Road-Geeky Things Of The Past That You Miss...

[Max Rockatansky]

Overhead big green signs lit from below.

Come to Richmond. They're all over the place.

And California also.

[kurumi]

There used to be more "State Highway Begins/Ends" signs in Connecticut, marking the points of state vs. local maintenance. One outcome of the 1961 road reclassification is that signed route almost always corresponds to state maintenance. (exceptions: parts of 83 and 136)

There's only one three signs that I know of (though there must be more):

"State Highway Ends" because SR 833 (old CT 124) crosses into Massachusetts and becomes a local road: https://maps.app.goo.gl/gZCJeA5FdZXvGGSw9

Road crosses back into CT and becomes SR 834 (also part of old CT 124): https://maps.app.goo.gl/fefCrt9u7AGretJN7

Found one more at the other end of SR 834: https://maps.app.goo.gl/P7SKgj9P5xKy6Lge7

[pderocco]

There used to be more "State Highway Begins/Ends" signs in Connecticut, marking the points of state vs. local maintenance. One outcome of the 1961 road reclassification is that signed route almost always corresponds to state maintenance. (exceptions: parts of 83 and 136)

There's only one three signs that I know of (though there must be more):

"State Highway Ends" because SR 833 (old CT 124) crosses into Massachusetts and becomes a local road: https://maps.app.goo.gl/gZCJeA5FdZXvGGSw9

Road crosses back into CT and becomes SR 834 (also part of old CT 124): https://maps.app.goo.gl/fefCrt9u7AGretJN7

Found one more at the other end of SR 834: https://maps.app.goo.gl/P7SKgj9P5xKy6Lge7

I hope those aren't "things of the past". We need more states (hello, CalTrans) to use route numbers for nav purposes rather than advertising maintenance responsibility.

[Quillz]

There used to be more "State Highway Begins/Ends" signs in Connecticut, marking the points of state vs. local maintenance. One outcome of the 1961 road reclassification is that signed route almost always corresponds to state maintenance. (exceptions: parts of 83 and 136)

There's only one three signs that I know of (though there must be more):

"State Highway Ends" because SR 833 (old CT 124) crosses into Massachusetts and becomes a local road: https://maps.app.goo.gl/gZCJeA5FdZXvGGSw9

Road crosses back into CT and becomes SR 834 (also part of old CT 124): https://maps.app.goo.gl/fefCrt9u7AGretJN7

Found one more at the other end of SR 834: https://maps.app.goo.gl/P7SKgj9P5xKy6Lge7

I hope those aren't "things of the past". We need more states (hello, CalTrans) to use route numbers for nav purposes rather than advertising maintenance responsibility.

Yes, I've talked about this at length. And I had two ideas: either relinquished portions of routes use black-on-white shields, or there is just a "state maintenance ends" sign. The latter is already seen plenty when dealing with forest routes and similar scenarios.

[baugh17]

Pre-1980 signage.  This would also include all text/button copy guide signs and New York route marker font.

[thenetwork]

Pre-1980 signage.  This would also include all text/button copy guide signs and New York route marker font.

I will add to that to include text-based signage that was replaced by the symbol-equivilent signs in the early 70's (Merging Traffic, Yellow Yield, No U Turn, Signal Ahead, etc...)

[Shedingtonian]

Pre-1980 signage.  This would also include all text/button copy guide signs and New York route marker font.

YES!

I will add to that to include text-based signage that was replaced by the symbol-equivilent signs in the early 70's (Merging Traffic, Yellow Yield, No U Turn, Signal Ahead, etc...)

Eeehh...

I admit that I have a massive soft spot for all things old-signage. It gives off the feeling of "we have this brand new or relatively new technology and we're still figuring it out", so there were so many different ways to sign stuff before the MUTCD became much more... "you must sign things THIS way, you may not do it any other way".

Of course everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I still think that symbol road signs were a turn for the better. Symbols have been proven to be easier to recognize and interpret than text, and that's ignoring how the language barrier becomes nonexistent with them. Yes, if you show me a "warning, cattle" and "warning, deer" you might say "they're both warning about animals! What's the difference?", but you do learn the difference. You are taught the difference, in fact.

[Quillz]

I agree. I generally prefer icons whenever possible. If you have to use words, keep it to a minimum. "DEAD END" gets the point across better than "NOT A THROUGH STREET," even if they don't technically mean the same thing.

[pderocco]

I agree. I generally prefer icons whenever possible. If you have to use words, keep it to a minimum. "DEAD END" gets the point across better than "NOT A THROUGH STREET," even if they don't technically mean the same thing.

[Mav94]

I miss the old Iowa county line signs that were (usually) mounted on reassurance markers. There are still plenty left and the new ones are better in every way since you can actually read them at 70 mph, but the old ones had a nice tidy look about them.

[bassoon1986]

The oldest dark green Louisiana state highway shields. The non reflective ones that had rounded off state boundaries along the coastline.

Arkansas having two signposts on their signs. The second going backwards at an angle to the ground like an easel.

I agree with others about missing the single four way traffic lights. Natchitoches, LA had memorable ones in their downtown area.

The "entering ____ city limits" and "leaving" for cities in Texas. I don't think they still exist.

I know many of these needed 4 lane upgrades or better bridges but many old ones in Louisiana such as the OK Allen bridge between Alexandria and Pineville, LA (US71/165), LA 2 bridge in Sterlington and LA 8 bridge in Harrisonburg over the Ouachita River. And a really old one I never saw other than pictures but the Traffic St bridge (US 71) over the Red River between Shreveport and Bossier City.

[Quillz]

Are you referring to these?

[Big John]

^^I think Minnesota still uses the back angled sign posts for wind loading.

[pderocco]

I agree. I generally prefer icons whenever possible. If you have to use words, keep it to a minimum. "DEAD END" gets the point across better than "NOT A THROUGH STREET," even if they don't technically mean the same thing.

I thought they did mean the same thing. NO OUTLET doesn't, as it refers to a network of roads that only has one entrance/exit to the rest of the world, but DEAD END and NOT A THROUGH STREET refer to single roads. Here's one in my neighbor hood that has an amusingly short sign: https://maps.app.goo.gl/7aruxhawDDB7wAe87

[hotdogPi]

I usually only see NOT A THROUGH STREET when there's a chance of confusion. About half the time, there is something past the end, but only if you're not in a car.

[bassoon1986]

Are you referring to these?

Yes. I thought I remembered them being a tad darker green but a few places on Google Maps I've found remaining ones seem to be the same as your picture.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/8n5a8nfzgKAYA2dr7

I also never knew Louisiana had any colored US shields.

[kurumi]

Are you referring to these?

(image upthread)

Yes. I thought I remembered them being a tad darker green but a few places on Google Maps I've found remaining ones seem to be the same as your picture.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/8n5a8nfzgKAYA2dr7

I also never knew Louisiana had any colored US shields.

Were the US routes all green (if not black and white); or was there a Florida-style multicolor system?

[mrose]

Horizontal traffic lights. I lived in two places that had 'em - Lincoln, Nebraska and later in Janesville, Wisconsin. Both have changed to vertical in recent years.

Manual change buckets at tollbooths. Archaic now but I used to enjoy fumbling for a couple of coins to throw in the big basket.

A few old scary truss bridges over the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers that no longer exist.

[thenetwork]

Here's a few Ohio memories from waaaaay back:

ODOT used to employ these semi-decorative concrete "bumps" usually in the middle of the road in between the yellow lines to indicate a poor man's center divider.  I don't know what they were officially called, but they reminded me of roadkill armadillos.

Some of the older state-maintained traffic signals or flashing beacons on a span wire would also have a small black-on-yellow "Signal No." ID Tag on the span wire as well.

For Akron-specific, large black and white-striped concrete bollards (with flashing lights at night) at some of the significant intersections in Akron.  Some lasted until the late 80s, including one at the W. Market/W. Exchange/Hawkins Avenue intersection.

[WillWeaverRVA]

Standalone secondary route shields in Virginia. They seem to be a bit of a dying breed since more and more localities are applying the route numbers to street name signs - I don't mind that, I just miss seeing the shields.

[hbelkins]

Here's a few Ohio memories from waaaaay back:

ODOT used to employ these semi-decorative concrete "bumps" usually in the middle of the road in between the yellow lines to indicate a poor man's center divider.  I don't know what they were officially called, but they reminded me of roadkill armadillos.

Some of the older state-maintained traffic signals or flashing beacons on a span wire would also have a small black-on-yellow "Signal No." ID Tag on the span wire as well.

For Akron-specific, large black and white-striped concrete bollards (with flashing lights at night) at some of the significant intersections in Akron.  Some lasted until the late 80s, including one at the W. Market/W. Exchange/Hawkins Avenue intersection.

I miss the N-EAST, N-WEST, S-EAST and S-WEST directional plates Ohio used to use, along with the tapered arrows.

[PColumbus73]

-North Carolina specific, but old double-reds for the left turn signals like here , here , and here.

-Mix of 8" heads and 12-8-8s (and their variants) before everything defaulted to 12" heads

-The 'Future I-73' signs that existed briefly in South Carolina

-Columbus, OH specific, but their old all-caps street blades

[thenetwork]

-North Carolina specific, but old double-reds for the left turn signals like here , here , and here.

My fave NC Double Reds were the all-vertical 12-12-8-8-8 ones. 

Oddly enough, I remember one stray intersection in Parma, Ohio back in the early 70s that had a slew of 12-12-8-8-8 verticals.

Also miss back in the day where municipalities had a whole assortment of signal brands -- sometimes at the same intersection -- as well as "modified" signals or "Frankensignals".

[Quillz]

I can't say I really miss them, but there are very few "guy wire" traffic signals left in the LA area, at least the SF Valley. They must go back to the 1950s or so.

Granted, they were very deficient since they could only hold one signal, instead of two (i.e. a dedicated turn signal).

[PColumbus73]

-North Carolina specific, but old double-reds for the left turn signals like here , here , and here.

My fave NC Double Reds were the all-vertical 12-12-8-8-8 ones. 

Oddly enough, I remember one stray intersection in Parma, Ohio back in the early 70s that had a slew of 12-12-8-8-8 verticals.

Also miss back in the day where municipalities had a whole assortment of signal brands -- sometimes at the same intersection -- as well as "modified" signals or "Frankensignals".

I don't remember any 12-12-8-8-8s, but I lived in the Fayetteville / Fort Bragg area, so maybe they weren't installed there. I do vaguely remember a pair of inline 5-sections at an intersection along Business 95. I think it would have been here.

I do remember a double-red left turn signal at Ray & Hay Street in Fayetteville that had both a left and left-up arrow.

I also vaguely remember a double-red right turn signal at Owen and Village Drive.

There was also this interesting oddball at Rankin and Winslow Streets.