Signs With Design Errors

[Michael]

I just stumbled on this sign heading northbound just after the Berkley Bridge in Norfolk.  It uses all-caps Clearview for the word EXIT (I think, someone correct me if I'm wrong). and has a Clearview number 9.  It also should have a LEFT panel.  Just beyond the BGS is an exit gore sign with the arrow on the wrong side.  Technically, it isn't an error since I couldn't find anything in the MUTCD requiring the arrow to be on the left side of the sign, but it still looks wrong.

[Takumi]

Yep, VDOT has made a lot of Clearview exit tabs (and gore signs) in the past few years. I've yet to see the new Left panel at a left exit in Virginia. I don't know if the Virginia 2011 MUTCD supplement bans their use or not, but I'm not a fan of them so I don't mind the absence of one.

[dfnva]

The new signs on the I-495 HOT Lanes have new "Left" Exit Panels.

[1995hoo]

The new signs on the I-495 HOT Lanes have new "Left" Exit Panels.

As do some of the signs in the Pentagon Mixing Bowl interchange, some of the new signs in the Shirley Highway reversible HOV carriageway (the ones for the new exit to the Beltway), and the BGS on the Inner Loop general-purpose lanes for the Dulles exit.

All of the above show some level of inconsistency, though. The ones in the HO/T lanes and the ones for ramps between the Shirley Highway HOV and the Beltway have "LEFT EXIT" tabs with the full thing being black-on-yellow, whereas the signs near the Pentagon and the ones for the Dulles exit have just the word "LEFT" in black-on-yellow and the rest of the tab in standard white-on-green. See the signs in this image from the Washington Post:




Before someone points it out, I don't think the issue has to do with the sign on the right having an exit number, as that same style appears on the signs around the Pentagon that don't have exit numbers (these signs are horrible for a host of other reasons, of course):

[Mr_Northside]

Before someone points it out, I don't think the issue has to do with the sign on the right having an exit number, as that same style appears on the signs around the Pentagon that don't have exit numbers (these signs are horrible for a host of other reasons, of course):

My best guess (and it's just that), other than different agencies and contractors just doing it a little differently, might be that they didn't want to dedicate any more vertical space in the EZ-Pass Express lanes just to the fact that they are exits. 
I mean, there's a decent amount of space just pointing out the signs are for EZ-Pass Express lane exits, and keeping the "Left Exit" on the same level keeps the sign from being a little taller.

Or it's that first thing I mentioned.

[roadman]

Personally, I have never liked the MUTCD "combined" Left w/exit number panel.  I much prefer the current MassDOT design, where a separate full height (30 inch) black on yellow "LEFT" tab is placed above a standard exit number panel.  The greater yellow area, plus the larger height of LEFT, on the MassDOT tabs (as opposed to the MUTCD standard) really grabs your attention.

[OracleUsr]

In North Carolina, there are several LEFT bannered exits (Exit 218 off I-85 South, and Exit 219 off I-40 West come to mind immediately) that don't even use the proper colors for the banner, instead leaving them as white on green like the rest of the tab.

MassDOT does have a good thing going, and it was at one time compliant (the 2004 SHM shows LEFT banners like they use).

[KEK Inc.]

http://goo.gl/maps/lerzy

I'm 97% sure that sign is supposed to say "ONLY" instead of "EXIT", since the overhead sign is referring to a traffic signal rather than an exit ramp.

[vtk]

From that link it looks like Google was too "lerzy" to correctly spell "lazy".

Seriously though, I've seen a few right turns signed as exits. And then there's US 6 at I-75: a simple diamond interchange, except the turns off of US 6 (both left and right) were given exit numbers.  This happened about 10 years ago when District 2 decided to put exit numbers on all freeways, and whoever was in charge apparently had OCD, applying the most direct literal interpretation of the rules (possibly including some made-up rules) when an alternate interpretation or a slight fudging would have made more sense.

[amroad17]

I know that it is partly the camera angle, but the new Dulles interchange looks like a hot mess compared to the simplicity it was before.  WOW!

[1995hoo]

I know that it is partly the camera angle, but the new Dulles interchange looks like a hot mess compared to the simplicity it was before.  WOW!

It is far less complicated when you are on the road than the picture makes it seem.

[roadman]

In North Carolina, there are several LEFT bannered exits (Exit 218 off I-85 South, and Exit 219 off I-40 West come to mind immediately) that don't even use the proper colors for the banner, instead leaving them as white on green like the rest of the tab.

MassDOT does have a good thing going, and it was at one time compliant (the 2004 SHM shows LEFT banners like they use).

As I understand it, MassDOT's "LEFT" banners are considered by FHWA to be an acceptable variation to the 2009 MUTCD standards.  And, yes, I'd like to see the MassDOT standard adopted nationally, at least as an option.

[OracleUsr]

It is kind of a cool effect.  There actually is an incident of such a wide-bannered tab in NC too.  I-77 North at NC 16 north (exit 11B) in downtown Charlotte.  The only thing is, the banner is too thin so it barely registers.

[Michael]

I recently stubmled on this BGS in Binghamton.  There's no green space between "New York" and the exit tab, and there's a white border around the exit tab.

While I was looking for a better image, I found a picture of the gantry at the interchange gore point on New York Routes.  It has the same errors as the advance guide sign, plus the spacing of the words "EXIT ONLY" leaves room for an arrow, but there is none.

[roadman65]

I just noticed one today on Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando where a brand new guide sign was installed.  They misspelled Lancaster Road as Lancaste Road.  If anyone lives in Orlando, check it out, its NB in the new construction area to rid the center turn lane from Landstreet to Oakridge.

I plan to get a photo next time I am out and post it.

[roadman65]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/54480415@N08/8701680431/in/photostream/
Notice that the second signal street name is "Lancaste Rd."  It should be and has since been corrected to its proper name "Lancaster Rd."

This is a brand new assembly and was added anew with a safety improvement project that is currently taking place along Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando, FL.  The sign never even had a previous assembly, as this is becoming common in Florida among intersections in addition to overhead street signs.

[Michael]

Google just released an update to Street View in parts of Central NY and the Southern Tier this week.  While I was looking at the new imagery, I came across this exit sign with text that's too small.  I only noticed that the 61 was too small until I compared the sign to an example from the MUTCD while typing this post.  The word "EXIT" is too small too, but to me it's less noticeable.

[PHLBOS]

Copied from the Worst of Road Signs thread:

I-15 shield Fail in Lethbridge, Alberta
https://maps.google.com/maps?vpsrc=6&ie=UTF8&t=m&layer=c&cbll=49.670108,-112.798396&panoid=SVBzFf0_1KLC1DISc8JR2w&cbp=11,224.25,,3,-1.09&ll=49.671627,-112.71286&spn=0.15242,0.617294&z=11

[NE2]

Why not copy it to every thread?

[KEK Inc.]

Seriously.  I think people should learn to correctly categorize incorrect, mislabeled, poor-designed, or "worst" signs.  I'm tired of seeing the same sign in 7 threads.

[hbelkins]

Seriously.  I think people should learn to correctly categorize incorrect, mislabeled, poor-designed, or "worst" signs.  I'm tired of seeing the same sign in 7 threads.

Different people may have different perceptions on just exactly what's wrong with the sign.

[ET21]

Going I-35 South by going onto I-35 north...

[NE2]

Going I-35 South by going onto I-35 north...

There's only one error here, and it's you.

[OracleUsr]

Hey, at least it's not in Clearview!!

[Brandon]

Going I-35 South by going onto I-35 north...

I've seen this sign a number of times, and I fail to see the design error here.  I-35 North goes with I-80 East, which you are already on.  I-35 South is an exit from I-80 East at this point.