Unique, Odd, or Interesting Signs aka The good, the bad, and the ugly

[kphoger]

It would help if the signals had the name of the cross street on them so you could say "Oh, that signal says Mission Road on it, but I'm on Mission Road, so that's not my signal."

That would make some sense, if only Mission Road didn't basically end at that intersection, and if Southwest Blvd didn't make a turn at that intersection...

[wanderer2575]

OBSERVE
YOUR
SIGNAL

https://maps.app.goo.gl/8UwModp7TgJS7UGs5

That's sort of like the "Use only as directed" mumble at the end of every patent medicine ad. If you're not going to obey the signal, why would you obey the sign that tells you to obey the signal?

You're putting the emphasis on the wrong word—the sign is reminding you to observe YOUR signal, as opposed to observing SOMEBODY ELSE'S signal.

This sign is used in the Kansas City area in places where it might be confusing which signal applies to you. (I first saw it used in an application where there were two closely-spaced signals on a slight hill, so that your eyes would naturally be drawn to the signal further in the distance that didn't apply to you. They ended up adding a median to make one of the intersections RIRO, but ancient GSV exists of the old setup.)

I don't know that it helps, exactly, considering it doesn't really let you know which one is yours. At least with the example on 78th Street, they used it in conjunction with 3M signals to help with that. On Southwest Blvd. you're on your own.

When the first generation of computer/sensor-controlled signals went up at some intersections in Oakland County MI in the '80s, "Computer Signal Ahead -- Obey YOUR Signal" signs were posted on the approaches.  The intent was not to distinguish between side-by-side signal heads, but rather that if you saw opposing thru traffic move but you still had a red light (because the opposing leading left had a longer green), remain stopped until you got your green and don't assume the signal is malfunctioning.

[pderocco]

It would help if the signals had the name of the cross street on them so you could say "Oh, that signal says Mission Road on it, but I'm on Mission Road, so that's not my signal."

That would make some sense, if only Mission Road didn't basically end at that intersection, and if Southwest Blvd didn't make a turn at that intersection...

Solution: replace it all with another roundabout.

[LilianaUwU]

Road work ahead.

The screws being so rusted, especially on the I-96 sign, makes me think those works have been going on for a while.

[CoreySamson]

A couple I found on my Mexico trip this past week:

Cool diagrammatic sign on MX-57 near Allende...


Are mileage signs in Mexico usually blue?


Widest spacing on a road sign I've ever seen?


Is San Angelo the smallest city to use "Hazardous Material" signage?


I kinda like this usage of a NJ-style white background for business interstate shields on BGSs for legibility (but not any of the rest of this sign!) Thoughts?


Ah yes, let's squish together the toll banner with the I-335 shield. Good ol' ODOT...

[kphoger]

Cool diagrammatic sign on MX-57 near Allende...

Oh man, that has peeled badly since the last time I drove through.  Geez.

Are mileage signs in Mexico usually blue?

Nope.  And I don't recall having seen that either.  I tried finding it on GSV but had no luck.  Can you find it?

[vdeane]

"Freeway Ends 1 Mile"
Traffic light: much closer than a mile

Good old West Virginia.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/E6Tto6YjeWYqjuBU6

[74/171FAN]

On 53rd St in Anderson, IN.

53RD ST WEST OF COLUMBUS AVE by Mark Moore, on Flickr

[freebrickproductions]

"Freeway Ends 1 Mile"
Traffic light: much closer than a mile

Good old West Virginia.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/E6Tto6YjeWYqjuBU6

Looking around some, I'm not sure if the road before that sign qualifies as a freeway either.

[vdeane]

"Freeway Ends 1 Mile"
Traffic light: much closer than a mile

Good old West Virginia.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/E6Tto6YjeWYqjuBU6

Looking around some, I'm not sure if the road before that sign qualifies as a freeway either.

West Virginia has an odd definition of "freeway" that includes divided highways with at-grades for some reason.  It probably works fine for, say, Corridor H, but this part of US 340 has a ton of lights and no interchanges.

[CoreySamson]

Are mileage signs in Mexico usually blue?

Nope.  And I don't recall having seen that either.  I tried finding it on GSV but had no luck.  Can you find it?

Gauging by the order in which I took my photos, it is on MX-29 SB between rural road B-32 (near La Bandera) and the town limits of San Carlos in Coahuila, probably around here based on the power lines. I'm assuming that it was put up sometime in the last three years.

Well, upon looking through my photos to find where that was, I also found another blue sign, which is somewhere around here:

[pderocco]

"Freeway Ends 1 Mile"
Traffic light: much closer than a mile

Good old West Virginia.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/E6Tto6YjeWYqjuBU6

Looking around some, I'm not sure if the road before that sign qualifies as a freeway either.

West Virginia has an odd definition of "freeway" that includes divided highways with at-grades for some reason.  It probably works fine for, say, Corridor H, but this part of US 340 has a ton of lights and no interchanges.

There are two common definitions of freeway. The one in general use applies to fully controlled access roads, while the more legalistic definition applies to roads that abutters have no access rights to. They're free of driveways, but not public cross streets. US-395 in California's Owens Valley has lots of these signs on its wire fences:

But END FREEWAY signs should, and normally do, refer to the first definition.

[Jim]

Not sure if I've posted this one from and I-55 onramp in Arkansas, taken back in 2005.





Are parades on interstate highways a recurring problem in places that don't have signs prohibiting them?

[1995hoo]

"Freeway Ends 1 Mile"
Traffic light: much closer than a mile

Good old West Virginia.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/E6Tto6YjeWYqjuBU6

It's referring to where the road narrows ahead to a two-lane road with no median prior to the descent to the Shenandoah River bridge.

[74/171FAN]

On State St in Pendleton, IN, west of US 36/IN 9/IN 38/IN 67

STATE ST WEST OF US 36, IN 9, IN 38, AND IN 67 by Mark Moore, on Flickr

And on IN 38 EB south east of Pendleton

IN 38 EAST EAST OF CR 300 (2) by Mark Moore, on Flickr

[ClassicHasClass]

I suspect those blue signs were greenies that faded. I've seen a couple like that in the Victor Valley.

Is San Angelo the smallest city to use "Hazardous Material" signage?

Hawthorne, NV says hi:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/HwVcxzNSuB3bGthSA

This is no doubt because of the Army Depot, which has a lot of ammo and explosive ordnance.