U.S. Route shield

Last updated

Major revisions of the U.S. Route shield from 1926 to 1971 (last revision) US shield evolution.svg
Major revisions of the U.S. Route shield from 1926 to 1971 (last revision)

The U.S. Route shield is the highway marker used for United States Numbered Highways. Since the first U.S. Route signs were installed in 1926, the general idea has remained the same, but many changes have been made in the details. Originally, the shield included the name of the state in which the sign was erected and the letters "U S" on a shield-shaped sign. Over time, the shield has been simplified to consist of a white shield outline on a black square background, containing only a black route number. However, because each state is responsible for the production and maintenance of U.S. Route shields, several variants of the shield have existed over the years.

Contents

History

Development

Original-style Vermont US 7 shield with embossed features Old style US 7 shield.jpg
Original-style Vermont US 7 shield with embossed features

The U.S. Route shield was developed during the first meeting of the Joint Board on Interstate Highways, a panel appointed by Howard M. Gore, the Secretary of Agriculture, for the purposes of establishing a nationwide highway system. During the meeting, held at the Bureau of Public Roads offices in Washington, D.C., on April 20, 1925, board member Lou A. Boulay of Ohio was credited with suggesting the use of a shield, inspired by that on the Great Seal of the United States, with the letters "U.S.A." and the route number as a route marker. [1] The board carried the motion to use a shield as the marker.

The Joint Board did not discuss the route shield further until the next day, April 21. At that time, E.W. James (Chief of the BPR's Division of Design and secretary of the Joint Board) and Frank F. Rogers of Michigan sketched a possible implementation of the shield. Rogers was also quoted as saying "Each state should have the right to insert the name of the state in the upper part of the shield to be adopted." James and Rogers presented their shield sketch to the board, and it was approved as a tentative design. Samples were sent for comment to all 48 states. [1]

The shield was next discussed during the meeting of August 3. Upon motion by Cyrus Avery of Oklahoma, the board officially adopted the shield proposed at the April 21 meeting, having received general support from the states. A debate then ensued regarding the inclusion of the state name. W.O. Hotchkiss of Wisconsin, who was in favor of removing the state name, said "We want to emphasize the U.S., not the state. The shield and U.S. symbolized what we are marking." [1] The Joint Board voted 10–9 to eliminate the state name. [1]

Outside of the official meeting, members of the board discussed the state name issue further. Some members, particularly those from the South, felt it would be difficult to get local support for the U.S. Route System without it, because the states were required to pay for the signage. Some state legislatures had also legally bound state route numbers to certain corridors, and it was thought that including the state name might make the legislators more amenable to renumbering them to U.S. Route numbers. The following day, August 4, upon a motion of Robert M. Morton of California, the U.S. shield including the state name was approved without debate. [1]

Original version

Example of an original U.S. Route shield, with the state name of "Michigan" and route number of "27" displayed in the original block font US 27 Michigan 1926.svg
Example of an original U.S. Route shield, with the state name of "Michigan" and route number of "27" displayed in the original block font

The original design of the shield was presented in the January 1927 edition of the Manual and Specifications for the Manufacture, Display, and Erection of U.S. Standard Road Markers and Signs, the precursor to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), published by the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO). [lower-alpha 1] The background of the shield was specified as white while the text legend and borders were black. The shield was specified with a height of 16 inches (41 cm) and a width of 16.5 inches (42 cm). The surface of the shield was itself in the shape of the shield, that is, the metal was cut out in the shape of the shield. A border of 3⁄8 inch (0.95 cm) formed the outline of the shield, with a crossbar of the same width dividing the crown from the main body of the shield. [3]

The name of the state erecting the shield was displayed 2 inches (5.1 cm) high in the crown, above the crossbar. Immediately below the crossbar were the letters "U S", also 2 inches (5.1 cm) high. Below this was the route number, 5 inches (13 cm) tall. A variant of the shield, intended for city use, measured slightly smaller at 11+23⁄32 by 11+11⁄32 inches (29.8 cm × 28.8 cm). This version of the shield featured a simplified legend, with "U S" moved to the crown of the shield and the state name omitted. The manual also allowed for the city variant of the shield to be stenciled on culverts and bridge posts. [3]

A standardized block typeface was used to simplify the painting process, to allow illiterate signpainters to be employed.[ citation needed ] Much like the modern FHWA Series typefaces, several levels of condensation were available, from Series A (the narrowest) up to Series F (the widest). Because the standardized font was often made available to the states in die-punch form, shields were usually embossed.

1948 version

1948-style shields for US 6 and US 202 in Connecticut, with the state name abbreviated Old US 6 US 202 shields.jpg
1948-style shields for US 6 and US 202 in Connecticut, with the state name abbreviated

The 1948 edition of the MUTCD introduced the first change to the U.S. Route shield since its appearance in the 1927 AASHO manual. The old block typefaces were replaced by the modern FHWA Series typefaces, which had since been developed. The shield shape and size, letter height, and layout was otherwise identical to the prior version. [4]

The 1948 MUTCD also included a specification for an "oversize" route marker, intended for major highway junctions in rural areas, as well as for special emphasis in urban areas. This shield was printed on a square blank, 24 by 24 inches (61 cm × 61 cm), twice the size of the cutout shield. This version of the shield was much simplified, with the crossbar, state name, and "U S" omitted. The portion of the blank falling outside of the shield outline was white. [4]

1961 version

Modern (left) and 1961 (right) shields in Newcastle, Oklahoma; the older shield uses the FHWA Series A typeface, which has since been discontinued. Southbound beginning US 277.jpg
Modern (left) and 1961 (right) shields in Newcastle, Oklahoma; the older shield uses the FHWA Series A typeface, which has since been discontinued.

The next version of the MUTCD, the 1961 edition, made further alterations to the U.S. route shield. The 16-by-16-inch (41 cm × 41 cm) cutout shield was retained, but its use was restricted to reassurance marker contexts. Turn, junction, and trailblazer shields were to always use the oversize marker, which had been modified to use a black, rather than white, background surrounding the shield. [5]

A supplemental AASHO publication outlining signage and pavement markings on the nascent Interstate Highway System, also published in 1961, included a variant of the shield intended for freeway use (such as for U.S. routes running concurrently with Interstates). This shield, the same size as the oversize marker, was a simplified cutout shield, containing only the outer border, "U S", and the route marker. Unlike the federally specified shields up to this point, this specification included a wider version, 28 by 24 inches (71 cm × 61 cm) for three-digit routes. This version of the shield is still used in California, the only state to still specify a cutout shield. [6]

Current design

Wide and narrow 1971-style U.S. route shields US 177 northern terminus.jpg
Wide and narrow 1971-style U.S. route shields
Cutout US 199 shield in California US 199 California Shield.JPG
Cutout US 199 shield in California

The current design of the U.S. Route shield was introduced in the 1971 MUTCD. The shield outline is slightly modified from the 1961 version, allowing for more white space within the shield. For the first time, the federal specification also included a wide version of the shield for three-digit routes, eliminating the need to use the condensed fonts for many route numbers. The 1971 MUTCD also discontinued the 16-by-16-inch (41 cm × 41 cm) cutout shield for reassurance purposes, leaving only the 24-by-24-inch (61 cm × 61 cm) and 24-by-30-inch (61 cm × 76 cm) markers for all purposes. [7]

In the 2009 MUTCD, the U.S. Route shield is assigned catalog number M1-4 and is discussed in Section 2D.11. The 24-by-24-inch (61 cm × 61 cm) and 24-by-30-inch (61 cm × 76 cm) sizes are specified as minimums. The MUTCD suggests that when used as components of guide signs, the black background of the shields should be omitted, leaving only the white shield shape. [8] However, deviations are common, especially in New Jersey, which consistently includes the black background on both U.S. Route shields and state route markers on its guide signs, though inclusion of the background and thinning is being phased out on many new sign installations in New Jersey as of the late 2000s.

Variations

US 89 Arizona 1958 North.svg US 93 Arizona 1958 South.svg US 60 Arizona 1956 West.svg US 80 Arizona 1958 East.svg
Directional colored U.S. Route shields found in Arizona during the 1950s
Yellow and blue US 17 and US 92 shields Colored US 17-92.jpg
Yellow and blue US 17 and US 92 shields

Several states have experimented with variations on the U.S. Route shield to aid in navigation. Some have used color to denote additional information besides just the route class and number. Arizona experimented with colors indicating the signed cardinal direction of the highway (orange for north, green for south, brown for east, and blue for west). [9] Florida, too, used colored signs for its U.S. Highways beginning in 1956, with each highway retaining a single color for its entire length in the state. No two routes using the same color crossed, though an extension of US 192 took it to US 27 (both green). In the 1980s the MUTCD was revised so that these signs were no longer eligible for federal funds. On August 27, 1993, the decision[ from whom? ] was made to stop producing colored signs.[ citation needed ] In California, the design is more like the pre-1961 version. The design has no black background on their U.S. Highway shield. It is instead designed with a white shield with a black outline. Centered on the top are the letters "US". Some states that are part of the Appalachian Development Highway System feature U.S. Highway signs with blue numbers on a white shield, set against a blue background.

During the era of the 1948 shield, states often modified its design. Several states omitted the letters "U S", leaving only the state name and route number. Other states moved the letters "U S" into the crown of the shield, along with the state name, which was often abbreviated.

Marker used for business U.S. Routes in Maryland US 13 Business (MD).svg
Marker used for business U.S. Routes in Maryland

Many U.S. Highways have loop or spur routes sharing the same number, known as special routes . These routes typically use the same shield as the mainline route with a "banner" indicating the type of route above the shield. Some states will occasionally indicate the type of the route directly on the shield itself, often in the crown of the shield. Maryland uses green shields with the word "BUSINESS" in the shield's crown for U.S. business routes, reflecting a similar practice used nationwide for business Interstate shields.

On some Business U.S. Routes in Illinois, mostly on Business US 51 in the Bloomington–Normal area, the standard black on white US Route shield is used but the abbreviation "BUSN" is included in smaller letters at the top of the shield. [10] This is also the case for the markers used on signs on nearby Interstates. [11]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ AASHO was renamed the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) on November 11, 1973. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate Highway System</span> Network of freeways in the United States

The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, or the Eisenhower Interstate System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. The system extends throughout the contiguous United States and has routes in Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Numbered Highway System</span> Highway system of the United States of America

The United States Numbered Highway System is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these highways were coordinated among the states, they are sometimes called Federal Highways, but the roadways were built and have always been maintained by state or local governments since their initial designation in 1926.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State highway</span> Highway owned by the state, either a reference to the national government or a specific state

A state highway, state road, or state route is usually a road that is either numbered or maintained by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a state or province falls below numbered national highways in the hierarchy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stop sign</span> Traffic sign alerting drivers to stop

A stop sign is a traffic sign designed to notify drivers that they must come to a complete stop and make sure the intersection is safely clear of vehicles and pedestrians before continuing past the sign. In many countries, the sign is a red octagon with the word STOP, in either English, the national language of that particular country, or both, displayed in white or yellow. The Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals also allows an alternative version: a red circle with a red inverted triangle with either a white or yellow background, and a black or dark blue STOP. Some countries may also use other types, such as Japan's inverted red triangle stop sign. Particular regulations regarding appearance, installation, and compliance with the signs vary by some jurisdictions.

<i>Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices</i> National traffic control manual of the Federal Highway Administration

The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways is a document issued by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) of the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) to specify the standards by which traffic signs, road surface markings, and signals are designed, installed, and used. In the United States, all traffic control devices must legally conform to these standards. The manual is used by state and local agencies as well as private construction firms to ensure that the traffic control devices they use conform to the national standard. While some state agencies have developed their own sets of standards, including their own MUTCDs, these must substantially conform to the federal MUTCD.

The South Carolina State Highway System is the fourth largest state-maintained system of state highways in the country. It consists of Interstates, U.S. highways, state highways, and secondary roads, totaling approximately 41,500 miles (66,800 km).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clearview (typeface)</span> Humanist sans-serif typeface

Clearview, also known as Clearview Hwy, is the name of a humanist sans-serif typeface family for guide signs used on roads in the United States, Canada, Indonesia, the Philippines, Israel, Brazil and Sri Lanka. It was developed by independent researchers with the help of the Texas A&M Transportation Institute and the Pennsylvania Transportation Institute, under the supervision of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). It was once expected to replace the FHWA typefaces in many applications, although newer studies of its effectiveness have called its benefits into question.

A reassurance marker or confirming marker is a type of traffic sign that confirms the identity of the route being traveled on. It does not provide information found on other types of road signs, such as distances traveled, distances to other locations or upcoming intersections, as is done by highway location markers.

A regulatory sign is used to indicate or reinforce traffic laws, regulations or requirements which apply either at all times or at specified times or places upon a street or highway, the disregard of which may constitute a violation, or a sign in general that regulates public behavior in places open to the public. The FHWA defines regulatory sign as "a sign that gives notice to road users of traffic laws or regulations".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Highway Gothic</span> Font commonly used for highway signs

The Standard Alphabets For Traffic Control Devices,, is a sans-serif typeface developed by the United States Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The font is used for road signage in the United States and many other countries around the world. The typefaces were developed to maximize legibility at a distance and at high speed. The typeface has 6 fonts, from narrow to wider strokes:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Highway shield</span> Sign denoting the route number of a highway

A highway shield or route marker is a sign denoting the route number of a highway, usually in the form of a symbolic shape with the route number enclosed. As the focus of the sign, the route number is usually the sign's largest element, with other items on the sign rendered in smaller sizes or contrasting colors. Highway shields are used by travellers, commuters, and all levels of government for identifying, navigating, and organising routes within a given jurisdiction. Simplified highway shields often appear on maps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iowa Primary Highway System</span>

The primary highway system makes up over 9,000 miles (14,000 km), approximately 8 percent of the U.S. state of Iowa's public road system. The Iowa Department of Transportation is responsible for the day-to-day maintenance of the primary highway system, which consists of Interstate Highways, United States Highways, and Iowa state highways. Currently, the longest primary highway is U.S. Highway 30 at 332 miles (534 km). The shortest highway is Interstate 129 at 0.27 miles (430 m).

Highways are split into at least four different types of systems in the United States: Interstate Highways, U.S. Highways, state highways, and county highways. Highways are generally organized by a route number or letter. These designations are generally displayed along the route by means of a highway shield. Each system has its own unique shield design that will allow quick identification to which system the route belongs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arkansas Highway System</span> American state highway system

The Arkansas Highway System is made up of all the highways designated as Interstates, U.S. Highways and State Highways in the US state of Arkansas. The system is maintained by the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ArDOT), known as the Arkansas State Highway Department (AHD) until 1977 and the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) from 1977 to 2017. The system contains 16,442.90 miles (26,462.28 km) of Interstates, U.S. Routes, state highways, and special routes. The shortest members are unsigned state highways Arkansas Highway 806 and Arkansas Highway 885, both 0.09 miles (0.14 km) in length. The longest route is U.S. Route 67, which runs 296.95 miles (477.89 km) from Texarkana to Missouri.

Road signs in Canada may conform to the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Canada (MUTCDC) by the Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) for use by Canadian jurisdictions. Although it serves a similar role to the MUTCD from the US Federal Highway Administration, it has been independently developed and has a number of key differences with its American counterpart, most notably the inclusion of bilingual (English/French) signage for jurisdictions such as New Brunswick with significant anglophone and francophone population, and a heavier reliance on symbols rather than text legends.

County roads in Ohio comprise 29,088 center line miles (46,813 km), making up 24% of the state's public roadways as of April 2015. Ohio state law delegates the maintenance and designation of these county roads to the boards of commissioners and highway departments of its 88 counties. Each county has distinct construction, signage, and naming practices for the roads under its jurisdiction. Within each county, townships maintain separate township road networks under the advice of the county engineer. Each board of county commissioners certifies the total county- and township-maintained mileage within its county. The Ohio Department of Transportation catalogues these certifications on an annual basis.

<i>Ohio Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices</i> State highway manual

The Ohio Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices is the standard for traffic signs, road surface markings, and traffic signals in the U.S. state of Ohio. It is developed by the Ohio Department of Transportation's Office of Roadway Engineering "in substantial conformance to" the national Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices developed by the Federal Highway Administration. The first edition of the OMUTCD was published in 1924; the most recent edition was published in 2012. Ohio is one of ten states that publish their own editions of the MUTCD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Route shield pavement marking</span>

A route shield pavement marking is a road surface marking that depicts a route shield and functions as either a road traffic safety measure or a mitigation against street sign theft.

<i>California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices</i> State traffic control manual of California Department of Transportation

The California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices is the standard for traffic signs, road surface markings, and traffic signals in the U.S. state of California. It is developed by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Division of Safety Programs "in substantial conformance to" the national Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices developed by the Federal Highway Administration. The first edition of the CA MUTCD was published in 2006, replacing an earlier supplement to the national MUTCD. The most recent edition was published in 2014, incorporating the 2009 edition of the national MUTCD. California is one of ten states that publish their own editions of the MUTCD. The CA MUTCD defines the content and placement of traffic signs. Design specifications are detailed on a section of the Caltrans website that is based on the national Standard Highway Signs and Markings (SHSM) document.

This article is a summary of traffic signs used in each country.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Weingroff, Richard F. "From Names to Numbers: The Origins of the U.S. Numbered Highway System". Highway History. Federal Highway Administration . Retrieved June 4, 2010.
  2. ↑ Federal Highway Administration (December 4, 2012). "November 13". Highway History. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  3. 1 2 American Association of State Highway Officials; Bureau of Public Roads (January 1927). Manual and Specifications for the Manufacture, Display, and Erection of U.S. Standard Road Markers and Signs (1st ed.). Washington, D.C.: American Association of State Highway Officials. OCLC   19617464 . Retrieved June 4, 2010– via Texas A&M University.
  4. 1 2 American Association of State Highway Officials; Institute of Traffic Engineers; National Conference on Street and Highway Safety (1948). Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices For Streets and Highways (1948 ed.). Washington, D.C.: Bureau of Public Roads. OCLC   5166173 . Retrieved June 5, 2010– via Texas A&M University.
  5. ↑ National Joint Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices; American Association of State Highway Officials (1961). Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways (1961 ed.). Washington, D.C.: Bureau of Public Roads. OCLC   35841771 . Retrieved June 5, 2010– via TrafficSign.us.
  6. ↑ American Association of State Highway Officials; Bureau of Public Roads (1961). Manual for Signing and Pavement for the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways (1961 ed.). Washington, D.C.: American Association of State Highway Officials. OCLC   43890586.
  7. ↑ National Joint Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices; American Association of State Highway Officials (1971). Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways (1971 ed.). Washington: Federal Highway Administration. OCLC   221570 . Retrieved June 5, 2010– via TrafficSign.us.
  8. ↑ Federal Highway Administration (2009). Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (2009 ed.). Washington, D.C.: Federal Highway Administration. ISBN   9781615835171 . Retrieved June 5, 2010.
  9. ↑ Arizona Highway Commission; Rand McNally (1964). Arizona (Map) (1964–65 ed.). c. 1:1,520,640. Chicago: Rand McNally. OCLC   488796943 . Retrieved June 5, 2010– via AARoads.
  10. ↑ Google (January 2016). "Bus. US 51 Northbound". Google Street View . Retrieved October 2, 2017.
  11. ↑ Google (September 2016). "I-74 at Exit 135". Google Street View. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.