The Worst of Road Signs

[Scott5114]

It's fairly easy to obtain E Half Modified (as I like to call it) in Inkscape–just make some text in Series EM, duplicate it, switch the duplicate to Series E, then use Alt+> to track it out until it matches the spacing of the Series EM specimen.

[D-Dey65]

Found this a few years ago, put up by the city of Rome, GA.

amused but not surprised

And a white diamond sign, too.

[74/171FAN]

Note to VDOT: When the letters look like they are trying to come off the sign it probably should be replaced.                                                              
                                                             

[brownpelican]

I don't think that's VDOT's responsibility. I think that's on the town/city or county.

[74/171FAN]

I don't think that's VDOT's responsibility. I think that's on the town/city or county.

It is VDOT's responsibility because it's on Virginia Tech property and VDOT maintains all roads on Tech's campus plus other public college campuses.

[thenetwork]

Note to VDOT: When the letters look like they are trying to come off the sign it probably should be replaced.                                                              
                                                           

Looks like those signs were tagged with UPC barcodes!!!   

[codyg1985]

What was MDOT thinking when they made this sign?

I assume there are only two lanes that exit off instead of three as the sign suggests?

Plus using Grenada as a control city doesn't make sense, even if Memphis is also shown.

[codyg1985]

This one is interesting.   Indiana Route 49 where it crosses over US 12 north of Chesterton.

I guess the contractor looked at the MUTCD, saw the Alabama shield as an example, and figured all state shields should be state outlines.

[codyg1985]

Flaroads found this wretched assembly two days ago... Another 229 of similar design is around the corner.

Both shields look to be contractor installations. The Alabama outline looks stretched out from normal.

[Quillz]

This one is interesting.   Indiana Route 49 where it crosses over US 12 north of Chesterton.

I guess the contractor looked at the MUTCD, saw the Alabama shield as an example, and figured all state shields should be state outlines.

Even worse is this notion that all signs must used Series D legend, even if it must be shrunk down to fit so much it's near illegible. Seems some contractors are afraid of using Series B or C, even when such designs (like that shield) would call for it. Series B legend could have been much larger and still fit within the Indiana outline.

[myosh_tino]

What was MDOT thinking when they made this sign?

I assume there are only two lanes that exit off instead of three as the sign suggests?

Plus using Grenada as a control city doesn't make sense, even if Memphis is also shown.

If I saw that sign, I would assume that the right two lanes must exit I-55, the middle lane would be an option lane and the left two lanes are the through lanes for I-55.  I would make this assumption because the middle arrow is centered below the vertical dividing line separating the I-55 pull through and the Pearl Street exit signs.

After looking at a Google Maps, the middle lane is not an option lane and is, in fact, a through lane for I-55.  Only the right two lanes exit onto Pearl Street.
http://www.google.com/maps?ll=32.291297,-90.167401&spn=0.000588,0.000862&t=k&z=20&vpsrc=6&layer=c&cbll=32.291297,-90.167401&panoid=B2ysLmjzzDn-Pu2EG9nRyA&cbp=12,1.95,,0,6.72

[Alex]

In two different counties no less, examples of similar bad US highway outlines:



Brewton, Alabama.



Daphne, Alabama.

[Quillz]

I think Wisconsin is another state that had those fat-bottomed route shields.

[jdb1234]

Continuing the trend from Alabama:

[Quillz]

I think that one was posted earlier. I always laugh at the ginormous "150" shield. I don't think it's quite big enough.

[mobilene]

I guess the contractor looked at the MUTCD, saw the Alabama shield as an example, and figured all state shields should be state outlines.

Once upon a time, Indiana's shields were cutouts of the state outline with the number inside it.  So someone was feeling retro when they made this sign.

[agentsteel53]

Once upon a time, Indiana's shields were cutouts of the state outline with the number inside it.  So someone was feeling retro when they made this sign.

not quite cutouts, but close.



I have seen embossed variants of that with the round fonts, but never a flat printed one, so my guess is they switched over to the current square with the state name in the early 50s. 

[jdb1234]

I think that one was posted earlier. I always laugh at the ginormous "150" shield. I don't think it's quite big enough.

I had posted 2 in the other direction in different threads.  There are 4 of those 150 shields.

[roadfro]

Continuing the trend from Alabama:
<AL 150 & I-459 pic>

The giant AL 150 marker is a nice distraction from the hideous I-459 bubble shield (with oversized "To" banner)...

[codyg1985]

In two different counties no less, examples of similar bad US highway outlines:



Brewton, Alabama.



Daphne, Alabama.

Those can be found in north Alabama as well. A lot of new road construction projects done in the 90's and early 2000's featured those fugly US Shields.

[vtk]

Those don't even match!  The 29 is almost passable – the "ears" are about right, but the bottom is still bloated with a diminished point...

[US71]

This one is interesting.   Indiana Route 49 where it crosses over US 12 north of Chesterton.

I guess the contractor looked at the MUTCD, saw the Alabama shield as an example, and figured all state shields should be state outlines.

Put that on a 3d style shield blank with the wide side on the vertical, and you've got possibilities

[myosh_tino]

What was MDOT thinking when they made this sign?

If I saw that sign, I would assume that the right two lanes must exit I-55, the middle lane would be an option lane and the left two lanes are the through lanes for I-55.  I would make this assumption because the middle arrow is centered below the vertical dividing line separating the I-55 pull through and the Pearl Street exit signs.

After looking at a Google Maps, the middle lane is not an option lane and is, in fact, a through lane for I-55.  Only the right two lanes exit onto Pearl Street.
http://www.google.com/maps?ll=32.291297,-90.167401&spn=0.000588,0.000862&t=k&z=20&vpsrc=6&layer=c&cbll=32.291297,-90.167401&panoid=B2ysLmjzzDn-Pu2EG9nRyA&cbp=12,1.95,,0,6.72

Here's how I would have designed this set of signs to eliminate the confusion of the not-so-optional middle lane...

[kharvey10]

IMAG0277 by Kimmy1978, on Flickr
Here we go, this one only popped up less than 4 weeks ago.  IDiOT trying to adopt CalTrans around here LMFAO

[Brandon]

Here we go, this one only popped up less than 4 weeks ago.  IDiOT trying to adopt CalTrans around here LMFAO

Sure it's not the Ontario MOT?