Earlier versions had Mount Rushmore on them (//www.aaroads.com/shields/img/SD/SD19600401t300400.jpg). Does anyone know when they were around?
(//www.aaroads.com/shields/img/SD/SD19700341t300340.jpg)
Utah- Loving the new 'compromise' shields (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=4045.msg158997#msg158997) bring put up by UDOT. Here is an example:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.panoramio.com%2Fphotos%2F1920x1280%2F75210749.jpg&hash=2567ead69482797fe0bf8f7c3fd39117738dc717)
Vermont- like the state name and number placards for each. The green shields are probably referring to the origin of Vermont's name from the French for 'green mountains'.
(//www.aaroads.com/shields/img/VT/VT19880931t300180.jpg)
Wisconsin-like the rectangle-with-triangle shape, which needs a roadgeek name. I know that it used to be just a triangle, then the rectangle was added later. Another awesome shape, too.
(//www.aaroads.com/shields/img/WI/WI19880433t301640.jpg)
Wyoming-the fact that the shields are yellow highly constrast with the winter snow. The three digit wide variant isn't bad either.
(//www.aaroads.com/shields/img/WY/WY19610901t300590.jpg)
What are your favorite state highway shields?
I've always been rather partial to the Kansas shield–the gold color is eye-catching and it's a simple shape that works well and doesn't interfere with the numbers.
I like Oklahoma's as well but that's just because it's better than the circle we had before and it's unique (the only state with a shield close to it is Florida).
California, Florida, Kansas, and New Mexico. Virginia's primary shield just looks like a simplified version of the US route shield.
Me? I really like Louisiana's shield design. It's very clean and easy to see at night, plus the different fonts are used in different situations.
I've always liked New York and Wisconsin. I like most of the state outline shields, the Kansas sunflower, the North Dakota Indian, and the BIA arrowhead (not really a state highway, but cool.) My least favorites are the squares. The circles aren't too bad but too many states use them.
The original Oregon cutout with the eagle is my favorite. California's spade shield comes in 2nd. I rather like Hawai'i's as well. Guess I'll have to drive over there some day to see them in person...LOL!
Honorable mention: The Kansas sunflower shield.
Rick
Alaska's, hands down.
I think Hawaii's teardrop route markers are functional but really no better than middle of the pack. They do remind tourists of a fact not prominent in the tourist brochures, that in parts of Hawaii it rains a lot (a spot on Kauai is the wettest place on earth, and AFAIK Hilo is the rainiest city in the U.S.).
My favorites are anything with color in them other than the traditional black and white. I also like the state shape ones because they are instantly recognizable. I'm also partial to my homestate's sign because of its uniqueness.
The state outlines that work are nice. Ohio, Missouri, Alabama, Georgia, Arkansas, Arizona. Other states that use the state outline are not shaped in a way that work well with the numbers.
New Mexico's used of the Zia symbol is good.
The states with unique symbols that clearly identify the state. Pennsylvania, Washington, Kansas.
I like the way Florida, Pennsylvania, and Texas use unique signs for toll roads. Should be required of all states.
I love North Carolina's highway shields - they are very simple.
^ I like the cutout version better, with the interlocking NC that distinguished it more from the Michigan shield.
Quote from: mjb2002 on August 25, 2012, 09:10:47 AM
I love North Carolina's highway shields - they are very simple.
A little too rounded for me, and they'd be better with the "NC" at the top. Personally, I like Michigan's. Simple, elegant, legible, and different than other states nearby. Wisconsin's are good too, IMHO. Others I like include Nebraska, North Dakota, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Oregon, Washington, Utah, Hawai'i, Alaska, and California.
Illinois and Indiana are scraping the bottom of the barrel with their squares. Others I dislike include Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Jersey (do we really need more flipping circles?), Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine, and Connecticut (how the hell can you tell which state you just entered?). I'm not that fond of the state shape ones as many (Georgia, Alabama) distort the state shape so it becomes unrecognizable, or it's a square with a state placed on it (Tennessee, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Florida). A square is still a square even with a state silk screened onto it.
Quote from: SP Cook on August 25, 2012, 08:28:58 AM
The state outlines that work are nice. Ohio, Missouri, Alabama, Georgia, Arkansas, Arizona. Other states that use the state outline are not shaped in a way that work well with the numbers.
SD arguably works well.
Quote from: Scott5114 on August 25, 2012, 10:55:23 AM
Quote from: SP Cook on August 25, 2012, 08:28:58 AM
The state outlines that work are nice. Ohio, Missouri, Alabama, Georgia, Arkansas, Arizona. Other states that use the state outline are not shaped in a way that work well with the numbers.
SD arguably works well.
South Dakota is one of my favorites, with the green background and black letters. Both Dakotas have excellent route markers.
I've seen North Dakota Indian head signs on BGSs with "ND" in the top of the shield. There's one on I-94, for ND 1 IIRC.
I've never liked the ones where the design aspects of the sign take up so much space or they are laid out in such an awkward manner that the numbers have to be made smaller than they should be - 'KISS' is always the best policy, IMHO. Bad examples in this respect include Michigan, Colorado (although these are not as bad as they could have been), Washington (especially), North Carolina, Utah, etc. A special 'dishonorable mention' for the MUTCD 'county' pentagon here. I have a thing against simple squares and circles, too, some of which can easily be confused by out-of-staters for other types of signage (ie, the Illinois signs for speed limit signs). I also don't like signs that are too 'busy' and colorful - I still remember my first-ever drive-it-myself trip to the MStP area, I was confusing Minnesota's state signs for interstate shields, having never seen Minnesota's signs before.
For that reason, I have always loved the shields in my home state of Wisconsin (ditto the state's county signs) and I also like the ones in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Missouri (number), New York, California, Arizona, Georgia, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, South Carolina, Oregon, New Hampshire, etc.
Mike
Quote from: mgk920 on August 25, 2012, 11:39:08 AM
I've never liked the ones where the design aspects of the sign take up so much space or they are laid out in such an awkward manner that the numbers have to be made smaller than they should be - 'KISS' is always the best policy, IMHO. Bad examples in this respect include Michigan, Colorado (although these are not as bad as they could have been), Washington (especially), North Carolina, Utah, etc. A special 'dishonorable mention' for the MUTCD 'county' pentagon here. I have a thing against simple squares and circles, too, some of which can easily be confused by out-of-staters for other types of signage (ie, the Illinois signs for speed limit signs). I also don't like signs that are too 'busy' and colorful - I still remember my first-ever drive-it-myself trip to the MStP area, I was confusing Minnesota's state signs for interstate shields, having never seen Minnesota's signs before.
My favorites:
- Virginia's primary highway shield - it's simple and dignified, and not duplicated (directly) elsewhere - cutouts better, of course.
- North Carolina has a distinct and dignified one as well, and not duplicated (exactly) in other states.
- Michigan is similar to the Tar Heel State, but the M adds some distinctiveness.
- The new-style South Carolina shield is nice, though I wonder if the blue is going to fade-out quickly?
- Ontario's crown on its BGS panels is distinctive, and reminds us that Her Majesty the Queen is the head of state of Canada - and the "classic" Ontario shield gets points for the crown and dignity (though I do not like the Highway 407 shield (great highway, lousy shield)).
- Quebec's Autoroute shield is attractive.
- California's green spade is also distinctive and diginifed.
- New York's is also distinctive and dignified - extra points for the Thruway system having its own distinctive shield.
- The nations of the European Union don't have distinctive shields in general, but I like the white-on-green E-route shield anyway, even though it's a rectangle or square.
Ones I don't care for:
- Pennsylvania's Keystone. Yes, it's the Keystone State, but it's far too "in-your-face."
- All states (like New Jersey) with a round shield (though I love the New Jersey Turnpike's Shield).
- All states (like West Virginia) with generic rectangles or squares.
My top 5...
-New Hampshire's Old Man of the Mountain design
-Quebec's Autoroute shield
-Ontario's Kings Highway shield
-Montana's arrowhead shield for the secondary highways
-South Carolina's new blue shield
My top favorites...
1. The new South Carolina shields
2. Tennessee
3. Louisiana
4. Georgia
5. South Dakota
I don't care for the new SC shield...while the design is fine, having all shields be 30x24 is poor form. (I think TN is the only other state that specifies "wide shield at all times".) It especially looks ridiculous on one-digit routes, with vast swaths of white space on either side of the number just because the design dictates that must be so.
Quote from: national highway 1 on August 24, 2012, 11:15:51 PM
Colorado- I like the colorful state flag across the top of the shield, and also the square shield needs no changes in dimensions for 3 digits. A Lone Star equivalent for Texas would be good in improving its various SH shields.
(//www.aaroads.com/shields/img/CO/CO19266661t307890.jpg)
Minnesota- I do like the blue and gold color scheme. But when were the shields with gold digits (//www.aaroads.com/shields/img/MN/MN19701692t300930.jpg) phased out? Also worth noting is the 'Star' Shields (//www.aaroads.com/shields/img/MN/MN19310311t300310.jpg) similar to early Texas shields and 'Kite' Shields (//www.aaroads.com/shields/img/MN/MN19330431t300430.jpg). Does anyone know when these were around?
New Mexico-I do like the zia, but NM needs to have a more consistent approach to signage in whole with consistent fonts and shield sizes and not putting 'Denver 439' before 'US 550 (in both text and shield)' in Bernalillo. There needs to be a 3 digit oval shield with the zia and also the zia needs to included on BGSes like here (//www.aaroads.com/shields/img/NM/NM19690041i1.jpg) (currently a black bordered circle/oval). The latter is actually possible on Kurumi SignMaker.
My issue with Colorado's sign design is the aspect ratio that results from cutting the top half off the square with the state flag. Numbers just don't display well within this wide rectangle, especially short numbers. I like the design that Matt Salek proposes on his Colorado Highways web site http://www.mesalek.com/colo/marker.html (http://www.mesalek.com/colo/marker.html) (bottom of page), based on the current license plate (though I would use the dark green numbering like the license).
Minnesota's use of gold numbers, I think, was limited to the initial round of signs; that design was introduced in 1968. By the 1980s, new signs had white numbers. The star design was used from 1920, with a change in background color from yellow to white along the way, until about 1954. In the interim, they used a plain black on white sign kind of like Maryland, with the state name in a small rectangle at the top. The "kite" sign that I saw layouts for on the sign gallery was only used for county markers in the early days, I believe; it was never used for marking trunk highways.
I think New Mexico's is simple and representative. South-facing signs tend to lose the red zia within a few years. I kind of prefer the pre-1988 layout to the wider zia used more recently, but would not use a rectangular representation for three digits. I agree, I would design the guide sign usage to display the zia instead of a plain circle/ellipse. Putting cities out of sequence on median-mounted distance signs in Albuquerque is the least of the signage sins NMDOT commits.
I like simple shields that are black and white.
My favs though are: Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and New York.
I don't like Utah's because the sentiment behind it, and Texas has too many signs. Signs with color I'm also not a fan of (Minnesota and Colorado being at the top of my do-not-like list).
Quote from: cpzilliacus on August 25, 2012, 12:10:32 PM
My favorites:
- Ontario's crown on its BGS panels is distinctive, and reminds us that Her Majesty the Queen is the head of state of Canada - and the "classic" Ontario shield gets points for the crown and dignity (though I do not like the Highway 407 shield (great highway, lousy shield)).
- Quebec's Autoroute shield is attractive.
Since you brought Canada into the mix, Ontario's BGS symbol is great, like Pennsylvania, it is a distinctive representation of the jurisdiction's status. I also like New Brunswick, which well fits into the appropriate jurisdiction outline system. Quebec's autoroutes, a fusion of the wannabe Euro autobahn symbol and the wannabe American interstate shield, is exempliary of Quebec politics, but is really OK. The rest of Canada seems too gimmicky to me.
Quote from: Scott5114 on August 24, 2012, 11:22:24 PM
I like Oklahoma's as well but that's just because it's better than the circle we had before and it's unique (the only state with a shield close to it is Florida).
They are both similar to the DC shield as well. ;-)
(//www.aaroads.com/shields/img/DC/DC19802951t302950.jpg)
Quote from: colinstu on August 25, 2012, 06:32:56 PM
I don't like Utah's because the sentiment behind it
???
I'm guessing it has something to do with the Mormon church? Or do you just hate bees
that much?
You guessed it, I really don't like bees. ;p Just kidding, I'm just not a fan of that church... it's subjective, but so are all the opinions in this thread.
Also... Regardless of the church... It's like wisconsin having a silouhette of a slice of cheese or Texas being a cowboy hat. Something more geometric is what I like.
I forgot to mention Penna. Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and New York are the holy trinity of unique shield-looking route markers.
Quote from: Scott5114 on August 26, 2012, 01:00:11 AM
Quote from: colinstu on August 25, 2012, 06:32:56 PM
I don't like Utah's because the sentiment behind it
???
I'm guessing it has something to do with the Mormon church? Or do you just hate bees that much?
Utah is the Beehive State, and the SLC minor league team is the "Bees". It goes back to Brigham Young, who used a beehive as an example of being hardworking and everyone working together in a sermon. Young's home was called "the Beehive". Mormons wanted to call Utah "Deseret" which means "honeybee" or "place with honeybees" in a language they believe was spoken by pre-Columbians, but the government would not let them. (Utah comes from Ute, a local Indian tribe.)
Many among the non-Mormon minority in Utah have an issue with the use of the beehive iconography, and particularly the use of "Deseret", since many, but not all, historians believe that bees were unknown north of southern Mexico in pre-Columbian times.
Doesn't really bother me. To each his own.
My favorites are California and Kansas. I also like New Mexico's and Idaho's. I may like South Carolina's new one. I like relative simplicity, but something to dress it up may be good (Alaska is another example). On the colorful ones, I generally like Minnesota's and Wyoming's, but I go back and forth on Colorado's - sometimes it looks gaudy to me, but it can look good at times.
I most dislike two types. They are 1) shapes that do not scale when additional width is needed (Washington and Alabama may be worst, but any state shape that gets distorted for 3 digit routes looks really bad and 2) the signs with linear state outlines like Florida, Oklahoma, and DC - what's the point for the extra expense?
For rectangle/square marker states, I like the way Maryland does it best with a horizontal line, and I don't like the state markers that don't have the state name (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts). Other states I can take it or leave.
Pet peeves are:
- poor maintenance: states that have non-reflective markers, rust dripping from bolts, or an abundance of bent/damaged signs.
- poorly marked highways: I have seen this in several states
- lack of consistency: for example, all 3 digit routes should be either alway a square or always a rectangle not different in various areas of a state (Illinois)
- way too many variants: Texas
- lettered routes: Missouri's secondary routes are confusing
Most of the states have marker designs that I neither love nor hate - they get the job done, and I guess that is the point.
Quote from: SP Cook on August 26, 2012, 07:21:13 AM
Quote from: Scott5114 on August 26, 2012, 01:00:11 AM
Quote from: colinstu on August 25, 2012, 06:32:56 PM
I don't like Utah's because the sentiment behind it
???
I'm guessing it has something to do with the Mormon church? Or do you just hate bees that much?
Utah is the Beehive State, and the SLC minor league team is the "Bees". It goes back to Brigham Young, who used a beehive as an example of being hardworking and everyone working together in a sermon. Young's home was called "the Beehive". Mormons wanted to call Utah "Deseret" which means "honeybee" or "place with honeybees" in a language they believe was spoken by pre-Columbians, but the government would not let them. (Utah comes from Ute, a local Indian tribe.)
Many among the non-Mormon minority in Utah have an issue with the use of the beehive iconography, and particularly the use of "Deseret", since many, but not all, historians believe that bees were unknown north of southern Mexico in pre-Columbian times.
Doesn't really bother me. To each his own.
I
strongly agree. Complaining about that sounds like potential anti-Mormon bigotry (and note that I am not a Mormon, and I do not especially agree with some of the teachings of the LDS Church).
It's a historical fact that the first European settlers in what is now Utah were Mormons, and the use of the beehive there bothers me no more than my own state of Maryland having the colors of the Calvert (Lord Baltimore) and Crossland families displayed "in diagonally opposing quadrants of the flag."
Somewhat like Brigham Young and his Mormon followers settling by the Great Salt Lake, Lord Baltimore established the colony of Maryland to provide a place in the British Empire where his fellow Catholics could practice their faith without harassment from the Crown.
Quote from: mukade on August 26, 2012, 07:55:21 AM
Pet peeves are:
- lettered routes: Missouri's secondary routes are confusing
I disagree. Having county highways or secondary highways being numbers like the primary state highways IS more confusing. For instance in Wisconsin, you could say "Hwy 23 and Hwy J" or "23 and J" instead of "State Hwy 23 and County Hwy 44". Fewer words leads to less confusion.
Quote from: hobsini2 on August 26, 2012, 08:26:42 PM
Quote from: mukade on August 26, 2012, 07:55:21 AM
Pet peeves are:
- lettered routes: Missouri's secondary routes are confusing
I disagree. Having county highways or secondary highways being numbers like the primary state highways IS more confusing. For instance in Wisconsin, you could say "Hwy 23 and Hwy J" or "23 and J" instead of "State Hwy 23 and County Hwy 44". Fewer words leads to less confusion.
I like Virginia's system of numbering:
- (with very few exceptions) the primary system highways are assigned numbers from 1 to 598 (I don't think there's a 599, is there?); and
- secondary system highways with route numbers of 600 and above (secondary system numbers can (and do) repeat in different counties - I think most counties in the Commonwealth probably have Routes 600, 601 and 602, for example).
Quote from: mukade on August 26, 2012, 07:55:21 AM
- way too many variants: Texas
Actually I am fascinated by the different SH types in Texas. But I do agree that there needs to be a better Texas shield.
Quote from: national highway 1 on August 27, 2012, 04:12:46 AM
Quote from: mukade on August 26, 2012, 07:55:21 AM
- way too many variants: Texas
Actually I am fascinated by the different SH types in Texas. But I do agree that there needs to be a better Texas shield.
<------- Oh hai!
Quote from: mukade on August 26, 2012, 07:55:21 AM
I most dislike two types. They are 1) shapes that do not scale when additional width is needed (Washington and Alabama may be worst, but any state shape that gets distorted for 3 digit routes looks really bad...
As far as I know, there is no "wide" Washington state route shield. Washington uses the same shield whether the route number is 1, 2 or 3 digits. Instead of using a wide shield, Washington uses Series D numerals for 1-2 digit routes and Series C numerals for 3-digit routes...
(https://www.aaroads.com/west/images/s0099_wa.png) (https://www.aaroads.com/west/images/s0520_wa.png)
Shields taken from the AARoads Washington Guide.
the classic Nebraska.
(//www.aaroads.com/shields/img/NE/NE19260021i1.jpg)
for functional in a modern context, the black square and black rectangle Nebraska are quite nice.
New Mexico, simple without being totally boring like the standard circle/rectangle signs, and still incorporates something pertinent to the state into the design. And nice splash of a color other than black or white without being overly distracting.
Plus, New Mexico is one of my favorite states so whenever I see those shields on the road, I know I'm somewhere I really enjoy being :biggrin:
As a former L.A. resident, I am strongly biased toward the California miner's spade. Although the George Washington outline for Washington State doen't look too bad, it could use a better color scheme than the generic black-and-white.
Quote from: cpzilliacus on August 26, 2012, 10:29:53 PM
Quote from: hobsini2 on August 26, 2012, 08:26:42 PM
Quote from: mukade on August 26, 2012, 07:55:21 AM
Pet peeves are:
- lettered routes: Missouri's secondary routes are confusing
I disagree. Having county highways or secondary highways being numbers like the primary state highways IS more confusing. For instance in Wisconsin, you could say "Hwy 23 and Hwy J" or "23 and J" instead of "State Hwy 23 and County Hwy 44". Fewer words leads to less confusion.
I like Virginia's system of numbering:
- (with very few exceptions) the primary system highways are assigned numbers from 1 to 598 (I don't think there's a 599, is there?); and
- secondary system highways with route numbers of 600 and above (secondary system numbers can (and do) repeat in different counties - I think most counties in the Commonwealth probably have Routes 600, 601 and 602, for example).
That may be the way Virginia does it, which sounds quite reasonable, but most states that I have been to that have the blue pentagons for county highways are not like that.
For example, there are actually 2 different types of those blue shield used in Illinois.
In Cook County and Lake County, the route number is a letter with a 1 or 2 digit number. The letter corresponds to where in the state the road is with A in the north and W in the east and the numbers increase from north to south and west to east. So Russell Rd/State Line Rd in Lake County is County Hwy A1.
In other counties like DuPage and Kane, there is only a number, no letter, that is assigned. There is no rhyme or reason for the number assigned to such a highway. So Orchard Rd in Kane County is just County Hwy 83.
The other thing that Illinois does that is annoying is that with few exceptions, mostly in Lake and Cook County, there is no "Jct County Hwy" signs when you are coming up to such a road. Even then it is just easier to call the highway by it's road name and not route number.
Recently, i saw that Winnebago County 9 was actually added to a BGS on I-39/90 for Rockton Rd. But again, us locals call it by the name and not the number.
The only other states I can think of off hand that actually use the blue pentagons with an actual grid are Iowa and Michigan.
Quote from: hobsini2 on August 27, 2012, 05:56:02 PM
The only other states I can think of off hand that actually use the blue pentagons with an actual grid are Iowa and Michigan.
California has an alphanumeric grid. Florida's county roads fit the state road grid, since they are mostly former state roads.
NE2, I was not aware of either state's system. Thanks.
Quote from: NE2 on August 27, 2012, 06:00:49 PM
California has an alphanumeric grid.
I think the word grid is stretching it somewhat. the letters start at A in the north and end at S in the south, but within each region, the numbering is pretty disorganized. Imperial County is the only one, for example, which has odd numbered Sxx north-south routes, and even-numbered Sxx east-west routes, and this isn't strictly obeyed either... S34 is north-south, for example.
then there is San Bernardino County 66, which does not follow the grid, and also several counties do not use letter-number combinations in general, like Lassen County and I think several others (Del Norte?)
Quote from: agentsteel53 on August 27, 2012, 06:59:58 PM
Quote from: NE2 on August 27, 2012, 06:00:49 PM
California has an alphanumeric grid.
I think the word grid is stretching it somewhat.
As I understand it, it's also stretching it for Iowa, Illinois, and Michigan.
Quote from: hobsini2 on August 27, 2012, 05:56:02 PM
Quote from: cpzilliacus on August 26, 2012, 10:29:53 PM
Quote from: hobsini2 on August 26, 2012, 08:26:42 PM
Quote from: mukade on August 26, 2012, 07:55:21 AM
Pet peeves are:
- lettered routes: Missouri's secondary routes are confusing
I disagree. Having county highways or secondary highways being numbers like the primary state highways IS more confusing. For instance in Wisconsin, you could say "Hwy 23 and Hwy J" or "23 and J" instead of "State Hwy 23 and County Hwy 44". Fewer words leads to less confusion.
I like Virginia's system of numbering:
- (with very few exceptions) the primary system highways are assigned numbers from 1 to 598 (I don't think there's a 599, is there?); and
- secondary system highways with route numbers of 600 and above (secondary system numbers can (and do) repeat in different counties - I think most counties in the Commonwealth probably have Routes 600, 601 and 602, for example).
That may be the way Virginia does it, which sounds quite reasonable, but most states that I have been to that have the blue pentagons for county highways are not like that.
Secondary numbered highways in Virginia are
not county highways, they are
state highways. With two exceptions (Arlington County across the Potomac from D.C. and Henrico County just north of Richmond), the rest of the counties of Virginia do not maintain any of their public roads - all of them, down to the smallest subdivision street in Fairfax County and the narrowest (public) gravel road in Fauquier County are numbered and part of the state secondary highway network.
In Arlington and Henrico Counties, the state maintains the primary highway system (route numbers less than 600).
Cities (which, in Virginia, are essentially counties, as they are not part of any adjoining county) maintain all of their own streets and roads, except for those that have a functional classification of freeway. Towns in Virginia are part of a surrounding or adjacent county, but they still maintain their own streets and roads, except freeways.
Quote from: hobsini2 on August 27, 2012, 05:56:02 PM
For example, there are actually 2 different types of those blue shield used in Illinois.
I have never, ever seen a blue shield in Virginia on any road.
Quote from: hobsini2 on August 27, 2012, 05:56:02 PM
In Cook County and Lake County, the route number is a letter with a 1 or 2 digit number. The letter corresponds to where in the state the road is with A in the north and W in the east and the numbers increase from north to south and west to east. So Russell Rd/State Line Rd in Lake County is County Hwy A1.
In other counties like DuPage and Kane, there is only a number, no letter, that is assigned. There is no rhyme or reason for the number assigned to such a highway. So Orchard Rd in Kane County is just County Hwy 83.
The other thing that Illinois does that is annoying is that with few exceptions, mostly in Lake and Cook County, there is no "Jct County Hwy" signs when you are coming up to such a road. Even then it is just easier to call the highway by it's road name and not route number.
Recently, i saw that Winnebago County 9 was actually added to a BGS on I-39/90 for Rockton Rd. But again, us locals call it by the name and not the number.
The only other states I can think of off hand that actually use the blue pentagons with an actual grid are Iowa and Michigan.
Virginia uses a circle (somewhat like Delaware and New Jersey do for their state highways) for its secondary system roads only. Many secondary system roads are not large enough to warrant posting with shields (in suburban areas especially), but there are small square signs posted at most intersections with the route numbers on them.
Quote from: NE2 on August 27, 2012, 06:00:49 PM
Quote from: hobsini2 on August 27, 2012, 05:56:02 PM
The only other states I can think of off hand that actually use the blue pentagons with an actual grid are Iowa and Michigan.
California has an alphanumeric grid. Florida's county roads fit the state road grid, since they are mostly former state roads.
And Michigan has an alphanumeric grid, too.
Quote from: national highway 1 on August 27, 2012, 09:52:35 PM
Quote from: NE2 on August 27, 2012, 06:00:49 PM
Quote from: hobsini2 on August 27, 2012, 05:56:02 PM
The only other states I can think of off hand that actually use the blue pentagons with an actual grid are Iowa and Michigan.
California has an alphanumeric grid. Florida's county roads fit the state road grid, since they are mostly former state roads.
And Michigan has an alphanumeric grid, too.
So does Michigan.
Quote from: bugo on August 26, 2012, 02:24:50 AM
I forgot to mention Penna. Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and New York are the holy trinity of unique shield-looking route markers.
I agree with the preference for these, though I'd exclude Wisconsin because it too closely resembles the US shield at a distance. NY and PA both have my type of marker, and I don't think that's just because of native-state bias.
I've also always thought Alaska's was pretty great, and Idaho's is my favorite use of the state-outline motif; the black/white contrast is perfect. California should get credit too: there's no other marker quite like it, and if I were from there I'd be quite protectively fond of it, no doubt.
Quote from: empirestate on August 27, 2012, 11:54:35 PM
California should get credit too: there's no other marker quite like it
Sure there is :)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm1.staticflickr.com%2F133%2F361232102_ca9b0bafc7_b.jpg&hash=e56f09bb2abd8dedd14ea2ba3c025e5d5c02cb04) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/nsub1/361232102/)
Top 3
Wyoming
Michigan
British Columbia
Bottom 3
Standard county (serious legibility issues, especially on freeway signs)
Tennessee primary (looks like something I might draw on a piece of scratch paper)
Arkansas (I can't put my finger on it, but the state outline on a shield is not aesthetically pleasing to me)
Quote from: kphoger on August 28, 2012, 07:10:20 PM
Top 3
Wyoming
Michigan
British Columbia
I'm not sure about BC's shield, it's a bit busy and I don't like the font that they use for digits.
the new BC font sucks (if it's not Arial, it's damn close) but the classic font is excellent!
(//www.aaroads.com/shields/img/BC/BC19750971i1.jpg)
^ Nice, LeHay font!
not quite, but close
(//www.aaroads.com/shields/img/ME/ME19580951i1.jpg)
I've seen some other older BC shields and always thought it was LeHay. They do look unbelievably similar!
Quote from: colinstu on August 25, 2012, 06:32:56 PM
I don't like Utah's because the sentiment behind it.
This is the most absurd thing I've ever read on this forum.
Quote from: CL on August 28, 2012, 09:14:49 PM
Quote from: colinstu on August 25, 2012, 06:32:56 PM
I don't like Utah's because the sentiment behind it.
This is the most absurd thing I've ever read on this forum.
What's wrong with hating on Mormons for being communists and representing their ideal community by a beehive?
Let's not discuss religion. Thanks.
I loved the old Ohio Cut-out shields. Nowadays, I like the Colorado shields, since they take the cake as to the number of colors used on a single shield.
California is simply the best for it's originality yet simplicity. It's simple(No complex designs, just an outline, basically), works well on highway signs because of it's color, yet it connects to California's history.(Spade shape)
Th
Quote from: thenetwork on August 30, 2012, 02:49:40 PM
I loved the old Ohio Cut-out shields. Nowadays, I like the Colorado shields, since they take the cake as to the number of colors used on a single shield.
This one?
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi166.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu102%2Fctsignguy%2Foh2castiron.jpg&hash=fa38cf27be30c0bd1e63d55dda2ba75e8d2fe2f4)
Or this one?
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi166.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu102%2Fctsignguy%2Foh661.jpg&hash=a26f5a1de5a67beb2a30473b06dabbd029abeef6)
Or this one?
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi166.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu102%2Fctsignguy%2Foh559.jpg&hash=7c7645448d6d3fdfaaa987e1c313795d0b737e27)
Or this one?
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi166.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu102%2Fctsignguy%2Foh39.jpg&hash=41b10c4770016c285b9e5bbb5fd562d992d4e0f8)
Quote from: cpzilliacus on August 27, 2012, 09:07:30 PM
....
Secondary numbered highways in Virginia are not county highways, they are state highways. With two exceptions (Arlington County across the Potomac from D.C. and Henrico County just north of Richmond), the rest of the counties of Virginia do not maintain any of their public roads - all of them, down to the smallest subdivision street in Fairfax County and the narrowest (public) gravel road in Fauquier County are numbered and part of the state secondary highway network. ....
Actually, this is not entirely true. Some subdivision streets are not part of the state network, or the "VDOT System" as it's known in the context of development proffers and the like. The street on which I live is not part of the "VDOT System," for example–it is the responsibility of our homeowners' association to maintain the pavement and to plow it during snowstorms. It leads to two interesting situations where (a) the HOA plow often arrives and plows our street BEFORE the VDOT plow arrives to clear the road leading in and out of our neighborhood, so we have this nice freshly-plowed street and then VDOT comes along and blocks it off with snow from the other road (which usually leads to a shovel/snowblower brigade of neighbors clearing the end of the block); and (b) our street that is maintained by the HOA is in much better shape than the VDOT-maintained street that leads in and out because the HOA is more on-the-ball about maintaining the surface due to the smaller budget.
That sort of thing isn't uncommon in Fairfax County, but in general it depends on the age of the community whether the street are VDOT responsibility or someone else's. Most older communities have all their streets maintained by VDOT; many newer ones do not because the Commonwealth and the county figured out that it was a way to save themselves some money. What happens now are "development proffers," where in order to get the land zoned for a project the developer has to agree to build various things and turn them over to the county or the Commonwealth (often extending or improving nearby arterial routes to handle the increased traffic might be a common, and reasonable, example).
OK, anyway, to return to the original topic, I've always found Virginia's primary route shield to be exceptionally boring. Nothing about it says anything about Virginia. It's also maybe not the easiest shape to describe if you're giving someone directions and the person isn't familiar with the roads and so you want to give as many details as you can.
In terms of ones I like best, I like Nova Scotia's marker for the 100-series highways with the flag on top, Quebec's autoroute shield, and Alaska's marker with the Big Dipper and the North Star.
Quote from: Henry on August 27, 2012, 02:14:24 PM
As a former L.A. resident, I am strongly biased toward the California miner's spade.
Hi everyone - first time poster here. This is a very interesting thread and I felt the need to weigh in....
For one thing, I am not so enamored of the fact that the CA miner's spade is green. Because of that, the shields blend in with green guide signs on freeways, etc. In fact, it enabled CalTrans to go with outlines on such signs for decades after almost every other state changed to cut-outs. Ugly, in my view.
And it's a shame because the old white spade, with the bear, was one of the most attractive shields ever! I'd love to see it come back in some form.
Then again, it's still better than the plain square - especially the plain square with the state name in it as seen in RI, IN and IL. TX could also do a LOT better - as they do with their Toll, FM and RM roads. Even the circle is better in my view. Simple but somewhat elegant.
As for most attractive, that one is more difficult. I like distinctively-shaped shields as you see in NH, UT, ND, VA, WA, PA, etc. WI should be better, but the 'box' so overwhelms the triangle now that the shape almost looks square on some signs. Also, state-shaped shields look good as long as they remain true to the shape of the state. AZ and AL fail for the reason that they end up being altered to fit the highway numbers.
Best overall: probably Kansas as it has so many great attributes.
I like green signs. California, South Dakota, Louisiana's old signs. I think Vermont also uses a green shield.
Another unique shield design that I'm partial to: Prince Edward Island's provincial route shield.
Quote from: PennDOTFan on September 17, 2012, 05:39:45 PM
Another unique shield design that I'm partial to: Prince Edward Island's provincial route shield.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alpsroads.net%2Froads%2Fpe%2Fpe_6%2F6.jpg&hash=dfbbe0d6e26f749d29cf83541fac8a3c1592296c)
:-P
^ That too :)
Quote from: 1995hoo on September 10, 2012, 09:46:02 AM
Quote from: cpzilliacus on August 27, 2012, 09:07:30 PM
....
Secondary numbered highways in Virginia are not county highways, they are state highways. With two exceptions (Arlington County across the Potomac from D.C. and Henrico County just north of Richmond), the rest of the counties of Virginia do not maintain any of their public roads - all of them, down to the smallest subdivision street in Fairfax County and the narrowest (public) gravel road in Fauquier County are numbered and part of the state secondary highway network. ....
Actually, this is not entirely true. Some subdivision streets are not part of the state network, or the "VDOT System" as it's known in the context of development proffers and the like. The street on which I live is not part of the "VDOT System," for example–it is the responsibility of our homeowners' association to maintain the pavement and to plow it during snowstorms.
I did not mean to imply that private streets in an HOA were part of the VDOT system, for clearly they are not.
My townhome in Montgomery County is also on a private street - fortunately, our streets are well-delimited from the nearby ones that are maintained by Montgomery County DOT, Maryland State Highway Administration, and even the Maryland Transportation Authority (now that we have the ICC next door), though we have had our private streets plowed-in a few times.
Quote from: 1995hoo on September 10, 2012, 09:46:02 AM
It leads to two interesting situations where (a) the HOA plow often arrives and plows our street BEFORE the VDOT plow arrives to clear the road leading in and out of our neighborhood, so we have this nice freshly-plowed street and then VDOT comes along and blocks it off with snow from the other road (which usually leads to a shovel/snowblower brigade of neighbors clearing the end of the block); and (b) our street that is maintained by the HOA is in much better shape than the VDOT-maintained street that leads in and out because the HOA is more on-the-ball about maintaining the surface due to the smaller budget.
We have been "plowed-in" a few times after a heavy snowfall by the county or its contractors, though I have always been able to "break through" with my truck if needed, but I know what you mean.
Quote from: 1995hoo on September 10, 2012, 09:46:02 AM
That sort of thing isn't uncommon in Fairfax County, but in general it depends on the age of the community whether the street are VDOT responsibility or someone else's. Most older communities have all their streets maintained by VDOT; many newer ones do not because the Commonwealth and the county figured out that it was a way to save themselves some money. What happens now are "development proffers," where in order to get the land zoned for a project the developer has to agree to build various things and turn them over to the county or the Commonwealth (often extending or improving nearby arterial routes to handle the increased traffic might be a common, and reasonable, example).
Pretty common in all of the counties around the Capital Beltway and at least one ring of counties beyond, to include Loudoun, Prince William and Stafford Counties in Virginia, and Frederick, Howard, Anne Arundel, Calvert and Charles Counties in Maryland, especially for developments approved after about 1975 (I am sure there are pre-1975 developments too, like Montgomery's Leisure World, but decidedly less common prior to about '75).
Quote from: 1995hoo on September 10, 2012, 09:46:02 AM
OK, anyway, to return to the original topic, I've always found Virginia's primary route shield to be exceptionally boring. Nothing about it says anything about Virginia. It's also maybe not the easiest shape to describe if you're giving someone directions and the person isn't familiar with the roads and so you want to give as many details as you can.
It
is distinctly different from the Virginia primary route shield, which I consider to be a good thing.
Quote from: 1995hoo on September 10, 2012, 09:46:02 AM
In terms of ones I like best, I like Nova Scotia's marker for the 100-series highways with the flag on top, Quebec's autoroute shield, and Alaska's marker with the Big Dipper and the North Star.
Québec has got a winner with the
Autoroute shield, and Alaska proves that even a rectangle can be distinctive.
Quote from: Steve on September 17, 2012, 07:42:35 PM
Quote from: PennDOTFan on September 17, 2012, 05:39:45 PM
Another unique shield design that I'm partial to: Prince Edward Island's provincial route shield.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alpsroads.net%2Froads%2Fpe%2Fpe_6%2F6.jpg&hash=dfbbe0d6e26f749d29cf83541fac8a3c1592296c)
:-P
Didnt know US 6 went to PEI! :pan: :pan:
Quote from: bugo on September 17, 2012, 05:28:12 PM
I like green signs. California, South Dakota, Louisiana's old signs. I think Vermont also uses a green shield.
South Dakota's shields aren't green, per se. The background on the stand-alones is green, but the state shape is white and features black numerals. Louisiana changed their signs for better visibility.
With California, you get this:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cosmos-monitor.com%2Fca%2Fmain%2Fca13-advance-on-i580-closeup.jpeg&hash=f564ff209461b2d325dbaf5d2b78782a31e78c8d)
To me, that's homely.
Quote from: StogieGuy7 on September 18, 2012, 09:57:43 AM
Quote from: bugo on September 17, 2012, 05:28:12 PM
I like green signs. California, South Dakota, Louisiana's old signs. I think Vermont also uses a green shield.
South Dakota's shields aren't green, per se. The background on the stand-alones is green, but the state shape is white and features black numerals. Louisiana changed their signs for better visibility.
If South Dakota's shields aren't green, then what color are they? Hot pink? The numbers are black and the outline of the shield is green, at least on stand-alone shields (shields on green freeway signs are black and white.) I stand by my statement.
Quote from: bugo on September 18, 2012, 10:47:09 AM
Quote from: StogieGuy7 on September 18, 2012, 09:57:43 AM
Quote from: bugo on September 17, 2012, 05:28:12 PM
I like green signs. California, South Dakota, Louisiana's old signs. I think Vermont also uses a green shield.
South Dakota's shields aren't green, per se. The background on the stand-alones is green, but the state shape is white and features black numerals. Louisiana changed their signs for better visibility.
If South Dakota's shields aren't green, then what color are they? Hot pink? The numbers are black and the outline of the shield is green, at least on stand-alone shields (shields on green freeway signs are black and white.) I stand by my statement.
Compare and contrast:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2Fthumb%2Fc%2Fc7%2FSD_35.svg%2F200px-SD_35.svg.png&hash=082df0b313df3e04658703383c2ba210d3a16efc) (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2Fthumb%2F7%2F7b%2FCalifornia_34.svg%2F200px-California_34.svg.png&hash=d91a06078739988dfa6756ed041b340cad939359) (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2Fthumb%2F6%2F64%2FLouisiana_425_%25281955%2529.svg%2F200px-Louisiana_425_%25281955%2529.svg.png&hash=8a92be6eb88b1617bc0f4480c4313f87fa5f7e27)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2Fthumb%2F8%2F84%2FQc125.svg%2F200px-Qc125.svg.png&hash=ce795f953147d164e8727d021989f59cfad0f1d7)
See what I mean? On a directional sign, the green background of the SD badge is not shown - only the cut out. And, on stand-alones it's merely green substituted for black. Quite unlike CA, the old LA (which was changed, for the better, to b/w), and Quebec.
And, again, I do not like the green-on-green effect that you get on directional signs. Nor do I find it as legible as it should be. Bad idea. The spade is better in black and white. Louisiana figured that out.
Example of SD directional sign:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ft3.gstatic.com%2Fimages%3Fq%3Dtbn%3AANd9GcQ89X5HlfCUbRpNojG71ExSMRpDj49hDD6VVpu-vyr44711YPsKYje00IqO&hash=d38bed04494dfbae81e813ad34a9bbbc9f76430c)
Note the I-90 Business marker, which is green like the CA shield. And the legibility sucks, as I was saying.
Quote from: Steve on September 17, 2012, 07:42:35 PM
Quote from: PennDOTFan on September 17, 2012, 05:39:45 PM
Another unique shield design that I'm partial to: Prince Edward Island's provincial route shield.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alpsroads.net%2Froads%2Fpe%2Fpe_6%2F6.jpg&hash=dfbbe0d6e26f749d29cf83541fac8a3c1592296c)
:-P
Isn't that from Nova Scotia? :confused:
Quote from: StogieGuy7 on September 18, 2012, 11:36:50 AM
Quote from: Steve on September 17, 2012, 07:42:35 PM
Quote from: PennDOTFan on September 17, 2012, 05:39:45 PM
Another unique shield design that I'm partial to: Prince Edward Island's provincial route shield.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alpsroads.net%2Froads%2Fpe%2Fpe_6%2F6.jpg&hash=dfbbe0d6e26f749d29cf83541fac8a3c1592296c)
:-P
Isn't that from Nova Scotia? :confused:
http://www.alpsroads.net/roads/pe/pe_6/
New Brunswick also used to use them.
Home state bias here. I love the CA green spade, though I do agree that the spade with the bear is incredibly cool and would be great to see it return.
Outside California, I think Washington state has a pretty cool shield.
Texas, I've long thought, should swap its state highway shields with the design it uses for Farm Roads. (Plus using a Texas cutout on BGS displays would be cool. I don't like how FM routes are a box on the BGS, but then have the cool state shape when you see a marker)
I saw a post on here about Minnesota. Unique, but I've found in a few trips to the Twin Cities that, from a distance, it kind of looks like an Interstate sign on BGS.
Lastly, let's make all US highways cutout signs again! Again, home state bias. :-)
Home state bias, I love Louisiana's use of the green and white outline with vague coastline. However, the black and white signs are nicer because fading isn't as quick, and the colors really pop out easier. I think it's due to the non-reflective black paint used, but that's just me thinking out of the box.
I wish the diamond LA signs would come back, with the pelican at the top. The shield gallery has a few of the regular shields, but in actuality, the only photos I've come across show the diamond with a black crown at the top, and it looks very smooth.
Out of Louisiana, I like the Arkansas shield, and the park road/ranch road signs for Texas. AR 980 (Airport Road) is the most enjoyable state shield, and stands out.e
Quote from: mcdonaat on September 21, 2012, 04:41:42 PM
AR 980 (Airport Road) is the most enjoyable state shield, and stands out.e
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2Fthumb%2F8%2F89%2FHighway_980_at_US_65_and_US_425_in_Pine_Bluff%252C_Arkansas.jpg%2F800px-Highway_980_at_US_65_and_US_425_in_Pine_Bluff%252C_Arkansas.jpg&hash=1f721345048e477f406486f1d979ad11f84dce72)
:nod:
As with a lot of people, I am biased towards my home state. Alabama's route shield is simple yet effective in communicating that it is a state highway. If the state outline has to be modified in order to make the numbers fit, I don't think that is a big deal. Legibility is more important. I like other states that use the state outline.
Tennessee is weird with their shield being a 3di shield for every number (including a single number). It is easy to read, but it also looks funny. I still like it better than states with circles or squares.
My home state shield (South Carolina) would rank near the top, but below North Carolina's. The simplicity of the shield (by making all shields three digits) cuts down on cost.
Quote from: mjb2002 on September 26, 2012, 07:21:16 PM
My home state shield (South Carolina) would rank near the top, but below North Carolina's. The simplicity of the shield (by making all shields three digits) cuts down on cost.
But then they use blue-on-white directional plates the same width as those three-digit-size route markers, with a corresponding proportional increase in height; whereas three-digit US routes get the same black-on-white directional banners as two-digit routes.
Quote from: OCGuy81 on September 21, 2012, 10:22:03 AM
Home state bias here.
Texas, I've long thought, should swap its state highway shields with the design it uses for Farm Roads. (Plus using a Texas cutout on BGS displays would be cool. I don't like how FM routes are a box on the BGS, but then have the cool state shape when you see a marker)
I agree actually. I have always found it odd that the state shape is reserved for secondary routes while the main routes have a boring white square that say "288 Texas," with the state name under the number. I like our FM route shields though and I always have liked my home state, Louisiana's, shields as well. I am not a fan of the new black version.
Quote from: achilles765 on October 11, 2012, 03:09:43 AM
Quote from: OCGuy81 on September 21, 2012, 10:22:03 AM
Home state bias here.
Texas, I've long thought, should swap its state highway shields with the design it uses for Farm Roads. (Plus using a Texas cutout on BGS displays would be cool. I don't like how FM routes are a box on the BGS, but then have the cool state shape when you see a marker)
I agree actually. I have always found it odd that the state shape is reserved for secondary routes while the main routes have a boring white square that say "288 Texas," with the state name under the number. I like our FM route shields though and I always have liked my home state, Louisiana's, shields as well. I am not a fan of the new black version.
I think the reason for having boring state shields is to accommodate larger numbers.
I think Pennsylvania's keystone is one of my favorites. I also like New York's shield however I think they need to pick one version of it and stick with it. Can't say I care much for my home state of New Jersey's though.
I like California's because of the shape and color. I like the shape of New York's, although I'd prefer it to be a cutout.
I know it is basic, but i like the simple to read circular state shield with a black square behind it, NJ uses that style, and i like it. Simple to read, and since DE uses just the circle, easy to tell the two states apart.
I probably have home state bias as well, as I like Nebraska's wagon in trapezoid. I'm surprised no one came up with using a trapezoid before Nebraska did.
I also like Kansas's and Minnesota's. I like the state outline ones as well in general, but Arizona could have done theirs without turning their curvy borders into straight lines.
The worst are Illinois and Indiana, at least amongst states I've been to.
I have home state bias myself. My favorites are NY, PA, and ON.
Quote from: SteveG1988 on October 14, 2012, 04:08:22 AM
I know it is basic, but i like the simple to read circular state shield with a black square behind it, NJ uses that style, and i like it. Simple to read, and since DE uses just the circle, easy to tell the two states apart.
Actually, this is NJ guide sign quirkyness rather than a difference in shield. NJ doesn't use cutout shields for non-interstates on guide signs. If you look at a reassurance shield in DE you'll see that they're actually the same (or when a NJ state highway is signed by an agency other than NJDOT, such as the Thruway sign for NJ 17 or any Turnpike sign).
Actually, this is NJ guide sign quirkyness rather than a difference in shield. NJ doesn't use cutout shields for non-interstates on guide signs. If you look at a reassurance shield in DE you'll see that they're actually the same (or when a NJ state highway is signed by an agency other than NJDOT, such as the Thruway sign for NJ 17 or any Turnpike sign).
[/quote]
I am probably in the minority here, but I do like how New Jersey leaves the black backgrounds on the guide sign shields. That is what I have always known, so it looks right to me.
Quote from: ap70621 on October 14, 2012, 09:08:28 PM
Actually, this is NJ guide sign quirkyness rather than a difference in shield. NJ doesn't use cutout shields for non-interstates on guide signs. If you look at a reassurance shield in DE you'll see that they're actually the same (or when a NJ state highway is signed by an agency other than NJDOT, such as the Thruway sign for NJ 17 or any Turnpike sign).
I am probably in the minority here, but I do like how New Jersey leaves the black backgrounds on the guide sign shields. That is what I have always known, so it looks right to me.
[/quote]
Ditto! Where I live the shields for state routes are good and represent where I live state-wise well, but I always miss NJ's.