When was the county pentagon marker introduced?

[bugo]

When did the now familiar pentagon first appear?  What state/county?

[NE2]

New to me: http://rrhproduce.blogspot.com/2009/08/william-d-mcintosh-highway.html

After WWII my mother's father became a county engineer with Lassen County. He worked on road design, construction, and maintenance at all levels. From operating machinery, to surveying, to layout and design.

In the 1950's, as a member of the County Supervisors Association of California, he put forward the idea of identifying and standardizing major county routes and he brought it up at a state meeting. There was some initial opposition citing the cost, however one major backer was the California State Automobile Association. They made road maps and recognized that standardized route and markers would greatly simplify driving in California.

So a committee was created, with my grandfather as the head, to investigate a state route marker program.

And In 1958, the County Supervisors Association of California established the California County Route Marker Program.

They developed this sign: County, Number, Blue and gold for California.

The program designates the more important county routes by assigning them as "County Sign Routes" and giving route numbers to them.

The committee developed the following statement of purpose:
"The County Route Marker Program should be clearly defined as a program to mark County routes of major importance that are of general public interest; that are constructed to sufficient standards to guarantee safe passage to the motorist; that are properly signed in conformance with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices to further ensure safe travel; and that have a logical beginning and logical terminus."

It was very important that the routes were between two logical destinations, and not roads to nowhere.

The program was successful, so my grandfather took it to the National Association of Counties and looked to establish a similar program for the rest of the states.

And in 1967, it was incorporated nationwide as the National Uniform County Route Marker Program adopted by the National Association of Counties (NACO). The signs remained the same blue and gold signs.

[bugo]

I had a feeling you knew the answer, SPUI.

[NE2]

I didn't.

[bugo]

You **found** the answer.

[NE2]

If www.aaroads.com/shields/show.php?image=NY19620091 is correct, Nassau County adopted their variant in 1962. Apparently orange and blue are Nassau's colors.

[Pete from Boston]

This explains why Lassen County is used on mock-ups such in the MUTCD.  Nice of FHWA to give them a nod.

[Pink Jazz]

Oddly, Puerto Rico uses the "County" pentagon for secondary routes, while uses circles/ellipses for tertiary routes.  I always thought it should be the other way around (Primary routes use a blue and white flat top/pointed bottom shield, while urban primary routes use the same design but in white and black).

[vdeane]

and that have a logical beginning and logical terminus.

Did that make it into the program?  I can think of a zillion county routes that randomly start/end at city/village lines because the county only signs the portions they maintain.  To me, it would be logical to sign the route to the next county/state road even if the county doesn't maintain that portion.

[NE2]

and that have a logical beginning and logical terminus.

Did that make it into the program?

Yes. The California program.

[WashuOtaku]

Of course, not every state uses county pentagon markers.   

[NE2]

Of course, not every state uses county pentagon markers.   

Does any state have actual signed county-maintained county routes but no pentagons? Hawaii? (But don't they just sign them as state routes?)

[Big John]

^^ WI county roads are maintained by the counties and non-pentagonal signs.

[froggie]

Does any state have actual signed county-maintained county routes but no pentagons?

Are you talking about full states or just parts of states?  If the latter, there are counties in both Minnesota and Mississippi where this is the case.

[Mapmikey]

Some South Carolina counties minimally mark some of the roads that they maintain for themselves - I have definitely seen Orangeburg and Oconee Counties do this in the late 80s.

Buchanan County Virginia may also be doing this...

Mapmikey

[Eth]

Does any state have actual signed county-maintained county routes but no pentagons? Hawaii? (But don't they just sign them as state routes?)

Depending on how you define "signed", Georgia might count. There aren't any reassurance markers along the route or anything like that, just these numbers on the backs of stop signs.

[Avalanchez71]

I remember seeing one or two in Polk County TN and maybe somewhere else.  I think maybe Meigs County.  However, there were no reassurance markers just pentagons at junctions like I have seen in other states.

[corco]

Of course, not every state uses county pentagon markers.   

Does any state have actual signed county-maintained county routes but no pentagons? Hawaii? (But don't they just sign them as state routes?)

There are a couple shielded routes in Kitsap County, Washington that use a county outline shield. There are no pentagons in Washington to my knowledge.

[bugo]

Of course, not every state uses county pentagon markers.   

Does any state have actual signed county-maintained county routes but no pentagons? Hawaii? (But don't they just sign them as state routes?)

Oklahoma.

[NE2]

Of course, not every state uses county pentagon markers.   

Does any state have actual signed county-maintained county routes but no pentagons? Hawaii? (But don't they just sign them as state routes?)

Oklahoma.

Where does Oklahoma have signed county routes?

[bugo]

Of course, not every state uses county pentagon markers.   

Does any state have actual signed county-maintained county routes but no pentagons? Hawaii? (But don't they just sign them as state routes?)

Oklahoma.

Where does Oklahoma have signed county routes?

Most county roads have either blades or green signs that are attached to the backs of stop signs.

[bulldog1979]

Most Michigan counties that sign county roads use the older square marker. MDOT specifies the pentagon for specific county-designated, or inter county, highways. I know at least one (Gogebic) uses the pentagon for their primary CRs without putting them into MDOT's program. Delta County also has some of their primary CRs marked with a green and white square marker, while the rest are black and white.


iPhone

[cl94]

Of course, not every state uses county pentagon markers.   

Does any state have actual signed county-maintained county routes but no pentagons? Hawaii? (But don't they just sign them as state routes?)

Does Ohio have any pentagons that aren't on street name blades? Whenever I have seen a CR signed (rare), it's a white square with black lettering.

[tidecat]

Indiana uses rectangular signs for county routes, that look a lot like the state route marker.

[Brandon]

^^ WI county roads are maintained by the counties and non-pentagonal signs.

Yep, Wisconsin specifies the black-on-white square for county trunk highways (as noted, interestingly enough, in NE2's avatar).

Now, when Illinois counties sign them, they use the pentagonal marker.  That is, when they sign them, if they sign them at all.