LED Streetsigns

[deathtopumpkins]

The City of Boston unveiled these the other day:


So I'm wonderany other places have experimented with LEDs as a return to internally-lit signs?

News article: http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/downtown/2012/11/boston_plugs_in_first-ever_led.html

Edited to correct title - it was late when I posted this.

[theline]

^ A fantastic advance. It drives me crazy when looking for a street at night when I can't read the street sign. 

[roadfro]

The City of Boston unveiled these the other day:


So I'm wonderany other places have experimented with LEDs as a return to internally-lit signs?

News article: http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/downtown/2012/11/boston_plugs_in_first-ever_led.html

Interesting that these signs were crafted in all caps...


Reno and other entities in Northern Nevada have been slowly adding LED street name signs at signalized installations with new signal installations for a few years now. Although, these are for benefit of vehicles, not pedestrians. So while still relatively new, these don't represent a "return" to internally-lit signs for the region--internally lit street name signs have been standard all around Nevada on new signals for at least three decades.

[Alps]

The City of Boston unveiled these the other day:


So I'm wonderany other places have experimented with LEDs as a return to internally-lit signs?

News article: http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/downtown/2012/11/boston_plugs_in_first-ever_led.html

Interesting that these signs were crafted in all caps...

I wonder whether this is a programmable display or whether the LED colors are fixed. If you could program anything, then it's trivial to turn it lower case.

[Milepost61]

I wonder whether this is a programmable display or whether the LED colors are fixed. If you could program anything, then it's trivial to turn it lower case.

The article says the LED is what's providing the internal illumination, so doesn't have anything to with the actual letter display. Just a new way of lighting up a sign.

[Alps]

I wonder whether this is a programmable display or whether the LED colors are fixed. If you could program anything, then it's trivial to turn it lower case.

The article says the LED is what's providing the internal illumination, so doesn't have anything to with the actual letter display. Just a new way of lighting up a sign.

Man, I'm supposed to read? Who's paying me?

[Milepost61]

Man, I'm supposed to read? Who's paying me?

Whatever you're getting, ask them to double it.

[cjk374]

Where the new US 79 bypass around Homer, LA, the stop signs at the LA 9 south junction have red LED lights on the borders.  There have been several accidents at this new intersection, including (IIRC) at least 1 death.

[roadman65]

They are popping up all over the place in my area.  What is even more cool is many of them, if the bulbs go out or lose power, they reflect the headlights like the non backlit ones.  They are so thin, so in the daytime it looks like a standard blade sign, unless you know it is one.

[thenetwork]

I have seen a few yellow-diamond curve signs that have flashing yellow LEDs around the edges in my neck of the words in addition to the red LED-edged STOP signs.

[Milepost61]

I have seen a few yellow-diamond curve signs that have flashing yellow LEDs around the edges in my neck of the words in addition to the red LED-edged STOP signs.

CDOT has a whole series of chevrons on the curves on Berthoud Pass where the flashing LEDs outline the black chevron shape.

http://youtu.be/5yClKNiuDDc

[mjb2002]

The City of Boston unveiled these the other day:


So I'm wonderany other places have experimented with LEDs as a return to internally-lit signs?

News article: http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/downtown/2012/11/boston_plugs_in_first-ever_led.html

Edited to correct title - it was late when I posted this.

It would look even better if it was installed as an overhead Street Name sign.

[PurdueBill]

It would look even better if it was installed as an overhead Street Name sign.

One problem with the overhead signs, at least older-fashioned ones, is that they can be exclusively for vehicles to see.  Visiting Atlanta a few years back I was pretty disappointed as a pedestrian that trying to walk from hotel to GWCC along a one-way street in the opposite direction of traffic, there were no visible signs as to the names of cross streets.  There were large overhead street name signs but they only faced traffic, and there were no signblades with two sides--I guess they considered the overhead to be enough.  It was terrible as a pedestrian to have to look behind you to see what street you just crossed, but not be able to see what the next street was.

[mjb2002]

It would look even better if it was installed as an overhead Street Name sign.

One problem with the overhead signs, at least older-fashioned ones, is that they can be exclusively for vehicles to see.  Visiting Atlanta a few years back I was pretty disappointed as a pedestrian that trying to walk from hotel to GWCC along a one-way street in the opposite direction of traffic, there were no visible signs as to the names of cross streets.  There were large overhead street name signs but they only faced traffic, and there were no signblades with two sides--I guess they considered the overhead to be enough.  It was terrible as a pedestrian to have to look behind you to see what street you just crossed, but not be able to see what the next street was.

To be honest, I think that it should be mandatory that all overhead Street Name signs have the background, legend and (if used on one side) border on both sides.

[hobsini2]

It is been a practice now in my town (Bolingbrook IL) that any stoplight in town uses lit up street name signs for about 5 or so years now.
Like this at Boughton Rd and Pinecrest Rd.: http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/21995529.jpg

Or this one at Route 53 and Old Chicago Dr (with the older 80s style post): https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Bolingbrook+Drive,+Bolingbrook,+IL&aq=2&oq=Bolingbrook&sll=39.739318,-89.266507&sspn=10.74076,21.972656&vpsrc=6&t=h&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Bolingbrook+Dr,+Bolingbrook,+Will,+Illinois&ll=41.680364,-88.067586&spn=0.010193,0.021458&z=16&cbll=41.680357,-88.067725&panoid=KimskbeCJK5eqS2SUFNjOQ&cbp=12,171.94,,1,-0.76&ei=8hofUfrOBsn0wQHepID4Ag&pw=2

[DaBigE]

One problem with the overhead signs, at least older-fashioned ones, is that they can be exclusively for vehicles to see.  Visiting Atlanta a few years back I was pretty disappointed as a pedestrian that trying to walk from hotel to GWCC along a one-way street in the opposite direction of traffic, there were no visible signs as to the names of cross streets.  There were large overhead street name signs but they only faced traffic, and there were no signblades with two sides--I guess they considered the overhead to be enough.  It was terrible as a pedestrian to have to look behind you to see what street you just crossed, but not be able to see what the next street was.

Conversely, Madison, WI goes overboard, IMO, with both mastarm and dual-sided SNS at signalized intersections.