The Worst of Road Signs

[mrsman]

I'm pretty sure those are special lights designed to match the Golden Gate Bridge.

Yep. The mid-2010s reconstruction of the Presido Parkway section of US 101 in northern San Francisco (approaching the Golden Gate Bridge) features a few design treatments inspired by the bridge.

Was this a CalTrans project or city?  Because holy shit, there's an exit tab, in California!

Shh,  don't say that too loud.  Caltrans may come in and replace the sign to fit their spec.

[Ned Weasel]

I've been holding onto this one because I was too lazy:



I don't even know if it's still there or if they took it down for the I-35/US 69 widening already.  I haven't gone out much in the past couple of months.

[D-Dey65]

What about blue on orange?

Except that one is orange on blue (or maybe yellow on blue?)

Yeah, that looks yellow to me.

Somebody get pics of these things for the Wikimedia Commons!

[1995hoo]

^^^^^

I seem to recall that in the 1980s, those New Hampshire signs said "Sweeps Tickets" instead of "Lottery Tickets," although it meant the same thing.

We had a family friend in East Sullivan, Maine, who used to drive down to New Hampshire to buy liquor because he said the prices were significantly lower enough to make the trip worth it. I assume he'd plan ahead and stock up, rather than going for one or two bottles.

[kurumi]

I'm pretty sure those are special lights designed to match the Golden Gate Bridge.

Yep. The mid-2010s reconstruction of the Presido Parkway section of US 101 in northern San Francisco (approaching the Golden Gate Bridge) features a few design treatments inspired by the bridge.

Was this a CalTrans project or city?  Because holy shit, there's an exit tab, in California!

Shh,  don't say that too loud.  Caltrans may come in and replace the sign to fit their spec.

Don't worry; the wind will blow it away...

[ErmineNotyours]

I'm pretty sure those are special lights designed to match the Golden Gate Bridge.

Yep. The mid-2010s reconstruction of the Presido Parkway section of US 101 in northern San Francisco (approaching the Golden Gate Bridge) features a few design treatments inspired by the bridge.

Was this a CalTrans project or city?  Because holy shit, there's an exit tab, in California!

Don't worry, because Washington is here to restore balance to nature.

[texaskdog]

ELIZABETH IM COMING TO JOIN YOU

[Occidental Tourist]

Don't worry; the wind will blow it away...

You know we'll all be moldering in the ground before Caltrans publishes wind loading specs for exit tabs.

[Ned Weasel]

Don't worry; the wind will blow it away...

You know we'll all be moldering in the ground before Caltrans publishes wind loading specs for exit tabs.

I actually like the way Caltrans uses exit tabs inserted into the sign space itself, when they're of a respectable size and well spaced.  I dislike the way Caltrans has been so inconsistent about them.

[Roadsguy]

Is this a road sign or a ransom note? Surprise, surprise, it's a DRPA special. It's not being distorted by GSV at all; that really is how it looks in person.

[Brandon]

Is this a road sign or a ransom note? Surprise, surprise, it's a DRPA special. It's not being distorted by GSV at all; that really is how it looks in person.

Damn, that's a fugly one.  Sure they didn't contract out to Oklahoma for it?

[KEVIN_224]

^^^^^
I seem to recall that in the 1980s, those New Hampshire signs said "Sweeps Tickets" instead of "Lottery Tickets," although it meant the same thing.

The signs did indeed say "SWEEPS". I think they did into the 1990s. The above picture is from I-95, south of the toll plaza in Hampton, NH. I believe New Hampshire's lottery said something like Sweepstakes Commission when it started out in 1964 (the oldest state-run lottery in the country).

[DRMan]

Initially, the New Hampshire Sweepstakes was conducted by thoroughbred horse races at Salem's Rockingham Park, with the winning numbers based on the races, rather than simply drawing numbers from a barrel or using ping-pong balls, to avoid violating US anti-lottery statutes.[6] Tickets were sold mostly in New Hampshire's liquor stores.[7]

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Hampshire_Lottery#History

[TravelingBethelite]

I've been holding onto this one because I was too lazy:



I don't even know if it's still there or if they took it down for the I-35/US 69 widening already.  I haven't gone out much in the past couple of months.

I have to say, it doesn't look half bad for missing the black border.

[odditude]

I've been holding onto this one because I was too lazy:
(snipped picture)

I don't even know if it's still there or if they took it down for the I-35/US 69 widening already.  I haven't gone out much in the past couple of months.

I have to say, it doesn't look half bad for missing the black border.

the other issue is the nonstandard typeface for the numerals on the I-35 shield.

i wouldn't call either issue "worst" since they're decently well-made; just a pair of design errors.

[PurdueBill]

I've been holding onto this one because I was too lazy:
I don't even know if it's still there or if they took it down for the I-35/US 69 widening already.  I haven't gone out much in the past couple of months.

I have to say, it doesn't look half bad for missing the black border.

The Arial 35 sucks though. 

[Scott5114]

I've been holding onto this one because I was too lazy:
I don't even know if it's still there or if they took it down for the I-35/US 69 widening already.  I haven't gone out much in the past couple of months.

I have to say, it doesn't look half bad for missing the black border.

The Arial 35 sucks though. 

It's Helvetica Condensed.

[PurdueBill]

I've been holding onto this one because I was too lazy:
I don't even know if it's still there or if they took it down for the I-35/US 69 widening already.  I haven't gone out much in the past couple of months.

I have to say, it doesn't look half bad for missing the black border.

The Arial 35 sucks though. 

It's Helvetica Condensed.

Still sucks on the shield.    Who's going to tell the difference at 70 mph anyway?  I couldn't look at it too long before it started making me queasy.  There are enough Helvetica signs in a nearby city that should be FHWA lettering that it is a huge turnoff.   

[STLmapboy]

"18 FT 5 NI" on the Will Rogers Tpk north of Tulsa. I swear, OK is in a league of its own when it comes to grammar screwups on signage.

sucks by Samuel Cox, on Flickr

[Big John]

The sign construction must be by a Monty Python fan.

[roadfro]

"18 FT 5 NI" on the Will Rogers Tpk north of Tulsa. I swear, OK is in a league of its own when it comes to grammar screwups on signage.

sucks by Samuel Cox, on Flickr

More of a "design error", since there's nothing really wrong with the sign overall that would make this "worst of".

I'm more intrigued by the fact that an 18'5" clearance is even signed. Per MUTCD, clearance only need be signed when it's 12" or less than the statutory maximum vehicle height, which I assume is less than 17 feet...

[US 89]

I'm more intrigued by the fact that an 18'5" clearance is even signed. Per MUTCD, clearance only need be signed when it's 12" or less than the statutory maximum vehicle height, which I assume is less than 17 feet...

I've seen higher - there is a bridge on WYO 374 (a relatively minor frontage road to I-80) with a signed clearance of 22' 3". IIRC, the same clearance is signed on mainline I-80.

[formulanone]

The sign construction must be by a Monty Python fan.

It also lacks shrubbery.

[STLmapboy]

OK's DOT pretty obsessively signs clearances (one of their few redeeming values, imo), and there are some signed over 20 feet on the Bailey/Turner Turnpike.

[thenetwork]

The sign construction must be by a Monty Python fan.

It also lacks shrubbery.

https://images.app.goo.gl/oQwZFP3BjEPBwx3s7