There are lots of guide signs, regulatory signs, tourist informational signs, etc. There are signs telling you what you can and can't do, what's at the next exit, ehat road you're on...
And then there's the white-on-blue "University of Connecticut: 2013 NCAA Women's Basketball Champions." No mention of "next exit," or anything like that.
I was trying to think of another official, non-VMS sign that's neither about driving, the road, a location, a destination, or any other information I can use in any way as a motorist, but I couldn't.
Can you?
Quote from: Pete from Boston on May 19, 2013, 10:38:14 AM
There are lots of guide signs, regulatory signs, tourist informational signs, etc. There are signs telling you what you can and can't do, what's at the next exit, ehat road you're on...
At certain county borders in Virginia, there's a sign under the count name that reads "A Certified Business Location" (whatever that means).
Blank signs.
Adopt-a-Highway signs, maybe?
Blue Star Memorial Highway, though they're usually located away from the road. You really can't use that info as a motorist, even if it is about the road. I could also throw in the historical signs used by so many states.
In Illinois, we have "drunk driving" and "reckless driving" signs with a dead person's name on it where the death occurred like this:
https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=41.743652,-87.943497&spn=0.166762,0.350189&t=m&z=12&vpsrc=6&cbll=41.743493,-87.943133&panoid=xB8NqvexCWiXYu9-Xwhb5w&cbp=12,337.85,,0,5.53&ei=sxyZUculLsSWwgHkgoFo&pw=2
This is that sign blown up:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1244.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fgg569%2Fhobsini2%2Fdrunkdrivingsign_zps8c9d5db8.png&hash=058df1028c130deeeb17472666df7346dcc246e3) (http://s1244.photobucket.com/user/hobsini2/media/drunkdrivingsign_zps8c9d5db8.png.html)
Is this the kind of sign you were talking about?
PA has stuff like "buckle up - next million miles".
"Wildflower Protection Area" signs, and signs that say "Do Not Spray", or "Do Not Mow".
Quote from: vdeane on May 19, 2013, 04:49:12 PM
PA has stuff like "buckle up - next million miles".
PA Nag Signs have everything to do with PA drivers being terrible, so it doesn't really fit with this thread.
All admirable efforts, but all seem to have to do with driving or the road. Honestly, I'm not even sure what else would qualify.
Those signs for societies like the Lions Club that appear at city limits with no information on how to get there.
Quote from: NE2 on May 19, 2013, 09:44:32 PM
Those signs for societies like the Lions Club that appear at city limits with no information on how to get there.
Most have a small plaque below the round logo with when and where they meet.
I love the one's erected along side of the road that tells the history of the property adjacent to the side of the road, especially when an old historic building sat on it at one point in time. They do not have anything to do with the road, but it is an interesting artifact.
Quote from: deathtopumpkins on May 19, 2013, 10:14:24 PM
Quote from: NE2 on May 19, 2013, 09:44:32 PM
Those signs for societies like the Lions Club that appear at city limits with no information on how to get there.
Most have a small plaque below the round logo with when and where they meet.
But not directions to get to that place. So it's unrelated to the road you're on.
"Tree City USA" and "Bicycle Friendly Community" signs.
For extra irony, install along treeless roads where bicycles are banned.
In Gresham, Oregon - there used to be signs mounted with the "Welcome to Gresham" sign that read "Home of Katie Harman - Miss U.S.A."...
When I was on a business trip to Memphis in 2000, the "Welcome to Arkansas" sign had a "Home of President Bill Clinton"; upon returning to Tennesese, "Home of Vice-President Al Gore"
The various "Green River Ordnance Enforced", or the "Business Licenses Required". Or "Zoned for your protection" Or signs telling you that you are entering a watershed (the Nisqually Watershed signs on I-5 south of Fort Lewis in particular), or that the creek/river you are crossing is part of a watershed.
"Control Invasive Weeds" signs. Or signs telling you that it's illegal to transport invasive aquatic species (basically you must wash off your boat after you take it out of the water), even if the sign is nowhere near a boat dock (there are signs for it on I-5 in Vancouver, as well as on I-5 south of Aurora)
Quote from: hobsini2 on May 19, 2013, 02:58:26 PM
In Illinois, we have "drunk driving" and "reckless driving" signs with a dead person's name on it where the death occurred like this:
https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=41.743652,-87.943497&spn=0.166762,0.350189&t=m&z=12&vpsrc=6&cbll=41.743493,-87.943133&panoid=xB8NqvexCWiXYu9-Xwhb5w&cbp=12,337.85,,0,5.53&ei=sxyZUculLsSWwgHkgoFo&pw=2
This is that sign blown up:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1244.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fgg569%2Fhobsini2%2Fdrunkdrivingsign_zps8c9d5db8.png&hash=058df1028c130deeeb17472666df7346dcc246e3) (http://s1244.photobucket.com/user/hobsini2/media/drunkdrivingsign_zps8c9d5db8.png.html)
Is this the kind of sign you were talking about?
I hate these signs, and they're what first came to my mind. They're merely sign clutter along the road that does nothing for road conditions or hazards. I'm of the opinion that makeshift roadside memorials should be banned, including this useless sign clutter.
In Fort Mitchell, Kentucky, you will find signs referring to the Beechwood High School Tigers football team.
Indiana also uses karst-related signs.
Quote from: J N Winkler on May 20, 2013, 11:16:29 AM
Indiana also uses karst-related signs.
As in, "Please don't dump your toxic waste in that sinkhole"?
Quote from: The High Plains Traveler on May 20, 2013, 11:19:01 AMQuote from: J N Winkler on May 20, 2013, 11:16:29 AMIndiana also uses karst-related signs.
As in, "Please don't dump your toxic waste in that sinkhole"?
Not in so many words, but yes, I think that is part of the purpose. These signs appear in Indiana DOT roadway construction plans (not signing plans whenever signing work is hived off into a separate plans set) for projects in parts of the state that have karsts, including many segments of I-69. I think the primary motivation is to prevent karsts from being used to dispose of debris generated during grading and paving operations.
TxDOT and several other state DOTs also have recurring designs for signs (not standardized or added to the state sign drawings book) that are used to mark the boundaries of areas set aside for stormwater pollution prevention, such as drainage swales and replacement wetlands.
"Building a drug-free community" under the "Welcome to ..." sign.
Quote from: Doctor Whom on May 20, 2013, 01:09:37 PM
"Building a drug-free community" under the "Welcome to ..." sign.
In a similar vein, there are a few "Governor's Clean Award" signs scattered around Virginia counties. The ones I've seen are for Prince George (1989) and Chesterfield (1990).
Eisenhower Interstate System signs, as well as signs at state borders telling you of laws that may apply in that particular state (no radar detectors in VA, use of handheld cellphones prohibited), and white on blue signs near rest areas in MA that read: Take a Break, Stay Awake, For Safety's Sake
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on May 20, 2013, 01:30:18 PM
Eisenhower Interstate System signs, as well as signs at state borders telling you of laws that may apply in that particular state (no radar detectors in VA, use of handheld cellphones prohibited), and white on blue signs near rest areas in MA that read: Take a Break, Stay Awake, For Safety's Sake
The signs about state-specific laws do at least provide information useful to many motorists (not necessarily all; not everyone uses a radar detector even where legal, for instance).
"Entering XYZ Watershed (usually with a fancy logo)". Massachusetts used to have such signs for the Neponset Valley watershed (until FHWA directed MassHighway to remove them), and they were rather large panels. IIRC, such large signs still exist for the Chesepake Bay Watershed.
I'd argue that's at least indirectly related to the road, because it informs you where the litter you throw from your car will end up, in case knowing that might deter you.
In the same vein as law advisories at boundary crossings: signs warning motorists approaching the Mexican border that firearms and ammunition are illegal in Mexico. These exist in Arizona and Texas for sure, and possibly also in California and New Mexico. Arizona DOT uses bespoke designs (I don't think I have ever seen a design for this sign in the Manual of Approved Signs), but TxDOT's SHSD has multiple standardized designs, including a large-format text-message sign ("Warning: Firearms/Ammo Illegal In Mexico: Penalty -- Prison By Mexican Law") and a square circle-and-slash prohibitory sign with a six-shooter-and-bullets graphic.
In a similar vein, Loop 375 on the Fort Bliss military reservation near El Paso has bilingual signs warning of unexploded ammunition.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jhaa.org%2Fimages-misc%2Fneighborhoodwatchsign2.gif&hash=37436b3565538f9d952b3e074b4beb1efcc96750)
Quote from: deathtopumpkins on May 20, 2013, 02:42:10 PM
I'd argue that's at least indirectly related to the road, because it informs you where the litter you throw from your car will end up, in case knowing that might deter you.
Point taken. However, you don't need a 12 foot by 8 foot extruded BGBWS (Big Green/Blue/White sign - like the Neponset ones were) on steel beam posts to convey that message. A 4 foot by 3 foot "Do Not Litter" sign would do just fine.
Signage at Ohio rest areas (often indoor) is frequently manufactured like real road signs, with the same colors, fonts, and retroreflective materials. The signs tell you things like building inventory codes, emergency phone numbers, whose donations made possible the landscaping, and which is the men's or women's restrooms. I once found a rest area building closed; this fact was made evident by a 12" by 9" retroreflective orange panel with the word CLOSED in 3" Series C affixed to the inside of the glass door.
Quote from: roadman on May 20, 2013, 02:22:34 PM
"Entering XYZ Watershed (usually with a fancy logo)". Massachusetts used to have such signs for the Neponset Valley watershed (until FHWA directed MassHighway to remove them), and they were rather large panels. IIRC, such large signs still exist for the Chesepake Bay Watershed.
There used to be one on the east side of the Allegheny Tunnel for eastbound traffic on I-70/I-76 (Penna. Turnpike), but it's gone.
There was also one at the crest of Meadow Mountain on eastbound I-68 in Garrett County, Maryland, with a very cool Eastern Continental Divide sign - both gone.
There was one on northbound I-95 in Prince George County, Va. south of Petersburg - gone.
Only one I know of that's left is on I-95 (JFK Highway) in Cecil County, Md. just south of Md. 279 (Exit 109).
Quote from: roadman on May 20, 2013, 07:00:24 PM
Point taken. However, you don't need a 12 foot by 8 foot extruded BGBWS (Big Green/Blue/White sign - like the Neponset ones were) on steel beam posts to convey that message. A 4 foot by 3 foot "Do Not Litter" sign would do just fine.
http://maps.google.com/?ll=47.079796,-122.684573&spn=0.000007,0.009452&t=h&z=18&layer=c&cbll=47.079763,-122.684695&panoid=3ga-slmhf4QA5fJ16EGZyg&cbp=12,266.88,,0,5.02
There is a very big spiffy Arctic Watershed sign, almost like a monument, on the Route 11 part of the Trans-Canada Highway in Ontario somewhere along the segment from North Bay to Cochrane, complete with a parking area for people who wish to take pictures. I guess that makes it a bit different from a run-of-the-mill sign. (The other side says "Atlantic Watershed." Both sides say "From this point all streams flow [north/south] into the [Arctic/Atlantic] Ocean" and give the elevation, which I recall to be 318 m.)
Frankly we found it to be pretty cool, in part because it broke up what I remember being a fairly monotonous part of the trip north.
Edited to add: Found a picture online. It looks different from when I saw it–back then the sign was in English only. The presence of the "Ontario" sign suggests some sort of "official" status (whatever that really means). Even if I knew where my pictures were, it wouldn't help because I don't have a negative scanner (they were all taken on film, many as slides). Street View: http://goo.gl/maps/dwQXJ
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdeepfriar.files.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F06%2Farctic-watershed.jpg%3Fw%3D450%26amp%3Bh%3D570&hash=7f5c3ec472f354423b285ff0534d2a36332bdd81)
I have photos of some of those Chesapeake Bay watershed signs and got contacted by someone for permission to use one of them in some publication somewhere, but I have long since forgotten the details.
Kentucky used to have posted, just beyond state borders on the interstates, big brown guide signs announcing the Ryder Cup and FEI Equestrian Games prior to the years that our state hosted them. I searched for photos because I know that I took some when the signs were up, but can't find them.
We have a policy about signs denoting championship athletic teams, etc., that I may post if I get motivated enough to look it up. :-D
Until early 2008, Québec city had three «Québec, ville de champions» ("Québec, city of champions") signs posted on A-40 and A-73 when entering the urban area, in lieu of a MGS announcing the name of the town.
They had logos of Rouge & Or (college football), Remparts (major junior hockey) and Capitales (Can-Am baseball league), which all won their championship in 2006.
Georgia STILL has something about the state being the site of the 1996 Olympic Games on the welcome sign found on northbound I-95 entering from Florida. I've never paid enough attention to notice whether the same is true on the southbound drive and I'm not motivated to look on Street View since it seems to be loading very slowly for me this morning. Whenever I see that sign I kind of roll my eyes because I feel like promoting something from almost 20 years ago is akin to saying "Our state has accomplished nothing since then."
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fen%2Fthumb%2F3%2F3e%2FI80_Highest_Point.jpg%2F800px-I80_Highest_Point.jpg&hash=725cce6eefc0afa3733dc5204462114498b63a42)
How about gee wiz info?
"Wow, i am at 2,250 Feet....aaand how does it affect me?"
But it does very much, obviously have to do with the road.
all that shit in Maryland about "if you see something, say something".
Quote from: agentsteel53 on May 21, 2013, 06:36:44 PM
all that shit in Maryland about "if you see something, say something".
I did a Google Images search for {if you see something say something road sign}, and this was the 15th result:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-prn1%2Fp480x480%2F942296_179742565517599_953841715_n.jpg&hash=dae8cc5c00b975224b3d0276826840e934af581b)
Quote from: 1995hoo on May 21, 2013, 08:54:38 AM
There is a very big spiffy Arctic Watershed sign, almost like a monument, on the Route 11 part of the Trans-Canada Highway in Ontario somewhere along the segment from North Bay to Cochrane, complete with a parking area for people who wish to take pictures. I guess that makes it a bit different from a run-of-the-mill sign. (The other side says "Atlantic Watershed." Both sides say "From this point all streams flow [north/south] into the [Arctic/Atlantic] Ocean" and give the elevation, which I recall to be 318 m.)
I saw similar signs on other continental divide crossings in Ontario, including on ON 17 west of Thunder Bay, and (IIRC) ON 144, in July and October 2012.
Here is a different set of ON 11 continental divide signs, this from the segment west of Thunder Bay, which I took in June 2012:
(//www.alaskaroads.com/ON11-watershed-sign_DSC9573.jpg)
(//www.alaskaroads.com/ON11-watershed-sign_DSC9562.jpg)
I think the watershed signs are pretty much what I was talking about. The ones pictured are very glorified and touristy, but those here are small and prosaic and have made me question what exactly I am supposed to do with this information.
Quote from: SteveG1988 on May 21, 2013, 06:23:46 PM
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fen%2Fthumb%2F3%2F3e%2FI80_Highest_Point.jpg%2F800px-I80_Highest_Point.jpg&hash=725cce6eefc0afa3733dc5204462114498b63a42)
How about gee wiz info?
"Wow, i am at 2,250 Feet....aaand how does it affect me?"
This, along with possibly the Susquehanna cooling towers, is the only visually interesting thing on 80 in Pennsylvania.
Obviously written by someone who lives near an abundance of trees.
Having grown up where there are few, I find it hard to be bored anywhere there are hills, trees, and overall green. I remember, when I was growing up in western Kansas and our family was considering moving to Wisconsin, someone once asked the question, What does Wisconsin have that Kansas doesn't? Someone else privy to the conversation answered, Trees!
Quote from: SteveG1988 on May 21, 2013, 06:23:46 PM
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fen%2Fthumb%2F3%2F3e%2FI80_Highest_Point.jpg%2F800px-I80_Highest_Point.jpg&hash=725cce6eefc0afa3733dc5204462114498b63a42)
2,250 feet above sea level is probably the lowest point on I-90 in the state of Montana. But there's no sign for that.
(I don't actually know, Kalispell is around 2,500 feet and there's a lot of really big mountains in every direction.)
I can tell you with certainty that the lowest I-80 gets in Wyoming is 5,000 feet, right at the Nebraska line, but no sign for that either.
Quote from: oscar on May 21, 2013, 07:12:45 PM
I saw similar signs on other continental divide crossings in Ontario, including on ON 17 west of Thunder Bay, and (IIRC) ON 144, in July and October 2012.
....
I saw the "Atlantic Watershed" side of the one on Route 144 somewhere between Timmins and Sudbury on the way back south, and I remember it looking the same as the one I posted above (again in English only, and probably with a different elevation). Didn't stop for pictures that time for two reasons–streams flowing into the Atlantic was less interesting to us than the Arctic, but more importantly it was pouring rain.
Quote from: sp_redelectric on May 22, 2013, 12:01:24 AM2,250 feet above sea level is probably the lowest point on I-90 in the state of Montana. But there's no sign for that.
(I don't actually know, Kalispell is around 2,500 feet and there's a lot of really big mountains in every direction.)
Speaking of I-90 elevations; this sign's along the western stretch of the Mass Pike between Exits 2 (US 20 Lee-Pittsfield) & 3 (US 202/MA 10 Westfield-Northampton):
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm5.staticflickr.com%2F4028%2F4585016915_b383403f04_z.jpg&hash=a45c07e6d75658e3adbeba15852b532dc34eab76)
nah, the next highest elevation would be 1724 plus epsilon feet, just east of Oacoma, SD.
yes, South Dakota roads can get pretty bad (US-18, anyone?) but I don't imagine there being a 5 foot drop anywhere on I-90. :sombrero:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FD8UTkHE.jpg&hash=cd012b6d63bdb2ef1f1b4be0dfc27c9c0b22144d)
Unless you have an atomic-powered car.
Quote from: flowmotion on May 23, 2013, 08:28:20 AM
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FD8UTkHE.jpg&hash=cd012b6d63bdb2ef1f1b4be0dfc27c9c0b22144d)
Unless you have an atomic-powered car.
I always wondered how effective these signs would be (Evanston, Illinois is a "nuclear-free community") in a nuclear war. As if the ICBMs would look at them and dodge their municipality.
So if you're driving four-dimensional vehicle, make sure you go back to 1985 or earlier before passing through Berkeley.
Quote from: Brandon on May 23, 2013, 10:02:47 AM
I always wondered how effective these signs would be (Evanston, Illinois is a "nuclear-free community") in a nuclear war. As if the ICBMs would look at them and dodge their municipality.
The municipalities of Takoma Park and Garrett Park, in Montgomery County, Maryland are both "nuclear-free" zones. But Maryland's electricity market is deregulated, and all utility customers can choose their electric suppliers, including those that have nuclear generating stations. I don't the the municipalities have the power to tell people to purchase nuclear-free electrons.
Quote from: cpzilliacus on May 23, 2013, 11:02:49 AM
Quote from: Brandon on May 23, 2013, 10:02:47 AM
I always wondered how effective these signs would be (Evanston, Illinois is a "nuclear-free community") in a nuclear war. As if the ICBMs would look at them and dodge their municipality.
The municipalities of Takoma Park and Garrett Park, in Montgomery County, Maryland are both "nuclear-free" zones. But Maryland's electricity market is deregulated, and all utility customers can choose their electric suppliers, including those that have nuclear generating stations. I don't the the municipalities have the power to tell people to purchase nuclear-free electrons.
As if they could. Like oil, once created, these electrons are fungible.
Quote from: Brandon on May 23, 2013, 11:44:37 AM
As if they could. Like oil, once created, these electrons are fungible.
how exactly are you going about creating electrons?! :wow:
After those impressive continental divides, I'll share a much less impressive one, where the St. Joseph and Kankakee Valleys diverge, toward the Great Lakes and the Mississippi: https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=41.634337,-86.286299&spn=0.013584,0.033023&t=m&z=16&layer=c&cbll=41.634499,-86.286558&panoid=7lhpxMEsmL3tZHIrGPMXNg&cbp=12,314.94,,0,-0.18 (https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=41.634337,-86.286299&spn=0.013584,0.033023&t=m&z=16&layer=c&cbll=41.634499,-86.286558&panoid=7lhpxMEsmL3tZHIrGPMXNg&cbp=12,314.94,,0,-0.18)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi238.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fff239%2FWayne_Estes%2FMountain%2520Hikes%2FHike_McLoughlin1.jpg&hash=68cd63f6c867d3ba232f086d9ee6a9b933319c55)
http://goo.gl/maps/zlfFK
Blah. Creative but misleading arrow.
How wide is that sign? Looks to me like at least 16 feet. And it's on just one post!
Looks about as wide as the lane'. Oregon likes to use one post a lot.