CA County Routes on BGSs

[national highway 1]

Hi, I have a question, Why aren't county routes in California signed on freeway BGSs? 

[The High Plains Traveler]

Hi, I have a question, Why aren't county routes in California signed on freeway BGSs? 

Actually I've seen a couple of instances where they were but for the most part it's because it's California. You might as well ask why they don't sign business route markers on guide signs rather than using the FREEWAY/ROUTE XX/BUSINESS (with directional arrows) signs at the exit.

Only a few states use county route markers on guide signs widely. Other states it's hit or miss or they use text "County Road xx".

[myosh_tino]

Hi, I have a question, Why aren't county routes in California signed on freeway BGSs?  

Probably because California's county routes are routed along named roadways.  Also, county routes are not widely used for navigational purposes and may only exist for maintenance purposes.

All roadways that are a part of the Santa Clara County expressway system are assigned a G-XX county route number.  While there are a few trailblazer assemblies on the shoulder of the freeway, all guide signs show the expressway name (San Tomas, Central, Montague, Lawrence, etc).  Once on the expressway, reassurance markers are installed at regular intervals.

[NE2]

Probably because California's county routes are routed along named roadways.

So are many state routes.

Also, county routes are not widely used for navigational purposes and may only exist for maintenance purposes.

The intent of choosing a subset of county-maintained roads to assign alphanumeric designations was for navigational purposes. If they're not used for this, perhaps bad signage has something to do with it.

[agentsteel53]

The intent of choosing a subset of county-maintained roads to assign alphanumeric designations was for navigational purposes. If they're not used for this, perhaps bad signage has something to do with it.

it is rare for people to know the number of a county route.  I am not sure whether Caltrans's policy is cause or effect, though: do people not know the route numbers because Caltrans advertises them so rarely - or does Caltrans advertise them so rarely because nobody cares?

I do know that the pentagon county route marker has been posted in California since 1958 (and I think the current numbering system was effectively in place by 1970), so it is not a matter of novelty.  but I know that the reassurance markers are placed somewhat haphazardly, and the trailblazers are even rarer - especially those on green signs.

I can think of only three freeway/county-route intersections which have the route marker on the approaching green signs.  there is one on 5 in Orange County (might be southbound only, actually); there is Jolon Road off 101 (but, see, I do not even remember its number!); and there is S34 (or S32?) on I-8 in the east part of Imperial County.  and maybe one or two more which I am forgetting.

do residents of other states frequently use county route numbers colloquially?

[Takumi]

Very rarely in VA do we say the route numbers for secondaries.  Most of what I've heard called by their route numbers are roads that were once primary routes (Dinwiddie/Amelia route 708, which I've only ever heard referred to by its number, was once part of VA 38, for example).

[The High Plains Traveler]

do residents of other states frequently use county route numbers colloquially?

Minnesota especially. Even close to the metro core of the Twin Cities some roads are primarily known by their county designations. (Hennepin) County 81, even though it is also officially named Lakeland Avenue, is only known by its number. Outstate, the county numbering system is so pervasive that this is the often only name by which a road is known.

[myosh_tino]

I'll give Caltrans this... at least their implementation of this policy is consistent.  Like Agentsteel53 said, because of this consistency, I know what road is Capitol Expressway but if I were told to take County Route G21, I would look at that person like this... 

[twinsfan87]

do residents of other states frequently use county route numbers colloquially?

Minnesota especially. Even close to the metro core of the Twin Cities some roads are primarily known by their county designations. (Hennepin) County 81, even though it is also officially named Lakeland Avenue, is only known by its number. Outstate, the county numbering system is so pervasive that this is the often only name by which a road is known.

I'll second Minnesota and add that Wisconsin also extensively uses county routes for guidance (and many people use the route letters colloquially).

County 81 was just actually just "renamed" as Bottineau Boulevard in the past few years, but almost no one actually calls it that. I think it's rather helpful to have a well-signed continuous county highway system since it allows people who are unfamiliar with the area to get around easier.

[formulanone]

Intermittently, for Florida, as many of them are just deprecated state routes. A few counties go nuts with the county route shields and label everything with a number, like Pinellas County. It seems most places I travel outside Florida don't bother with them on BGS.

[Kniwt]

Here's a BGS with a G2 shield for Lawrence Expwy. near the junction with I-280. Alas, the signs on 280 don't have the shield.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=lawrence+expwy+at+i-280,+santa+clara+ca&hl=en&ll=37.318571,-121.995449&spn=0.000273,0.181103&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=32.38984,56.074219&vpsrc=6&hq=lawrence+expwy+at+i-280,&hnear=Santa+Clara,+California&t=m&z=13&layer=c&cbll=37.318736,-121.99548&panoid=IRWu54mxNL53JAHi_Mia3A&cbp=12,2.3,,0,2.3

[myosh_tino]

Here's a BGS with a G2 shield for Lawrence Expwy. near the junction with I-280. Alas, the signs on 280 don't have the shield.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=lawrence+expwy+at+i-280,+santa+clara+ca&hl=en&ll=37.318571,-121.995449&spn=0.000273,0.181103&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=32.38984,56.074219&vpsrc=6&hq=lawrence+expwy+at+i-280,&hnear=Santa+Clara,+California&t=m&z=13&layer=c&cbll=37.318736,-121.99548&panoid=IRWu54mxNL53JAHi_Mia3A&cbp=12,2.3,,0,2.3

There is also one on the set of signs mounted on the I-280 overpass just up the road.  I'm not entirely sure what agency put up the signs but the sign layout and design would make me say these were put up by Caltrans.  In both cases, the county route shield is placed on a pull-through sign for Lawrence Expwy.

I must point out that overhead signs are extremely rare on the expressway system in Santa Clara county and our "expressways" have signalized intersections along with a few grade-separated interchanges.

[NJRoadfan]

do residents of other states frequently use county route numbers colloquially?

New Jersey does because the state secondary route system is county maintained and signed as such (500 series routes). The 600 series route numbers (minor intra-county routes) are rarely used by locals, but NJDOT usually signs them on BGSes and traffic light hanging street signs or adds ground mounted markers for them, even in counties where the local DPW doesn't sign them.

[The High Plains Traveler]

County 81 was just actually just "renamed" as Bottineau Boulevard in the past few years, but almost no one actually calls it that. I think it's rather helpful to have a well-signed continuous county highway system since it allows people who are unfamiliar with the area to get around easier.

I forgot - I had read about the Bottineau Blvd. designation for 81. The exit off I-94/694 still just says County 81 though, right? Another road in that area that has mostly lost familiarity with its original name is County 10, Bass Lake Road.

Iowa is another state with a well-marked county highway network that is consistently posted at interstate exits. 

[NE2]

Speaking of names, CR 54 in Polk County, FL was (re)named Ronald Reagan Parkway and the CR 54 signs were removed (!). The county still calls it CR 54: http://www.polk-county.net/cipprojectdetails.aspx?type=roads&id=17000

[national highway 1]

there is Jolon Road off 101 (but, see, I do not even remember its number!)

Found it, it's CR G14.

[Ian]

there is Jolon Road off 101 (but, see, I do not even remember its number!)

Found it, it's CR G14.
<Fort Hunter Liggett>

I like that name (my last name is Ligget, although with 1 "t").   

[twinsfan87]

County 81 was just actually just "renamed" as Bottineau Boulevard in the past few years, but almost no one actually calls it that. I think it's rather helpful to have a well-signed continuous county highway system since it allows people who are unfamiliar with the area to get around easier.

I forgot - I had read about the Bottineau Blvd. designation for 81. The exit off I-94/694 still just says County 81 though, right? Another road in that area that has mostly lost familiarity with its original name is County 10, Bass Lake Road.

Iowa is another state with a well-marked county highway network that is consistently posted at interstate exits. 

Yep the signs on I-94/694 don't include the Bottineau Blvd designation, but those signs were put up before the road was named as such. The signs that were just installed at US 169 refer to Bottineau Blvd, however.

As far as I can tell, County 10 is generally referred to as Bass Lake Road by locals. In the metro area the roads that are generally referred to by number exclusively used to be state highways (County 81 used to be US 52; see also Ramsey County 96 or Ramsey/Hennepin County 88). The farther out from the metro you get, though, the more frequently the route number is used.

[rschen7754]

Yeah, in Southern California they're rarely on the BGS. In Northern California I think I've seen a few though.

[JustDrive]

There are some stand-alone county route signs on 101 at Las Virgenes Road in Calabasas.  There used to be one at Kanan Road, but it got taken down with the rebuilding of the bridge.

[luokou]

On I-5 South before El Toro Rd, in Lake Forest. It's a little hard to see on GSV, but that's supposed to be CR S18.
http://g.co/maps/t6ng3

[national highway 1]

Here is what I think you were looking for...

[CentralCAroadgeek]

I have a terrible picture of Monterey County G11 on a sign on US-101. This is at the San Juan Rd. junction near the Monterey/San Benito county line, also near the famous red barn.

[KEK Inc.]

There's some county routes that I swear don't even have any signage stating that. 

Blossom Hill Road is supposed to be G10.  I have yet to see any signage for it.  I just know about it through some old Thomas Guide Maps.   

[DTComposer]

Blossom Hill Road is supposed to be G10.  I have yet to see any signage for it.  I just know about it through some old Thomas Guide Maps.   

G10 runs (or ran) on Saratoga-Los Gatos Road from CA-17, then left on Los Gatos Boulevard, then right on Blossom Hill Road.

Here is a very aged sign on Los Gatos Boulevard turning onto Blossom Hill Road:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=95032&ll=37.234819,-121.963364&spn=0.001909,0.002087&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&hnear=Los+Gatos,+California+95032&gl=us&t=h&z=19&layer=c&cbll=37.234905,-121.963326&panoid=4FCL4pEN273TuS9o7EpdzA&cbp=12,43.51,,0,16.43

There used to be one on Saratoga-Los Gatos Road turning onto Los Gatos Boulevard, as well as a few on Blossom Hill Road itself.