Boxed Street Names on BGS's

[SignBridge]

This subject has become a signing pet-peeve of mine. I normally don't pay much attention to this as NYSDOT's engineers in Region-10 where I live  have rarely (if ever) used this practice. Mixed-case street and town names have coexisted on Long Island for 50 years. And I know there are those on this board who like the boxed street name style.

This past weekend I was up in Westchester County, New York and drove the length of I-287 eastbound from Elmsford to Rye. And I was shocked at some of the new Thruway Authority signing on the rebuilt section of the C.W. Expwy. Specifically at Exit-8 where the signs have 3 street names in upper-case in 3 separate boxes. Looks ridiculous in my opinion. Would look much more professional just to list the streets in mixed-case lettering.

Anyone else here seen those signs at Exit-8? I know opinions vary about this practice. What do you guys think about this installation?

[hbelkins]

I, myself, like that NY signing practice. It makes the road/street name look more like a route marker.

This has been discussed in other threads if anyone wants to search.

[SignBridge]

Right, I remember this subject has come up before in other topics with varied opinions. I wanted to call specific attention to this NY Thruway Authority installation at Exit-8 Eastbound on the Cross Westchester Expwy. as it is boxed street names in the extreme. 

[hobsini2]

Actually, I liked the way that the Illinois Tollway used to do directions for an exit with multiple ramps. They would put the direction inside a white box with black letters. When the Tollway changed their signs to Clearview, they stopped that practice.

[hbelkins]

Right, I remember this subject has come up before in other topics with varied opinions. I wanted to call specific attention to this NY Thruway Authority installation at Exit-8 Eastbound on the Cross Westchester Expwy. as it is boxed street names in the extreme. 

Would love to see a photo, as I have only traveled that portion of I-287 westbound.

[PHLBOS]

Right, I remember this subject has come up before in other topics with varied opinions. I wanted to call specific attention to this NY Thruway Authority installation at Exit-8 Eastbound on the Cross Westchester Expwy. as it is boxed street names in the extreme. 

Would love to see a photo, as I have only traveled that portion of I-287 westbound.

Ask and you shall receive:

EXIT 8W-E 1-mile BGS along I-287 Eastbound

[vdeane]

Not the only one:


The style the old sign had:


New style signs with no boxing:


The current signs look like a contractor emulated old NYSDOT specs.

[hotdogPi]

In my opinion, they should do it if and only if it's a freeway.

[KEK Inc.]

If you're going to piss on the MUTCD, might as well just completely adopt the Australian way.

[Scott5114]

If you're going to piss on the MUTCD, might as well just completely adopt the Australian way.

The problem with that style is that it black-on-white is regulatory in the US.

[SignBridge]

That set of signs posted by vdeane is on I-95, the New England Section of the NY Thruway in Westchester County. They were erected by the Thruway Authority, not by NYSDOT. Some of them, like the one for Fenimore Rd. which is compartmented horizontally are copies of the original blue signs from 1959 (except for the street boxing)  when the road was built. The one at Exit-16, North Ave. was originally of that horizontal configuration also. I believe that arrangement was unique to the New England Thruway.

[bing101]

Wow I thought only Exit Numbers are boxed or No Trucks sign are boxed.

[KEK Inc.]

If you're going to piss on the MUTCD, might as well just completely adopt the Australian way.

The problem with that style is that it black-on-white is regulatory in the US.

Same with Australia.

And that doesn't stop many municipalities and counties.

http://goo.gl/maps/6ESKO

[vdeane]

That set of signs posted by vdeane is on I-95, the New England Section of the NY Thruway in Westchester County. They were erected by the Thruway Authority, not by NYSDOT. Some of them, like the one for Fenimore Rd. which is compartmented horizontally are copies of the original blue signs from 1959 (except for the street boxing)  when the road was built. The one at Exit-16, North Ave. was originally of that horizontal configuration also. I believe that arrangement was unique to the New England Thruway.

Contractors often install signs themselves on larger Thruway projects, so the I-287 one is likely contractor-installed.  The same thing happened in the exits 39-40 reconstruction project on I-90; the current exit 39 signs were built to NYSDOT spec and not NYSTA.  I believe the "caps, small font, but not box" style I illustrated with the second picture is what used to be there, but since I've only been on I-287 westbound, I can't say for sure.

[PHLBOS]

That EXIT 18 1 MILE part of that BGS has a little bit of NJTP ring to it.  Maybe it's just the oversized numerals.

[SidS1045]

That set of signs posted by vdeane is on I-95, the New England Section of the NY Thruway in Westchester County. They were erected by the Thruway Authority, not by NYSDOT. Some of them, like the one for Fenimore Rd. which is compartmented horizontally are copies of the original blue signs from 1959 (except for the street boxing)  when the road was built. The one at Exit-16, North Ave. was originally of that horizontal configuration also. I believe that arrangement was unique to the New England Thruway.

Well, here's one in New York that was erected by NYSDOT:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=i684+at+hardscrabble+road,+new+york&hl=en&ll=41.332176,-73.658824&spn=0.000032,0.022724&sll=42.036922,-71.683501&sspn=2.774239,5.817261&hnear=Hardscrabble+Rd+%26+Interstate+684,+North+Salem,+Westchester,+New+York+10560&t=m&z=16&layer=c&cbll=41.332479,-73.658731&panoid=whrYeX7itBHxms5HkVPyLQ&cbp=12,40.96,,0,10.03

[PurdueBill]

That EXIT 18 1 MILE part of that BGS has a little bit of NJTP ring to it.  Maybe it's just the oversized numerals.

I could swear looking at that sign that the FENIMORE RD text is in the "old Thruway font".  Maybe it's just me.

The layout of that sign reminds me of some of the Big Dig overheads in the tunnels where the exit tabs are aside the main signs due to clearance.  No such constraint in play here, though....

[agentsteel53]

I could swear looking at that sign that the FENIMORE RD text is in the "old Thruway font".  Maybe it's just me.

I think you're right.  it's bolder than standard D (looks to be almost DM; maybe it is DM in boldness) and the letter "D" has a more parabolic arc to it than Series D/DM.

[vdeane]

That set of signs posted by vdeane is on I-95, the New England Section of the NY Thruway in Westchester County. They were erected by the Thruway Authority, not by NYSDOT. Some of them, like the one for Fenimore Rd. which is compartmented horizontally are copies of the original blue signs from 1959 (except for the street boxing)  when the road was built. The one at Exit-16, North Ave. was originally of that horizontal configuration also. I believe that arrangement was unique to the New England Thruway.

Well, here's one in New York that was erected by NYSDOT:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=i684+at+hardscrabble+road,+new+york&hl=en&ll=41.332176,-73.658824&spn=0.000032,0.022724&sll=42.036922,-71.683501&sspn=2.774239,5.817261&hnear=Hardscrabble+Rd+%26+Interstate+684,+North+Salem,+Westchester,+New+York+10560&t=m&z=16&layer=c&cbll=41.332479,-73.658731&panoid=whrYeX7itBHxms5HkVPyLQ&cbp=12,40.96,,0,10.03

The boxed street names were standard in NYSDOT regions 2 and 8, although I-81 north of Syracuse in Onondaga County used them too, and region 7 looks like it wanted to get in on it:

[Zeffy]

I'm not reading those boxed names clearly enough to know what they are until I'm a few feet from the gantry with how small that text is. I thought all text on a overhead guide sign was supposed to be at least a certain minimum height? Because I doubt both of those meet that requirement.