All caps street name signs still being installed?

[Pink Jazz]

I have noticed that some cities here in the Phoenix area (particularly Gilbert, Chandler, and Mesa) continue to install some all caps street name signs on some non-signalized intersections, particularly residential areas.  I thought that according to the 2009 MUTCD all new street name signs have to be mixed case.  I wonder how these cities are getting away with installing all caps signs. 

New signs at signalized intersections, however, are in mixed case and in Clearview.  I wonder what will they use if the FHWA rescinds its interim approval.  Previously, these three cities used mixed case Helvetica at signalized intersections rather than Highway Gothic.

[dfwmapper]

The cities probably don't give a shit about MUTCD compliance. Perhaps on regulatory signs, since bad design could be used to get out of a traffic ticket, but not something like a street name.

[Pete from Boston]

The larger cities around here keep putting up all caps.  I don't think they care.  I don't see new signs as much in the suburbs, but Malden is putting up the first clearly legible mixed-case ones I've seen (wider characters rather than the cramped narrower ones I've seen in some places).

[Pink Jazz]

The cities probably don't give a shit about MUTCD compliance. Perhaps on regulatory signs, since bad design could be used to get out of a traffic ticket, but not something like a street name.

Well, apparently Virginia Beach, Virginia is following it, as all of their new street name signs are mixed case.  In addition, for private streets, white signs are now being used instead of yellow which is no longer allowed by the MUTCD; only colors now permitted are green, blue, brown, or white.

[Pete from Boston]

The cities probably don't give a shit about MUTCD compliance. Perhaps on regulatory signs, since bad design could be used to get out of a traffic ticket, but not something like a street name.

Well, apparently Virginia Beach, Virginia is following it, as all of their new street name signs are mixed case.  In addition, for private streets, white signs are now being used instead of yellow which is no longer allowed by the MUTCD; only colors now permitted are green, blue, brown, or white.

Seems a bit micro-managy of the MUTCD to mandate "private street" tag colors. 

[cjk374]

Ruston, LA manufactures their own signage.  All new street blades have been mixed case.

Lincoln Parish manufactures their own blades, and makes them for Jackson and Bienville Parishes as well.  They too have been mixed case.

[Scott5114]

The cities probably don't give a shit about MUTCD compliance. Perhaps on regulatory signs, since bad design could be used to get out of a traffic ticket, but not something like a street name.

Well, apparently Virginia Beach, Virginia is following it, as all of their new street name signs are mixed case.  In addition, for private streets, white signs are now being used instead of yellow which is no longer allowed by the MUTCD; only colors now permitted are green, blue, brown, or white.

Seems a bit micro-managy of the MUTCD to mandate "private street" tag colors.

The idea is to keep guide signs distinct from warning/caution signs by limiting their colors to a few permitted colors.

As for the original question, yes, the MUTCD requires mixed case as of 2009, but there is little in the way of consequences if they don't follow it. What is the FHWA going to do, not pay them federal funding that they probably aren't getting anyway?

[Pink Jazz]

Seems a bit micro-managy of the MUTCD to mandate "private street" tag colors.

These rules apply to all street name signs, not just those for private streets.

The idea is to keep guide signs distinct from warning/caution signs by limiting their colors to a few permitted colors.

Interestingly, Mesa went with ruby-red colored signs for the Fiesta District.  A bit more pinkish than stop signs, but still red overall.  However, they went with blue for the Power Road Knowledge Corridor near ASU Polytechnic, which were installed this year.  I'm actually surprised they chose blue, as blue street name signs in Mesa usually designate private streets; green is the standard color used for Mesa street name signs.  Also, the Eastmark neighborhood uses brown.

[freebrickproductions]

Huntsville does it still as far as I know. This one was put up sometime after 2009 IIRC:
https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=34.666956,-86.539209&spn=0.000002,0.001032&t=h&z=21&layer=c&cbll=34.666956,-86.539209&panoid=B-JGU9HAaDJ_NTcU-pQjwQ&cbp=12,345.57,,3,1.05

Although they don't do it for the ones mounted on traffic light cantilevers:
https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=34.67473,-86.540651&spn=0.000002,0.001032&t=h&z=21&layer=c&cbll=34.67473,-86.540651&panoid=bh_Ay6ecgE8JB5JEwzKtXw&cbp=12,246.13,,2,-30.15

[pianocello]

AFAIK, all caps signs are still being added in both Davenport and Valparaiso. In fact, the only places I've seen make a transition from all caps to mixed case are Iowa City and Rock Island, IL (but the latter barely counts as almost all of the streets are numbered).

[mjb2002]

I wish there was a way to report rogue counties such as Bamberg, S.C. They have installed nothing but all caps signs countywide. I've been the whole lengths of US Routes 78 and 321, as well as S.C. Routes 70 and 362, and I have seen nothing but all caps on the guide signs there.

Last I checked, there was no law prohibiting the FHWA from lowering the boom on counties for installing all caps street name signs.

[NE2]

Snitches get stitches.

[mtantillo]

I wish there was a way to report rogue counties such as Bamberg, S.C. They have installed nothing but all caps signs countywide. I've been the whole lengths of US Routes 78 and 321, as well as S.C. Routes 70 and 362, and I have seen nothing but all caps on the guide signs there.

Last I checked, there was no law prohibiting the FHWA from lowering the boom on counties for installing all caps street name signs.

FHWA would revoke funding from the state. FHWA doesn't deal with municipalities directly.

[cl94]

Much of New York seems to have abandoned the practice, if not the entire state. Everything I've seen installed in the past 3-4 years has been mixed-case. In fact, Erie County and the Town of Lancaster have been aggressively replacing non-reflective and all-caps signage, with the latter replacing all signage on its roads by the end of 2012. Region 5 and the City of Buffalo were the last holdouts.

In one notable case on US 20 in Lancaster, NYSDOT replaced the span-wire signals with mast arms but left one of the old poles standing. Apparently, they didn't want to replace the (all-caps) street name blades with new (mixed-case) ones.

[jakeroot]

I wish there was a way to report rogue counties such as Bamberg, S.C. They have installed nothing but all caps signs countywide. I've been the whole lengths of US Routes 78 and 321, as well as S.C. Routes 70 and 362, and I have seen nothing but all caps on the guide signs there.

Last I checked, there was no law prohibiting the FHWA from lowering the boom on counties for installing all caps street name signs.

FHWA would revoke funding from the state. FHWA doesn't deal with municipalities directly.

I'm not a legal expert, but I find it highly unlikely that the FHWA would pursue legal action against a state because of the typeface on a street sign. If a municipality decided to adopt drive-on-the-left laws, then yeah, I could see it.

[mjb2002]

I wish there was a way to report rogue counties such as Bamberg, S.C. They have installed nothing but all caps signs countywide. I've been the whole lengths of US Routes 78 and 321, as well as S.C. Routes 70 and 362, and I have seen nothing but all caps on the guide signs there.

Last I checked, there was no law prohibiting the FHWA from lowering the boom on counties for installing all caps street name signs.

FHWA would revoke funding from the state. FHWA doesn't deal with municipalities directly.

I'm not a legal expert, but I find it highly unlikely that the FHWA would pursue legal action against a state because of the typeface on a street sign. If a municipality decided to adopt drive-on-the-left laws, then yeah, I could see it.

You're right about the FHWA not seeking legal action against counties because of all caps notation on a street name sign, but private citizens are not gonna be so relaxed, especially when at least someone has told the people about the new regulations. One of the reasons why the change from all caps to proper case was because of the issues new EMTs had coming to residences in places that had all caps street name signs — keep in mind, EMT drivers have a very high turnover rate, and that means neophyte drivers are a big possibility. And GPS? GPS is not a defense in a lawsuit where someone's loved one died because the all caps sign hindered first aid to the deceased person — and besides, GPS is not a Ishtar or a God.

By now, everyone knows what the MUTCD dictates. After all, there was a big fuss in some circles over the proper case requirements about 50 months ago.

[cjk374]

The town of McNeil, AR just put up new streetblades in all caps.  I didn't see the FHWA police anywhere.

[PColumbus73]

I like Columbus, OH's All Caps street blades

[TEG24601]

I actually brought this up in a city council budget meeting, and the Public Works director was amazed that someone had any idea about the MUTCD, and he has agreed to study replacing our street signs over the next few years, given the last time we did any update to our street blades was 1991.

[mjb2002]

I actually brought this up in a city council budget meeting, and the Public Works director was amazed that someone had any idea about the MUTCD, and he has agreed to study replacing our street signs over the next few years, given the last time we did any update to our street blades was 1991.

I wrote about the MUTCD numerous times on my site, although I have not had to do so lately.

[andy3175]

San Diego, California, uses a mixture of initial large capital letter and subsequent small capital letters for its newer street signs.

A sample can be found here: http://www.sandiego.gov/street-div/services/trafficcontrol/stnblade.shtml

[codyg1985]

Huntsville does it still as far as I know. This one was put up sometime after 2009 IIRC:
https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=34.666956,-86.539209&spn=0.000002,0.001032&t=h&z=21&layer=c&cbll=34.666956,-86.539209&panoid=B-JGU9HAaDJ_NTcU-pQjwQ&cbp=12,345.57,,3,1.05

Although they don't do it for the ones mounted on traffic light cantilevers:
https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=34.67473,-86.540651&spn=0.000002,0.001032&t=h&z=21&layer=c&cbll=34.67473,-86.540651&panoid=bh_Ay6ecgE8JB5JEwzKtXw&cbp=12,246.13,,2,-30.15

Huntsville has been doing all-caps street blades all the time, and they spent a ton of money replacing all of the blades along major roads with the larger ones for the side street name. I wished they would have been mixed case, but at least they are easy to see. At least the traffic signal signs are mixed case.

Madison County's all caps signs are far, far worse and harder to see, but they have tried to make strides recently with slightly smaller street blades.

[mjb2002]

All caps street name signs should only be used for streets and highways not controlled by traffic lights and that do not terminate, change its name or have a stop sign facing it.