text-based guide signs instead of shields

[Truvelo]

Here's another one from NY. The gantry before this has the route numbers in shields.

[Duke87]

I can only imagine that it's about cost. A few letters/numbers are probably cheaper than a shield, and you potentially get to reduce the sign size which also saves money.

New York did follow this practice profusely although the signs from it are now slowly but surely vanishing. 287 was covered in them until it was reconstructed about 10 years ago.

[Michael]

^^ I'm from New York, and I've never seen text-based signs anywhere in the state.  I live in CNY, so the if text-based signs did exist in this area, they must have been replaced.

[xcellntbuy]

Back in the 1950's and 1960's, the New York State Thruway had all big blue signs, with black sign-backing.  Even the "No U Turn" and "Keep Right" signs on exit ramps (rarely divided) were white letters on blue backgrounds.

Big blue signs were in text, always "Route xxx" never NY xxx or US xx.  This was the era before the Interstate system was created and when Interstate highways were finished and completed, an interstate shield was placed on an appended post at the top of the sign, usually off-center to the exit tab.

[PAHighways]

I'm surprised no one's mentioned PA 60 near New Castle which is covered in them.

US 422 has them as well, but they are a dying breed.  US 220 had all text guide signs near Lock Haven before it was rehabilitated this past year.

Pennsylvania used all text guide signs for interchanges with state and US routes (Interstates always used shields) for a time in the 60s and 70s, then they briefly began to use US and PA shields with a black outline as had existed on former 279 at Saw Mill Run Boulevard until 2000.

[PAHighways]

I imagine in the next few months most of those will be replaced as part of the I-376 renumbering.  I would expect them to have shields.  We'll see.

That would be a safe bet.  For whatever reason, the signs north of the US 422 interchange are much newer than the ones around New Castle.  The ones at the last interchange with PA 18 just north of 80 were just replaced around 2004 and use Clearview.

[njroadhorse]

There used to be a nice text assembly on US 22 West at PA 309 in Allentown.  It's been replaced with the dreaded Clearview BGS's now.

[hbelkins]

US 422 has them as well, but they are a dying breed.  US 220 had all text guide signs near Lock Haven before it was rehabilitated this past year.

Pennsylvania used all text guide signs for interchanges with state and US routes (Interstates always used shields) for a time in the 60s and 70s, then they briefly began to use US and PA shields with a black outline as had existed on former 279 at Saw Mill Run Boulevard until 2000.

If I'm not mistaken, there are some on US 15 south approaching US 220/I-180 at Williamsport.

[rickmastfan67]

US 422 has them as well, but they are a dying breed.  US 220 had all text guide signs near Lock Haven before it was rehabilitated this past year.

Pennsylvania used all text guide signs for interchanges with state and US routes (Interstates always used shields) for a time in the 60s and 70s, then they briefly began to use US and PA shields with a black outline as had existed on former 279 at Saw Mill Run Boulevard until 2000.

If I'm not mistaken, there are some on US 15 south approaching US 220/I-180 at Williamsport.

There were a few still up on US-220 in that area in July.  Give me a few and I'll get the pictures up.

EDIT: Nevermind.  They are old signs, but they had shields in them.

[Riverside Frwy]

Text based is Hideous, also I can imagine it would be harder to distinguish between duplicate routes(i.e. An Interstate and a State Route having the same number) since there are no shields.

[J N Winkler]

Text designations can be tricky on small signs, especially if business route suffixes are used.  I invite you to translate the following:

BI 20G          3
MONAHANS   5

[agentsteel53]

Text designations can be tricky on small signs, especially if business route suffixes are used.  I invite you to translate the following:

BI 20G          3
MONAHANS   5

Business Interstate 20, segment G?  Must be Texas.

[TheStranger]

Text based is Hideous, also I can imagine it would be harder to distinguish between duplicate routes(i.e. An Interstate and a State Route having the same number) since there are no shields.

Yes and no: sometimes it's easier when the designation is spelled out (i.e. "US xx" or "Interstate xx"). 

I know a few examples exist in California though I can't really think of any in metro Sacramento. 

[agentsteel53]

Yes and no: sometimes it's easier when the designation is spelled out (i.e. "US xx" or "Interstate xx"). 

I tend to have an easier time parsing a US shield vs a state shield, as opposed to spelled out names.  Well, except in the case of Wisconsin! 

[Dougtone]

^^ I'm from New York, and I've never seen text-based signs anywhere in the state.  I live in CNY, so the if text-based signs did exist in this area, they must have been replaced.

It is an older practice that NYSDOT had, and it is possible that not every NYSDOT region used text based signs often.  I can't think of any examples in the wild in Region 3 (Syracuse, Auburn, Ithaca, Cortland, Oswego for those not in the know).

[realjd]

It seems like text on a mileage sign is fairly common, like Indiana does:




While other states use shields on their mileage signs, like Florida:



Do any other states use shields on distance mileage signs? I've only really noticed it in Florida, but I can't say I paid that much attention elsewhere.

[rawmustard]

Do any other states use shields on distance mileage signs? I've only really noticed it in Florida, but I can't say I paid that much attention elsewhere.

I know the Ohio Turnpike uses shields on many of its distance signs approaching Indiana, especially from Toledo westward, where I-69 is listed as the second destination. I think I remember seeing some signs in Indiana which used shields for distances, but there are still lots of text in the instances where the distance to a route is given. Michigan will still list a route as text in the rare instances it gives the distance to a trunkline.

[J N Winkler]

Business Interstate 20, segment G?  Must be Texas.

Got it in one--but I doubt the ordinary motorist would.

Do any other states use shields on distance mileage signs? I've only really noticed it in Florida, but I can't say I paid that much attention elsewhere.

Arizona and Nebraska both do it, while Kansas doesn't.  I believe California does it too.

[Brandon]

Text based is Hideous, also I can imagine it would be harder to distinguish between duplicate routes(i.e. An Interstate and a State Route having the same number) since there are no shields.

Not really.  Distinguishing between routes is easier when they use something other than "Route" or "Highway" in front of the number.  Illinois uses "Illinois XX" for state routes, "US XX" for US routes, and "Interstate XX" for interstates (yes, interstate is spelled out).  Michigan is similar, US-XX for US routes, I-XX for interstates, and M-XX for state routes.

[agentsteel53]

Got it in one--but I doubt the ordinary motorist would.

I don't think the ordinary motorist cares if he is on segment G of the business loop.  I wonder why Texas bothered to note it in full-size letter on the green sign.  On the shields it's a tiny little unobtrusive letter.

[SSOWorld]

Wisconsin did it quite a bit in the past - using "HWY" for every number/letter even for Interstates.  Lately any new signs going up have the shields.

[Brandon]

Wisconsin did it quite a bit in the past - using "HWY" for every number/letter even for Interstates.  Lately any new signs going up have the shields.

I remember seeing quite a few of those in the Milwaukee area.  The distance signs would say:

HWY X   1 mile
HWY 18  2 miles
HWY 94  3 miles

And no difference between routes (for the record, X would be a county highway, 18 a US highway, and 94 an interstate).

[froggie]

Do any other states use shields on distance mileage signs?

Minnesota does.  I posted a drawn up example in another thread a couple months ago...

[Brandon]

Do any other states use shields on distance mileage signs?

The Illinois Tollway has been using them.  Many of theirs around Chicagoland also include the name of the expressway or tollway.  IDOT has only one that I know of on I-80 westbound between US-45 and I-355.

[agentsteel53]

I do not know if this is an Iowa DOT work, but it is in Iowa.