Lowercase Traffic Light Signs? (Albuquerque: shop, car, firm) - New Mexico (NM) - City-Data Forum

Zoidberg · 05-13-2010, 09:24 PM

Anyone else noticed the new (and IMO fugly) style of street signs? Not the green with the street number, not the weird dark blue Q ones, but green ones with lowercase names, like one might find in Texas or Michigan, except there's not much of an alignment to the letters.

They can be found in all four directions at Wyoming & Osuna (doubtful all four needed to be replaced at once), northbound Montgomery & Jefferson, and they seem to be popping up throughout town.

Was just wondering if one of the mayor's appointees thought a 20th style of street sign in less than 20 years was the way to go, or if a stylistically challenged but politically connected firm landed the street sign contract.

Even the sign vendors on eBay have no trouble maintaining the primary all-caps white-on-green style that is most common in Albuquerque, so I wonder if there's some other motivation (NMDOT or DOT regulations?) involved.

Bonus points to someone who identifies the reasoning (or lack thereof) for the change.

PanTerra · 05-16-2010, 05:13 PM

People thought they were being yelled at. ;-)

aries63 · 05-16-2010, 06:22 PM

Variety is the spice of life?

catman · 05-18-2010, 10:06 PM

New is always better? Keeps street sign makers busy?

Zoidberg · 11-05-2010, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aries63

Variety is the spice of life?

Does that line fly with you when you get your car back from the body shop and one fender is maroon?

I've looked it up, and it's very ominous. The MUTCD, a federal document, mandates all signs must now have lowercase lettering.

Why? Apparently older Americans have trouble reading (huh?) and lowercase is supposed to reduce road rage incidents (my leading cause of road rage? it's dark and I can't make out what the signs say).

I wouldn't blame the current administration, either.. apparently this rule was stewing since the 90's.

So, get used to illegible street signs, courtesy of a political appointee who in any likelihood never drove a car to begin with. Albuquerque will probably not have any non-blue or non-downtown uppercase signs in the next 5 years.