They think we're stupid

[1995hoo]

Westbound I-70 in Maryland approaching the Clear Spring exit (I think it's Clear Spring–it's the exit where Ski Whitetail is) has a sign reading, "NEXT EXIT IS [MD-68 shield] [Horizontal separator line] FOR [I-68 shield] National Freeway STAY ON [I-70 shield]" I know there are pictures of the sign online, but I don't know of a good way to grab image properties when posting by iPad.

I've always thought you have to be kinda stupid to need that warning, but I guess some people just say things like "Take 70 to 68." I always use multiple references when giving directions ("Take I-70 west towards Hancock, then take Exit 1 onto I-68 west.  The sign will list Cumberland."), but I guess a lot of people don't.

I've also never heard that road called the "National Freeway" except on that sign.

The Maryland State Highway Administration's Highway Location Reference does show it having a name of National Freeway.

Perhaps I should phrase it this way: I have never heard any person (as opposed to a sign or state map) call that road the "National Freeway," including anyone in any town along that road (or at Rocky Gap State Park).

In other words, when I typed my prior comment I meant the word "heard" literally.

[SP Cook]

Similarly, on I-77 further south, if one is heading to Winston-Salem, the proper routing is to remain on I-77 into NC, and then take the first exit in the state for "I-74" which then "ends" at US 52 and continue on 52 into W-S.  However, US 52 (which is an unimportant local road in Virginia, paralleling I-77) is signed at the exits.  However there is a sign advising truckers to use 77 and not 52 down Fancy Gap Mountain.

[cpzilliacus]

Perhaps I should phrase it this way: I have never heard any person (as opposed to a sign or state map) call that road the "National Freeway," including anyone in any town along that road (or at Rocky Gap State Park).

In other words, when I typed my prior comment I meant the word "heard" literally.

Correct as usual.  I have discussed I-68 a few times (informally) with Maryland DOT/SHA staff, and they always called it either "U.S. 48" (prior to about 1989) or after that, "I-68." 

Never National Freeway.

FWIW, there are a few signs along I-68 that read "National Freeway" in addition to an I-68 shield.

I suppose the  one on I-70 reads that way for emphasis. GSV of that sign is here.

[cpzilliacus]

Another example along these lines is the sign on I-95 southbound approaching I-295, where the "pull through" sign on the right for I-95 SOUTH reads Richmond and Petersburg, while the sign for I-295 (which also takes you to Petersburg) reads Rocky Mount NC. GSV here.

Next overhead gantry says  nothing about Rocky Mount, just the I-64 control cities here.

The next gantry finally (IMO) mentions Rocky Mount NC again, and finally (IMO) tells traffic headed for I-85 and Durham NC to stay on I-95 here.

[jemacedo9]

I passed my favorite one of these signs today...on US 11/15 NB north of Harrisburg PA, at the junction of PA 17, there is a LGS that states "New York Route 17" with a straight arrow...even though at that point, you're approx 125 miles from the NY State line.  (I know a few people here have a pic of that sign).

[amroad17]

West Virginia thinks drivers using southbound I-79 are to stupid to realize which exit they should take if they plan to take ARC Corridor L to Beckley and hit I-77, bypassing Charleston.

This sign appears on I-79 prior to the US 19 Morgantown/Westover exit just south of the Pennsylvania state line.



On the signage for the US 19 exit at Roanoke, just south of Weston, the US 19 route markers have been removed so drivers won't think this is the exit they should take to get to Beckley. There are US 19 markers on the northbound signage.

An example can be seen here: (mods, feel free to resize if desired)



Any other examples where DOTs seem to think motorists are stupid and don't know which exit to take?

If this sign is just south of the PA/WV line, drivers entering I-79 from I-68 will not know this, especially those coming from Uniontown, PA, who may have taken the Mon-Fayette to get to the Morgantown area.  The above sign should be posted south of exit 148 (I-68), south of exit 119 (US 50), and just after the 1 mile advance sign at exit 91.

The WV Tpk will never post anything like this because they would lose revenue if motorists were given enough information to use this route as the shortcut around Charleston.  That is why you will not see a supplemental guide sign for Morgantown or even Pittsburgh at exit 48 on the turnpike in Beckley.

BTW, when I came back from Raleigh, NC, I did notice the US 19 shield was not on the exit 20 guide sign; I thought it had just fallen off. 

[hbelkins]

The newest updates to the AA Roads I-77 West Virginia page show a US 19 marker on the Exit 20 sign.

[ilvny]

How about when Toll Road names are written on the same sign as their official shields?  Like the New Jersey Turnpike guide signs which feature both a NJT trailblazer and "NJ TURNPIKE" or "NJ Turnpike" spelled out in some places.  Even in Florida on the FL 528 Toll Road, the Exit 4 guides for the FL Turnpike that had a shield only to denote the Turnpike now has the word "Turnpike" added to it.

Of course in Florida's case, it most likely has to do with the fact many tourists travel that part of FL 528 and the Turnpike Enterprise who maintains that road feel that most people are not familiar with the official shield of Florida' Turnpike.  However, some may feel that in New Jersey it may be redundant and even one member here on his personal website expressed that fact.

Not a toll road, but similar:

That sign seems redundant and makes no sense.  "Follow Bluegrass Parkway to Bluegrass Parkway."  Of course you would follow the Bluegrass Parkway to drive on it.

[PurdueBill]

How about when Toll Road names are written on the same sign as their official shields?  Like the New Jersey Turnpike guide signs which feature both a NJT trailblazer and "NJ TURNPIKE" or "NJ Turnpike" spelled out in some places.  Even in Florida on the FL 528 Toll Road, the Exit 4 guides for the FL Turnpike that had a shield only to denote the Turnpike now has the word "Turnpike" added to it.

Of course in Florida's case, it most likely has to do with the fact many tourists travel that part of FL 528 and the Turnpike Enterprise who maintains that road feel that most people are not familiar with the official shield of Florida' Turnpike.  However, some may feel that in New Jersey it may be redundant and even one member here on his personal website expressed that fact.

Not a toll road, but similar:
................

That sign seems redundant and makes no sense.  "Follow Bluegrass Parkway to Bluegrass Parkway."  Of course you would follow the Bluegrass Parkway to drive on it.

Reminds me of this gem:

Photo from Steve's site.

[theline]

I'm pretty sure what it means is "Follow these green circular signs to find the Garden State Parkway," rather than the literal "Follow the Garden State Parkway to the Garden State Parkway." I think this can be applied to similar signs in other states.

This reminder is a good thing, because we are used to looking for a red-white-and-blue interstate sign or a black-and-white US or state route sign. These oddball shields are less visible until we are alerted to look for them.

[NE2]

Makes sense to me. Follow this unreadable-at-highway-speeds shield for this road.

[roadman65]

You know when you are dealing with non road geeks it is a total different world.  I remember my neighbor complaining about "Alexandria" being used as a control city for US 1 on the 14th Street Bridge Southbound across the Potomac River at Washington.  She was staying at a hotel at the I-395 Duke Street interchange in Alexandria, and said when leaving DC the sign confused her because here it saying for Alexandria to use US 1, but her hotel is not on US 1, but on I-395 that was signed for "Richmond."

Her solution was to sign "Alexandria" for both routes being that they both go there. 

Apparently we all know as road geeks that large cities are mostly signed to Downtown areas for it being the city center in most cases, but if not usually the center part of town or main intersection, but a non road geek may not understand that concept as did my neighbor at the time.

[agentsteel53]

Not a toll road, but similar:

in that case, they don't think we're stupid as much as they think that Martha Layne Collins is more important than legibility.

in a similar vein, why do the Kansas Turnpike shields say "KTA" in the middle, if not for advertising purposes?

[roadman65]

Its like the NJ Turnpike or Garden State Parkway having shields erected all over New Jersey.  Its for advertising unlike the interstates that do not even have directional shields on other major roads near them that supports this fact.

[hbelkins]

With the exception of the I-65/WK Parkway interchange, all the Kentucky parkways have the name of the parkway spelled out on the interstate exit signage, next to the parkway route marker. It's possible the BG Parkway signage above was done in lieu of that. The sign had the old route marker on it before Kentucky changed the parkway shields.

[kphoger]

These signs patronize me.  Look again?  Really?

http://goo.gl/maps/qk5Ey

Does anyone have a real picture of one of these?  I can't seem to find one by searching online, for some reason.

[J N Winkler]

These signs patronize me.  Look again?  Really?

http://goo.gl/maps/qk5Ey

Does anyone have a real picture of one of these?  I can't seem to find one by searching online, for some reason.

"Look Again" is a bit of overkill, but many states had standard sign designs (or recurring special designs) for these signs long before they were added to the MUTCD--I think in 2009.  I think in most, if not all, of these states, there was a "death warrant" for these signs (i.e., installation is considered when there is at least one right-angle crash at the intersection that results in a fatality, within the standard observation window).

In Kansas the standard terminology was "US-50 Does NOT Stop" (message in all caps on the actual sign, but "NOT" in taller letters), intersecting route varied as appropriate.

[Kacie Jane]

Its like the NJ Turnpike or Garden State Parkway having shields erected all over New Jersey.  Its for advertising unlike the interstates that do not even have directional shields on other major roads near them that supports this fact.

I used to think that, but my friends here quickly dissuaded me of that notion.  Off the top of my head, here's a trailblazer for I-5 in Bellingham that's not spectacularly close to the nearest interchange. http://goo.gl/maps/7JysJ

[Alps]

Its like the NJ Turnpike or Garden State Parkway having shields erected all over New Jersey.  Its for advertising unlike the interstates that do not even have directional shields on other major roads near them that supports this fact.

I used to think that, but my friends here quickly dissuaded me of that notion.  Off the top of my head, here's a trailblazer for I-5 in Bellingham that's not spectacularly close to the nearest interchange. http://goo.gl/maps/7JysJ

The agency itself will admit it's pretty close to advertising, in the case of the Turnpike/Parkway. On the other hand, in South Jersey, those are your two north-south freeways.

Also, it's "disabuse" you of the notion. Or, they can just dissuade you "from" the notion, but dissuade means to discourage, not to cause you to change your mind.

[vtk]

On US 33 a few miles west (north) of Athens, OH, there's an interchange for OH 682.  Signs say something like "Ohio University follow {33} to Athens", and just before the exit, "↑ Ohio University 7".  Then in Athens, along the wrong-way overlap with US 50, there's another interchange with OH 682, the preferred way to reach OU.  Actually, I've heard taking the first exit is a good way to avoid congestion on move-in day.  Anyway, this could be resolved by truncating OH 682 at OH 56, and extending the latter east to US 33/50.

[agentsteel53]

"Look Again" is a bit of overkill, but many states had standard sign designs (or recurring special designs) for these signs long before they were added to the MUTCD--I think in 2009.  I think in most, if not all, of these states, there was a "death warrant" for these signs (i.e., installation is considered when there is at least one right-angle crash at the intersection that results within the fatality, within the standard observation window).

In Kansas the standard terminology was "US-50 Does NOT Stop" (message in all caps on the actual sign, but "NOT" in taller letters), intersecting route varied as appropriate.

Florida's railroad crossings used to have, for the longest time, a secondary sign which said "LOOK OUT FOR THE CARS".  Apparently, there was a problem with people assuming that when the engine had passed, the whole train was done?

[NE2]

Florida's railroad crossings used to have, for the longest time, a secondary sign which said "LOOK OUT FOR THE CARS".  Apparently, there was a problem with people assuming that when the engine had passed, the whole train was done?

http://www.rxrsignals.net/Phpbb3/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=1823
Florida apparently required them at one time at crossings without signals.

[Special K]

That sign seems redundant and makes no sense.  "Follow Bluegrass Parkway to Bluegrass Parkway."  Of course you would follow the Bluegrass Parkway to drive on it.

It says "FOLLOW (shield) FOR", as in "these signs mark the BGP route".

[kphoger]

"Look Again" is a bit of overkill, but many states had standard sign designs (or recurring special designs) for these signs long before they were added to the MUTCD--I think in 2009.  I think in most, if not all, of these states, there was a "death warrant" for these signs (i.e., installation is considered when there is at least one right-angle crash at the intersection that results within the fatality, within the standard observation window).

In Kansas the standard terminology was "US-50 Does NOT Stop" (message in all caps on the actual sign, but "NOT" in taller letters), intersecting route varied as appropriate.

Florida's railroad crossings used to have, for the longest time, a secondary sign which said "LOOK OUT FOR THE CARS".  Apparently, there was a problem with people assuming that when the engine had passed, the whole train was done?

It can sometimes look like the train has finished going by, when really it's just a long string of empty flatcars.  ...?

These signs patronize me.  Look again?  Really?

http://goo.gl/maps/qk5Ey

Does anyone have a real picture of one of these?  I can't seem to find one by searching online, for some reason.

"Look Again" is a bit of overkill, but many states had standard sign designs (or recurring special designs) for these signs long before they were added to the MUTCD--I think in 2009.  I think in most, if not all, of these states, there was a "death warrant" for these signs (i.e., installation is considered when there is at least one right-angle crash at the intersection that results in a fatality, within the standard observation window).

In Kansas the standard terminology was "US-50 Does NOT Stop" (message in all caps on the actual sign, but "NOT" in taller letters), intersecting route varied as appropriate.

I tried finding it in the 2009 MUTCD, but couldn't; do you have a reference?  And yes, I tried finding an example of that kind of signage along US-50, but gave up guessing at a location in favor of my Illinois one that I knew existed.

[hbelkins]

Also, it's "disabuse" you of the notion. Or, they can just dissuade you "from" the notion, but dissuade means to discourage, not to cause you to change your mind.

The word "dissuade" cost me a trip to the Kentucky state spelling bee when I was a kid. I'd never heard the word before when I got it in a regional spelling bee, and I don't remember how I misspelled it. Probably with only one "s."  I think I asked for both a definition and for it to be used in a sentence, but if they'd said "opposite of 'persuade'" I probably would have gotten it right.

That word has haunted me ever since.