The Worst of Road Signs

[KEK Inc.]

The sign I was getting at takes up more than double the space the object marker sign is.  And my Photobucket should renew its bandwidth in 5 days, so whatever.  I'm starting to use imgur now.

[vdeane]

This thing:

[OracleUsr]

This thing:

Even sadder is when NYSDOT goes distance numbering, this sign will have to be augmented.

GSV shows a much simpler image of the junction signage...why did NYSDOT have to go with this monstrosity?

[Buck87]

Stumbled across this pic on a google image search. Not sure when it was taken. I don't think I've ever seen an Ohio cutout shield before.

[Zeffy]

Stumbled across this pic on a google image search. Not sure when it was taken. I don't think I've ever seen an Ohio cutout shield before.

A cutout shield? That's definitely a "best of", not the worst. Although the alignment of those signs is really irking me...

[NE2]

You'll get some hate for posting a cutout in worst (see what I mean? get out, Zeffy), and I wouldn't call it worst per se, but guide-sign cutouts off guide signs are not the good kind of cutout. This is what a real Ohio cutout looks like:

from www.aaroads.com/shields/show.php?image=OH19550501

[Zeffy]

see what I mean? get out, Zeffy

Also, I didn't know that Ohio cutouts were different from the one he posted. That being said, I still don't think it's qualified for the "worst of", but the fact that all the sign elements are disorderly makes me think otherwise.

Also, are those arrow signs unique to Ohio, or is that just an old signing method?

[Alps]

Stumbled across this pic on a google image search. Not sure when it was taken. I don't think I've ever seen an Ohio cutout shield before.

A cutout shield? That's definitely a "best of", not the worst. Although the alignment of those signs is really irking me...

The Ohio is a "worst of" because the cutout can impale you. The font of the 20 also qualifies.

[NE2]

That arrow is definitely an old standard I've come to associate with Ohio, but it could have been used elsewhere.

[ctsignguy]

Ohio cutouts also looked like this:


and possibly this:

[thenetwork]

Stumbled across this pic on a google image search. Not sure when it was taken. I don't think I've ever seen an Ohio cutout shield before.

A cutout shield? That's definitely a "best of", not the worst. Although the alignment of those signs is really irking me...

The Ohio is a "worst of" because the cutout can impale you. The font of the 20 also qualifies.

That assembly is from the Ohio Turnpike Commission, coming from the Toll Booths to the I-280/SR-420 split.  If that photo was widened, you'd see what was a real old-looking state-named I-280 shield.  The OTC is known for making some unusual shields!

[Alex]

Stumbled across this pic on a google image search. Not sure when it was taken. I don't think I've ever seen an Ohio cutout shield before.

That is a photo we took on a cross country trip in 2005. The Interstate 280 state-named shield was something we knew about ahead of time and purposefully stopped to photograph. Both photos are also on the main web site:

https://www.aaroads.com/midwest/i-080wc_oh.html

[Buck87]

Ah, thanks for the info.

I toyed with the idea of putting this in the "best of" thread, but the crooked alignments, the bold US 20 font and those crooked rectangular washers (or whatever they're called) on the Ohio shield lead me to put it here. And now that I realize this was a shield meant for a guide sign that was slapped on a post, I'm glad I did.

I know Ohio used to have cutout shields, I've just never stumbled across one still in use. And on the topic of Ohio shields, I know this was discussed much earlier on this thread, but I like the "geographically accurate" Ohio shields that have been popping up in recent years. I've never been much of a fan of the "blob somewhat resembling Ohio" that serves as the official standard (though I understand why they use that shape)

[agentsteel53]

I know Ohio used to have cutout shields, I've just never stumbled across one still in use.

there's a few floating around.  two US-50s in Mariemont, a US-27 (California style with "US") in Cincy, a US-24 of somewhat unusual configuration just before the Michigan line in Toledo...



I don't know of any state routes, nor of any state or US that says OHIO on it.  I believe there are only six shields in Ohio with the state name: five I-75, one I-70. 

that 420, btw, looks like something that should be affixed to a green sign.  it appears to be modern spec, just an incorrect usage.

[hbelkins]

There used to be a no-outline US 52 cutout eastbound between Aberdeen and Portsmouth. It was there in 1996 the first time I drove that route, but I didn't photograph it. It was gone the next time I drove that route, and I had gone in search of it.

I've seen that done elsewhere in Ohio as well.

[KEK Inc.]

I know Ohio used to have cutout shields, I've just never stumbled across one still in use.

there's a few floating around.  two US-50s in Mariemont, a US-27 (California style with "US") in Cincy, a US-24 of somewhat unusual configuration just before the Michigan line in Toledo...



I don't know of any state routes, nor of any state or US that says OHIO on it.  I believe there are only six shields in Ohio with the state name: five I-75, one I-70. 

that 420, btw, looks like something that should be affixed to a green sign.  it appears to be modern spec, just an incorrect usage.

Maybe it's the angle of the shield and camera, but that looks horrendously shopped.

[vtk]

Maybe it's the angle of the shield and camera, but that looks horrendously shopped.

I think that's camera flash + retroreflective material.  This hypothesis requires that the NORTH plaque isn't retroreflective, which I suppose is possible if it's very old.

[Brandon]

Maybe it's the angle of the shield and camera, but that looks horrendously shopped.

I think that's camera flash + retroreflective material.  This hypothesis requires that the NORTH plaque isn't retroreflective, which I suppose is possible if it's very old.

It's also the angle of the NORTH plaque.  The US-24 appears to be facing the camera directly.  The NORTH plaque is at a different angle.

[agentsteel53]

the 24 seems to be a lot newer than the banner for sure.  the banner has lost its reflectivity over the years.

[vtk]

Maybe it's the angle of the shield and camera, but that looks horrendously shopped.

I think that's camera flash + retroreflective material.  This hypothesis requires that the NORTH plaque isn't retroreflective, which I suppose is possible if it's very old.

It's also the angle of the NORTH plaque.  The US-24 appears to be facing the camera directly.  The NORTH plaque is at a different angle.

That shouldn't matter with retroreflective materials.  At least, not until the sign is facing nearly 90° away from the camera.

[countysigns]

Maybe it's the angle of the shield and camera, but that looks horrendously shopped.

I think that's camera flash + retroreflective material.  This hypothesis requires that the NORTH plaque isn't retroreflective, which I suppose is possible if it's very old.

It's also the angle of the NORTH plaque.  The US-24 appears to be facing the camera directly.  The NORTH plaque is at a different angle.

That shouldn't matter with retroreflective materials.  At least, not until the sign is facing nearly 90° away from the camera.

This was north of the intersection of Alexis Road (OH-184) and Telegraph Road (US-24).  IIRC, this was on a pole around 5 years ago.  The US-24 sign is not an original - I think ODOT must have either been nostalgic or out of 24 shields.  The sign shifted to the angle you see in the original picture.

This is now gone, replaced by a EAST US-24 sign.  Here is the image from Google Maps:
https://www.google.com/maps?ll=41.722341,-83.547426&spn=0.000917,0.00191&t=m&z=19&layer=c&cbll=41.722492,-83.547428&panoid=cipj8cxM7DzIDGCmKekJow&cbp=12,15.05,,0,-0.71

[Kniwt]

Near Stanford University, where you'd think they know better. It looks temporary, but it's been there quite some time now.

[agentsteel53]

perfectly straightforward to me.  there will not be any "NO U TURN" signs on Ryan Court. 

that's convenient to know, in case I decide I want to make a U turn.

[thenetwork]

I know Ohio used to have cutout shields, I've just never stumbled across one still in use. And on the topic of Ohio shields, I know this was discussed much earlier on this thread, but I like the "geographically accurate" Ohio shields that have been popping up in recent years. I've never been much of a fan of the "blob somewhat resembling Ohio" that serves as the official standard (though I understand why they use that shape)

The Cleveland/Cuyahoga County area still had an unusually high number of "neutered" Ohio cut-out shields in the late '90s.  It seemed that once the Jennings Freeway was finished at the turn of the century, when they yanked down the old SR-176 cutouts on the old Broadview Road alignment, it must have dawned on either the city or state that there were scores of similar cutouts in the county, and that they should replace them as well. 

Some of the areas that still had a few cutouts, in addition to the old Broadview/SR-176 alignment, were:

Northbound SR-3/Ridge Road in North Royalton & Parma
US-422 & SR-8 along Woodland & Kinsman Avenue just east of downtown,
And one or two stray US-42 cutouts, just off of W. 25th Street in Ohio City.

Sadly, all of those were replaced or taken down by 2005.

[Big John]

perfectly straightforward to me.  there will not be any "NO U TURN" signs on Ryan Court. 

that's convenient to know, in case I decide I want to make a U turn.

Make a Y turn instead.