The Worst of Road Signs

[hbelkins]

This oldie-but-goodie belongs in the Best of Road Signs thread, not the worst.

[US71]

This oldie-but-goodie belongs in the Best of Road Signs thread, not the worst.

Evan as beat up & worn as it is?

[Alps]

The 190 is definitely a Best. Worn condition gets a pass when you have something historic (and accurate).

[CL]

I-15 North - Exit 344 by sagebrushgis, on Flickr

Blech. Welcome to Ogden, land of bad signage. So many things wrong here. Let's see, we have a huge exit tab, series E instead of E(M) used, the two-digit guide sign beehive unmercifully stretched to accommodate three digits (even though it's for a two-digit route!), and the arrow that's not intended for exit usage. Thank you contractors...

[Eth]

Here's a bad one on I-185 northbound in Georgia.

Really, no arrow?  It's not like there wasn't any space to put one on there.  And this sign has been there for years.

[NE2]

Maybe it fell off.

[agentsteel53]

two-digit guide sign beehive unmercifully stretched to accommodate three digits (even though it's for a two-digit route!)

not to mention, Series C font, where I believe Utah standard is D for two-digit routes on green signs in that shield.

[jdb1234]

Here's a bad one on I-185 northbound in Georgia.

Really, no arrow?  It's not like there wasn't any space to put one on there.  And this sign has been there for years.

Well, it is in the middle of nowhere.

[roadfro]

I-15 North - Exit 344 by sagebrushgis, on Flickr

Blech. Welcome to Ogden, land of bad signage. So many things wrong here. Let's see, we have a huge exit tab, series E instead of E(M) used, the two-digit guide sign beehive unmercifully stretched to accommodate three digits (even though it's for a two-digit route!), and the arrow that's not intended for exit usage. Thank you contractors...

I believe a recent MUTCD (2003) enlarged the exit tab size. This one doesn't look too abnormal.

Also, what is it about the arrow that makes it not for exit usage? Looks fairly standard to me. Is it an arrow style used on smaller guide signs at junctions stretched abnormally large.


What I'd say about the sign is the horrible layout. The route shield should've been centered over the street name, and then the arrow either shifted to the right center or moved into the exit only bar on bottom (as now required by 2009 MUTCD). There's a few states that put the arrow in upper corners like this fairly regularly, and while that can tend to reduce sign panel area depending on the legend, it tends to produce much more cluttered looking signs IMO.

[Dr Frankenstein]

I hate this kind of arrow placement. Ontario seems to love it, though...

[CL]

I believe a recent MUTCD (2003) enlarged the exit tab size. This one doesn't look too abnormal.

Also, what is it about the arrow that makes it not for exit usage? Looks fairly standard to me. Is it an arrow style used on smaller guide signs at junctions stretched abnormally large.

You may be right for the national standard of exit tabs, but in Utah exit tabs should look much more like this:



Perhaps it's just me, but the size of that exit tab seems much more regular, for lack of a better word.

As for the arrow, this is what an exit arrow should look more like:



Can you see the difference? It's as if the arrow gets a tad narrower as it goes up higher, whereas the arrow in the 12th St sign keeps a uniform width in its "stem."

EDIT: Just re-read your post and yeah, that's the issue. It's a guide sign arrow being used on a BGS, which to me looks tacky.

[Mergingtraffic]

Can you see the difference? It's as if the arrow gets a tad narrower as it goes up higher, whereas the arrow in the 12th St sign keeps a uniform width in its "stem."

Doesn't the arrow at the bottom go back to the 70s and 80s standards when all arrows were at the bottom?  it seems like a step back, even if it is in the yellow.

[Dougtone]

Saw this shield, and a number of similar county route shields for Ulster CR 42 and Ulster 46 in Sundown.  Sundown is in one of the remote areas of the Catskills that few people ever get to.

[architect77]

This photo doesn't belong in Worst of Road Signs, but since arrows were being discussed, what do y'all think of North Carolina's somewhat new use of directional turn arrows on the state's secondary roads? I think they're very helpful. Here in Georgia there aren't any overheads on secondary roads.

[mjb2002]

A lot of the US 9 shields on the Garden State Parkway's BGSs look horribly misshapen:


These just don't look very good. Yes, the sign is in clearview, but thats not all thats wrong with it. The exit tab is waaaay to large (a common thing on a lot of MD's signage) and also the left BGS has slanted arrows.

Exit 0??? That is just too funny. I have never seen an Exit 0 on any interstate signage in SC!

[Presty1965]

I don't have a photo of this, but ... back in 2001 I came across a sign for Van Lanen Road in Door County, Wis., that was spelled "Van Lnn Rd." I put a photo of that in my business magazine. The next time I went on that road, the sign was replaced with a correctly spelled sign.

The last time I was over there, Wisconsin 34 at the new U.S. 10 four-lane near Junction City, Wis., had magically been upgraded to a U.S. highway.

[Presty1965]

Behold...Frankensign!

What the hell were they thinking?!

What, you think there's something wrong with two fonts for one word? You lack imagination.

[WillWeaverRVA]

It's a moot point as Frankensign fell over several months ago, and was replaced with a temporary (Clearview) exit sign a few weeks ago. It's due to be replaced with a permanent (also Clearview) non-overhead sign sometime in the next few months according to VDOT (I emailed them about it).

[Presty1965]

Speaking of recycled signs, I took this back in 2004 (it was fixed soon after):

Wow. A three-sided roundabout where you're supposed to go left (despite the Keep Right sign ahead). Your tax dollars at work.

[Presty1965]

THAT should be filed under the Best of Road Signs.  Yellow was the standard from 1924 to 1954.  the sign is old as Hell.  there's only a handful of yellow stop signs left in the US.

I own one of those. (Also a red stop sign that my brother somehow procured.) And a Civil Defense Evacuation Route sign. The oddball signs I purchased at the Iola (Wis.) Old Car Show.

[Presty1965]

I nominate all the non-standard signs on the I-90 Northwest Tollway in Illinois. Last time I was on it, none of the signs were to correct USDOT spec. (Sorry for the incorrect terminology; I'm new here.) The same on the I-94 Tri-State Tollway. Something with the Illinois Tollway?

[Ian]

Here are some real pieces of work à la RIDOT...

[Brandon]

I nominate all the non-standard signs on the I-90 Northwest Tollway in Illinois. Last time I was on it, none of the signs were to correct USDOT spec. (Sorry for the incorrect terminology; I'm new here.) The same on the I-94 Tri-State Tollway. Something with the Illinois Tollway?

ISTHA makes their own signs to their own needs.  A lot of DOTs could take a hint from them and be a bit more individualistic IMHO.  Different is good.

[Brandon]

It's a moot point as Frankensign fell over several months ago, and was replaced with a temporary (Clearview) exit sign a few weeks ago. It's due to be replaced with a permanent (also Clearview) non-overhead sign sometime in the next few months according to VDOT (I emailed them about it).

At least we have pictures from Frankensign^TM to prove its existence.  Otherwise, who'd believe it? 

[cjk374]

re:  the RIDOT state route markers above....what is wrong w/them?