The Worst of Road Signs

[Zeffy]

Atlantic City, please hire proper contractors. Thanks. Cause this is https://www.google.com/maps/@39.36277,-74.441964,3a,53.4y,130.39h,95.08t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sUmkAaQlkEbtf2X2EVyyJsw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en unacceptable.

I must be missing something here.

[PHLBOS]

I don't know much about fonts but this is surely horrible.

I-676 on the Ben Franklin bridge-https://www.google.ca/maps/@39.952961,-75.134817,3a,43y,110.6h,102.6t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sohRDH9KlvvRB6tRsO3PdvA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Also the sign is kinda damaged

IMHO, the issue isn't with the font as much as with the shield shape.  Granted, I've seen worse-looking I-shield shapes (& US shield shapes) more recently.  BTW, that BGS is at least 20 years old (it dates back to when all the Delaware River toll bridges in this area adopted one-way tolling); which may explain the wear.

[SignGeek101]

Atlantic City, please hire proper contractors. Thanks. Cause this is https://www.google.com/maps/@39.36277,-74.441964,3a,53.4y,130.39h,95.08t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sUmkAaQlkEbtf2X2EVyyJsw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en unacceptable.

I must be missing something here.

I think he is referring to the VMS maybe? It's pretty difficult to see. I like the colours on the sign itself though.

IMHO, the issue isn't with the font as much as with the shield shape.  Granted, I've seen worse-looking I-shield shapes (& US shield shapes) more recently.  BTW, that BGS is at least 20 years old (it dates back to when all the Delaware River toll bridges in this area adopted one-way tolling); which may explain the wear.

Agreed. The sign itself isn't bad. The shield is a little wonky though.

[Alex4897]

Atlantic City, please hire proper contractors. Thanks. Cause this is https://www.google.com/maps/@39.36277,-74.441964,3a,53.4y,130.39h,95.08t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sUmkAaQlkEbtf2X2EVyyJsw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en unacceptable.

I must be missing something here.

I'll bite, what's wrong with these?

[kkt]

Are they trying to do the colors from the Monopoly properties?  (Dibs on St. James's!)

[Zeffy]

Are they trying to do the colors from the Monopoly properties?  (Dibs on St. James's!)

Hands off my Boardwalk.  Oh the satisfaction of robbing my friends blind when they landed on that space... priceless.

Still, the colors were meant to point to the specific areas of Atlantic City. The only questionable decision (aside from the rule of tincture being violated) was the green they used on the Downbeach legend, which is a slightly different shade than the green used for the background of the sign itself.

[noelbotevera]

Poorly picked colors (Green for Downbeach? Really?)
That VMS seems pretty faded...
Squished font for Marina/Revel Beach
Right arrow is not needed (it should say "RIGHT LANE" cause at this point the Atlantic City Expressway has ended)
"Hazmat Prohibited" should be white on red
Brown sign in the background should be enlarged and put on the gantry
Pointless underlighting (these are reflective signs)
Why here? Put it on the overpass!

[SignGeek101]

That VMS seems pretty faded...
Squished font for Marina/Revel Beach

That is Series D. They probably decided that there wouldn't be enough space for Series E or EM (the default) so they went with D. If it was Series B or C (or Clearview 2W, 3W), I would call it unacceptable.

Why here? Put it on the overpass!

I heard that putting new signs on bridges is now against the MUTCD. Maybe I'm going crazy, but that's what I remember. Or... I dreamt about it or something 

Overall, I think you're nitpicking. The sign isn't that bad, although it's a bit interesting with the colours. My only complaint with it would be the dim VMS. I can't read it. And the Hazmat should be in red, I agree with you.
But hey, at least it isn't Helvetica, right? 

[roadfro]

Atlantic City, please hire proper contractors. Thanks. Cause this is https://www.google.com/maps/@39.36277,-74.441964,3a,53.4y,130.39h,95.08t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sUmkAaQlkEbtf2X2EVyyJsw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en unacceptable.

I must be missing something here.

I'll bite, what's wrong with these?

I would applaud the attempt at making color-coded wayfinding signs. However, this is not a good style.  These signs don't make an attempt to explain that the colors are a means of navigation. And really, this type of navigation is not suited to freeway application.

They should use standard signs and colors on freeway, then use a wayfinding sign once on surface streets. Per the current MUTCD, that sign would use colored squares for the color navigation, not different color of background behind the text.

[roadfro]

Why here? Put it on the overpass!

I heard that putting new signs on bridges is now against the MUTCD. Maybe I'm going crazy, but that's what I remember. Or... I dreamt about it or something 

I don't think this is in the MUTCD. However, I think it's the latest AASHTO design book that now recommends against affixing signs to overpasses.

And the Hazmat should be in red, I agree with you.

I'm pretty sure that black lettering on white background is the appropriate design for an all-text hazmat restriction.

[Kacie Jane]

Poorly picked colors (Green for Downbeach? Really?)
That VMS seems pretty faded...
Squished font for Marina/Revel Beach
Right arrow is not needed (it should say "RIGHT LANE" cause at this point the Atlantic City Expressway has ended)
"Hazmat Prohibited" should be white on red
Brown sign in the background should be enlarged and put on the gantry
Pointless underlighting (these are reflective signs)
Why here? Put it on the overpass!

Nah... these are total nitpicks.  The right arrow is totally needed.  The ACE hasn't ended, it ends at the traffic light ahead, and the arrow is telling you to take the last ramp before that light.  As roadfro said, black on white is correct for the hazmat warning.  Enlarging the brown sign and putting it next to the others would be message loading and make the gantry too busy.  (Unless you meant to just put it on the pole of the gantry, which would be fine.  But if the streetlight's there anyway, I don't think it really matters which pole you put it on.)

That said, I do have somewhat of a problem with the sign on the left.  It's a pretty safe assumption that those are meant as "control cities" for traffic not taking Exit 1, but the design doesn't make that totally clear; those words are kinda just sitting there with no actual explanation.  What I might do if I were trying to redesign the gantry would be to move the max height sign (which I don't think is actually a Variable Message Sign) down on to the pole, shift the exit sign to the right, and widen the pull through and add at least two, preferably three, down arrows.

[SignGeek101]

Why here? Put it on the overpass!

I heard that putting new signs on bridges is now against the MUTCD. Maybe I'm going crazy, but that's what I remember. Or... I dreamt about it or something 

I don't think this is in the MUTCD. However, I think it's the latest AASHTO design book that now recommends against affixing signs to overpasses.

Okay, that's probably where I got it from then.

[jeffandnicole]

Atlantic City, please hire proper contractors. Thanks. Cause this is https://www.google.com/maps/@39.36277,-74.441964,3a,53.4y,130.39h,95.08t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sUmkAaQlkEbtf2X2EVyyJsw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en unacceptable.

I must be missing something here.

I think he is referring to the VMS maybe? It's pretty difficult to see. I like the colours on the sign itself though.

IMHO, the issue isn't with the font as much as with the shield shape.  Granted, I've seen worse-looking I-shield shapes (& US shield shapes) more recently.  BTW, that BGS is at least 20 years old (it dates back to when all the Delaware River toll bridges in this area adopted one-way tolling); which may explain the wear.

Agreed. The sign itself isn't bad. The shield is a little wonky though.

The VMS isn't generally that hard to see.  Maybe it's the lighting.  At any rate, the text says: Maximum Height In Tunnel 14' 0", so as long as the vehicle is legal, you're OK.  If the vehicle is a Permit vehicle for overheight vehicles, they probably don't have a permit to travel this way anyway.  I think the sign can also say Tunnel Closed or something to that affect. 

Poorly picked colors (Green for Downbeach? Really?)
That VMS seems pretty faded...
Squished font for Marina/Revel Beach
Right arrow is not needed (it should say "RIGHT LANE" cause at this point the Atlantic City Expressway has ended)
"Hazmat Prohibited" should be white on red
Brown sign in the background should be enlarged and put on the gantry
Pointless underlighting (these are reflective signs)
Why here? Put it on the overpass!

That said, I do have somewhat of a problem with the sign on the left.  It's a pretty safe assumption that those are meant as "control cities" for traffic not taking Exit 1, but the design doesn't make that totally clear; those words are kinda just sitting there with no actual explanation.  What I might do if I were trying to redesign the gantry would be to move the max height sign (which I don't think is actually a Variable Message Sign) down on to the pole, shift the exit sign to the right, and widen the pull through and add at least two, preferably three, down arrows.

The unfortunate thing about this sign is, as described above, can be taken out of context.   

For those not familiar with the AC Expressway, this is at the end of the highway.  The last point of entry onto the Expressway is at Exit 4.  From here, all traffic goes thru a toll plaza (75 cents).  Various signage makes it abundantly clear you're approaching Atlantic City, so that in itself would be a useless control city at this point.

Then, they encounter this:  https://goo.gl/maps/0jEBJ

Next:  https://goo.gl/maps/0xQxS

Then next:  https://goo.gl/maps/v9IGK

After that:  https://goo.gl/maps/WLuHT

And then:  https://goo.gl/maps/OT0PC

https://goo.gl/maps/ioXoy

https://goo.gl/maps/Ko3El

https://goo.gl/maps/IeWDC

https://goo.gl/maps/LouYj

Now here's Exit 2:  https://goo.gl/maps/NwUBR

A mile from Exit 1:  https://goo.gl/maps/SnxQR

And now, what was presented above by Noel:  https://goo.gl/maps/mHkBA

So, as you can see, there is a ton of information to convey to motorists as they approaching Atlantic City.  The single overhead sign at the end of the highway Noel linked above doesn't have much meaning in itself.  But every driver will see the advanced signage approaching that sign, which makes the meaning of those signs extremely clear.  In fact, while Noel presented the single sign as a WTF type thing, the Expressway actually did an extremely great job condensing a lot of information down into easier to interpret signage. 

The signage is over about a 1 - 1.5 mile stretch, so it's still a lot of information in a short period of time.  But the other option is to put less info out there, and people would be hopelessly lost trying to figure their way around.  For many years, less was what they used.  Much of this signage was installed in the 90's or 00's, which was about 20 years after the casinos opened, and longer than enough time to know that there had to be some sort of guide system to help direct people off the city towards their destinations.

A few other comments:  Shortly after the VMS Max Height sign, there is a standard black on yellow 14' 0" height sign.  If an overheight truck did take the exit (which is for the Expressway Connector), there are several warning signs to inform truckers to next the first exit on the connector.

While fairly rare, under lighting is still installed on some signs, especially those approaching major junctions.

[WNYroadgeek]

https://goo.gl/maps/4a5bJ

Not sure what's worse: the North and South tabs above the NY 305 shield or the I-86 shield with wrong-sized digits on a 3DI shield.

[KEK Inc.]

https://www.google.com/maps/@36.913709,-121.551027,3a,21.9y,244.13h,88.22t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sUu3xA8tYiJ6QUYp0QGp5FA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

Here's something I drove by a few days ago.

[jakeroot]

https://www.google.com/maps/@36.913709,-121.551027,3a,21.9y,244.13h,88.22t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sUu3xA8tYiJ6QUYp0QGp5FA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

Here's something I drove by a few days ago.

Not quite as bad as your example, but something similar closer to ... home?

https://goo.gl/Cq3okA

[noelbotevera]

Pretty choppy image, but would this count? Is this an improvement?

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.615557,-122.555178,3a,75y,346.33h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s21EijJYKKISY2suqJU4ftw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[thefraze_1020]

https://www.google.com/maps/@36.913709,-121.551027,3a,21.9y,244.13h,88.22t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sUu3xA8tYiJ6QUYp0QGp5FA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

Here's something I drove by a few days ago.

Not quite as bad as your example, but something similar closer to ... home?

https://goo.gl/Cq3okA

That's like pretty much any speed limit sign in Anacortes, except they are worse.

[iBallasticwolf2]

I think the fonts are really screwed up here.
https://www.google.ca/maps/@38.918489,-76.938869,3a,18.9y,71h,96.13t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1ssFdo3c9Gp_wxKZe2_K5z3Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[Rothman]

I think the fonts are really screwed up here.
https://www.google.ca/maps/@38.918489,-76.938869,3a,18.9y,71h,96.13t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1ssFdo3c9Gp_wxKZe2_K5z3Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

It's because it's the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and part of the National Park Service.  It's their signage.

[iBallasticwolf2]

I think the fonts are really screwed up here.
https://www.google.ca/maps/@38.918489,-76.938869,3a,18.9y,71h,96.13t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1ssFdo3c9Gp_wxKZe2_K5z3Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

It's because it's the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and part of the National Park Service.  It's their signage.

Oh ok that makes sense. I was thinking that.

[okroads]

This sign was just posted last Wednesday, June 24. The capital K and lower case k in "Kilpatrick" are switched.

DSC05094 by Eric Stuve, on Flickr

[thenetwork]

This sign was just posted last Wednesday, June 24. The capital K and lower case k in "Kilpatrick" are switched.

DSC05094 by Eric Stuve, on Flickr

...And why the unneccessary "r" in Yukon P(r)kwy? 
...And why the "Exit 1 Mile"?

Must've been made in CRaiG CoUNty.

[SignGeek101]

This sign was just posted last Wednesday, June 24. The capital K and lower case k in "Kilpatrick" are switched.

DSC05094 by Eric Stuve, on Flickr

Accidentally switching letters seems to happen quite a bit:

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=7046.msg2067593#msg2067593

Not as bad as your example, but still.

[Brandon]

This sign was just posted last Wednesday, June 24. The capital K and lower case k in "Kilpatrick" are switched.

DSC05094 by Eric Stuve, on Flickr

Bad, better than some for Oklahoma, but still bad.

What's a "Prkwy"?  A Porkway? LOL!
Then there's the Tpke with the unnecessary extra "e".

Still, it's a better effort than CRaiG coUNty.