Same-line control city signing practices

[TheStranger]

Saw some photos on Flickr today of the 2008-era signage on Route 55 in Orange County and noticed that Anaheim and Riverside (the northbound control cities) are separated by a slash, instead of listed on their own lines:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/raymondyue/4825901880/

Seems like CalTrans's prior practice was to use a dash in the past:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/csampang/4807734920/in/set-72157624519667042/


Do any other states do the two-cities-in-one-line practice to save space, and if so, how are the disparate destinations separated?

[bugo]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/csampang/4807734920/in/set-72157624519667042/

When I saw that old Falcon wagon and the old looking signs, I first thought this was a vintage photo until I saw the newer cars.  Good job getting that old car in the photo, even though I doubt it was intentional.

[bugo]

This extremely ugly sign (death to Clearview) was found along US 75 in north Texas.  I'm not sure if they always do it this way.

[TheStranger]

When I saw that old Falcon wagon and the old looking signs, I first thought this was a vintage photo until I saw the newer cars.  Good job getting that old car in the photo, even though I doubt it was intentional.

Thanks!  I think the MacArthur Maze is the one place where I'm surprised by the utter lack of vintage photos - there are vintage, 1960s photos of nearby spots (the 80/580 split in Albany, the 5W/missing 50 trailblazer pair along the MacArthur Freeway) as well as a 1950s photo of 40/50 on the Skyway in SF...but nothing of the Maze itself or along the original Cypress Freeway.

Even if the 880 shields were replaced with 17 shields, the only way this could've truly been vintage is if there was no mention of 24 whatsoever (which until 1964 went through Berkeley, rather than to the MacArthur Freeway as it does now).

This extremely ugly sign (death to Clearview) was found along US 75 in north Texas.  I'm not sure if they always do it this way.

Thanks for reposting!  The lack of separator between Denison and Greenville isn't really great legend - and with the space on the sign, couldn't "SOUTH" above the US 69 shield be on the left side, and the text on the right?  Something more like this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/csampang/4807129999/in/set-72157624519667042/

[The Premier]

There is one on I-77 South before Exit 136 that has the same-line control city.

[golden eagle]

If I didn't know any better, I'd believe that Akron-Canton or Anaheim-Riverside were the same city.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

For reasons beyond me, ODOT also does same line control cities for I-670 from I-71 SB. Dayton-Airport.  Nowhere else in the city (discounting Dublin-Granville Rd)

[roadfro]

According to the MUTCD, two separate cities on one line should be separated by a dash. The forward slash is only supposed to be used as the solidus (slanted line) in fractions.

I know there's been some Nevada signs that have used the forward slash to separate cities on a single line though. To me, it seems clearer to use the slash when the cities aren't related or won't be reached by the same highway.

[TheStranger]

With the existence of a couple of hyphenated cities (specifically Winston-Salem), I definitely think the slash might be the best solution for most places from here on out.

Either one though is better than "a small space" (i.e. the US 69 sign earlier in the thread)!

[Ian]

This is what I saw in Quebec a few years ago. A-15 northbound in Montreal...

[golden eagle]

Photos look fine.

[Ian]

Photos look fine.

I meant that the photos had reflections on them, like the bottom one. I know some people aren't a fan of those.

[agentsteel53]

I meant that the photos had reflections on them, like the bottom one. I know some people aren't a fan of those.

hm, you're right.  an absolute disaster.  report to the ban chamber for ... reassignment.

[Scott5114]

OTA uses a comma in one place along the Will Rogers Turnpike (courtesy Eric Stuve):


And this button copy sign uses a hyphen just before the H.E. Bailey resumes:


I would prefer a hyphen over a slash, but as has been said, with things existing like Winston-Salem, that is ambiguous. So I like OTA's comma usage, which brings the UK's signage practices to mind. Really, though, in the U.S. we separate destinations with a line break! If your project's budget rests on the sign panel cost difference between "Elgin - Apache" and "Elgin\nApache" then you are doing something terribly wrong!

[Scott5114]

EPIC BUMP!

Spotted two unusual control city separation practices in NE OK yesterday (in addition to another OTA comma–"Afton, Grove" or some such). One is a slash at the new exit off the Turner Turnpike–"Jones/Luther". There is no obvious reason why this is necessary, just OTA being OTA.

Another is in Tulsa, which uses a pipe of all things, it's on the ramp from WB I-44 to US 75–"Bartlesville|Okmulgee"!!

[agentsteel53]

Another is in Tulsa, which uses a pipe of all things, it's on the ramp from WB I-44 to US 75–"Bartlesville|Okmulgee"!!

clearly, traffic coming out of Bartlesville is operated on by Okmulgee.

[vtk]

For reasons beyond me, ODOT also does same line control cities for I-670 from I-71 SB. Dayton-Airport.

I'm pretty sure it's because they forgot one when they first put the sign up.  IIRC, Dayton/Airport is a patch.  Actually, they may have changed it more recently so it just says Dayton, with an airport icon added to the top of the sign. 

[1995hoo]

There's a pull-thru sign on the inbound 14th Street Bridge in DC that lists Capitol Hill on the top line and then "Nationals Park-Verizon Center" (separated by a hyphen rather than a dash because the text is so crammed in) on the bottom line.

I think this whole assembly is ugly:

http://maps.google.com/?ll=38.878038,-77.037495&spn=0.006373,0.016512&z=17&layer=c&cbll=38.87816,-77.037383&panoid=KUCPri4WRtg_WCTMtNJc7A&cbp=12,43.36,,0,-0.7

[vtk]

(separated by a hyphen rather than a dash because the text is so crammed in)

How many people know the difference?  (Edit: apparently not Brandon, see next post)  For that matter, do the Standard Alphabets specify separate hyphens and dashes?

[Brandon]

Illinois (IDOT and ISTHA) use a dash.  Here's one on I-88:



They even get used if they're on two separate lines:

[NE2]

I think the case of twin cities like Bloomington-Normal is a little different.

[tdindy88]

I-69 at the interchange with I-75/US 23 has the control cities listed as Saginaw on the top line and Ann Arbor-Detroit on the bottom line.

[agentsteel53]

there's always Massachusetts's famous "N.H.-Maine" on -495 (and, I think, I-95 too).

[Brandon]

I think the case of twin cities like Bloomington-Normal is a little different.

However, "Bloomington" solo is the control of choice for I-55.  It's not consistently one or the other (B vs. B-N).

[DBrim]

there's always Massachusetts's famous "N.H.-Maine" on -495 (and, I think, I-95 too).

Also MA60 west from 1. Random!