State Name On Interstate Signs

[Alps]

Nashville II: Revenge of Nash

[Scott5114]

The odd "one letter capitalized but not the other" convention on postal codes has showed up in Missouri, too–I've seen signs for "Fort Smith Ar" and "Tulsa Ok".

Really, I'd prefer that signs use the traditional, non-postal abbreviations– "Nashville, Ill", "Fort Smith, Ark" and "Tulsa, Okla". I have seen Kansas do this on at least one mileage sign on US-81–"Hebron, Neb." I don't know whether it's standard for KS or not.

[Henry]

I voted for non-neutered too! The I-shield looks much better that way.

I'm fine with distinguishing. Washington PA gets it inside the state because I-70's next major destination eastward is Washington DC. Sometimes it's worth the extra "redundant" letters for disambiguation.

Even though I-70 doesn't go anywhere near the nation's capital.

[Scott5114]

No, but it does have a 3di (I think I-270) that splits off from I-70 that does. Someone looking for that road to Washington DC might well mistakenly get off at Washington PA.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

Nashville II: Revenge of Nash

I wish

[Henry]

No, but it does have a 3di (I think I-270) that splits off from I-70 that does. Someone looking for that road to Washington DC might well mistakenly get off at Washington PA.

You are absolutely correct!

[hbelkins]

The IL 127 guide sign was shot with a flash, so that may account for the differences in color showing up in the photo.

As for Nashville, it's not signed anywhere in Mt. Vernon, to the best of my knowledge. I-57 south is signed for Memphis there and I don't recall any mention of Nashville until you get to I-24.

[flowmotion]

Travelling eastbound on I-64 from Saint Louis, Nashville TN seems like a more logical destination than Memphis despite the I-shields. Both probably should be signed.

This will get real entertaining when I-69 is built-out, as it could be the more direct route from Illinois to Memphis.

[J N Winkler]

Really, I'd prefer that signs use the traditional, non-postal abbreviations– "Nashville, Ill", "Fort Smith, Ark" and "Tulsa, Okla". I have seen Kansas do this on at least one mileage sign on US-81–"Hebron, Neb." I don't know whether it's standard for KS or not.

I prefer the traditional abbreviations too, but I fear the train has already left the station on this particular issue.  The problem is partly generational (for young people nowadays, states are two-letter abbreviations), but it can also be difficult to distinguish an abbreviated state name from other legend, especially since commas and periods are deprecated, which leaves minor variations in spacing as the only remaining way to make the distinction.  Steve does raise a good point in this connection, though in this specific case it would have more meaning if the legend were in Series E Modified rather than Clearview and so the l did not have a curved tail.

I have lost track of the times I have seen signing plans specify legend like "St Meinrad IN" as replacement for "St Meinrad Ind".

Kansas does use the traditional abbreviations, but with a twist--the abbreviations are all in uppercase only, at a smaller type size than the primary destination legend, and centered vertically on the town name.  To my knowledge, however, this is done only on conventional-road guide signs (D series) and some expressway signs (the "Hebron NEB" sign you mention--which I photographed years ago at an angle to demonstrate the standoff of demountable copy--is one example of the latter).  I have never known it to be done on freeway guide signs.  I have done mockups (e.g. "[I-70 shield]/Hays/Limon COLO/1 MILE"), and I have to say I like the effect a lot less there than on conventional-road guide signs--even in guide-sign "small caps" (capital letter height matching the loop height of the primary destination legend) it looks shouty.

[PurdueBill]

I can think of an interesting instance of an out-of-state destination losing the state name; on US 30 WB just west of Van Wert, Ohio, the previous button copy sign for US 224 WB had a control city of "Decatur Ind" while its reflective replacement (not Clearview) just says "Decatur".  Smaller signs at the US 224/US 127 interchange pointing to US 30 have "Decatur Ind" and even "Fort Wayne Ind", the latter of which is interesting because any BGS mentions of Fort Wayne on or entering US 30 WB don't specify a state for Fort Wayne. 

On the I-shields thing, I like the state name on them....being from Massachusetts originally, I always hated having to go out of state to see many of them. 

[shadyjay]

With sign replacement projects running rampant in VT in recent years, the state name in an interstate shield is quite difficult to come by.  You can still find them on I-91 between Exits 1 & 10 in places, but they're fading fast.

Connecticut, on the other hand, has expanded on the use of the state name in the shields.  Not just on reassurance signs, but also in BGSs.  In the Hartford area, some button copy shields have been replaced with the shield as on a reassurance sign, darker blue and all, complete with state name.  Plus, there were a few installations in New London (I-95) and Hartford (CT 15) which saw the state name used in a button copy interstate marker. 

Then there's Maine, which has replaced some BGS interstate route markers with CT style ones (with state name).  Though I don't think I've ever seen them on the Maine Turnpike portion.

Personally I can go either way on a reassurance shield, but on a BGS, it should be neutered.