The Worst of Road Signs

[national highway 1]

These from the outbound Eisenhower Expressway are just fugly, IMHO.



Clearview (ugly by itself), the yellow left tabs, and the whole presentation is simply fugly.

Why does the exit tab need to be two lines? Clearly, there is enough space to the right of the yellow 'LEFT' patch to fit 'EXIT xx'... 

[Kacie Jane]

Because the MUTCD calls for the LEFT to be above the EXIT.  Also, if you put it all on one line, it would be less clear that it's left-aligned as opposed to center or right.

Not that I'm defending the MUTCD or anything... just saying there is a logic behind this fugly design.

[Scott5114]

Technically wrong issues with that sign are the fact that it has Clearview on yellow and the spacing on the IL-43 panel is completely out of whack (probably doesn't meet MUTCD guidelines).

[bulkyorled]

stealing a photo from another thread:



this is at LAX.  good grief, where do we begin?

* green sign has a border, blue sign does not
* blue sign has inexplicable gray bottom strip
* blue sign has even more inexplicable blue background on arrows
* arrows on blue sign look to have come out of 1980s "Ten arrows that YOU! can use NOW!" clip-art software.
* what the deuce is that font?  (It's Franklin Gothic, which is a real "what the deuce" font.)
* shield shape on 1 conforms less to Caltrans guidelines than to outline of jello splattered onto vertical surface.
* "rental car return" and "century blvd" are tucked in awkwardly in half-size.  I don't have a really good way of solving this problem, apart from maybe using three signs, or one sign, instead of two?
* underlighting implies this replaced classic porcelain signage.  fuck you Caltrans.

It's probably an LAX thing. Meaning something related to what the people running the airport wanted. All the signs in LAX looks that way. Even when you're leaving on World Way the signs for the 405, Sepulveda (1) and Century all look that way which I actually think look pretty good but the one pictured doesn't look right. And it doesn't even look exactly the same as the rest. If that's the gripe then I agree haha But the others inside the airport actually look pretty good. They look ~*airporty~*

[myosh_tino]

It's probably an LAX thing. Meaning something related to what the people running the airport wanted. All the signs in LAX looks that way. Even when you're leaving on World Way the signs for the 405, Sepulveda (1) and Century all look that way which I actually think look pretty good but the one pictured doesn't look right. And it doesn't even look exactly the same as the rest. If that's the gripe then I agree haha But the others inside the airport actually look pretty good. They look ~*airporty~*

I think the problem is these signs are on a state highway (route 1) and should conform to Caltrans' standards not LAX's.  You don't see "airporty" exit signs for SFO on US 101 until you actually exit the freeway.

[Scott5114]

Airport signs shouldn't look airporty until you're on the taxiway. Until then you are still on a road, so they should look like road signs.

[codyg1985]

These from the outbound Eisenhower Expressway are just fugly, IMHO.



Clearview (ugly by itself), the yellow left tabs, and the whole presentation is simply fugly.

At least the entire exit tab isn't yellow, like Louisiana has started to do with its left exit tabs.

[agentsteel53]

Technically wrong issues with that sign are the fact that it has Clearview on yellow and the spacing on the IL-43 panel is completely out of whack (probably doesn't meet MUTCD guidelines).

the Austin sign isn't too bad, but the 43 has the lines spaced too closely together. 

[1995hoo]

The "Exit Only" text looks like it was crammed awfully close to the arrow.

[Brandon]

^^ I think IDOT District 1 is starting to take lessons from CalTrans.



This is not a good thing, IMHO.

[JREwing78]

Too cheap to buy the correct size sign.

I don't have a problem with the Clearview, but this is a poor example. Pick your font - this sign would still suck.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

From my various travels around Dayton last weekend...

Why did ODOT add another sign instead replacing the Indy sign?


I hate popup shields


I guess we can blame the MUTCD for this one. The old sign(s) here would just say Medway. Now they have to mention the actual road name, and then after, who knows how many complaints from folks getting lost looking for the old sign, Medway is placed on top instead of the road name.


Normally historical markers wouldn't be worth mentioning here, but since Lake Erie shrunk, this sign warrents mentioning here.

[Special K]

From my various travels around Dayton last weekend...

"Airport" plus an airport symbol?

[WillWeaverRVA]

It's bad enough that the I-64 shield is completely screwed up (at least it has the state name), but the fact that a correct (yet neutered) shield is right next to it makes this even worse.

[DaBigE]

From around the Badger State:


Supposedly, the WisDOT plans were correct and the contractor screwed up.  Knowing both parties, either one (or both) could have been guilty.  For those not familiar with the area, (in addition to the misspelling of 'Business', the poor alignments/spacing, and the missing arrow), it should be Rothschild and Schofield.  I haven't been up there in a while, but WisDOT claimed it was going to be fixed right away.

NOT Photoshopped:

Some small town in the NW corner of the state

Not even close to a WisDOT spec county trunk plate:

Photo taken off of WIS 35, just north of Siren, WI.

Speed limit just for a crosswalk 

Downtown Beaver Dam, WI

[agentsteel53]

NOT Photoshopped:

what's wrong with it?

Not even close to a WisDOT spec county trunk plate:

nah, that should be the "best of road signs".  that is an older spec, possibly as old as the 50s.  this is the only other example I have ever seen:

[on_wisconsin]

nah, that should be the "best of road signs".  that is an older spec, possibly as old as the 50s.  this is the only other example I have ever seen

As of 2010, there where still at least a hand full of signs like that over in Pierce County.

[twinsfan87]

There are similar county all over the place in Sawyer County that aren't WisDOT spec but also don't have the county name (http://goo.gl/maps/6A7L). I don't really like the look of them... they seem pretty boring compared to WisDOT's normal (and unique) county road shield.

I think I've also seen a green county road shield somewhere in Bayfield County as well, but I can't remember exactly where at the moment.

[PurdueBill]

From my various travels around Dayton last weekend...

"Airport" plus an airport symbol?

Totally screwy....most other places in Ohio there would probably be an airport symbol appended to the original BGS.  My reaction the first time driving past that screwy added sign was WTF???  They actually USED TO have an airport logo above the WB BGS but decided to add the second sign--what is the deal?

That area has quite a few strange signs, especially on 75, but also in the interchange.  Just to the right of the screwy pair of signs in the pic is a sign for 70 EB with at least one malformed arrow that appears to be an artifact of the sign being made with an arrow, then the arrow being covered during construction of that interchange (which lasted FOREVER) and then a screwy temporary-type replacement being put on instead of just removing the covering over the original--at least that's what it seems to be.

The 70-75 interchange and the 70-675 interchange are the last noticeable strongholds of lighted overheads in the drives I make frequently in Ohio.  There are some strays in Mansfield but many in Columbus that do have lighting have been unplugged.  The 70/75 and 70/675 signage is just new enough to be reflective/FHWA lettering but old enough to have lighting, and last month the signs were still lighted.

[DaBigE]

NOT Photoshopped:

what's wrong with it?

It's backwards.  How it's supposed to look:

[NE2]

Backwards? Whatever. Hardly worst.

[rickmastfan67]

Backwards? Whatever. Hardly worst.

I agree.  I'm thinking just "Erroneous". lol.

[DaBigE]

Backwards? Whatever. Hardly worst.

Out of all the other questionable "worst" signs, you choose to complain about that one?  Sheesh.

[Central Avenue]

Why did ODOT add another sign instead replacing the Indy sign?

Now they just need to add another instance of "Indianapolis" and they'll have repeated every element at least twice.

NOT Photoshopped:

Some small town in the NW corner of the state

Looks like a typical case of an inattentive sign shop worker putting the silkscreen backwards. Same sort of thing that gets you center right-turn lane signs and left-hand two-way traffic signs.

[agentsteel53]

I think I've also seen a green county road shield somewhere in Bayfield County as well, but I can't remember exactly where at the moment.

old US-2 alignment.