Westchester NY button copy

[Mergingtraffic]

I'll be heading down I-684 to I-287 to I-95 soon, any non-reflective button copy or old trailblazers around?

I know the I-287 frontage roads have some non-reflective button copy around the Hutch and Merritt.

[Duke87]

The north end of 684 (exits 9 and 10) has a some button copy still around northbound but it's reflective.

The signs on 287 and Westchester Avenue that you mention are the largest collection of button copy remaining in Westchester County. There are also a few nice signs left on Central Ave (NY 100) but those are starting to disappear. And the Cross County still has a few. That's about it. Not sure if the pair on Phelps Way (NY 117) is still there.

If you are heading down 95 into The Bronx look out for this pair of signs. They are still there and still awesome but they are now the only button copy signs left on 95 in New York! There was tons of it in the area up until a couple years ago but everything else got replaced.

For old trailblazers, I believe these are still there, albeit worse for wear. But, before anyone brings it up: the New England Thruway and Connecticut Turnpike shields in Mount Vernon are gone.

[Mergingtraffic]

Thanks Duke87!  It's a shame it's all dissapearing lately. I have to snap it up while I can.

I was in Hartford today and got the I-84 BGS with light fixture (not sure if it's reflective or not) and a 1950s or 1960s trailblazer for I-91.  Will post on my flickr when I can.  Flickr is down for maintenance as I write this. 

[dgolub]

The signs on 287 and Westchester Avenue that you mention are the largest collection of button copy remaining in Westchester County. There are also a few nice signs left on Central Ave (NY 100) but those are starting to disappear. And the Cross County still has a few. That's about it. Not sure if the pair on Phelps Way (NY 117) is still there.

The Cross County is mostly button-copy, or at least it was the last time I was on there.  It's been a couple of years, so they might have done sign replacements in that time.

[Alps]

The west end of Lincoln Ave. in Mount Vernon (the same road that had the Tpk shields) has a very old (bent, black on white) guide sign for Bronx River Pkwy. You have to know where to look: Oak/Bond Sts., up on a utility pole on the east side of the intersection.

[Alps]

The signs on 287 and Westchester Avenue that you mention are the largest collection of button copy remaining in Westchester County. There are also a few nice signs left on Central Ave (NY 100) but those are starting to disappear. And the Cross County still has a few. That's about it. Not sure if the pair on Phelps Way (NY 117) is still there.

The Cross County is mostly button-copy, or at least it was the last time I was on there.  It's been a couple of years, so they might have done sign replacements in that time.

Reflective, though; OP wanted non-reflective.

[Duke87]

The west end of Lincoln Ave. in Mount Vernon (the same road that had the Tpk shields) has a very old (bent, black on white) guide sign for Bronx River Pkwy. You have to know where to look: Oak/Bond Sts., up on a utility pole on the east side of the intersection.

Indeed. Blink and you'll miss it. But, the street view van caught it!

If you want to check out a couple of "worst of" rather than "best of" candidates, I can also point you to a green on white Pelham Parkway shield (which is special in a way because Pelham Parkway has traditionally never had shields of any sort), and an I-US1 shield.

[Alps]

I-US1 shield.

Must see. Gun Hill Rd. EB just before US 1. Terrible part of the city, but Must see.

[xcellntbuy]

Those are great pics.  Crystal clear.

[spmkam]

Looks like the sign for 287 east is new (haven't been by there in over a month)

[Mergingtraffic]

Those are great pics.  Crystal clear.

Thanks! But compared to others' pics they look dark. I take them with my iPhone.

and yes the I-287 sign is new, I wasn't expecting it to be. 

[PHLBOS]

I'm a bit surprised you didn't get photos of the I-684 BGS' (Exit 9A) along I-287 eastbound.  Those are likely the original early 70s button-copy BGS'.

Scroll down in the below-link:

http://www.alpsroads.net/roads/ny/i-287/

[dgolub]

Thanks! But compared to others' pics they look dark. I take them with my iPhone.

They look like pretty good image quality to me, better than a lot of what I get with my 11-year-old camera that I use when I don't want to lug around my good camera.  [Thinks about how he should really buy a new camera some time soon, especially with the prices having gone down so much.]

[Mergingtraffic]

I'm a bit surprised you didn't get photos of the I-684 BGS' (Exit 9A) along I-287 eastbound.  Those are likely the original early 70s button-copy BGS'.

Scroll down in the below-link:

http://www.alpsroads.net/roads/ny/i-287/

I was going to but too much traffic to pull over and somebody was already stopped there. I plan to next time!

[Pete from Boston]

If I ever had the time or enough will, I'd drive the Cross-Westchester Expressway end to end and make a list of how many separate sets of sign design standards are represented.  On the westbound frontage road where 684 and the Hutch come in, there are three different generations on one gantry.

[spmkam]

287 has been under construction seemingly forever

[PHLBOS]

287 has been under construction seemingly forever

I was just on that stretch between I-87 and I-684 last weekend and I don't recall seeing any construction or work zones.  A year ago, there used to be tons of them.

[Mergingtraffic]

If I ever had the time or enough will, I'd drive the Cross-Westchester Expressway end to end and make a list of how many separate sets of sign design standards are represented.  On the westbound frontage road where 684 and the Hutch come in, there are three different generations on one gantry.

Westchester Ave is non-reflective button copy, the I-684 Keep Left signis newer but still ancient and the Red Oak Lane sign is much later and ugly.

[Pete from Boston]

287 has been under construction seemingly forever

I was just on that stretch between I-87 and I-684 last weekend and I don't recall seeing any construction or work zones.  A year ago, there used to be tons of them.

We discussed this in another thread, but the construction that started in the mid-to-late-1990s east of the 87/287 split (and later included that juncture) moved steadily east for a decade and a half before recently ending at the east end of White Plains, several miles before the highway's end and just where the signs and pavement begin to get particularly shitty.

[spmkam]

I was on the road and the construction was south of white plains near the junction with 95. They were taking an overpass out.

[Mergingtraffic]

Got some more pics of button copy on the I-287 corridor.  A lot more than I expected still exist.  Most of the I-684 signage EB on I-287 is still there.  I'll get better pics later. 

But I did get these:


and on the same gantry



and I put filters on these next two because they were dark from sun glare.  I hope to get back to take better pics soon.






and for extra value:

[Alps]

and I put filters on these next two because they were dark from sun glare.  I hope to get back to take better pics soon.

Two strategies for dealing with that.
1) If you have time to set up the shot, go into one of the Manual modes (I usually do the exposure rate setting) and wash out your photo. To get the sign green, the sky will end up bright white and trees will barely be visible. But all we need here are signs, not National Geographic cover material.
2) If you're moving, best strategy is to use flash when going into the sun.

[Mergingtraffic]

and I put filters on these next two because they were dark from sun glare.  I hope to get back to take better pics soon.

Two strategies for dealing with that.
1) If you have time to set up the shot, go into one of the Manual modes (I usually do the exposure rate setting) and wash out your photo. To get the sign green, the sky will end up bright white and trees will barely be visible. But all we need here are signs, not National Geographic cover material.
2) If you're moving, best strategy is to use flash when going into the sun.

Thanks Steve! I use my simple iPhone camera, nothing special.  I do notice if I take the time to let the camera focus it comes out better.  lol  Sometimes you don't have time.

[Mergingtraffic]

https://www.dot.ny.gov/portal/pls/portal/MEXIS_APP.DYN_PROJECT_DETAILS.show?p_arg_names=p_pin&p_arg_values=870190

Signs are being replaced one by one. 

[dlainhart]

The last time I was down in Westchester (New Year's-ish 2013, and the last time I'll be down there indefinitely), they were sporadically doing sign rehab on the Cross County. Scour it and side streets, especially near Exit 8. Also, Central Ave and anywhere near Central Ave. The Saw Mill Pkwy and Saw Mill River Rd are also good corridors to hunt on, and the interchange between Nepperhan and Yonkers Ave in Yonkers is a good place to look. Also, Palmer Rd. and Tuckahoe Rd. near I-87. Look around Mount Vernon (Fleetwood) side streets for old NY 22s. I had the impression that they were starting up a big-time sign rehab.

This is all off the top of my head and as far as I know, they're busy replacing every one of them I can imagine.

There's a huge sign rehab coming up in R9 in the next year or two as well, so I hope everyone got the photos they want on the Binghamton tour.