MassDOT VMS Slogans

[southshore720]

The new slogans for the VMS boards across Massachusetts were released by MassDOT:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2014/08/14/massdot-announces-highway-message-board-winners/vLwOEPqLU9oHpZIvewuPwN/story.html

[JakeFromNewEngland]

Yesterday on I-91 in Springfield I saw the "Keep calm and drive on" VMS. Very clever!

[roadman]

The problem I have with these slogans is the fact that MassDOT insists on placing the same slogan on nearly every CMS in the state at the same time  .  The morning they unveiled the "Use Yah Blinka" message, a friend of mine was traveling east on the Mass. Turnpike from West Stockbridge.  He commented to me that, after the third or fourth board (and he was barely past Chicopee), the joke got old pretty quickly.

[SectorZ]

I wonder why we have all these sign boards that never say anything productive, or so many times even anything intelligible.

[Zeffy]

I wonder why we have all these sign boards that never say anything productive, or so many times even anything intelligible.

In Jersey, all I get to see is "Drive Sober Or Get Pulled Over" on every VMS there is. Got old real fast. At least MassDOT likes to have a bit of fun with theirs.

[KEVIN_224]

I don't know if I saw any on the 7 mile stretch of MA's I-84...but I definitely saw a ton of it on I-90 from Exit 9 east to Boston, I-93 South from the South Station area and on I-95 from Canton to the RI border on Saturday.

[southshore720]

I saw a VMS on I-90 EB today near Natick that "went rogue", advertising for anyone who wants to dig to call Dig Safe..."It's the law!"  I don't understand how that has anything to do with highway travel!

[roadman]

I wonder why we have all these sign boards that never say anything productive, or so many times even anything intelligible.

Because people like Howie Carr made a big stink about "Why did the state waste the taxpayers' money on these expensive sign boards that remain blank most of the time?"  So now you get these pointless messages that encourage drivers to ignore the boards, even when they have important information that drivers need to be aware of on them.

[southshore720]

About a month ago, there was a report about the number of broken VMS boards in the system that are permanently out of commission due to the original manufacturer closing shop and/or outdated technology.  Is there a plan to replace the broken VMS boards, or are they just going to sit there and collect rust?

[roadman]

There is a project currently under design to replace the older boards, some of which date from the mid-1990s.

Amusing thing about the Herald's report is that, at the majority of the locations they noted (including the board featured in the front page photo the day the story aired), the boards are still in operable condition.  That having been said, there are indeed issues with parts and maintenance on these older boards.