Clearview stop signs

[hbelkins]

Thought I caught a glimpse of a Clearview stop sign today near the new diverging diamond at US 68 and KY 4 in Lexington, but could not get a closer inspection to confirm.

Anyone ever seen one of these?

[Takumi]

This is the first time I've heard of one.

[Ian]

This is the first time I've heard of one.

...and hopefully the last!

[Takumi]

Yeah. I think if I saw such an abomination I'd ignore it on principle.

"I'm sorry, officer, but the sign was in Clearview!"

* Takumi does not endorse or condone the ignoring of stop signs.

[vtk]

I don't have an objection to the use of Clearview on stop signs, but I'm surprised it's been done.  Doesn't every sign shop keep stock silkscreens for common signs? I wouldn't imagine any agency needing to design the pattern over again.

[agentsteel53]

Thought I caught a glimpse of a Clearview stop sign today near the new diverging diamond at US 68 and KY 4 in Lexington, but could not get a closer inspection to confirm.

Anyone ever seen one of these?

the example I have is on private property: I saw several 18 inchers with Series 2 or 3 Clearview in a parking lot for a strip mall in Minden, Nevada about a year ago.

[ap70621]

Whipped something up in GIMP. Hate it.

[agentsteel53]

Whipped something up in GIMP. Hate it.
[drawing]

the ones I saw had the font one width narrower.

[ap70621]

Oh okay, I just hate Clearview. It hasn't really made it to my state yet, but in neighboring PA, it is like a plague.

[Dr Frankenstein]

ap70621, you forget that Clearview was designed for mixed-case applications.

[Alps]

ap70621, you forget that Clearview was designed for mixed-case applications.

That actually looks a lot better.

[ap70621]

ap70621, you forget that Clearview was designed for mixed-case applications.

You are absolutely right, my bad. 

[vtk]

Clearview was designed for mixed-case applications.

That may have been the opinion of the typographers behind Clearview, but conversion to Clearview does not necessarily mean conversion to mixed-case type.  On some types of signs (street signs and conventional-road destination signs) these two changes often happen together, but that's a coincidence of timing.  Stop signs should remain all-caps, even if they use Clearview.

Standard:
10 All sign lettering shall be in upper-case letters as provided in the "Standard Highway Signs and Markings" book (see Section 1A.11), unless otherwise provided in this Manual for a particular sign or type of message.

11 The sign lettering for names of places, streets, and highways shall be composed of a combination of lower-case letters with initial upper-case letters.

[formulanone]

Saw a few of these in northern Michigan last week; Clearview has crept beyond BGS in more than a few places...

[agentsteel53]

Saw a few of these in northern Michigan last week; Clearview has crept beyond BGS in more than a few places...

that's not Clearview!  that's Michigan's interpretation of the 1948 FHWA series.  notable for the ends of the letter "S".



higher-resolution image available here:

www.aaroads.com/shields/img/MI/MI19550082l1.jpg

[formulanone]

^ Thanks...it looked different, but I wasn't too sure exactly what it was.

Seems to be an interesting throwback, considering how Clearview is virtually everywhere in that state.

[vtk]

I'm pretty sure I've seen stop signs with that ancient S scattered around central Ohio.  If the signs themselves aren't very old, they were almost certainly made from old silkscreen stencils.

[ctsignguy]

I'm pretty sure I've seen stop signs with that ancient S scattered around central Ohio.  If the signs themselves aren't very old, they were almost certainly made from old silkscreen stencils.

\

You mean this?


or this?

[vtk]

^^^
I think I've seen both before, but that second one is around in much greater numbers than the first.  That is to say, I think there might be one or two of the first type still in service somewhere around here, compared to probably dozens or more of the second type.

[Quillz]

This is off-topic, but I've often wondered if the STOP sign would have been as effective if it lacked any legend, instead just being a red octagon. After all, I think most people recognize the shape and color, certainly from a distance, before they can see any legend. Have there every been any usability studies done on such a thing?

[relaxok]

that's not Clearview!  that's Michigan's interpretation of the 1948 FHWA series.  notable for the ends of the letter "S".

God, the degree to which cutouts make me happy disturbs even me.. Nice and pristine too.

[1995hoo]

This is off-topic, but I've often wondered if the STOP sign would have been as effective if it lacked any legend, instead just being a red octagon. After all, I think most people recognize the shape and color, certainly from a distance, before they can see any legend. Have there every been any usability studies done on such a thing?

Some kid spray-painted the one down the end of our block with red paint. I'll try to get a picture when I have a chance. The word "STOP" is still somewhat visible when you get close to it.

In theory it shouldn't be an issue at all because the signage regulations state that the red octagonal shape is reserved for the stop sign, such that the shape alone should communicate the message–although I know of at least one sign next to the GSA offices in Southwest DC that is an octagonal red sign with "Do Not Enter" on it. See Street View link here–look just to the right of the lamp-post across the street there. I doubt that sign was posted by DC.

Thing is, though, I have no doubt that you'd get some idiot who would argue that because the sign didn't say "Stop" he wasn't aware that he was supposed to stop. I think it's a weak argument given the ubiquity of annoying and unnecessary stop signs in this country such that it's often unreasonable to assume that you're not expected to stop in a given situation (such as the one I note above about the spray-painted sign on our street–all the other streets in our neighborhood have stop signs at the end of the block, so to assume an exception here is a little frivolous). I tend to think Americans stupidly insist on using stop signs in many situations where yield signs would be perfectly adequate (such as the end of my street), but that's a separate issue. Other thing is, how many Americans argue that they don't know what it means when they go to Quebec and see an octagonal red sign reading "ARRÊT" or to Mexico and see an octagonal red sign reading "ALTO"? Obviously, people recognize the shape and its meaning. But I have no doubt that some idiot judge or jury would conclude that because the word "STOP" wasn't present, the sign didn't properly communicate its meaning, never mind that just about every state has a regulation on the books stating that an octagonal red sign always means "stop."

[formulanone]

I found the number of "STOP" signs in Barcelona, Spain to be almost comical. It wasn't until I was there 4-5 days until I realized they could have been plucked from Anywhere, USA.

[vtk]

Spotted some Clearview stop signs on Main St in Adrian, MI yesterday.  Didn't get a picture, but they looked just like the first mockup in this thread.

There were also a lot of yellow diamond two-way traffic signs, and smaller rectangular signs with the legend "TWO WAY" and cross-traffic arrows.  I guess they recenty converted several one-way streets to two-way traffic recently?

[HighwayMaster]

This one near CAK looks Clearview-ish, but it may not be:

http://g.co/maps/2byv7