The Worst of Road Signs

[Scott5114]

The AL-53 shield there appears to be at an angle, and the digits possibly at a different angle.

[OracleUsr]

That exit gore sign is actually pretty common in a lot of places.

It's standard in Nebraska, and used to be in Missouri.

Also used to be standard in Georgia for 3-digit exit numbers, though that's no longer the case. I think that died out in the 1999-2000 exit renumbering.

True, but 3-digit plus a letter gore signs often still had the tabbed numbers.  Many of those have gone away, but not completely.  It's been 6 years (Nov 2008) since I've been in downtown Atlanta or on I-75 in the greater metro area, but I think even with the MUTCD-compliance fest going on in Georgia  you still see this.

[WillWeaverRVA]

Exit 14 by freebrickproductions, on Flickr

Exit 17B by freebrickproductions, on Flickr

Why is the interstate shield on the overpass sign blank?

[hbelkins]

That's standard for Alabama bridge markers.

[TEG24601]

From the pointless requirements section of the MUTCD, NYCDOT, and the Department of Redundancy Department

There are quite a few similar signs in Ohio thanks to the standard prior to the new tabs being LEFT in black on yellow inline with the distance.  Now they have replaced the old with the new tabs and the result is yellow LEFT boxes everywhere!  Sigh.  (I liked Ohio's treatment much better than the enormous new tabs.  If we do have to stick with the new tabs for left exits, I wish we'd go with the Mass style ones, and definitely not the Louisiana all-yellow ones [how do they get away with that?!?!])

Also, since this is a Left Exit, but this is a Right Gantry, this is very confusing.  It this was along side of the road it wouldn't be as confusing, but as it is, I feel the gantry should be on the Left for a left exit.

[jbnv]

Also, since this is a Left Exit, but this is a Right Gantry, this is very confusing.  It this was along side of the road it wouldn't be as confusing, but as it is, I feel the gantry should be on the Left for a left exit.

Judging by the picture, it looks like it was easier for them to mount the gantry on the right side than on the left. Looks like there's a hill on the left that was probably too rocky to mount the gantry.

[roadman]

Judging by the picture, it looks like it was easier for them to mount the gantry on the right side than on the left. Looks like there's a hill on the left that was probably too rocky to mount the gantry.

Also, it looks to me like they mounted new signs to an existing support.  As sign supports normally can be expected to have at least twice the life span of sign panels, it's usually prudent policy to retain supports when replacing signs.  And, judging by the apparent age of the support, it was probably installed well before traffic engineers became overly concerned with things like emphasizing left hand exits through sign legends and support placement.

[Kniwt]

Lawrence Expressway (G2) northbound at I-280, San Jose (Street View image). Patches everywhere, border long gone (if it was ever there). Did the sign ever say anything else?

[jeffandnicole]

I don't care what country you're in, or how little you know about the roads, but one would think a basic image of a traffic light would be quite standard.  Even worse, there's about a half-dozen traffic light signs in this parking lot, and this one is the only one that got screwed up.  (Shopping Center is in Deptford, NJ, off of Routes 41 and 42)

[Ian]

I don't care what country you're in, or how little you know about the roads, but one would think a basic image of a traffic light would be quite standard.  Even worse, there's about a half-dozen traffic light signs in this parking lot, and this one is the only one that got screwed up.  (Shopping Center is in Deptford, NJ, off of Routes 41 and 42)

Reminds me of that one lane signal for the Commodore Barry Bridge toll plaza. You know the one...

[PHLBOS]

I don't care what country you're in, or how little you know about the roads, but one would think a basic image of a traffic light would be quite standard.  Even worse, there's about a half-dozen traffic light signs in this parking lot, and this one is the only one that got screwed up.  (Shopping Center is in Deptford, NJ, off of Routes 41 and 42)

Reminds me of that one lane signal for the Commodore Barry Bridge toll plaza. You know the one...

That toll plaza signal was probably the basis the fabricator used to make that sign lol. 

[jeffandnicole]

Reminds me of that one lane signal for the Commodore Barry Bridge toll plaza. You know the one...

Guarantee this photo was taken before July 1, 2011...when the toll went up to $5!

As for that toll lane - that was an EZ Pass add-on. Formerly, there were 2 EZ Pass lanes to the left, and the other 7 or so lanes were cash. This one is about 3rd from the right; I'm guessing to make it easier for trucks and traffic in general that couldn't get to the left booths.  No matter of the time of day or week, I've always seen this lane operate in EZ Pass mode function. 

Speaking of those left lanes - they were supposed to become Express EZ Pass lanes.  I found a story written in 2010 that said they should be working on it in the near future.  Haven't seen or heard anything since. http://www.nj.com/gloucester/index.ssf?/base/news-16/1290933610281190.xml

[Kniwt]

US 101 at CA 87, San Jose (Street View image):

[jakeroot]

^^^^^
They did so well abbreviating everything else. Was "SJ Conv Ctr" too much to ask for? Unless that's not the correct abbreviation for "convention".

[roadfro]

^ I don't think 'convention' has a standard abbreviation. However, it wouldn't have taken too much more sign panel area to write out "S J Convention Ctr".

[admtrap]

Well, California has been putting exit number on old road signs.  At Zzyzx Rd exit sign from northbound I-15 near Baker, CA, they goofed a bit...



Problem is, it's supposed to be Exit 239, not Exit 23.

No worries, though.  They fixed it...



The sign still looks like that, at least as of 2 weeks ago.

[Scott5114]

Of all signs to mess up, the Zzyzx one is probably one of the worst ones to pick. That's the one sign that non-roadgeeks will photograph.

[agentsteel53]

^ I don't think 'convention' has a standard abbreviation. However, it wouldn't have taken too much more sign panel area to write out "S J Convention Ctr".

is "Cnvntn" sufficiently comprehensible? or "Cvntn"?  I really have no idea; I think I'd be able to figure it out, especially if that were my target.

[1995hoo]

^ I don't think 'convention' has a standard abbreviation. However, it wouldn't have taken too much more sign panel area to write out "S J Convention Ctr".

is "Cnvntn" sufficiently comprehensible? or "Cvntn"?  I really have no idea; I think I'd be able to figure it out, especially if that were my target.

If I were preparing the sign, I'd probably opt for "Conv" under the theory "Conv Ctr" isn't likely to be confused with something like "conversation" or "convertible" (the latter abbreviation appears on my RX-7's title and registration, for instance).

The MUTCD examples turned up by a Google search all had the words spelled out, though it didn't appear they were attempting to prescribe the use of the full words.

[Brandon]

^ I don't think 'convention' has a standard abbreviation. However, it wouldn't have taken too much more sign panel area to write out "S J Convention Ctr".

is "Cnvntn" sufficiently comprehensible? or "Cvntn"?  I really have no idea; I think I'd be able to figure it out, especially if that were my target.

If I were preparing the sign, I'd probably opt for "Conv" under the theory "Conv Ctr" isn't likely to be confused with something like "conversation" or "convertible" (the latter abbreviation appears on my RX-7's title and registration, for instance).

The MUTCD examples turned up by a Google search all had the words spelled out, though it didn't appear they were attempting to prescribe the use of the full words.

Why do they need "S J" on the sign?  "Convention Ctr" below "S J. Intl Airport" would be more than sufficient, IMHO.

[TrevorB]

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.068661,-89.986344,3a,37.5y,91.19h,104.77t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sl63X7OBJeag53RHQtuoFtQ!2e0

[formulanone]

^ I'm not sure if it was intentional or not, but it's been that way since at least 2011.



(Cross-posted here, in the design errors thread.)

there's another one here. Its arrowless brother, anyway.

Seems to be an airport thing: MEM and BNA.

Then again, this is Tennessee we're talking about...they fall somewhere between Florida and Rhode Island for tossing the design book away.

[agentsteel53]

^ I'm not sure if it was intentional or not, but it's been that way since at least 2011.

pretty sure I saw something similar in 2007 in Memphis, but alas I have no photo.

the fact that the edges of the yellow are black, and the corners are not, just yields an extra level of inexplicability to the wrongness.

[agentsteel53]

Then again, this is Tennessee we're talking about...they fall somewhere between Florida and Rhode Island for tossing the design book away. Seems to be an airport thing: MEM and BNA.

you've never been to Oklahoma or New Mexico, have you?

[formulanone]

Oklahoma, yes; New Mexico, no. I guess I erased some of that OK signage from memory, probably thinking of Alanland all the while I was there, but RI seemed to have a lot of stretched fonts for such a small state!

Zooming in on the second sign kind of reveals that the border peeled away or fell apart somehow. So maybe it was white underneath and the black letters and border were laid over them - bonded perhaps? I don't know anything about sign manufacturing, but light, riveted things don't just fall off for what doesn't appear to be that old a sign...hard to tell for sure.