Re: BGS in California - Why are so many of them so *** ugly?

pigsty1953@xxxxxxxxx wrote:

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, what part of MONEY do you not understand???

Oh it's pretty easy to see that money (or rather unwillingness to budget the money) is much of the problem. Still, I see it a really sad excuse for Caltrans.

Every state you mention has a sign upgrading program, just like a
resurfacing program, or a bridge maint program. They BUDGET for it.

IMHO, that makes them as stupid as the guy getting ready to open his own business in mere weeks and then realizing he needs some signs -but then has no money for his "store front identity" because like a retard he didn't incorporate that when developing his business plan and borrowing venture capital.

I say it's retarded because some of California's freeways are actually pretty attractive and have led most other states in technological advances in construction. California will build a massive state-of-the-art freeway interchange, costing a fortune. And then they'll plant guide signs that look like they were thrown together by amateurs. That's like building a gorgeous home and then slinging a bucket of crap across the facade as a finishing touch. Frankly, I think it's pretty embarrassing.


It is the same thing with the exit numbering. For many years, they
refused to use exit numbers. Their traffic engineers felt the CA
freeways were much to complicated, that is what they told me for many
years.

With the way they're incorporating exit numbers they might as well have not even bothered at all.

There's two acceptable ways of displaying exit numbers on guide signs. You can have tabs projecting from the upper left or upper right corners of the signs (the method most states use). Or you can have the exit number listed on the main sign panel itself, but separated by a horizontal rule line across the panel (and with the exit listing left or right justified based on where the exit is located). California isn't doing either of those things. Their method looks like an after thought and is obviously intended to preserve any extra space on the panel for more stuff they can cram onto it.
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