Directional Signs on Exit Ramps

[thenetwork]

Back when I lived in Ohio, when you would exit most freeways (and the Ohio Turnpike), most directional signs not only had an arrow to tell you to turn right or left, but also the mileage to the city or destination in question:  https://www.google.com/maps/@40.998051,-81.995277,3a,75y,293.07h,93.48t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sVpBlgjZHYyxRrlxHad6VFg!2e0

Here in Colorado, and in neighboring Utah, when you are on the exit ramp, the BGSs only have an arrow pointing in the direction of the destination with no mileage given.  More than likely you need to go in that direction for a mile or so to see the mileage sign:  https://www.google.com/maps/@39.519726,-107.844708,3a,75y,89.63h,85.56t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sjCwVGmcJ3KLadlPCq4lFvg!2e0

After living in Ohio for so long, it always bothered me in other states when you didn't know how far the control city was from the freeway -- do you gas up or hit the bathroom now or is it going to be another 30 minutes to your destination?



What states commonly list the mileage to the left and to the right on a sign on the exit ramp and which don't??

[roadman]

Until the mid-1990s, Massachusetts practice was to include mileage to cities and towns on directional signs exiting from Interstates and freeways, as well as directional signs at intersections of secondary state highways.  They discontinued the practice largely in response to driver complaints about the accuracy of the distances, as there were a number of cases (such as exiting I-95/128 south to MA 129 west at the Wakefield/Reading line) throughout the state where a directional sign had the same destination as an immediately adjacent "ENTERING XX" sign.

[hbelkins]

Kentucky tends to list destinations only with no mileage. Same for West Virginia.

[SidS1045]

Until the mid-1990s, Massachusetts practice was to include mileage to cities and towns on directional signs exiting from Interstates and freeways, as well as directional signs at intersections of secondary state highways.  They discontinued the practice largely in response to driver complaints about the accuracy of the distances, as there were a number of cases (such as exiting I-95/128 south to MA 129 west at the Wakefield/Reading line) throughout the state where a directional sign had the same destination as an immediately adjacent "ENTERING XX" sign.

IIRC the original basis of the posted mileages on MA signage was the distance to the city or town hall, but I also recall that was not a well publicized fact, so the confusion was understandable.

There's a mileage sign on I-93 north in Medford a short distance north of the Roosevelt Circle interchange that says, in part, "Stoneham 3."  Less than one mile later is a SGS saying "Entering Stoneham."  Has MassDOT discontinued the mileage signs on interstates in new or replacement installations?

[PurdueBill]

Indiana ramp BGSs do not show the distance; a sign later on usually does.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

It's pretty rare in Minnesota, but I feel like I've seen it somewhere at least once giving distances to the towns on the signs.

[jp the roadgeek]

CT tends to use directional little green signs for towns, with brown for attractions.  Mileage is usually not common until you turn on the actual road toward your destination, and is more common in rural areas.

https://goo.gl/maps/LzLwG

[SectorZ]

Until the mid-1990s, Massachusetts practice was to include mileage to cities and towns on directional signs exiting from Interstates and freeways, as well as directional signs at intersections of secondary state highways.  They discontinued the practice largely in response to driver complaints about the accuracy of the distances, as there were a number of cases (such as exiting I-95/128 south to MA 129 west at the Wakefield/Reading line) throughout the state where a directional sign had the same destination as an immediately adjacent "ENTERING XX" sign.

IIRC the original basis of the posted mileages on MA signage was the distance to the city or town hall, but I also recall that was not a well publicized fact, so the confusion was understandable.

There's a mileage sign on I-93 north in Medford a short distance north of the Roosevelt Circle interchange that says, in part, "Stoneham 3."  Less than one mile later is a SGS saying "Entering Stoneham."  Has MassDOT discontinued the mileage signs on interstates in new or replacement installations?

Central MA has plenty leftover. There are 2 in Orange (one on 2A, other on 78) that tell you Boston is 70-something miles away.

Greenville NH, where 45 ends at 123, has a bunch of signs telling you how far away Fitchburg MA is. As you approach Fitchburg, the mileage increases by 2 miles despite driving a mile closer in that span. I am convinced no state can get it right.

[rarnold]

Iowa did, but with their new program for signing interchanges, I'm not sure if that will continue. Another Iowa addition was the interchange number on junction signage. The new signs do not provide that information.

[SignGeek101]

Ontario does. Shows the distance to nearby cities and towns.

http://goo.gl/maps/1gQne

[DaBigE]

Wisconsin shows arrows only, but typically will have a mileage sign a couple hundred feet downstream of most rural intersections (almost exactly like Figure 2D-6 in the 2009 MUTCD). They did recently begin showing distances on the blue service signs at off-ramps.

[NE2]

This was the standard in 1927:

Note that there are no post-intersection distance signs in that book, so these were the only indication of distance.

[Bitmapped]

Kentucky tends to list destinations only with no mileage. Same for West Virginia.

In the case of West Virginia, there is almost always a distance assembly right after the interchange or turn. (I don't think Kentucky is nearly as consistent.)  In Ohio, standalone distance assemblies on 2-lane routes are pretty rare.  The signs in advance of intersections are normally the only time you see the distance posted.

[pianocello]

Iowa did, but with their new program for signing interchanges, I'm not sure if that will continue. Another Iowa addition was the interchange number on junction signage. The new signs do not provide that information.

I believe the new signs in Iowa still include mileage. At least, the one at I-80 and Northwest Blvd in Davenport (Iowa 130) does. The ramp was realigned around the time the signs were replaced statewide.

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.601711,-90.619826,3a,29.2y,282.71h,89.79t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sjhYumffVLhdz321rG4V8Tg!2e0

I do kinda miss the interchange number on the junction sign, though.

[roadman]

Until the mid-1990s, Massachusetts practice was to include mileage to cities and towns on directional signs exiting from Interstates and freeways, as well as directional signs at intersections of secondary state highways.  They discontinued the practice largely in response to driver complaints about the accuracy of the distances, as there were a number of cases (such as exiting I-95/128 south to MA 129 west at the Wakefield/Reading line) throughout the state where a directional sign had the same destination as an immediately adjacent "ENTERING XX" sign.

IIRC the original basis of the posted mileages on MA signage was the distance to the city or town hall, but I also recall that was not a well publicized fact, so the confusion was understandable.

There's a mileage sign on I-93 north in Medford a short distance north of the Roosevelt Circle interchange that says, in part, "Stoneham 3."  Less than one mile later is a SGS saying "Entering Stoneham."  Has MassDOT discontinued the mileage signs on interstates in new or replacement installations?

As with the pre-1990s D6 and D8 guide signs, destinations on Interstate and freeway post-interchange distance signs in Massachusetts (with the exception of the current distance signs on the MassPike) are now measured from the sign to the established city or town center (usually, but not always, the city or town hall).

The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority policy was to measure distance from the sign to the exit, and normally used cities as toll plaza designators (i.e. I-291 was the Springfield interchange).  As  part of MassDOT's pending sign upgrade projects for I-90 between West Stockbridge and Auburn, and between Auburn and Boston, those signs will be changed with signs that reflect distances to the city or town center.

[txstateends]

Ramps in Texas give destinations, but no mileage until the reassurances and guide signs in either turn's direction.  I don't remember if the ramp guide signs ever did have mileages, but the ones seen on the cross roads approaching an interstate or freeway intersection did have mileages until several years ago.

[roadman65]

In Florida we use mileage numbers on the ramps to all the cities and towns and even attractions at most ramps.  Some are careless and if they use overhead signs, forget it!

New Jersey does not use mileage except on the Palisades Interstate Parkway ramps on to US 9W from Exits 2,3, and 4 letting motorists know how far two Hudson River Crossings are from the ramp ends going SB.  NJ usually does not like to have mileage signs too much anymore even along the roads themselves.

[brownpelican]

No in Louisiana and Mississippi. Mississippi does a much better giving mileages after you make the turn, although it's not as good as other states. Louisiana does nothing.

[cl94]

Big yes for New York. Uncommon to see a directional sign anywhere without a distance.

[SSOWorld]

Doesn't happen in WI or MI.  Iowa, yes - IL, yes.

[roadman65]

PennDOT uses them all around at ends of ramps and even at intersections, but on entrances to freeways, even at interchanges that have off ramp mileage signs, will not put the distance to the main control cities though.

In fact only Ohio and New York (that I have seen anyway) sign freeway ramps with mileages after the control cities.   Everywhere else has them at the first sign post ramp on freeway. 

New York has a couple of weird ones too, like the NB I-81 exit in Watertown, NY for Arsenal Street with a Downtown 1 attached to the at exit guide sign and just after the NY 37 merge into US 11 south the overhead sign that acts as a reassurence sign has US 11 South Watertown 1 on the panel attached to the sign bridge for NB US 11 showing the split in the roadway for left turn NY 37 and straight through US 11, although using "ROUTE" to denote the two highways.  This last part is for another topic though, but only time I would see one of these unusual use of mileage numbers.  Other than that, NJ has one on NB US 9 in Lakewood where a post intersection mileage sign is posted at the intersection for CR 526 and if you go to GSV you will see what I am talking about.

[SD Mapman]

SD-yes
WY-no

[pianocello]

IL, yes.

Actually, I would say no for Illinois. Maybe we're thinking about different IDOT districts, but in western and central Illinois, most of the directional signs are like this. To put the link in context, Brimfield is about 20 miles past the interchange; Lewistown is over 40 miles away.

[roadman65]

Nobody bothered to mention The Parkway's ramp signage in New Jersey.  Many of the ramp signs do not match the roadways guide signs.

For example Exit 138 N Bound does not mention Roselle Park which is CR 509's N Bound control point, but instead mentions "Union" for the right turn at the end of the ramp.  This assembly was added when the Exit 138 ramp was reconfigured back in the mid 1980's as the original signing did mention Roselle Park.

Exit 135 in Clark Township fails to mention Clark itself at the end of the ramps.  Now growing up in Clark I can tell you we had no official Business District or Downtown, where most guide signs are to direct you to, so basically of the townships limits were Clark to us in which Exit 135 sits inside of.  In retrospect all roads leading out of the former Clark Circle at this interchange all go to Clark so that may be the reason why NJDOT left them out for years which the NJHA and then later the NJTA followed suit.  Still an outsider may get confused seeing Clark and Westfield as control cities on the guide sign and then not seeing follow up on the ramp for the former.

Westfield Avenue between Brant Avenue and the Rahway border accessible via Union County Route 613 should be signed for Clark from the 135 ramps as that is the defacto business area as that particular mile has the most businesses per capita then the rest of Clark does.

[PHLBOS]

Until the mid-1990s, Massachusetts practice was to include mileage to cities and towns on directional signs exiting from Interstates and freeways, as well as directional signs at intersections of secondary state highways.  They discontinued the practice largely in response to driver complaints about the accuracy of the distances, as there were a number of cases (such as exiting I-95/128 south to MA 129 west at the Wakefield/Reading line) throughout the state where a directional sign had the same destination as an immediately adjacent "ENTERING XX" sign.

One worse example if inconsistent/wrong mileage listings was older signage at the MA 1A Wonderland rotary in Revere.  One late 60s D6 LGS listed Boston as 11 miles away but another late 70s D8 LGS posted at a different spot on the rotary listed Boston as only 5 miles away.  The difference in distances was due to the 1971 re-routing of MA 1A & US 1.

Nonetheless, both signs (w/both listed distances) remained through the 1980s.  Adding insult to injury, the older sign was replaced with a newer version (due to a vehicle knocking down the old one) that displayed the same obsolete/erroneous distance listing for Boston.

All LGS' at the rotary have since been replaced with ones not listing any distances.

Another MassDPW distance listing boo-boo occurred on a late-60s LGS along MA 1A (Loring Ave.) at Leggs Hill Road in Salem.  The LGS listed CLIFTON 2  MARBLEHEAD 8.  The latter distance was clearly wrong.  The LGS was replaced a few years later with one that listed CLIFTON 2  MARBLEHEAD 3; much more realistic/believable.

Note: the corrected sign in question has since been taken down with no like-replacement.

PennDOT uses them all around at ends of ramps and even at intersections, but on entrances to freeways, even at interchanges that have off ramp mileage signs, will not put the distance to the main control cities though.

The Blue Route portion of I-476 has a couple of exceptions to such.

On-ramp to I-476 from US 1 South

On-ramp to I-476 from US 1 North

On the PA Turnpike, the supplemental distance BGS' only listed mileage to interchange names not the  destinations themselves.  Prior to the mid-to-late 90s, there used to be smaller wooden signs that would list distances to Philadelphia, Harrisburg and/or Pittsburgh; but most if not all of those bit the dust some time of ago.