The actual Worst of Road Signs

[Scott5114]

Dear God, that's Blue Highway, the freeware FHWA Series knockoff all the roadgeeks used until MikeTheActuary made the Roadgeek fonts.

[andrepoiy]

Here is a sign (on left) that just does not look right... If I had designed this, I would have used a diagrammatical sign instead of these signs.

[gr8daynegb]

Deepwater, MO

That looks like the SOP and YELD signs from the Simpsons movie..........they might as well have spelled that that way for some chuckles

[fwydriver405]

One of my Rhode Island friends a few days ago was talking about this sign approching the northern terminus of RI 99 at the RI 122 (Mendon Road) intersection, which looked like the below picture (source) before the signs were eventually replaced sometime in the early 2010's.

[Scott5114]

...Rhode Island has a Craig County too?

[kphoger]

One of my Rhode Island friends a few days ago was talking about this sign approching the northern terminus of RI 99 at the RI 122 (Mendon Road) intersection, which looked like the below picture (source) before the signs were eventually replaced sometime in the early 2010's.

...Rhode Island has a Craig County too?

Don't even need to leave GSV to confirm.
2009 imagery here

[Bluenoser]

Deepwater, MO

That looks like the SOP and YELD signs from the Simpsons movie..........they might as well have spelled that that way for some chuckles

Taking a quick look through town on GSV, I spotted a Canadian-style Yield sign at the corner of 3rd & F...

[CoreySamson]

Usually it seems disgusting signs are taken down pretty promptly. But in this case, I found a sign that was mentioned on page 6 of the old 'Worst Signs' thread (Sep. 2011) that is still there (as of last year) in all its glory, and with the same errors!

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.9560105,-84.9561708,3a,75y,26.17h,89.18t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sarponmQ5GnrQTsZsenhhog!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

[Scott5114]

A brand-new OTA Special™, from the Kickapoo Turnpike:


"Jim, I can't remember, are we supposed to use a slash or a line break to separate two different messages on the same sign?"
"I dunno, just put both"
"Is the text supposed to be left aligned, or centered?"
"no"

[plain]

A brand-new OTA Special™, from the Kickapoo Turnpike:


"Jim, I can't remember, are we supposed to use a slash or a line break to separate two different messages on the same sign?"
"I dunno, just put both"
"Is the text supposed to be left aligned, or centered?"
"no"

I mean... it's 2021. Stop sucking already OTA/ODOT  (seriously, why is Oklahoma's signage so bad?). At this point I'm wondering if their guidelines are very relaxed or are they using contractors that should've been let go long ago

[Occidental Tourist]

A brand-new OTA Special™, from the Kickapoo Turnpike:


"Jim, I can't remember, are we supposed to use a slash or a line break to separate two different messages on the same sign?"
"I dunno, just put both"
"Is the text supposed to be left aligned, or centered?"
"no"

I mean... it's 2021. Stop sucking already OTA/ODOT  (seriously, why is Oklahoma's signage so bad?). At this point I'm wondering if their guidelines are very relaxed or are they using contractors that should've been let go long ago

Caltrans says "hold my beer"

[plain]

A brand-new OTA Special™, from the Kickapoo Turnpike:


"Jim, I can't remember, are we supposed to use a slash or a line break to separate two different messages on the same sign?"
"I dunno, just put both"
"Is the text supposed to be left aligned, or centered?"
"no"

I mean... it's 2021. Stop sucking already OTA/ODOT  (seriously, why is Oklahoma's signage so bad?). At this point I'm wondering if their guidelines are very relaxed or are they using contractors that should've been let go long ago

Caltrans says "hold my beer"

From what I've seen CA is just lazy with their signs (especially their BGS's). But from the looks of it OK is still installing brand new signs that still sucks.

EDIT: I'm talking online here, I've never been to CA or OK

[Scott5114]

I was tooling around on Street View in Tulsa, trying to see if they had any of those Series E(M) Interstate shields that we have in OKC. No joy yet, but I did come across...this, which I don't think has been posted yet.

[hotdogPi]

Broken Arrow is supposed to have broken arrows, not broken text...

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Broken Arrow is supposed to have broken arrows, not broken text...

That line looks fine. The others don't.

[Ned Weasel]

I was tooling around on Street View in Tulsa, trying to see if they had any of those Series E(M) Interstate shields that we have in OKC. No joy yet, but I did come across...this, which I don't think has been posted yet.

There are probably tons of graphic designers desperate for a job, and ODOT slaps them in the face with this.

Also, you shouldn't be allowed to do the NJDOT thing of putting black backgrounds around US shields on BGSs until you can get the rest of the sign right first.

[Scott5114]

Broken Arrow is supposed to have broken arrows, not broken text...

The arrow is broken–that is a Type D arrow, rather than a Type A (tapered shaft). This error is rampant in Oklahoma City right now.

Also, you shouldn't be allowed to do the NJDOT thing of putting black backgrounds around US shields on BGSs until you can get the rest of the sign right first.

Do note the white bleeding out from under the black boxes, implying a printing-plate registration issue on top of everything else (I'm sure Bobby will have something to say about that).

[jeffandnicole]

I was tooling around on Street View in Tulsa, trying to see if they had any of those Series E(M) Interstate shields that we have in OKC. No joy yet, but I did come across...this, which I don't think has been posted yet.

There are probably tons of graphic designers desperate for a job, and ODOT slaps them in the face with this.

Also, you shouldn't be allowed to do the NJDOT thing of putting black backgrounds around US shields on BGSs until you can get the rest of the sign right first.

Since NJ has stopped doing that, can't say it's a Jersey thing anymore.

[kphoger]

I mean... it's 2021. Stop sucking already OTA/ODOT  (seriously, why is Oklahoma's signage so bad?). At this point I'm wondering if their guidelines are very relaxed or are they using contractors that should've been let go long ago

They use cheap contractors.  A lot.  At least, that's my understanding from time reading on this forum.

Broken Arrow is supposed to have broken arrows, not broken text...

That line looks fine. The others don't.

The letter spacing/kerning doesn't look right to my eyes, and I'm far from being an expert on that.

The arrow is broken–that is a Type D arrow, rather than a Type A (tapered shaft). This error is rampant in Oklahoma City right now.

See, that's an error that has never bothered me.  In fact, I'm not sure I even notice it in real life.

Then again, I've driven in Mexico enough for the un-tapered arrows below to look completely normal to me.

[rarnold]

I was tooling around on Street View in Tulsa, trying to see if they had any of those Series E(M) Interstate shields that we have in OKC. No joy yet, but I did come across...this, which I don't think has been posted yet.

I guess this is where people who write ransom notes work everyday?

[Billy F 1988]

Looks totally rushed. I guess OKDOT just went "We don't care how the sign is supposed to look! Let's just slap some texts and graphics on this here big green sign, hang it over that overhead thingy o'er yonder and call it good, boys!" Ooops. I'm sure glad I don't work in the graphics department.

[plain]

Something I just noticed on the Tulsa sign: the use of lowercase letters for the cardinal directions. How often does that happen?

[jeffandnicole]

Something I just noticed on the Tulsa sign: the use of lowercase letters for the cardinal directions. How often does that happen?

Hint: When it happens, a picture of it winds up on this thread!

[amroad17]

Plenty of cool old BGSs remain in Suffolk, VA, but this one cancels them all out.

Notice on the BGS it is US 58/460 but on the LGS at the gore point, it is US 13/58.

The signs along the Suffolk Bypass along with the interchanges need to be updated since US 13 was added to the bypass in the early 2000's.  The signs on Pruden Blvd (US 460) eastbound especially need updating--even though the right two are the original signage from 1973-74 and still look nice.

https://goo.gl/maps/YXohFNo7nsmExzTbA

The BGS's on Godwin Blvd (VA 10/32) are also the originals and are fairly accurate.  Just need to cover the TO over NORTH US 13 and add a SOUTH US 13 on the right sign.

https://goo.gl/maps/XEVmZkzL8obk7sz8A

Unfortunately, all new signage would have to be created as this style was phased out around 1980.

[Mapmikey]

While those BGSs are in the style that look really cool to me,  they are not originals...were replacements from the early 1990s.

Two things are different - the current BGSs are square cornered and not rounded; also, the letters on the original versions were delimited copy - each letter was riveted individually to the sign.

A third thing I am less than 100% sure on is that the bolding of the 10, 32 and 58 numerals may also be a tell.

Also all the original examples I can recall from more recent years (very few left now), the green is much more faded than these BGSs.