Fork Over Millions First, Think Later
Jeremy Olshan writes for the New York Post that New York City is spending $27 million to change the street signs from all caps to upper and lower case:
Federal copy editors are demanding the city change its 250,900 street signs -- such as these for Perry Avenue in The Bronx -- from the all-caps style used for more than a century to ones that capitalize only the first letters.Changing BROADWAY to Broadway will save lives, the Federal Highway Administration contends in its updated Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, citing improved readability.
At $110 per sign, it will also cost the state $27.6 million, city officials said.
...Studies have shown that it is harder to read all-caps signs, and those extra milliseconds spent staring away from the road have been shown to increase the likelihood of accidents, particularly among older drivers, federal documents say.
..."Safety is this department's top priority," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said last year, in support of the new guidelines. "These new and updated standards will help make our nation's roads and bridges safer for drivers, construction workers and pedestrians alike."
This is completely dim, at least in Manhattan. I lived in New York City and biked, rollerskated and ran all over town. Traffic doesn't move fast enough to make that extra sign legibility as valid a change as it may be in other places.
But, hey, nobody think. Just spend those taxpayer dollars as fast as you can!
via Consumerist
Here's the worst part: According to the linked article, the rules were changed in 2003, with a 15 year phase-in period. The city changes 8000 signs a year due to ordinary wear. Yet the city did not begin replacing signs until this year. If they had started with just the 8000 per year they had to replace anyway in 2003, there would be 56,000 done already at much less extra cost.
clinky at October 2, 2010 12:53 AM
Just exactly why does the federal government have anything to say about city street signs? This is so far beyond any possible interpretation of constitutional authority as to be incredible.
New York should have the balls to tell the feds where they can stuff it.
bradley13 at October 2, 2010 1:15 AM
I just wish we could get correct signs around here. I took a different route to avoid a blocking accident today. at one spot there was a sign showing 3 lanes, left lane is turn left only, center is left turn or straight, right is right turn only. The road had only two lanes which were both marked straight ahead only.
I like signage to be consistent. If they rule just said that when signs were replaced for other reasons they had to use the new way, then I would be fine with it.
The Former Banker at October 2, 2010 2:28 AM
If it saves even one life it's worth every dime.
Don't you care about The Children?
dee nile at October 2, 2010 5:52 AM
The states need to start telling the fed to eff off and die.
This is not what the constitution was about.
Jim P. at October 2, 2010 5:55 AM
Are you fucking kidding me? You've made 3 blog posts recently that make me want to expat. The stupidity here I'm afraid is beyond redemption. America is lost.
momof4 at October 2, 2010 6:05 AM
Well, *yes* using upper and lower case letters makes it easier and faster to recognize a word that's already familiar. (Generally, unless you're a dyslexic you recognize the shape of the word 'apple' not the individual letters). And *yes* minimizing distraction is a good thing while driving.
But compared to say, talking to a passenger (never mind a cell phone) - the amount of time it takes to read and process a road sign is so minimal. I could support replacing road sigs that need to be replaced in the natural order of things, but doing it en masse is stupid.
Elle at October 2, 2010 6:37 AM
They should sell the old signs, or better yet consign them, as I am sure many would consider them collectors items.
Eric at October 2, 2010 7:22 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2010/10/02/fork_over_milli.html#comment-1761098">comment from EricThey should sell the old signs, or better yet consign them, as I am sure many would consider them collectors items.
Every signal Los Angeles- or suburb-dwelling ex-Manhattanite would buy one. Top dollar, too.
Amy Alkon at October 2, 2010 7:29 AM
See? Next problem. Vote Eric and Amy in. We've already got a whole cabinet here already.
Eric at October 2, 2010 8:38 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2010/10/02/fork_over_milli.html#comment-1761105">comment from EricAbsolutely. And I'd also like to mention, for California residents, a better candidate for governor than either of those running: my dog.
Amy Alkon at October 2, 2010 8:46 AM
@bradley13 - I believe the Feds do have a say as part of the states agreeing to receive Federal funds to keep up highways and city streets. If Manhattan and the Boros want to secede, however, then they could do what they will.
Perhaps the upper/lower case debate may have some legitimacy to it, but methinks it applies chiefly on interstate highways. Let's see if the street sign decision also designates what font must be used: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/12/magazine/12fonts-t.html?_r=3&pagewanted=1&hp
Peter at October 2, 2010 8:59 AM
I find that lower case lettering on signs is difficult to read. Are those who benefit from the decision to replace the signs, linked in anyway to the "study" that make the claim?
PCG at October 2, 2010 2:13 PM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2010/10/02/fork_over_milli.html#comment-1761214">comment from PCGI fought (and won) a huge battle with my publisher about my book subtitle. In my last year of college, when I'd transferred to NYU, I shot photostats for some of the major-majors of graphic design and typography: Roger and Pinky Black (when Roger was straight and still married to Pinky), Tibor Kalman of M&Co., and Seymour Chwast.
I developed a love of and understanding of type, and if there's one thing I know, it's that it's extraordinarily hard to read more than a few words where each is capitalized. I See Rude People is fine, it's four words. "One woman's battle to beat some manners into impolite society" is hard to read as One Woman's Battle to Beat Some Manners into Impolite Society." Your eye has to go up and down and up and down like crazy.
All caps, for more than a few words, are hard to read, but sometimes it serves a book title or movie title to be written that way.
Amy Alkon at October 2, 2010 2:27 PM
Pinky Black
I see a name like that, and I think "mob guy". Who knew?
Back to the subject at hand, using all caps looks like someone is SCREAMING at me...
I R A Darth Aggie at October 2, 2010 2:40 PM
Just for the ake of argument, wouldnt capital letters be larger, have sharper edges, be more well defined and therefore easier to read then the smaller sloping curves of lowercase letters?
lujlp at October 2, 2010 3:03 PM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2010/10/02/fork_over_milli.html#comment-1761222">comment from I R A Darth AggiePinky Black was Roger's wife. Do love the name, though.
Amy Alkon at October 2, 2010 3:06 PM
I'm a DBA/programmer etc. When reading code, I've seen it done as where everything is lower case, all upper case, or other CamelCase. The CamelCase for variables and keywords in upper case is the is the easiest to grasp quickly.
And the same thing for general text. All lower or upper case is harder to read.
Jim P. at October 2, 2010 7:01 PM
I'm with the earlier posters, why didn't the replace them as they went along???
NicoleK at October 3, 2010 1:15 AM
How is your dog a better candidate for governor than Jerry Brown? I understand why you wouldn't want to endorse Whitman, but what's your objection to the fiscally conservative, socially rational Brown?
franko at October 3, 2010 1:15 AM
...Studies have shown...
Years ago some article pointed out that whenever you read or hear "studies show" "scientists say" "according to reports", etc. without specifying one single scientist, study or report as an example, that the reporter is lazy and the article is suspect.
Pricklypear at October 3, 2010 10:47 AM
franko, I can suggest one way the dog is better:
Californians think the Governor can undo anything the state legislature does. Robbed of that crutch, they may have to pay attention to what the hell they're doing when they pull the lever.
Radwaste at October 3, 2010 2:19 PM
By 2018, the mandated end date for this project, just about everyone will have turn-by-turn GPS and road signs will matter much less than they have in the past.
American street signs, generally speaking, do suck--I found the signage much better in France, for example--but the time to address this problem was many years ago. It's rapidly becoming irrelevant.
david foster at October 3, 2010 3:25 PM
Heh, that's funny, I've had the opposite experience as David... in France, the street names are plastered against a building, and they are silver on blue thus hard to read, assuming you can find them. Whereas in the states, they are on the corners of the roads, and many of the bigger cities have them dangling over the middle of the street... some even have them half a block before so you know it is coming!!! Plus, many cities have alphabetical street names.
Depends where you are I guess.
NicoleK at October 4, 2010 3:49 AM
Not necessarily. My phone has GPS, but I don't rely on it. If I have a good idea where I'm going, I don't bother. And then you get into the area, and you know what street you're going to turn on, and you're reading the street signs.
Of course, around here, they will have curvy roads meeting at an angle, and one street name sign that is positioned in such a way that you can't actually tell whether that's the road you're meeting up with or whether the name of the road you're on has changed....
jen at October 4, 2010 3:34 PM
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