MD 2 in Baltimore Oddity

[talllguy]

Here is an odd sign I spotted on W Lafayette Ave at St. Paul St. in Baltimore. As many of you know, the city doesn't do a particularly good job signing things, especially state and US routes. This one is a color scheme I'm not used to though. What is the meaning and history of this?


Lafayette at St. Paul St. by Elliott Plack, on Flickr


MD 2 What? by Elliott Plack, on Flickr

[cpzilliacus]

Here is an odd sign I spotted on W Lafayette Ave at St. Paul St. in Baltimore. As many of you know, the city doesn't do a particularly good job signing things, especially state and US routes. This one is a color scheme I'm not used to though. What is the meaning and history of this?


Lafayette at St. Paul St. by Elliott Plack, on Flickr


MD 2 What? by Elliott Plack, on Flickr

The "round" state route signs were once somewhat common in Baltimore City (there were once many along Md. 140,  Reisterstown Road, in Baltimore City only - which date back to when U.S. 140 was decommissioned), but I have never noticed one like this before. 

[Mapmikey]

This shield has gotten redder over time.  Here is GMSV from 2011...

http://goo.gl/maps/baZHF

Mapmikey

[Alex]

So its just a side effect of weathering over time. There was no red on the shield in 2010:

[talllguy]

Wow, thanks for posting those. So weird that a sign would "fade" to red. Why are they circles though?

[hotdogPi]

Wow, thanks for posting those. So weird that a sign would "fade" to red. Why are they circles though?

We occasionally get circles in Massachusetts too.

[Zeffy]

Wow, thanks for posting those. So weird that a sign would "fade" to red. Why are they circles though?

It's the default state route marker as specified in the MUTCD. Only NJ, DE, IA, MS, and one another use these as their state route markers.

[Big John]

Wow, thanks for posting those. So weird that a sign would "fade" to red. Why are they circles though?

It's the default state route marker as specified in the MUTCD. Only NJ, DE, IA, MS, and one another use these as their state route markers.

KY.  plus VA secondary routes.

[hbelkins]

And West Virginia county routes.

[Alps]

And Vermont town-maintained state highways.

[Henry]

.

Wow, thanks for posting those. So weird that a sign would "fade" to red. Why are they circles though?

It's the default state route marker as specified in the MUTCD. Only NJ, DE, IA, MS, and one another use these as their state route markers.

KY.  plus VA secondary routes.

OK did too, until it changed over to the state outline a few years ago