The Worst of Road Signs

[Bruce]

From Eastlake in Seattle:


Poorly-made I-5 shields on Roanoke Street by SounderBruce, on Flickr

[SignGeek101]

From Eastlake in Seattle:


Poorly-made I-5 shields on Roanoke Street by SounderBruce, on Flickr

And.... that is against the MUTCD. They look old though.

[The Nature Boy]

I just hate this sign



That's Exit 10 on I-95 in North Carolina. That itty bitty font reads "Historic Fairmont." Not only does is it difficult to read but the designation of "historic" is not really helpful. Wikipedia says that it was founded in 1899 so it really doesn't even fit the definition of "historical" by any stretch of the imagination.

[steviep24]

The ugliest NY route shield you'll ever see.

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.153538,-77.732366,3a,75y,180h,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sTYIy0kQUu5IjzLsYtBkTBQ!2e0?hl=en

[NE2]

Wikipedia says that it was founded in 1899 so it really doesn't even fit the definition of "historical" by any stretch of the imagination.

what

[The Nature Boy]

Wikipedia says that it was founded in 1899 so it really doesn't even fit the definition of "historical" by any stretch of the imagination.

what

Compare it to other towns that you'd encounter along I-95. If you're looking for something "historic," there are towns that are much older within the same state even. If we attached "Historic" to every town on I-95 that was founded in the 19th century and before, I'd wager that the majority of towns north of Central and South Florida would be "Historic." It's a meaningless designation unless it's either really old, something of some historic value actually happened there or it has something of historic notoriety. From my understanding, Fairmont fits into none of those categories.

Compared to other towns along the Eastern Seaboard, 1899 isn't really "historic."

[busman_49]

From Eastlake in Seattle:


Poorly-made I-5 shields on Roanoke Street by SounderBruce, on Flickr

It looks to me like the signs may have been properly made at one point but that the red and blue fields have peeled away.  Neat signs though!

[busman_49]

Originally a right arrow that had an additional head badly patched on?
P1160660 by Ryan busman_49, on Flickr

The photo is 5 months old and sometime recently the sign was mowed down.  Hopefully it was in bad enough shape that it had to be replaced.

Update:  I was just by here a week or two ago.  Thankfully, this sign was indeed replaced with a conventional double-arrow sign.

[corco]

How about the tilted ND-1806 shield, proving once again that nobody knows what the hell a 4dnd shield is supposed to be?

[odditude]

How about the tilted ND-1806 shield, proving once again that nobody knows what the hell a 4dnd shield is supposed to be?

...Zeromus?

[SignGeek101]

I think I have an excuse for posting in worst:

https://maps.google.ca/maps?ll=49.205752,-122.882241&spn=0.004101,0.010568&t=m&z=17&layer=c&cbll=49.205848,-122.882406&panoid=ykLYKk2Cw_6xsNuHWw027A&cbp=12,89.37,,1,-13.21
(sorry about the long link)

*Bolded "BL" in "BLVD" (compare the L to the L in "Langley")
*All caps
*Awful arrows
*"EXIT ONLY" is not really accurate. It sort of is due to the wider lane implying another lane is beginning, but without any line paint, that lane is still an option lane.

More than a design error. I don't think this is BCMOT installed, but man, I'm disappointed.

[jakeroot]

I think I have an excuse for posting in worst:

https://maps.google.ca/maps?ll=49.205752,-122.882241&spn=0.004101,0.010568&t=m&z=17&layer=c&cbll=49.205848,-122.882406&panoid=ykLYKk2Cw_6xsNuHWw027A&cbp=12,89.37,,1,-13.21
(sorry about the long link)

*Bolded "BL" in "BLVD" (compare the L to the L in "Langley")
*All caps
*Awful arrows
*"EXIT ONLY" is not really accurate. It sort of is due to the wider lane implying another lane is beginning, but without any line paint, that lane is still an option lane.

More than a design error. I don't think this is BCMOT installed, but man, I'm disappointed.

That whole interchange has some of the worst signs in all of North America.

[Scott5114]

I think I have an excuse for posting in worst:

https://maps.google.ca/maps?ll=49.205752,-122.882241&spn=0.004101,0.010568&t=m&z=17&layer=c&cbll=49.205848,-122.882406&panoid=ykLYKk2Cw_6xsNuHWw027A&cbp=12,89.37,,1,-13.21
(sorry about the long link)

*Bolded "BL" in "BLVD" (compare the L to the L in "Langley")
*All caps
*Awful arrows
*"EXIT ONLY" is not really accurate. It sort of is due to the wider lane implying another lane is beginning, but without any line paint, that lane is still an option lane.

More than a design error. I don't think this is BCMOT installed, but man, I'm disappointed.

This is definitely worst-of. You also missed the pointless use of all-caps and the squished/stretched fonts

[jbnv]

Drove the entire length of I-310 near New Orleans (minus the southbound stretch between I-10 and US 61) and I want to slap someone. There are multiple new BGSs along this stretch with hideous design errors. All letters of the control cities are too small, except for the initial capital which is the correct height. The kerning is also bad--probably kerned for the proper letter size rather than the smaller one that was actually used. Some of the US 90 and US 61 shields have Clearview numerals. (Interestingly, IIRC, there are the BGSs that are for state highways have the same font errors, but I don't think any of those have Clearview numerals in their LA shields.)

No pictures--I was driving and I don't have a camera mounted in my car. GSV dates to April 2011 so maybe they will drive it again at some point.

[Alex]

Drove the entire length of I-310 near New Orleans (minus the southbound stretch between I-10 and US 61) and I want to slap someone. There are multiple new BGSs along this stretch with hideous design errors. All letters of the control cities are too small, except for the initial capital which is the correct height. The kerning is also bad--probably kerned for the proper letter size rather than the smaller one that was actually used. Some of the US 90 and US 61 shields have Clearview numerals. (Interestingly, IIRC, there are the BGSs that are for state highways have the same font errors, but I don't think any of those have Clearview numerals in their LA shields.)

No pictures--I was driving and I don't have a camera mounted in my car. GSV dates to April 2011 so maybe they will drive it again at some point.

I drove and rephotographed all of I-310 last month. Several shields for US 61 and 90 have Clearview font for the numerals. As you wrote, the font kearning is terrible on some of them as well:





Were the old signs still posted in front of the new signs when you drove it? Here is an example:

[SignGeek101]

Drove the entire length of I-310 near New Orleans (minus the southbound stretch between I-10 and US 61) and I want to slap someone. There are multiple new BGSs along this stretch with hideous design errors. All letters of the control cities are too small, except for the initial capital which is the correct height. The kerning is also bad--probably kerned for the proper letter size rather than the smaller one that was actually used. Some of the US 90 and US 61 shields have Clearview numerals. (Interestingly, IIRC, there are the BGSs that are for state highways have the same font errors, but I don't think any of those have Clearview numerals in their LA shields.)

No pictures--I was driving and I don't have a camera mounted in my car. GSV dates to April 2011 so maybe they will drive it again at some point.

I drove and rephotographed all of I-310 last month. Several shields for US 61 and 90 have Clearview font for the numerals. As you wrote, the font kearning is terrible on some of them as well:

Louisiana... I remember seeing Clearview in shields from you on I-10.

[jakeroot]

Louisiana... I remember seeing Clearview in shields from you on I-10.

My favorite BGS in all of America is just of the 10 in Baton Rouge:

[SignGeek101]

Louisiana... I remember seeing Clearview in shields from you on I-10.

My favorite BGS in all of America is just of the 10 in Baton Rouge:

That's one of the exact pictures I was thinking about.

[Zeffy]

Just...ugh...
https://www.google.com/maps/@36.916386,-76.272494,3a,15y,232.95h,87.32t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sC7-cVU0h-p3BwAeoGCIZWw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[riiga]

^ I kinda like it...

[iBallasticwolf2]

I don't know much about fonts but this is surely horrible.

I-676 on the Ben Franklin bridge-https://www.google.ca/maps/@39.952961,-75.134817,3a,43y,110.6h,102.6t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sohRDH9KlvvRB6tRsO3PdvA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Also the sign is kinda damaged

[Zeffy]

I don't know much about fonts but this is surely horrible.

I-676 on the Ben Franklin bridge-https://www.google.ca/maps/@39.952961,-75.134817,3a,43y,110.6h,102.6t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sohRDH9KlvvRB6tRsO3PdvA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Also the sign is kinda damaged

It is so much better than the crap DRPA usually shits out. Check out NJ 90 heading towards Philadelphia if you want true barf. (Note, this instance is heading away from Philadelphia, which is still disgusting)
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.972711,-75.037965,3a,43y,103.66h,94.36t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s3Sz4-Fu4Dn4NLRaIwbbmfQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[iBallasticwolf2]

I don't know much about fonts but this is surely horrible.

I-676 on the Ben Franklin bridge-https://www.google.ca/maps/@39.952961,-75.134817,3a,43y,110.6h,102.6t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sohRDH9KlvvRB6tRsO3PdvA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Also the sign is kinda damaged

It is so much better than the crap DRPA usually shits out. Check out NJ 90 heading towards Philadelphia if you want true barf.
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.972711,-75.037965,3a,43y,103.66h,94.36t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s3Sz4-Fu4Dn4NLRaIwbbmfQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

I almost barfed when I saw those I-295 and US 130 shields.

[yakra]

Content unavailable.

[noelbotevera]

Atlantic City, please hire proper contractors. Thanks. Cause this is https://www.google.com/maps/@39.36277,-74.441964,3a,53.4y,130.39h,95.08t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sUmkAaQlkEbtf2X2EVyyJsw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en unacceptable.

Fixed URL