The other type of street signing other than blades

[roadman65]

We now talk about the street blade signing in many threads, but there is also another type of signing that is used in places that are on posts sticking up from the ground.  These are the signing practices in Woodbridge, NJ; Cranford, NJ; and Windermere, FL as well as some private properties such as cemeteries.

They are usually white with black lettering , but in Cranford, NJ its white with a blue facade with the names of the street in gold lettering.  Most of the time not using Clearview either, and those who live in Central Jersey know Woodbridge's font style which is the same type that stencils are used in spray painting.

What is the proper name for these signs? To me I always called them posts, and never gave regards to it.  What is the official road geek term or what the MUTCD calls em?

[noelbotevera]

We now talk about the street blade signing in many threads, but there is also another type of signing that is used in places that are on posts sticking up from the ground.  These are the signing practices in Woodbridge, NJ; Cranford, NJ; and Windermere, FL as well as some private properties such as cemeteries.

They are usually white with black lettering , but in Cranford, NJ its white with a blue facade with the names of the street in gold lettering.  Most of the time not using Clearview either, and those who live in Central Jersey know Woodbridge's font style which is the same type that stencils are used in spray painting.

What is the proper name for these signs? To me I always called them posts, and never gave regards to it.  What is the official road geek term or what the MUTCD calls em?

Metuchen seems to "unemboss" (meaning they're punched into the pole) their signs. They use stone posts painted blue, will the letters painted gold (I don't remember, this was in 2013). The letters of each street are in the posts using gold lettering.

[vtk]

Are we talking about those posts where the street name is written vertically? Those are too hard to read from a moving vehicle. I think that's why MUTCD doesn't even acknowledge that method of marking street names.

[briantroutman]

You're talking about these: https://goo.gl/maps/SdPaiEWCfp52 ?

I'm not aware of any name for them. But functionally speaking, they're an abomination (not to mention a needless collision hazard) and shouldn't be used on any streets, anywhere, ever.

[corco]

unemboss

deboss

[english si]

Wall mounted and post mounted next to some famous lines on the road.

I wouldn't call those blades - more like slabs! Other than the rare (city centres only really) that are mounted on a building high in the air, these are as high in the air as street names get in the UK.

[noelbotevera]

You're talking about these: https://goo.gl/maps/SdPaiEWCfp52 ?

I'm not aware of any name for them. But functionally speaking, they're an abomination (not to mention a needless collision hazard) and shouldn't be used on any streets, anywhere, ever.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.5408663,-74.3641985,3a,89.9y,49.34h,46.46t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sBZMvQ2DoJIzbtg9MZVD6Ag!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

The blue pole on the left is what I mean. Sorry, SV decided to use a weird camera angle.

Here's something better:
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.5428043,-74.368714,3a,45.3y,319.95h,68.67t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sNtyHr2gBvYVYV2IlzGoYnA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[xcellntbuy]

The City of Coral Gables, FL uses large white painted rocks with the street names painted in black.  I found them nearly impossible to see at night.

[noelbotevera]

The City of Coral Gables, FL uses large white painted rocks with the street names painted in black.  I found them nearly impossible to see at night.

Gives a new meaning to "the intelligence of a box of rocks".

[vdeane]

The Village of Potsdam uses the poles too.  They're white on brown and impossible to see at night, and extremely difficult to see during the day.  You basically have to know they're there.

https://www.google.com/maps/@44.6672315,-74.9940903,3a,17.6y,135.34h,84.26t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s7_sshhwBSUjmRWthCo0jqw!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D7_sshhwBSUjmRWthCo0jqw%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D245.04633%26pitch%3D0!7i13312!8i6656

[jp the roadgeek]

Found this one in Simsbury, CT

https://goo.gl/maps/Bw1NhRHViCs

[MikeTheActuary]

Found this one in Simsbury, CT

https://goo.gl/maps/Bw1NhRHViCs

The blades kept getting stolen. 


Memphis used to use the street posts, but they're mostly gone now.  The only example I still know of is on Holmes St.  Google Maps shows the current unmaintained post, and a Memphis blogger has a picture of what it looked like when better-maintained (scroll down).

[Pete from Boston]

So what is the name of this item, which precedes our modern formal signing?



About 4 feet tall, this is in Shutesbury, Mass.  The "Images of America" volume titled Quabbin Valley shows one in the former town of Enfield, Mass., explaining that a lantern atop was lit nightly.

Seen here in Google Street View, one can get some idea of its age by the inclusion of Prescott, a town discontinued in 1938 during the construction of the Quabbin Reservoir, assuming this was not added later just to be interesting.  I leave this posibility open because it also includes Ripton, a fictional town that in the 1980s infamously secured funding from the legislature in an effort by locals to demonstrate Boston's ignorance of the western part of the state.

[Mohkfry]

There's one of those in Niles, MI as well.
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.8280352,-86.2573983,3a,15y,102.74h,78.57t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s20--6VreL3l5e_TPkO7w4w!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

As for street blades, there are these that still support the original street names even though the names have long since been changed.located in New Smyrna Beach, FL.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/New+Smyrna+Beach,+FL/@29.0181563,-80.9319233,3a,15y,147.17h,71.01t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sZdMpkJ2ZwrJkOvK4EBJ93w!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo0.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DZdMpkJ2ZwrJkOvK4EBJ93w%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D117.65236%26pitch%3D0!7i13312!8i6656!4m2!3m1!1s0x88e7292b5700b65b:0xc1bb3239363bc87c!6m1!1e1

[Rothman]

So what is the name of this item, which precedes our modern formal signing?



About 4 feet tall, this is in Shutesbury, Mass.  The "Images of America" volume titled Quabbin Valley shows one in the former town of Enfield, Mass., explaining that a lantern atop was lit nightly.

Having grown up in western MA myself, there are a whole bunch of these throughout the smaller towns in that area (e.g., just across the way from Shutesbury in Montague). 

I don't think there's any official name for them.  Locals just call them old direction signs or markers or whatever jumble of other adjectives to describe them.

[cl94]

Gahanna, Ohio. There used to be some along US 62 and Hamilton Rd, but those have (thankfully) been replaced by blades. ODOT probably cracked down on the poles. They are still used extensively in residential neighborhoods.

[bzakharin]

I thought this was some sort of outdated practice. I've seen a few in NJ, but they usually look very old and there are usually blades as well.

[catch22]

You're talking about these: https://goo.gl/maps/SdPaiEWCfp52 ?

I'm not aware of any name for them. But functionally speaking, they're an abomination (not to mention a needless collision hazard) and shouldn't be used on any streets, anywhere, ever.

In the far-off ancient land where I grew up, we called these "signposts."

[US71]

So what is the name of this item, which precedes our modern formal signing?

Guide Post?

[MikeTheActuary]

So what is the name of this item, which precedes our modern formal signing?

"Mile stone" or "milepost"

[Super Mateo]

I've seen these in La Grange, IL off of US 12/20/45. They look cool, but they aren't very efficient.  I'd rather see and look for blades.

[Pete from Boston]

So what is the name of this item, which precedes our modern formal signing?

"Mile stone" or "milepost"

We have milestones here.  They are granite stones (hence the name) on the roadside reading, for example "Boston 6 miles."  I wouldn't use that term for the wooden box.

[roadman65]

The City of Coral Gables, FL uses large white painted rocks with the street names painted in black.  I found them nearly impossible to see at night.

Now that you mention it, I have seen them around in some places.

[Michael]

How about flower planters like this in Marcellus, NY?  There are normal-ish Arialveticverstesk street blades on the lampposts in addition to the planters.

[SD Mapman]

Here's one at 1st and Laramie in Atchison, KS. (I gave the names 'cause you can't read the post)
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.5672496,-95.1140636,3a,75y,319.62h,55.52t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1skhRPFUZ1LxEPIfaSq2qZCQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656