Mix Yer Fonts!

[Brandon]

How many signs out there have two or more fonts on the sign?

Here's one, courtesy of ISTHA on I-88 westbound near Oak Brook.  It has friends as well.

[Takumi]

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=3521.msg128331;topicseen#msg128331
First one, rightmost overhead.

[Ian]

Typical PennDOT sign with everything in highway gothic besides the Clearview control cities:

[PurdueBill]

It looks like "TOLL ROAD" also managed to be Clearview on the PA sign, but otherwise indeed the tab and distance are FHWA lettering.  Isn't that what the FHWA recommends?  Clearview for mixed-case legend for control cities and such, but FHWA lettering for all-caps and numeric legend (like distances and exit numbers)?  I believe that's what that FAQ said was acceptable/recommended.

That Illinois assembly is a mess...negative contrast Clearview on the left sign, some numerals in each font on the right, I'm surprised the IL 83 shield came out ok!

[PHLBOS]

It looks like "TOLL ROAD" also managed to be Clearview on the PA sign, but otherwise indeed the tab and distance are FHWA lettering.  Isn't that what the FHWA recommends?  Clearview for mixed-case legend for control cities and such, but FHWA lettering for all-caps and numeric legend (like distances and exit numbers)?  I believe that's what that FAQ said was acceptable/recommended.

IIRC, the above-application of Clearview (sans the "TOLL ROAD" lettering) is what FHWA recommends.

While PennDOT, for the most part, has followed such convention; its toll-road counterpart, the PTC (Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission), has essentially applied the Clearview Gone Wild convention.  Every newer sign along the PTC system has Clearview for ALL lettering and numerals, except for the route shields and Speed Limit signs.  Many of the applications are NOT FHWA recommended nor appropriate.

The most blatant example of how NOT to apply Clearview is the small "EMERGENCY STOPPING" signs along the Turnpike; the "1500 FEET" advance signs in particular.  The narrower lettering (in order to fit the same size sign board) is actually HARDER to read from a distance than the standard FHWA fonts.

[Henry]

How many signs out there have two or more fonts on the sign?

Here's one, courtesy of ISTHA on I-88 westbound near Oak Brook.  It has friends as well.

To the average person, it could be hard to spot the difference.

Typical PennDOT sign with everything in highway gothic besides the Clearview control cities:

Now that is more obvious!

[agentsteel53]

How many signs out there have two or more fonts on the sign?

Here's one, courtesy of ISTHA on I-88 westbound near Oak Brook.  It has friends as well.

To the average person, it could be hard to spot the difference.

Indeed, pretty subtle. 

The only glyph which is obviously Clearview is the "1" before "MILE".  the letters in "MILE" are fairly similar to Highway Gothic.  The "M" is most dissimilar (higher "valley" in the middle); "L" and "E" just have variation in the stroke thickness between vertical and horizontal, and "I" is quite likely identical.

[myosh_tino]

I didn't know PA-43 was a transcontinental route connecting California to Pennsylvania?  

FYI, there is a city called Pittsburg (minus the 'h') in California.  It's located east of San Francisco near Concord and Walnut Creek.

Also, while I don't like Clearview, I could live with signs that look like that Pennsylvania sign.  Use Clearview only for control cities and/or street names.  Everything else should be in Highway Gothic.

[PurdueBill]

The only glyph which is obviously Clearview is the "1" before "MILE".  the letters in "MILE" are fairly similar to Highway Gothic.  The "M" is most dissimilar (higher "valley" in the middle); "L" and "E" just have variation in the stroke thickness between vertical and horizontal, and "I" is quite likely identical.

The Es do have a minor difference--the middle horizontal stroke is the full width of the letter in Clearview and shorter in FHWA.

 
(click on image for the full-size, easier to see)

[1995hoo]

Inbound 14th Street Bridge in DC:



"Nationals Park" is also compressed on the next sign along there (around the curve to the right).

[US71]

Here's a B-C Mix from Searcy, AR

[CentralCAroadgeek]

I know this won't really count, but I snapped this one picture in Monterey featuring signs in Clearview and Clarendon:

Even though I hate signs in Clarendon (thanks a lot, Salinas), Monterey actually makes it look rather nice.

[FLRoads]

Though not on the same sign, this particular sign assembly along Interstate 40 east in western Arkansas shares both Highway Gothic and Clearview fonts:


It could be a simple case of the Purple Heart Trail sign being added after the other, but both signs looked as if they were installed at the same time...

There are a few more instances of this mixture of fonts along the interstate heading east toward Little Rock from the Fort Smith area.

[PHLBOS]

No pic. available, but a newly-erected overhead sign gantry along the southbound PA Turnpike-NE Extension (I-476 just north of the Mid-County interchange #20) containing 3 BGS (476 South, 276 East & West) has a mis-match of fonts for the numerals in the I-shields.  The one for I-476 South is fine (series C) but the I-276 shields are an absolute mess.  Neither font of the 276 shields are the same as the 476 shield (all should be series C IMHO), despite being the same size.  The one for I-276 East is of the narrower series B and the one for I-276 West are of the series D (which makes for a very tight fit on the shield). 

Additionally (and I'm not 100% positive on this one since I only saw it once last week), the shield shape for I-276 West differered from the other 2 shields as well; it was more of the 'bubble-shape' type rather than the conventional MUTCD shape for 3di shields.

It seems that neither PennDOT nor the PTC is does the I-276 shields on BGS right over the last decade.  Either the numerals for the shields are too narrow (series B) or too tight (usually series D) or, worse, a 'bubble' shield is used (I-ve seen similar shields for I-476 and I-495 (Delaware).  The only correctly-done (IMHO) I-276 signs (series C font) are either the trailblazer signs or BGS' that were erected during the 1980s (w/button-copy lettering for everything else but the shields).  The 90s-era PennDOT and some PTC signs that feature 276 in series D but of a smaller size don't look too bad either.

In contrast, most of the numerals for the I-476 shields are reasonably consistent although, some of the newly-erected trailblazer signs feature a 'bubble' type 3di shield but at least it's a bit more tastefully done.

[formulanone]

Didn't know the National Park Service started using Clearview along with Clarendon?

[PurdueBill]

I don't think that's Clarendon--that's the new NPS signage face--Rawlinson I think.  I have seen it in combination with Clearview around here on their newest signage.

[cpzilliacus]

I don't think that's Clarendon--that's the new NPS signage face--Rawlinson I think.  I have seen it in combination with Clearview around here on their newest signage.

Around the D.C. area (which has many roads and parkways under NPS jurisdiction), they are using another font (not Clarendon, which they used for years), though I don't know its name and I don't have an example handy either.

[formulanone]

I don't think that's Clarendon--that's the new NPS signage face--Rawlinson I think.  I have seen it in combination with Clearview around here on their newest signage.

You're right, but it's an offshoot from Rawlinson affectionately called "NPS Roadway":

http://www.terminaldesign.com/customfonts/fonts/npsrawlinsonroadway/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NPS_Rawlinson_Roadway

Looking back...it's not really Clarendon at all.
Clarendon (courtesy of a PD photo at Wikipedia):