Neon lane control signals

[Pink Jazz]

I was wondering, does anyone have examples where neon tubing was used for lane control signals?  While in the past lane control signals were either incandescent or fiber optic and nowadays use LEDs, I would like to know of various examples where neon tubing was used.

The toll plazas in Puerto Rico did in fact use neon tubing for their lane control signals from 1996 to sometime around 2012/2013 when they were replaced by LED lane control signals.

[Rothman]

I was wondering, does anyone have examples where neon tubing was used for lane control signals?  While in the past lane control signals were either incandescent or fiber optic and nowadays use LEDs, I would like to know of various examples where neon tubing was used.

The toll plazas in Puerto Rico did in fact use neon tubing for their lane control signals from 1996 to sometime around 2012/2013 when they were replaced by LED lane control signals.

All I can think about are those incident signs that were on the NJT.

[Pink Jazz]

All I can think about are those incident signs that were on the NJT.

I know that neon tubing has in the past been used for pedestrian signals as well.

[Pete from Boston]

I am trying to think of places that had lane control signals in the pre-LED era.  If I am not mistaken, the Ben Franklin Bridge just had individual red or green lights. 

I feel like the Bergen Viaduct in New Jersey had markers made of individual red or green light bulbs in an X or arrow pattern.

There was a neon arrow on a sign on Route 9 in Northampton, Mass., for many years. Not a lane control signal, but rather a yellow diamond "curve ahead" sign.

[Rothman]

There was a neon arrow on a sign on Route 9 in Northampton, Mass., for many years. Not a lane control signal, but rather a yellow diamond "curve ahead" sign.

Yep.  Got replaced by some LED thing, IIRC.

[Pink Jazz]

^

Of course at banks it was usually the words "OPEN" and "CLOSED" instead of the arrow/X symbols. The toll plazas in Puerto Rico used the symbols.

[jeffandnicole]

I think the NJ Turnpike's Exit 16E/18E used neon to note which lane was for which exit, since the toll plaza is combined (they've whittled it down to 2 lanes that can vary, and they use Fiber Optics or LEDs).

Pink Jazz's Bank response - Many banks do use red/green lights, although a number of them use neon for OPEN/CLOSED/ATM.  Can't really think of any that use the arrows/X's.

[theline]

I believe that red neon was used for NO LEFT TURN signs mounted near the overhead traffic signals in downtown Cleveland in the '50s and '60s. I think that they were activated only during certain hours. They impressed me when I was a kid. I was also fascinated by the overhead wires for the electric buses. (Please excuse my off-topic ramble.)

[Brandon]

Not lane control, but definitely neon, ISTHA uses flashing neon arrows at their coin baskets: https://goo.gl/maps/w3kvNNTLVp12

It was quite the sight at night when approaching a toll plaza in the pre-ORT days with all the coin baskets on the left side of the plaza flashing.

Here's one while it is working: https://goo.gl/maps/AbxV1wGfiSC2

[theline]

To clarify, it's the H.E.L.P. Service Patrol that is sponsored by State Farm. I believe these are similar to the Hoosier Helpers program in Indiana: http://www.in.gov/indot/2408.htm

These patrols are a real boon to stranded motorists and I was really glad that they were around when I got stuck on a Borman Expressway ramp once. I don't begrudge the small amount of advertising reaped by the insurance company for sponsoring this service.

(Off topic again. I see that Pete beat me to the reply, but I'll send anyway, since I gave additional info.)

[cpzilliacus]

All I can think about are those incident signs that were on the NJT.

I know that neon tubing has in the past been used for pedestrian signals as well.

The District of Columbia used a lot of (red) neon tube signs for its reversible streets (it once had many streets that ran in toward downtown D.C. in the mornings and out from downtown in the afternoons), they flashed ONE WAY with an arrow pointing the way that traffic could legally move at every cross street, the longest probably being 13th Street, N.W. from the intersection of Pinel Branch Road and Georgia Avenue, N.W. to Logan Circle, N.W., a distance of almost 5 miles). There were also red neon DO NOT ENTER signs to go with the ONE WAY signs. 

D.C. had similar red neon pedestrian signals at some intersections - they had WALK (in red) and a DON'T to the left of WALK.

[thenetwork]

Cleveland had used a lot of neon from the 50s into the early 80s...

- Most of their crosswalk signals were neon (don't remember what brand(s) they used) up through the late 60s, as they were found at the exit ramps to the then new-segment of I-71.

- Baltic Avenue was a reversible one-way street at the end of the West Shoreway (OH-2/US-6/US-20) connecting the Shoreway to West Boulevard which was the way to get to the (Northern) West Side in the pre I-90 days.  There were some BGS at the end of the westbound West Shoreway with neon words which would display the proper lane assignments through the day: 

The Baltic Avenue sign would have a neon CLOSED displayed in the mornings when it was one-way eastbound, and the sign for the Clifton Boulevard pull-through would have the neon BALTIC wording lit at the same time.  The signs may have had an additional neon line for PM drive or off-hour lane assignments, but they disappeared in the mid 80s just as I started to drive.

-  There were also 2 giant  == ONE WAY => neon signs that once graced the E. 9th street ramps to & from the West Shoreway as well.  Those also lasted up until the mid-80s.

- The last of the neon Mohicans in Cleveland was the legendary neon NO signs.  These were used to display turn restrictions at intersections, usually at specific times of the day, like at the Baltic/Clifton or Baltic/West intersections.  Some of these survived into the 90s before fiber-optic signs were the rage.

Fortunately, there are 2 examples of one of these Cleveland NO signs in operation back in the day: 




And a dual Cleveland NO set up at E. 9th & Euclid Avenue (one of the busiest intersections in downtown), with my favorite traffic light style to boot -- GE Streamlines!

[jay8g]

The old southbound Blaine border crossing had giant neon arrows where the lanes split around the building. (I don't know if they had any real use... my vague recollection is that they were always on or maybe flashing but didn't really mean anything.) There were also neon open/closed word message signs on the individual lanes, as you can see in the background.

Not arrows, but the I-5 express lanes have open/closed neon signs at many entrances -- open, closed.

[Pete from Boston]

I hesitated to bring this up the other day because I'd already contributed to enough derailment of this thread, but...

What a fantastic building that Bond in that picture is.

And what heartbreak I felt, now that I have a friend in Cleveland, to find out it was demolished in 1978.


iPhone

[thenetwork]

I hesitated to bring this up the other day because I'd already contributed to enough derailment of this thread, but...

What a fantastic building that Bond in that picture is.

And what heartbreak I felt, now that I have a friend in Cleveland, to find out it was demolished in 1978.


iPhone

Yeah, the then Huntington Bank building took over that whole block.  Nowadays, Huntington moved down to Public Square and the old Sohio/BP Building is now the "new" Huntington Bank Building.   The "old" Huntington Bank Building is mostly vacant at the moment.

[TEG24601]

Many of the early No Left Turn, No Right Turn, or approaching train signals related to the MAX in and around Portland were Neon installs.  Most have been replaced with LEDs, but I do believe there are some Neons left (at least there were when I lived there in 03-04).

[thenetwork]

Just stumbled across a trio of overhead neon signs.  This would date back to the 1950s as you were coming out of the Holland Tunnel westbound:

[paulthemapguy]

There's a covered causeway/bridge over a cooling lake to a power plant near Channahon/Wilmington, Illinois.  Since the water temperature is often higher than the air temperature, the immediate area is heavily conducive to foggy conditions.  This is why the bridge is encased in paneling to keep the fog out.  I'm not sure who installed them, but there are black-box looking signs, containing what looks like neon lettering that reads "FOG AREA". Unfortunately, Google StreetView hasn't made it to the area, but here's a location. If you use GSV on Lorenzo Road and look north, you can kind of see one of the black boards with the lettering that lights up when the fog is present.  Not sure if this is neon, but the signs north of the bridge could quite possibly be examples of neon lettering. https://www.google.com/maps/@41.3518756,-88.2479191,15.75z

GSV on Lorenzo: https://goo.gl/maps/kTzRhbmZu6F2

[Pink Jazz]

BTW, I remembered that the High Rise Bridge on I-64 in Chesapeake used to have neon signs that illuminated when the bridge was open.  These have been since replaced by full matrix LED dynamic message signs.

The Berkeley Bridge on I-264, on the other hand, used electromechanical rotating prism signs instead.

[right_said_ted]

I hesitated to bring this up the other day because I'd already contributed to enough derailment of this thread, but...

What a fantastic building that Bond in that picture is.

And what heartbreak I felt, now that I have a friend in Cleveland, to find out it was demolished in 1978.


iPhone

Yeah, the then Huntington Bank building took over that whole block.  Nowadays, Huntington moved down to Public Square and the old Sohio/BP Building is now the "new" Huntington Bank Building.   The "old" Huntington Bank Building is mostly vacant at the moment.

I think this is actually where PNC Center is now. I'm pretty sure that tall building in the background is 800 Superior, which would mean we're facing northbound on E 9th in this photo. The old Huntington building, which dates back to the 1920s, is just out of frame on the right

https://goo.gl/maps/HBUze5gsAqC2

[Katavia]

Maybe US 29 near charlotte motor speedway, but I don't remember 

[paulthemapguy]

A likely place to see these might be ferry crossings.  Does anyone recall seeing signals like these at carferry boarding platforms?

[paulthemapguy]

This is ancient history but I finally got a photo of the neon sign near Wilmington, Illinois.  Thought people might find it interesting.


IMG_5584 by Paul Drives, on Flickr

This is in reference to previous post:

There's a covered causeway/bridge over a cooling lake to a power plant near Channahon/Wilmington, Illinois.  Since the water temperature is often higher than the air temperature, the immediate area is heavily conducive to foggy conditions.  This is why the bridge is encased in paneling to keep the fog out.  I'm not sure who installed them, but there are black-box looking signs, containing what looks like neon lettering that reads "FOG AREA". Unfortunately, Google StreetView hasn't made it to the area, but here's a location. If you use GSV on Lorenzo Road and look north, you can kind of see one of the black boards with the lettering that lights up when the fog is present.  Not sure if this is neon, but the signs north of the bridge could quite possibly be examples of neon lettering. https://www.google.com/maps/@41.3518756,-88.2479191,15.75z

GSV on Lorenzo: https://goo.gl/maps/kTzRhbmZu6F2

[D-Dey65]

Just stumbled across a trio of overhead neon signs.  This would date back to the 1950s as you were coming out of the Holland Tunnel westbound:

US 1, 9 and NJ 25? Yep, I'm intrigued.

[ErmineNotyours]

Oregon neon sign, southbound on the I-5 Interstate Bridge, long since removed.