Favorite state highway shields?

[Rothman]

Maybe it's because they have a wide-open blank and six different fonts to be able to spell out "RHODE ISLAND" and they still just go with "R.I."?

Why abbreviate it as "Rhode Island"?



Much better.

I believe they dropped the plantation part of their name recently.  I think it was because of it being associated with slavery.

[kphoger]

Minnesota
+: Good use of color; state name and outline that don't take over design, good wide variant
-: Can be a bit too similar to interstate numbers

This.

I would absolutely LOVE the Minnesota route marker, if only it didn't look so similar to the Interstate shield.  As it is, it's too difficult to tell them apart for me to give it a thumbs-up.

[corco]

Maybe it's because they have a wide-open blank and six different fonts to be able to spell out "RHODE ISLAND" and they still just go with "R.I."?

Why abbreviate it as "Rhode Island"?



Much better.

I believe they dropped the plantation part of their name recently.  I think it was because of it being associated with slavery.

False - the governor signed an executive order removing the "Providence Plantations" part from official communications but a ballot referendum in November will decide if the name is formally/legally changed. Last time they tried this in 2010 it failed with 78% voting to keep the longer name.

[hbelkins]

Maybe it's because they have a wide-open blank and six different fonts to be able to spell out "RHODE ISLAND" and they still just go with "R.I."?

Why abbreviate it as "Rhode Island"?



Much better.

Actually, Little Rhody is dropping the "...and Providence Plantations" part of the official state name because "plantation" is a racist term.

I kid you not...

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/rhode-island-drops-plantation-state-documents-symbols-n1231866

[StogieGuy7]

Idaho (2020 redesign)
+: State outline
-: Zero outline, removal of state name, no outline, so numbers are pushed right up against the edge of the shield, looks bad in positive contrast
Grade: D-

I've looked and looked on Google (and Google Maps) and haven't been able to find a rendering of this new redesign.  Doesn't sound good though. 

And, why fix what isn't broken? Their long-standing design, while not the very best, was unique and pretty good (with the contrast). 

[StogieGuy7]

Actually, Little Rhody is dropping the "...and Providence Plantations" part of the official state name because "plantation" is a racist term.

I kid you not...

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/rhode-island-drops-plantation-state-documents-symbols-n1231866

Because some people who think they know everything, actually don't know shit.  This is a fine example: the word "plantation" means a large plot of land - usually associated with agriculture, but not necessarily.  It does not mean "slavery," as not all 'plantations' had slaves.  It depended on what crops those "plantations" (or farms) were involved with.  So, if we go by this sort of logic, then we should all stop wearing cotton clothing because the cultivation of cotton was extremely labor intensive and thus the owners had slaves to do that labor.  Roger Williams' Providence Plantations had NOTHING to do with slavery, cotton or any other such thing. 

But none of that matters, because virtue signaling is prioritized above all else by SJW's like the Governor of RI.  And the average 22 year old college graduate is so poorly educated that they probably do think that anything named 'plantation' must have had slaves.

[kphoger]

I've looked and looked on Google (and Google Maps) and haven't been able to find a rendering of this new redesign.

And, why fix what isn't broken? Their long-standing design, while not the very best, was unique and pretty good (with the contrast). 

But it is broken.  Compare the digit sizes on the shields below:

[kphoger]

And the average 22 year old college graduate is so poorly educated that they probably do think that anything named 'plantation' must have had slaves.

Ding ding ding!  People jump to conclusions without having researched the history in question.

[StogieGuy7]

Thanks kphoger!

That new shield seems lost, it's just lacking to me. While the ID shields always had relatively small font numerals, it balanced pretty well between black and white. Without the border and state name, and with the colors inverted, the design looks like crap.  Why do this? Who's bright idea was it to f**k up a perfectly fine design?

[Scott5114]

Actually, Little Rhody is dropping the "...and Providence Plantations" part of the official state name because "plantation" is a racist term.

I kid you not...

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/rhode-island-drops-plantation-state-documents-symbols-n1231866

Because some people who think they know everything, actually don't know shit.  This is a fine example: the word "plantation" means a large plot of land - usually associated with agriculture, but not necessarily.  It does not mean "slavery," as not all 'plantations' had slaves.  It depended on what crops those "plantations" (or farms) were involved with.  So, if we go by this sort of logic, then we should all stop wearing cotton clothing because the cultivation of cotton was extremely labor intensive and thus the owners had slaves to do that labor.  Roger Williams' Providence Plantations had NOTHING to do with slavery, cotton or any other such thing. 

But none of that matters, because virtue signaling is prioritized above all else by SJW's like the Governor of RI.  And the average 22 year old college graduate is so poorly educated that they probably do think that anything named 'plantation' must have had slaves.

Is there any real functional reason to keep an entire half of the state name that nobody actually uses, especially when there is little agriculture in the Providence area anymore? It's literally three words with no meaning that say nothing.

Hell, the full official name is longer than the state is. Connecticut is probably pushing for this because they're afraid the name will spill over the border and end up in their territory.

[corco]

Thanks kphoger!

That new shield seems lost, it's just lacking to me. While the ID shields always had relatively small font numerals, it balanced pretty well between black and white. Without the border and state name, and with the colors inverted, the design looks like crap.  Why do this? Who's bright idea was it to f**k up a perfectly fine design?

Here are a couple pictures in the field - for reference. Not as bad as on Wikipedia but still quite terrible. The reason for the change from my understanding was to have one shield that can be used on both guide signs and on standalone mounts. It does seem like they could have just gone to the old guide sign shield for standalone usage though...





They did seem to test some new designs that you can see as you drive around before coming to this - see this on SH-55 and this on SH-24. Either of these would probably have been a better compromise.

[StogieGuy7]

Actually, Little Rhody is dropping the "...and Providence Plantations" part of the official state name because "plantation" is a racist term.

I kid you not...

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/rhode-island-drops-plantation-state-documents-symbols-n1231866

Because some people who think they know everything, actually don't know shit.  This is a fine example: the word "plantation" means a large plot of land - usually associated with agriculture, but not necessarily.  It does not mean "slavery," as not all 'plantations' had slaves.  It depended on what crops those "plantations" (or farms) were involved with.  So, if we go by this sort of logic, then we should all stop wearing cotton clothing because the cultivation of cotton was extremely labor intensive and thus the owners had slaves to do that labor.  Roger Williams' Providence Plantations had NOTHING to do with slavery, cotton or any other such thing. 

But none of that matters, because virtue signaling is prioritized above all else by SJW's like the Governor of RI.  And the average 22 year old college graduate is so poorly educated that they probably do think that anything named 'plantation' must have had slaves.

Is there any real functional reason to keep an entire half of the state name that nobody actually uses, especially when there is little agriculture in the Providence area anymore? It's literally three words with no meaning that say nothing.

It's just the official name of the colony, which later became the state.  It has historical significance in that way and it literally defines the state.  Rhode Island, as we know, is not an island.  But "Rhode Island" is a real island, on which are Newport and other towns are located.  The Providence Plantations covered the area north and west of Narragansett Bay and define much of what are now Providence, Kent and Washington Counties.  Rhode Island is the shortened name of the state, but refers only to what is now part of Newport County.  Yes, they should have named the state something different to begin with, but people were different back then.

[Scott5114]

I propose that they name it "Ri", pronounced like the bread, so that they will have a name that can actually fit inside the state on maps.

[StogieGuy7]

Thanks kphoger!

That new shield seems lost, it's just lacking to me. While the ID shields always had relatively small font numerals, it balanced pretty well between black and white. Without the border and state name, and with the colors inverted, the design looks like crap.  Why do this? Who's bright idea was it to f**k up a perfectly fine design?

Here are a couple pictures in the field - for reference. Not as bad as on Wikipedia but still quite terrible. The reason for the change from my understanding was to have one shield that can be used on both guide signs and on standalone mounts. It does seem like they could have just gone to the old guide sign shield for standalone usage though...

I totally agree with you.  That guide sign shield, while not great, would still be better than the new one.  Even keeping the border would have helped.  Keeping the state name would have helped. Right now, it just looks like an odd collection of shapes before you focus on it.  Pretty bad and deserving of the aforementioned grade of D-. 

[StogieGuy7]

I propose that they name it "Ri", pronounced like the bread, so that they will have a name that can actually fit inside the state on maps.

Honestly, at first blush, naming it "Rhode Island" when it's not an island at all seems pretty silly.  But when you eventually learn the full name you see how that happened. Like many things, it may not make sense to us but it made perfect sense to the old timers who did it and I guess I can see why - from their perspective.  Later use and misuses of the name led us to where we are now.

If Gina wants to change the name, then honestly she should just start over from scratch.  And she might as well tear down Roger Williams' statue too because he's spinning in his grave. 

[kphoger]

Hell, the full official name is longer than the state is. Connecticut is probably pushing for this because they're afraid the name will spill over the border and end up in their territory.

Thank you for the laugh!

[CoreySamson]

They should just go with the elegant shield they already use for toll highways.

YESSSS! They should totally use this!

[hbelkins]

But it is broken.  Compare the digit sizes on the shields below:

Not necessarily any smaller than the digits in the North Carolina and Michigan diamonds, the Utah beehive, the Tennessee triangle, or the Colorado flag.

[kphoger]

Not necessarily any smaller than the digits in the North Carolina and Michigan diamonds, the Utah beehive, the Tennessee triangle, or the Colorado flag.

Colorado, Utah, and Michigan all have shorter digits than Idaho.

North Carolina is approximately the same, though with a heavier stroke and better width.

Tennessee triangles knock Idaho out of the park when it comes to digit height, though.

 

[US 89]

Shorter doesn’t mean a whole lot when you’re using a narrower font series, though. I’d take series D over slightly taller series C any day.

The other thing that makes Idaho’s new shield so bad is the number is pushed way up in the corner. It was at least somewhat centered in the older versions.

[Gnutella]

Kansas
+: State iconography, use of color
-: Some contrast issues with the numbers, wide shield looks bad
Grade: B

The wide shield is just a fat sunflower. 

I like the oval sunflower. It looks funny.

[Gnutella]

Generally, I like state outlines, but Georgia and Missouri both have a problem that Alabama, Arkansas and Ohio don't (at least to my knowledge): They use multiple outlines that have distinct differences, and they're usually uglier.

A Georgia route marker should look like this. A Missouri route marker should look like this. Even minor differences (aside from widening) make them look worse.

[csw]

Actually, Little Rhody is dropping the "...and Providence Plantations" part of the official state name because "plantation" is a racist term.

I kid you not...

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/rhode-island-drops-plantation-state-documents-symbols-n1231866

Because some people who think they know everything, actually don't know shit.  This is a fine example: the word "plantation" means a large plot of land - usually associated with agriculture, but not necessarily.  It does not mean "slavery," as not all 'plantations' had slaves.  It depended on what crops those "plantations" (or farms) were involved with.  So, if we go by this sort of logic, then we should all stop wearing cotton clothing because the cultivation of cotton was extremely labor intensive and thus the owners had slaves to do that labor.  Roger Williams' Providence Plantations had NOTHING to do with slavery, cotton or any other such thing. 

But none of that matters, because virtue signaling is prioritized above all else by SJW's like the Governor of RI.  And the average 22 year old college graduate is so poorly educated that they probably do think that anything named 'plantation' must have had slaves.

You are right about one thing here, and one thing only: that the settlement of Providence Plantations had no slaves, and wasn't what you think of as a typical plantation. "Plantations" here is a misnomer - from what I read, common usage of the word in the 17th century equated to "settlement" or "colony".

Perhaps not all plantations had slaves, but the fact that people are defending something that is still so closely associated with slavery isn't a good look. Slavery is a disgusting stain on American history - you would think people would jump at the chance to get rid of words, monuments, and other parts of the culture that have anything to do with it. You don't see people (people in their right mind, at least) holding out to preserve remnants of the Holocaust.

As far as the last sentence goes (which is extraordinarily ironic), what did a 22-year-old college graduate ever do to you?! The whole disdain for younger generations thing is ridiculous.


I had better contribute to the thread while I'm here. Colorado, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Vermont, New York are my favorites.

[oscar]

You are right about one thing here, and one thing only: that the settlement of Providence Plantations had no slaves, and wasn't what you think of as a typical plantation. "Plantations" here is a misnomer - from what I read, common usage of the word in the 17th century equated to "settlement" or "colony".

Perhaps not all plantations had slaves, but the fact that people are defending something that is still so closely associated with slavery isn't a good look.

But not plantations in northern states that never had slavery. Or Hawaiian plantations (lots of old ones, when sugar and pineapple were king), which likewise were slave-free. The association of northern and Hawaiian plantations with slavery is sloppy thinking at best. (But I'm not sure RI's governor was buying into that, rather than just giving lip service to the bogus association of RI's plantations with slavery.)

As far as the overlong state name ("smallest state with the longest name"), I had to use it a lot, back when I was working on a project with attorneys from the RI Attorney General's office. I couldn't just type out the state name when addressing letters to them, so I had to copy and paste instead.

[CtrlAltDel]

northern states that never had slavery

It's not really your main point, but in 1776, slavery was legal in all thirteen of the colonies/states. Abolition only really started to gain ground with the Revolutionary War.