The Worst of Road Signs

[KEK Inc.]

It took me a while to find one where he shops a sign that's after another sign, since he cleverly left the 2nd signs Highway Gothic in most cases, but here's one:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/raymondyue/6044675280/sizes/o/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/raymondyue/6044125945/sizes/o/in/photostream/

[xonhulu]

It took me a while to find one where he shops a sign that's after another sign, since he cleverly left the 2nd signs Highway Gothic in most cases, but here's one:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/raymondyue/6044675280/sizes/o/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/raymondyue/6044125945/sizes/o/in/photostream/

Very slick: discredit yourself!  The guys a joke!

It's especially interesting since those signs have been replaced since his photos were taken.  Here's what they look like now:





But

[Kacie Jane]

It took me a while to find one where he shops a sign that's after another sign, since he cleverly left the 2nd signs Highway Gothic in most cases, but here's one:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/raymondyue/6044675280/sizes/o/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/raymondyue/6044125945/sizes/o/in/photostream/

Actually, I have to wonder if he went as far as to blur the text in the first photo to make it just a tad harder to tell.  The arrow seems to be a lot crisper than the lettering.  This clown is devilishly insane.

[agentsteel53]

Actually, I have to wonder if he went as far as to blur the text in the first photo to make it just a tad harder to tell.  The arrow seems to be a lot crisper than the lettering.  This clown is devilishly insane.

way too much time on his hands.  he should be doing this commercially and getting paid for it.

[kendancy66]

The center-tabbed sign that kicked off this thread (CA-60 at I-710) is legit.  Google Street View comfirms this... http://www.google.com/maps?ll=34.036675,-118.161577&spn=0.001958,0.001821&hnear=Cupertino,+Santa+Clara,+California&t=k&z=19&layer=c&cbll=34.036673,-118.161491&panoid=TtGT3TMMzwK5D1hmI_Zstw&cbp=12,263.55,,1,-2.58

So is the I-405 at I-10 sign... http://www.google.com/maps?ll=34.02553,-118.428788&spn=0.000986,0.000911&hnear=Cupertino,+Santa+Clara,+California&t=k&z=20&layer=c&cbll=34.025664,-118.428857&panoid=eMJe5Wfr7XZYf6dhD4FGnQ&cbp=12,325.59,,1,-9.08

I wanted to find out I someone could give clarification on these exit numbers?  I thought that exits like these that exit and then branch off into two different on ramps would get separate letters?  So shouldn't exit 3B be exit 3C for I-710 North and 3B for I-710 South?

I found a similar exit on I-5 South for exit to CA-22.  It is marked at exit 107A to go East CA-22 and 107B to go West CA-22, which is the way I thought it should be.


A non California example shows similar (I-40 Bus East to NC-67 South and North)

[agentsteel53]

The center-tabbed sign that kicked off this thread (CA-60 at I-710) is legit.  Google Street View comfirms this... http://www.google.com/maps?ll=34.036675,-118.161577&spn=0.001958,0.001821&hnear=Cupertino,+Santa+Clara,+California&t=k&z=19&layer=c&cbll=34.036673,-118.161491&panoid=TtGT3TMMzwK5D1hmI_Zstw&cbp=12,263.55,,1,-2.58

is there any reason why the "a"s and "e"s are blurred?  some glitch in the license-plate-blurring algorithm?

[NE2]

Probably facial blurring.

[agentsteel53]

Probably facial blurring.

heh, I wonder what that says about their algorithm that those two glyphs are consistently interpreted as faces.

well, seems intuitive enough.  "o" and "c" are not judged to be faces.  I wonder about "s".

[myosh_tino]

I wanted to find out I someone could give clarification on these exit numbers?  I thought that exits like these that exit and then branch off into two different on ramps would get separate letters?  So shouldn't exit 3B be exit 3C for I-710 North and 3B for I-710 South?

This is another California deviation from the national MUTCD.  Exit numbers are assigned to exits when they diverge from the mainline.  Here are a couple of Google Map images I captured and modified to show the differences...

CA-60 at I-710...

In this case, a single exit number (3B) is assigned because the ramp leaves mainline CA-60 once.  Whether the ramp splits after leaving the mainline is irrelevant as far as exit numbering is concerned.

I-5 at CA-22...

In this case, there are actually two ramps that diverge from the mainline I-5.  The first ramp is for CA-22 westbound.  The second ramp which diverges immediately after the first one is for CA-22 eastbound.  Because there are two ramps, each ramp gets an exit number.

[kendancy66]

I wanted to find out I someone could give clarification on these exit numbers?  I thought that exits like these that exit and then branch off into two different on ramps would get separate letters?  So shouldn't exit 3B be exit 3C for I-710 North and 3B for I-710 South?

This is another California deviation from the national MUTCD.  Exit numbers are assigned to exits when they diverge from the mainline.  Here are a couple of Google Map images I captured and modified to show the differences...

So other states use separate letters for these kinds of exits instead? The I-40 East Bus exit 2 A-B Collector Distributor in NC example that I tried to show below does this.

CA-60 at I-710...

In this case, a single exit number (3B) is assigned because the ramp leaves mainline CA-60 once.  Whether the ramp splits after leaving the mainline is irrelevant as far as exit numbering is concerned.

I-5 at CA-22...

In this case, there are actually two ramps that diverge from the mainline I-5.  The first ramp is for CA-22 westbound.  The second ramp which diverges immediately after the first one is for CA-22 eastbound.  Because there are two ramps, each ramp gets an exit number.

I didn't notice that at first.  The thing is I drive by that interchange all the time, and didn't notice that. However I am always to the left and never actually exit there.

[sp_redelectric]

To set the record straight, if these are legit they would be the first Clearview signs I'm aware of that ODOT put up; but IIRC some counties, I want to say Clackamas in particular, have installed some Clearview signs, so the scourge is already here in Oregon!

I do know that PBOT has installed some Clearview signs - most of the overhead signs near the I-84/Cesar E. Chavez Blvd. interchange (but not on I-84 itself) are Clearview.  Of course, the city sign replacements were only done because of politics (with renaming what used to be N.E. 33rd Avenue).

I am unaware of any ODOT Clearview signs.  However, ODOT seems to be on a big binge of using what appears to be FHWA Series B on many new signs (other than BGSes).  They just look weird...

[luokou]

Cesar E Chavez Ave... it'll always be 39th Ave to me!

I think there is at least one ground-mounted sign on Front Ave/Naito Pkwy southbound pointing to I-5/I-84/Morrison Bridge that is in Clearview as well. Personally, I prefer the mixed case Series C over Clearview any day.

[Brandon]

I wanted to find out I someone could give clarification on these exit numbers?  I thought that exits like these that exit and then branch off into two different on ramps would get separate letters?  So shouldn't exit 3B be exit 3C for I-710 North and 3B for I-710 South?

This is another California deviation from the national MUTCD.  Exit numbers are assigned to exits when they diverge from the mainline.  Here are a couple of Google Map images I captured and modified to show the differences...

No, it's not a California deviation from the national MUTCD.  Many other states do this as well.  Illinois and Michigan for instance.

[myosh_tino]

No, it's not a California deviation from the national MUTCD.  Many other states do this as well.  Illinois and Michigan for instance.

Out of curiosity, how does Illinois and Michigan handle a full cloverleaf interchange with collector-distributor roads.  Here's the diagram from the 2009 MUTCD....


In California, that exit would be signed with a single exit number (Exit 102) because there is only one divergence from the mainline.

[NE2]

Florida numbered each exit from the C/D road separately when they used sequential numbering, but when they changed to mile-based numbering they went to one number for the C/D road exit from the mainline. The only exception is when the C/D road serves more than one interchange (California, if I'm not mistaken, even uses only one number for this situation).

[agentsteel53]

Florida numbered each exit from the C/D road separately when they used sequential numbering, but when they changed to mile-based numbering they went to one number for the C/D road exit from the mainline. The only exception is when the C/D road serves more than one interchange (California, if I'm not mistaken, even uses only one number for this situation).

the north 805/5 split, heading southbound, has a "local bypass", which is a glorified C/D lane, and it is not signed as an exit.  it has two exits off of the C/D road: Carmel Mtn. Road is signed as Exit 32, while I-805 is not given an exit number at all. 

[myosh_tino]

(California, if I'm not mistaken, even uses only one number for this situation).

From what I have seen, that is a correct statement.  The best example I can think of is the C/D road on northbound CA-87 in downtown San Jose.  Exit 6 departs mainline Route 87 just after the I-280 exit and connects to a C/D road that handles traffic from I-280 and has 3 exits for Auzerais Ave/San Carlos St, Santa Clara St and Julian St.  The reason for the odd setup is the current C/D road was the original mainline Route 87 before the freeway was extended south to Route 85.

[okroads]

A few from Baton Rouge:

[CentralCAroadgeek]

Wow, those interstates shields sure are ugly. I kinda like the Clearview numerals, just not on shields.

Those are also weird arrows on the I-12 sign in the last picture.

Also, are left exits supposed to have yellow exit-tabs?

[kphoger]

The answer to that last question is no.
Also note the RV hogging the left lane for no apparent reason. 

[okroads]

Also note the RV hogging the left lane for no apparent reason. 

That RV hogging the left lane was quite annoying; there are 3 lanes allocated for Interstate 12 and they had to use the left lane. 

[PurdueBill]

Why do some states insist on improperly using negative-contrast Clearview?  It doesn't belong in the yellow fields.  It also doesn't belong in route shields, positive or negative contrast.  Why can't they get this right?  If Clearview isn't going to be used right, it should be abolished.

[agentsteel53]

Why do some states insist on improperly using negative-contrast Clearview?  It doesn't belong in the yellow fields.  It also doesn't belong in route shields, positive or negative contrast.  Why can't they get this right?  If Clearview isn't going to be used right, it should be abolished.

because it's only fifteen minutes 'til lunch and the guy doing the sign layout is getting hungry...

[Brandon]

No, it's not a California deviation from the national MUTCD.  Many other states do this as well.  Illinois and Michigan for instance.

Out of curiosity, how does Illinois and Michigan handle a full cloverleaf interchange with collector-distributor roads.  Here's the diagram from the 2009 MUTCD....


In California, that exit would be signed with a single exit number (Exit 102) because there is only one divergence from the mainline.

It's just Exit 102, and for the same reason in Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan.  Here's an example, while signed in Indiana for an Illinois exit, it is done the same way.  It's also for Exit 1 which diverges from the mainline, and then splits into ramps for Calumet Ave North and Calumet Ave South.  Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan all sign the diversion from the mainline.



The two ramps separate after the split from the mainline.  Other examples in Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan abound.
Illinois:
I-55: Exits 279 (A-B Nbd, 279 Sbd), 282 (A-B Nbd, 282 Sbd) (C/D ramps)
I-57: Exits 346, 348 (C/D ramps)

Indiana:
I-80/94: Exits 1, 2, 3, 5, 6

Michigan:
I-94: Exits 108, 194 (C/D ramps)
I-69: Exit 38 (C/D ramps)

[PurdueBill]

The IL Exit 160 sign in Indiana is an example of where Illinois's wide exit "tabs" actually do a better job, as far as clearly identifying that both are part of the exit.  Funny that Indiana signed it as I-94 North, while signs in Illinois say West.  I don't remember if older signs said North in Illinois and Indiana just hasn't kept up, or if this is a one-off error.