Clearview on the Thruway

[dgolub]

I was taking a bus on the Thruway yesterday, and I noticed some new overhead signs that appear to use Clearview.  They're northbound at exit 15A and southbound at exit 15.  I'm quite frankly not sure why they replaced those signs at all.

[hotdogPi]

I was taking a bus on the Thruway yesterday, and I noticed some new overhead signs that appear to use Clearview.  They're northbound at exit 15A and southbound at exit 15.  I'm quite frankly not sure why they replaced those signs at all.

Maybe they got knocked down by a vehicle?

[MikeSantNY78]

The free I-90 section around Buffalo (between Exits 50 and 55) had signs replaced recently, and they went Clearview as well.  This may be a gradual NYSTA conversion...

[machias]

I was taking a bus on the Thruway yesterday, and I noticed some new overhead signs that appear to use Clearview.  They're northbound at exit 15A and southbound at exit 15.  I'm quite frankly not sure why they replaced those signs at all.

I could be snarky and say it's because the Thruway found the signs to be too legible, so they went with their own manufacturing methods, which includes Clearview.  I believe the last set of signs before the replacement were installed by a contractor when the entire area was reconfigured, so those signs didn't have that distinct Thruway look to them.

Do the new signs suffer from the same problem as the new ones in Buffalo -- the lettering fades into the green background because of the different type of sheeting between the background and the lettering? I've noticed that with a few exceptions, most of the Clearview signs on the Thruway go against the interim approval in that all lettering on the panel is Clearview, instead of just the destination lines. 

You'd think if they were going to use Clearview, they'd use it correctly, what with being paid toll money and the like.

[dgolub]

Maybe they got knocked down by a vehicle?

I doubt it since they were signs on both the northbound side and the southbound side.

[mtantillo]

All the Clearview downstate is just as illegible at night as near Buffalo. Total fail by NYSTA.

[cl94]

All the Clearview downstate is just as illegible at night as near Buffalo. Total fail by NYSTA.

Why does that not shock me? Speaking of that, I got blinded by the Exit 53 advances less than an hour ago. Like the option lane, but not those 3 signs.

[Buffaboy]

All the Clearview downstate is just as illegible at night as near Buffalo. Total fail by NYSTA.

Why does that not shock me? Speaking of that, I got blinded by the Exit 53 advances less than an hour ago. Like the option lane, but not those 3 signs.

Driving back from Utica today around 8 I noticed the Downtown Buffalo/Canada 190 sign was very very dark. Pretty illegible for a big sign, but I can't remember if it's been replaced or not.

[Alex]

Noted several assemblies with Clearview font along the Thruway last week from the Garden State Parkway extension northward to the Adirondack Northway. If it was originally, they are definitely not a random thing anymore.

[cl94]

Noted several assemblies with Clearview font along the Thruway last week from the Garden State Parkway extension northward to the Adirondack Northway. If it was originally, they are definitely not a random thing anymore.

They haven't been random in years. If they aren't the majority, they're pretty close to being it.

[Alex]

Noted several assemblies with Clearview font along the Thruway last week from the Garden State Parkway extension northward to the Adirondack Northway. If it was originally, they are definitely not a random thing anymore.

They haven't been random in years. If they aren't the majority, they're pretty close to being it.

They were not the majority on the stretch we drove last week. The use of Clearview was spotty, there were clusters of signs with it, then Highway Gothic reappeared. I do not have my photos on the PC here yet, so I cannot type out or post an inventory of what I saw just yet.

[cl94]

Noted several assemblies with Clearview font along the Thruway last week from the Garden State Parkway extension northward to the Adirondack Northway. If it was originally, they are definitely not a random thing anymore.

They haven't been random in years. If they aren't the majority, they're pretty close to being it.

They were not the majority on the stretch we drove last week. The use of Clearview was spotty, there were clusters of signs with it, then Highway Gothic reappeared. I do not have my photos on the PC here yet, so I cannot type out or post an inventory of what I saw just yet.

Interesting. Except for a lone button copy sign and a few holdouts (at least 3 of which will be replaced within the next year, others are <20 years), everything from parking area signs to "exit only" panels west of Rochester is Clearview. They went a bit crazy this summer and got rid of just about everything not at Exits 50A or 52A.

[vdeane]

They were still relatively rare on the Rochester-Albany corridor when I last checked on Labor Day.

[roadman]

They were still relatively rare on the Rochester-Albany corridor when I last checked on Labor Day.

Noted only one Clearview sign (advance sign for Exit B3 eastbound) when I was on the Berkshire Extension two weekends ago.

[machias]

The Thruway has foundations for all new signs from Verona to Chittenango Service Area. Has anyone found the plans for these signs? I think we are about to assaulted with Clearview at Thruway Authority quality.

[cl94]

The Thruway has foundations for all new signs from Verona to Chittenango Service Area. Has anyone found the plans for these signs? I think we are about to assaulted with Clearview at Thruway Authority quality.

Plans I've seen recently for other projects are all FHWA, but the font on the plans might mean nothing in respect to what NYSTA decides to provide contractors with

[Alex]

Here is what I observed along the Thruway in Clearview:

Northbound:
all signs for the toll plaza before Exit 14B
clearview shield for NJ 17 south on the one mile overhead for Exit 15
Approach sign for Exit 15A, including a pull through for I-87/NYT north
Gorepoint for Exit 15A
Mileage sign after I-84
Auxiliary sign for Exit 19 about Historic Kingston
All signs for the parking area north of Exit 19
Mileage sign after Exit 22
Auxiliary guide sign for Lake George and Lake Champlain for Exit 24

Southbound:
Initial sign for the Berkshire Spur (10 miles ahead)
Text Stop overlays for the parking area south of Exit 21
Mileage sign for NYC south of Exit 19
Last sign for Exit 18
1.5 mile approach sign for the Modena Service Area
Two mile sign for Exit 17
1/2 mile sign for the Rampa Service Area
Second to last set of signs for Exit 17
New Jersey state line sign on the departing I-287 south.

[dgolub]

I went away on a business trip today, and the bus went on the Thruway to get there.  (I'm not sure why you'd take the Thruway to get from the West Side of Manhattan to Vernon, New Jersey, but that's another story.)  There's now even more Clearview in Rockland County than there was two weeks ago.

[Michael]

I just saw an album on Imgur of what I think is a Thruway sign in a sign shop for the PIP exit.  Here's the first picture from the album:


On a side note, what's with the boxed "SOUTH" cardinal direction?

[cl94]

I just saw [gallery] of what I think is a Thruway sign in a sign shop for the PIP exit.  Here's the first picture from the album:
[image]

On a side note, what's with the boxed "SOUTH" cardinal direction?

Not shocking. They're replacing all of the old stuff right now. I wouldn't be surprised if the button copy in Utica and Albany disappears soon, as well.

Don't know what's up with the box. Nothing like that at Exit 52 E-W, which is also a reference route. Just normal cardinal directions. Box is a no-no, but it makes sense in this situation to separate it from the road name.

[NJRoadfan]

I guess they don't like using the PIP shield on signs in New York either. NJDOT and the Port Authority avoid using it too, and there are close to zero markers on the highway itself until you reach NY.

[cl94]

I guess they don't like using the PIP shield on signs in New York either. NJDOT and the Port Authority avoid using it too, and there are close to zero markers on the highway itself until you reach NY.

NYSTA hates using it. NYSDOT will typically only use it, similar to how they treat the Long Island parkways.

[dgolub]

Yeah, I've never seen the compass direction in a box before.  Weird.