Illuminated street name signs

[Mark68]

These are in Glendale, Ive only ever seen one other city with these and I believe it was Orange but they didn't have them everywhere and theirs are blue instead of brown

Orange had the white-on-blue ones that were installed on a light of the signals with shorter mast arms (signals from the early 70s and before, I'm guessing). Irvine also had some of the white-on-brown smaller ones as well.

[Mark68]

All new signal installations in Aurora, Co have lighted signs.

This is what they used to look like (down the street from me at E Mexico and S Havana):

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Aurora,+CO&hl=en&ll=39.685424,-104.866296&spn=0.001462,0.002642&sll=40.000165,-105.259945&sspn=0.002912,0.005284&oq=Aurora,+Co&t=h&hnear=Aurora,+Arapahoe,+Colorado&z=19&layer=c&cbll=39.685647,-104.865994&panoid=Tv993k4TdAztLa6HVq5HKA&cbp=12,192.58,,0,-22.87

This is typical of the newer Aurora signals (a few blocks south on Havana at Parker Rd):

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Aurora,+CO&hl=en&ll=39.670862,-104.866144&spn=0.001474,0.002642&sll=40.000165,-105.259945&sspn=0.002912,0.005284&oq=Aurora,+Co&t=h&hnear=Aurora,+Arapahoe,+Colorado&z=19&layer=c&cbll=39.670862,-104.866144&panoid=p-oG11TBi0VQpwjaD0-PQA&cbp=12,220.53,,1,-3.29

The next signal south of Parker on Havana is E Yale Ave, which forms the border of Denver and Aurora here. The signal must be maintained by Aurora, because even on the south side of the intersection (in Denver), the lighted signs, with the Denver seal, are present. Denver only uses green reflective blades with the city seal:

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Aurora,+CO&hl=en&ll=39.667519,-104.866252&spn=0.001475,0.002642&sll=40.000165,-105.259945&sspn=0.002912,0.005284&oq=Aurora,+Co&t=h&hnear=Aurora,+Arapahoe,+Colorado&z=19&layer=c&cbll=39.667519,-104.866252&panoid=KRNVsE1ukJ09zovmgEO33w&cbp=12,188.71,,1,-3.75

Another interesting thing that Aurora does is install blue signs for intersections with streets that are not public, IE, streets whose function is to provide access to a shopping center, such as here at E Mississippi Ave and S Ironton St (Ironton to the north is an actual street, so the signal on the other side gets the typical green treatment):

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Aurora,+CO&hl=en&ll=39.696509,-104.863788&spn=0.002948,0.005284&sll=40.000165,-105.259945&sspn=0.002912,0.005284&oq=Aurora,+Co&t=h&hnear=Aurora,+Arapahoe,+Colorado&z=18&layer=c&cbll=39.696507,-104.863616&panoid=_L8j_tlJ5l5fOHfulNwmzw&cbp=12,98.45,,0,-8.13

Elsewhere in Denver metro, the prevalence of lighted signs depends on each municipality (and county). Most of the northern suburbs have them (Thornton, Northglenn, Westminster...which has some colorful ones, unincorporated Adams County has some), Highlands Ranch and Lone Tree down south have them, but most do not.

This is one of the Westminster signs at Sheridan and 72nd Ave:

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Westminster,+CO&hl=en&ll=39.827343,-105.053486&spn=0.004128,0.010568&sll=39.696504,-104.863617&sspn=0.002948,0.005284&oq=West,+CO&t=h&hnear=Westminster,+Adams,+Colorado&z=17&layer=c&cbll=39.827343,-105.053486&panoid=TPkFAZDz7YqK-VnRSUO20g&cbp=12,268.45,,0,-8.41

[ET21]

They seem to be popping up in more places.  Joliet, Bolingbrook, Romeoville, Crest Hill, and Shorewood all have a few.

Add in Bridgeview, Hickory Hills, and Oak Lawn to the list

[txstateends]

Here's some more for the list....

Farmers Branch, TX:
(still red / red-orange happy about their street signage)



Highland Park, TX:
(originally the city installed these hanging down from the horizontal part of the mast, but lately they've attached them beside the sign onto the vertical part of the mast)

[vtk]

Someone needs to tell those towns about approved alphabet series.

[Scott5114]

Tahoma? Arial? Do these guys design their stuff in PowerPoint?

[maplestar]

Virginia Beach near NAS Oceana

My favorite story about one not too far from there was driving home from the dinner where I first met my in-laws, we came across a sign where one letter did not illuminate, creating: HO LAND RD.

[Lytton]

Definitely a lot of Illuminated street name signs in Michigan. There's a list of towns and cities where they had it.

1. Detroit: Very common in Downtown Detroit. Recently, around 2011, they added some LED street name signs on Warren in the Wayne State University section. There is also more along Grand Avenue in the New Center neighborhood of Detroit.
2. Novi has a bunch of these.
3. Farmington only has one intersection, which is Grand River Ave and Farmington Road. Please note that it is Farmington, not Farmington Hills.
4. A few is in Lincoln Park, MI.
5. In the Grand Rapids area, the LED street name signs are more common in Wyoming, a suburb. There is also one spotted near Gerald R. Ford International Airport.
6. Canton and Plymouth have a few.
7. Clinton Township definitely has a few along Metropolitan Road/16 Mile Road.
8. Troy has a lot along Big Beaver Road and Rochester Road.
9. Mostly common in Ann Arbor, the college town of Michigan.
10. Also common in Battle Creek, Michigan which is near Kalamazoo.
11. Very rare in the Lansing area (I think that the illuminated street signs are spotted up in North Lansing).

I'm pretty sure that's not the full list of towns, feel free to expand it if you are a native from Michigan.

[Lytton]

Tahoma? Arial? Do these guys design their stuff in PowerPoint?

Better than Times New Roman or Comic Sans MS.

[Indyroads]

I would like to see these being used in Indiana as well. (along with more mast arms and less of the ugly wirespans. )

[Big John]

Tahoma? Arial? Do these guys design their stuff in PowerPoint?

Better than Times New Roman or Comic Sans MS.

I was involved in a project where the sub-consultant actually had plans for illuminated signs in Comic Sans.  I red-lined it right away saying the client requires it in FHWA font.

[Lytton]

Tahoma? Arial? Do these guys design their stuff in PowerPoint?

Better than Times New Roman or Comic Sans MS.

I was involved in a project where the sub-consultant actually had plans for illuminated signs in Comic Sans.  I red-lined it right away saying the client requires it in FHWA font.

Wow. Either that sub-consultant is ignorant or doesn't know what a good font is. Either way, thank god that Comic Sans wasn't added to the illuminated signs.

Actually, I wonder which town or city those illuminated signs were going to be placed at?

[Big John]

Tahoma? Arial? Do these guys design their stuff in PowerPoint?

Better than Times New Roman or Comic Sans MS.

I was involved in a project where the sub-consultant actually had plans for illuminated signs in Comic Sans.  I red-lined it right away saying the client requires it in FHWA font.

Wow. Either that sub-consultant is ignorant or doesn't know what a good font is. Either way, thank god that Comic Sans wasn't added to the illuminated signs.

Actually, I wonder which town or city those illuminated signs were going to be placed at?

Clayton County, GA

[Ned Weasel]

I was involved in a project where the sub-consultant actually had plans for illuminated signs in Comic Sans.  I red-lined it right away saying the client requires it in FHWA font.

Wow. Either that sub-consultant is ignorant or doesn't know what a good font is. Either way, thank god that Comic Sans wasn't added to the illuminated signs.

Actually, I wonder which town or city those illuminated signs were going to be placed at?

Clayton County, GA

The sub-consultant was joking, right?  RIGHT!!!???

Of course, there's something about making road signs in comic sans that sounds delightfully subversive. 

[JMoses24]

There are a few along Winton Road in Springfield Township, Ohio.

Downtown Cincinnati also has them at most intersections along and south of Central Parkway. Which brings me to the following necroquote:

there's a few illuminated guide signs (street name with arrow, white background with black text) in Cincy that date to the 50s.

I'm not sure where those are/were. I think there were one or two located along the 6th Street Viaduct (that I believe are now gone because of the construction), but that's all I recall?

[Indyroads]

I was involved in a project where the sub-consultant actually had plans for illuminated signs in Comic Sans.  I red-lined it right away saying the client requires it in FHWA font.

Wow. Either that sub-consultant is ignorant or doesn't know what a good font is. Either way, thank god that Comic Sans wasn't added to the illuminated signs.

Actually, I wonder which town or city those illuminated signs were going to be placed at?

Clayton County, GA

The sub-consultant was joking, right?  RIGHT!!!???

Of course, there's something about making road signs in comic sans that sounds delightfully subversive. 

What about the font used onthe illuminated signs in Westminster CA. http://goo.gl/oKiYLT

[Kacie Jane]

Your link just took me to the map, not anywhere in particular in Westminster.  But the first couple of intersections (http://goo.gl/maps/JCwSC like this one) I looked at all seem to have FHWA fonts on the blades...

[Ned Weasel]

Your link just took me to the map, not anywhere in particular in Westminster.  But the first couple of intersections (http://goo.gl/maps/JCwSC like this one) I looked at all seem to have FHWA fonts on the blades...

I'm pretty sure Indyroads was referring to this typeface: https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=33.751798,-117.998288&spn=0.00176,0.002642&gl=us&t=k&z=19&layer=c&cbll=33.751798,-117.998288&panoid=EiBQg3Kn_ywzHPyO2HoE-g&cbp=12,342.09,,0,-1.64

Ye Olde Illuminated Street Sign is what I call it!  ("Olde" because it pre-dates the thinner LED ones.)

[Kacie Jane]

Ah yes.  Ye Olde Typeface indeed.

[Lytton]

What about the font used on the illuminated signs in Westminster CA. http://goo.gl/oKiYLT

Bill and Ted's hometown, San Dimas, California has another unique font on their illuminated street signs.  It uses a font that mimics the Wild Wild West.

I have the street view for one of those illuminated street signs. http://goo.gl/maps/RC2UI

[pctech]

The white letter on blue back ground flat LED panels are going on new signal installations here.

[Ned Weasel]

I decided to add a couple from Overland Park, Kansas:





These are now used at every signalized intersection along College Boulevard in the city, and on a couple of stretches of Metcalf Avenue.  Back-lit street name signs have actually started popping up in several cities in Northeast Kansas in the past few years.  I honestly don't consider these among the best executed examples.  I find them unnecessarily cluttered, especially from the pretentious use of the city logo.  I don't mind the use of Clearview, but give the letters room to breathe.  I used to like city logos on street name signs, when they were a new idea, but their abundance has made them absurd.  I would much rather see city limit signs on arterial roads at municipal boundary crossings.

[pctech]

When these go dark here, they are never repaired or replaced. Makes you wonder if they should just stick with regular reflective ones.

[Ned Weasel]

When these go dark here, they are never repaired or replaced. Makes you wonder if they should just stick with regular reflective ones.

Maybe that's why Wichita, Kansas is phasing them out in favor of simple reflective street signs.  Illuminated signs are pretty, but they can't be cheap.

[WichitaRoads]

When these go dark here, they are never repaired or replaced. Makes you wonder if they should just stick with regular reflective ones.

Maybe that's why Wichita, Kansas is phasing them out in favor of simple reflective street signs.  Illuminated signs are pretty, but they can't be cheap.

Wichita started phasing them out a very long time ago. The only ones left are just relics at intersections that are either forgotten about or due for an update at some point. I don't think a new one has been installed since I was a wee lad - perhaps '83 or '84 was the last installation of them.

ICTRds