The Worst of Road Signs

[jbnv]

Library and Recycling are not "General Service" or "Specific Service" signs, which are signs meant to be services for the typical traveling public ("motorist services", if you will) and not so much for local people. So the green is more appropriate than blue for this.

How does the fact that locals are more likely to use it than travelers* make it a different class of services warranting a different color?

* Libraries are actually quite useful for travelers as they are a great place to receive local information and Internet access.

[DaBigE]

Library and Recycling are not "General Service" or "Specific Service" signs, which are signs meant to be services for the typical traveling public ("motorist services", if you will) and not so much for local people. So the green is more appropriate than blue for this.

How does the fact that locals are more likely to use it than travelers* make it a different class of services warranting a different color?

* Libraries are actually quite useful for travelers as they are a great place to receive local information and Internet access.

Not-for-profit status?

[Mapmikey]

Whatever signs has ever been put up around the Suffolk Bypass have never been totally correct.  In the above case, other than the ugly US shields, is the omission of NORTH US 13.  Am I correct in saying that this sign is on VA 10 eastbound?

When the Suffolk Bypass first opened around 1974, it was signed as US 58 only.  The BGS's would have TO XX along with US 58, directing one to another route, at the VA 10/32 and US 460 interchanges.  It was a few years later that US 460 was signed along with US 58.  Now that US 13 is aligned this way the BGS's need to be updated/replaced to reflect this.

From the US 460 Entry on the VA Highways Project: 

In 1973, US 460 was given its freeway bypass of Suffolk, leaving behind US 460 Business. AT first it was just US 460 as the freeway wasn't open west of there back to US 58.

With due respect to Mike and Froggie, but why/how would US 58 and US 460 have not been signed together once the entire Suffolk Bypass was open?

I will research this further upon my return from Norway in a couple weeks.

Mike
Bergen Norway

now that I am back in Virginia...

US 460 on the bypass definitely came first (see pg 38 of Aug 1973 CTB - http://www.ctb.virginia.gov/meetings/minutes_pdf/CTB-08-1973-01.pdf), with US 58's westernmost section finished later and US 58 added in Oct 1974 (see pp 14-15 - http://www.ctb.virginia.gov/meetings/minutes_pdf/CTB-10-1974-01.pdf)

The 1973 City of Nanesmond (really) map from VDOT shows no sign of the Suffolk Bypass at all.

I do not recall the bypass being signed as 58-only east of US 460 when I lived in Norfolk 1991-93.  The BGS on the bypass as well as from intersecting routes definitely had 58-460 on them. There are definitely current postings of 13-58-460 that are not on BGS assemblies.

[amroad17]

I guess I did not remember correctly about the Suffolk Bypass just being US 460 for a short time.  I know that both US 58 and US 460 were signed on it from at least 1976 on.  I think the first section opened in the spring of 1974.

Yes, Nansemond County became a city in late 1972, merging with Holland and Whaleyville.  18 months later in early 1974, Nansemond merged with Suffolk to become the City of Suffolk.  Nothing like political consolidations!  It's a wonder Williamsburg hasn't merged with James City County or Yorktown hasn't merged with York County yet.

[Katavia]

Lol. These I-85 signs.
http://imgur.com/gallery/y19mS

[74/171FAN]

Yorktown hasn't merged with York County yet.

I presume that you meant Poquoson.  Yorktown is just another part of York County.

[amroad17]

^Yes.  Yorktown is not really considered a city; it is a CDP.  However, it is the county seat of York County.  That is what I was going by.

[empirestate]

^Yes.  Yorktown is not really considered a city; it is a CDP.  However, it is the county seat of York County.  That is what I was going by.

How do you mean, then, that the seat of York County hasn't merged with York County?

[amroad17]

^ Well, I seemed to have made an error as far as York County and Yorktown.  Yorktown is a part of York County and not an independent city.  As I said before, it is a CDP.  I, at first, thought it was a city until I read about it being a CDP and blowing up my comment about a merger big time.  Poquoson would be the choice to merge with York County--if it ever happened.

Anyway, enough about political consolidations.  Let's see some more bad signs!

[formulanone]

Huge stretched numbers, and there's no need for such a huge reassurance sign on a two-lane road.

[empirestate]

Huge stretched numbers, and there's no need for such a huge reassurance sign on a two-lane road.

That must be near my house; I live off of Putnam County 20.

[vtk]

Huge stretched numbers, and there's no need for such a huge reassurance sign on a two-lane road.

I don't think that's stretched. That's how Series F is supposed to look.

[cl94]

It might be how Series F is supposed to look, but CR shields shouldn't have Series F.

[formulanone]

Huge stretched numbers, and there's no need for such a huge reassurance sign on a two-lane road.

That must be near my house; I live off of Putnam County 20.

Now that you mention it, Florida and New York each have an Orange, Jefferson, Washington, Hamilton, Madison, Franklin, Monroe, and Columbia counties (although they're found in other states, too).

[cl94]

Huge stretched numbers, and there's no need for such a huge reassurance sign on a two-lane road.

That must be near my house; I live off of Putnam County 20.

Now that you mention it, Florida also has Orange, Jefferson, Washington, Hamilton, Madison, Franklin, Monroe, and Columbia counties (although they're found in other states, too).

I was in Washington County today. Except I don't think Washington County, Florida has shields that look like this.

[empirestate]

Now that you mention it, Florida and New York each have an Orange, Jefferson, Washington, Hamilton, Madison, Franklin, Monroe, and Columbia counties (although they're found in other states, too).

Makes me wonder which two states have the most county names in common?

[cl94]

Now that you mention it, Florida and New York each have an Orange, Jefferson, Washington, Hamilton, Madison, Franklin, Monroe, and Columbia counties (although they're found in other states, too).

Makes me wonder which two states have the most county names in common?

Going by percentage, wouldn't shock me if it's two New England-area states

[vdeane]

Maybe that's why New England states stopped having county government.

[empirestate]

Now that you mention it, Florida and New York each have an Orange, Jefferson, Washington, Hamilton, Madison, Franklin, Monroe, and Columbia counties (although they're found in other states, too).

Makes me wonder which two states have the most county names in common?

Going by percentage, wouldn't shock me if it's two New England-area states

I'd be interested in both percentage and absolute numbers.

Off-hand, though, I can't think of many county names that are shared between any two New England states. Bristol's one...


iPhone

[vdeane]

Franklin, Essex, Middlesex, Washington, Windham

[hbelkins]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_most_common_U.S._county_names

[amroad17]

^ So does that mean that Auglaize (OH), Kenton (KY), Cayuga (NY), and Onondaga (NY) are considered unique counties (among others)?

[empirestate]

Franklin, Essex, Middlesex, Washington, Windham

True...but of course, those are shared between varying pairs of states. I'm thinking the answer is going to lie outside New England, actually. Could even be between two states like NY and WI, or TX and practically any Midwestern state.

[MNHighwayMan]

This one speaks for itself, I think.

[kphoger]

^^ I'm kind of liking that one, actually.  It's colorful.  Certainly not pure, unadulterated suck.