New York, First Series.

This is another sign series idea sent to RV Droz's website. It has both state route and county route markers. State route markers are in the color of the NY license plates of the 1970s. County route markers are same as for the FHWA standard pentagon county route marker, but the number is in goldfinch yellow for better nighttime visibility.

State Route Marker.

County Route Marker.

Arizona

Here's an ides for Arizona route signs based on its state flag. It doesn't have the state shape or the state name written across the top, though. I thought I'd keep it simple.

Massachusetts, Number 4

This is an idea for off-Interstates limited access expressways (freeways). It is patterned after the Quebec Autoroute design, and has the colors and two elements (shield and star) of the Massachusetts state flag.

Massachusetts, Number 3

This is the third series, based on the old Mass. Pike corporate logo, which in black text on white space was used as a reassurance route marker on the turnpike itself.  Also on display in much smaller size at RV Droz's website. It's just a state route sign. No provisions to differentiate parkways, town roads, and special tourist routes. Same as the present plain rectangle, the sign for all the numbered state routes, regardless of roadway ownership and maintenance responsibility.

Massachusetts, Number 2

 Here I have a second idea for the posting of Massachusetts state routes. This idea is based on the shape of wayfarer signs that is no longer extant -- the signs are now rectangles where before they used to have cut corners like Philadelphia street signs or Phoenix street signs. Even after they switched to squares they kept the old cut-corner typeface into the 1970s.

ON EDIT: Here are two examples of the cut-corners wayfarer sign type.

Okay, here's my idea. Like the previous set, I sent these to R.V. Droz and they are also at his website.

This first one would be posted for the regular state routes.

This is a special one for the Cranberry Highway which runs along Routes 28, 6 and 6A from the Middleborough Rotary in Middleborough, Mass. to the Orleans Rotary in Orleans, Mass.

This one would be for state parkways (which used to be owned by the Metropolitan District Commission)

And this last would be for town-maintained routes, except when maintenance responsibility goes from state, to town, and back again. Only where the whole stretch, the first part, the last part, or a new extension is maintained by the town. Certainly not like State Road / County Road / State Road / County Road 865 in Fort Myers, Florida!

And now the same ones (well, the first three), but for mounting on the overhead directionals* and other big green signs:

Regular state routes. 

 Cranberry Highway.

State parkways.

* Overhead directionals: big green signs mounted on overhead sign bridges, or gantries.

Massachusetts

I have some ideas for making over the route signs in Massachusetts. I sent these to RV Droz's Great International Highway Makeover all in a bunch before, and they're there, so this will be a series of four posts. So here's the first idea, with an option for town roads with routes marked on them separate from the state routes.

This first one is a makeover of the basic Massachusetts blank square. The number is still in the middle of a white field, with the Massachusetts state shield off to the left and off-centered vertically. I think it is the most elegant of any route markers, anywhere, actual or imaginary.

This second one could be for town roads with routes on them. A rectangle with a line through it, with the name of the town on top and the route number below. The route number is in goldfinch yellow rather than warning sign / county route marker gold for higher visibility at night, especially when it rains. That's because by my experience the standard gold has extremely poor visibility at night, with zero at night and in the rain.  The example shows a possible extension of Route 123 in Scituate, Mass., from the Greenbush Rotary along The Driftway, New Kent Street and Kent Street to Scituate Harbor. What I would not want, though, is a route that goes from a state route marker to a town route marker and back again. Nor would I want a town route marker on a stretch of highway owned by the state. That would create confusion.

We're All On The Road To Rhode Island...

The famous Family Guy tune sung by Brian and Baby Stewie but what might they see once they get there?

Well what I'd like to see are route markers like these, not the present-day boring squares with "R.I." and the route number...

An Idea for Tennessee

Recently I came across a webimage that was a cut-out of the shape of the State of Tennessee on its unique red, white and blue flag.

So I figured, why not make a route marker out of it?

Welcome!

I used to send possible highway route signs to the owner of The Great International Highway makeover website, Mr. R. V. Droz, a while back. Well I found out recently that his email link at his website is inoperable. Rats. I hope it'll work well in the future. 

Well, here's a sample sign:

This one is based on a concept of a "Geauxpass" toll tags only toll collection system for the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway from Metairie to Mandeville in southern Louisiana. Of course, if one crosses without the toll tag the owner of the car will receive a bill for the toll plus a nominal handling fee. But then I think the color purple should be used for all toll roads, not just the toll roads and discrete toll lanes where there are no toll takers or exact change lane machines. The type face looks kind of like Clearview but it isn't. Can you guess it? It's on UK overhead directional signs on their motorways.

And here's an enlargement of the possible route marker for the road that crosses it.It's plagiaristically based on the Quebec Autoroute route marker design. Which I think is a very nice design for non-interstate freeways, expressways and tollways in North America. Kind of classy, I think.