The United States Highway SignThe United States Highway Sign
With the history lesson over, this is my opinion / editorial page. To go back to the history page, click here.
Why change the sign? The current US highway sign is currently the same color as many other road signs, including the speed limit signs. The US highway sign is commonly found on the same style square metal plate as well, possibly causing confusion in motorists. The US highway sign is also the same color as many state highway markers. The generic state highway shields in use by many states are circles on black backgrounds or simple white squares with numbers, maybe the state's name. (Click here to go to "Highway Makeover" - another page I maintain, dedicated to proposing remedies to this 'Boring Old State Route Sign' dilemma.)
The colors: FHWA has identified three colors as suitable for use in highway signs that are not in use today. These are coral, light blue, and purple. These were used as often as possible in the proposed schemes below. Colors currently approved for use by the FHWA and in use today are green, yellow, brown, white, red, black, orange, and strong (florescent) yellow-green.
The cost: Since the current situation with potentially confusing shields is not life threatening or overly inconveniencing, the US shields could be changed slowly, replacing the old black and white signs with new ones as they wear out. In Florida's experience, a colored US shield is no more expensive than a MUTCD standard one. The orange (US 41) and yellow (US 17 et. al.) did have to be replaced more often due to fading than a standard black and white. Even today in some states, a few US shields still have on the early 1930's style state name in the banner, so replacement may be slow. On the other hand, most states were very quick to replace the 55 mph signs after the National Minimum Speed Limit was repealed. For that matter, the Florida "rainbow" system worked without confusing the public, the remaining signs from the color era still function adequately. California and Virginia still use cut-out style US shields instead of square blanks in places. There is no good reason other than senseless monolithic conformity to not allow those types of signs in the MUTCD.
"Then again, that's my opinion, I could be wrong." -Dennis Miller
If you have an idea for a radically different US shield, look for the Highway Makeover page.
Perhaps the United States could use multiple colors in a nationwide scheme like Florida used to. (For more of these signs, click here to see my Florida page). More than one of these would be needed then. You could follow a highway of a single color a long way in addition to the number. I doubt AASHTO would decide Florida had the right idea after all this time. Some non-FHWA colors that might fit this sort of scheme: Tan, Hot Pink, Sea Green, Teal, Olive, Turquoise. If too many conflicts start to occur the colors Gold, Salmon Pink, Grey, Maroon, Orange Red and Violet Red could be explored.
Highway Makeover: Take a look at some possible
revisions of highway shields. The current focus is US state
highway shields, which have a lot more room to be creative under
the US MUTCD than US highway shields. This web page is growing as
new designs are submitted by people like you. If any state
actually adopts a new highway shield, you may see it here first. (Formerly part of C.C. Slater's site as Hiway Makover.)
To go back to the US highway shield history page, click here.
If you any have thoughts, comments, additions, suggestions, or votes for your favorite sign, E-mail me, or post it to misc.transport.road.
US Highways :
From US 1 to (US 830)
Last update to this page on Saturday, April 06, 2002