Highway and Road Construction Updates

[EastCoaster93]

Perfect, I’m glad the GR Metro is finally getting the much needed improvements to its road infrastructure! Thanks @Raildude's dad for the quick response! 

[mpchicago]

Thought this might be the best place to put this.... It's basically just a rant.     MDOT has gotten better in the last few years, but it's always bugged me that they would shorten Grand Rapids' name on freeway signs.   This is a glaring example on I-96 westbound just past Lansing where there is obviously enough room to spell it out.   

[Pattmost20]

3 hours ago, mpchicago said:

Thought this might be the best place to put this.... It's basically just a rant.     MDOT has gotten better in the last few years, but it's always bugged me that they would shorten Grand Rapids' name on freeway signs.   This is a glaring example on I-96 westbound just past Lansing where there is obviously enough room to spell it out.   

G*d d**n Rapids...

[joeDowntown]

1 hour ago, Pattmost20 said:

G*d d**n Rapids...

Don’t know why, but it really bugs me as well. I thought they stopped abbreviating it a while back. Thumbs down. 

[GRDadof3]

On 10/29/2019 at 11:07 AM, GR_Urbanist said:

The new center median out in front of the DT post office has created a bit of an issue that I noticed this morning.

Driving east across the bridge (on Michigan/Bridge), if your destination is the post office, you used to be able to get into a center turning lane, right after you got across the river, and make an easy turn when opposing traffic has cleared while not blocking the eaisly congested eastbound lanes.

 

Now that center median runs too close to the bridge. That center turn lane is blocked before it gets to the entrance to the PO. In order to make a left turn from the eastbound side, you have to drive a short distance into the westbound lanes, and then make the turn! Something that will be insanely dangerous, and impossible to do especially during the peak traffic times.

 

You can drive down to the second entrance driveway a few yards away, but then you have to drive the wrong way into the front parking area and do weird turns to park because the spaces are angled only for the cars coming through the entrance that you had to pass up because you cant actually safely use it!

 

I'm hoping that I'm missing something because of all of the traffic cones made it look confusing, but if I got this right, then the traffic people really goofed badly here.

This. ^^^ I was looking for this post to comment on my observations yesterday. Not only can you not make a left turn into the post office, causing people to make a dangerous diagonal cut across traffic to get there, but you can't turn left into the Devos Place parking ramp entrance. And people leaving the parking ramp can't make a left turn to get out onto the bridge. With the snow, you can see a bunch of people have actually driven right over the median not knowing it was there (popped the curbs even). Now the city has put up cones so people don't drive over it. 

Me thinks they made the island a wee bit too big stretching too far East. 

[thebeerqueer]

2 hours ago, GRDadof3 said:

This. ^^^ I was looking for this post to comment on my observations yesterday. Not only can you not make a left turn into the post office, causing people to make a dangerous diagonal cut across traffic to get there, but you can't turn left into the Devos Place parking ramp entrance. And people leaving the parking ramp can't make a left turn to get out onto the bridge. With the snow, you can see a bunch of people have actually driven right over the median not knowing it was there (popped the curbs even). Now the city has put up cones so people don't drive over it. 

Me thinks they made the island a wee bit too big stretching too far East. 

Couldn't agree more. It's such a disaster, I can't imagine who green-lit that design. Have they ever driven a car? Hopefully a quick redesign soon. 

[Khorasaurus1]

Has anyone noticed the new street signs popping up around town that do not have the "yellow circle" city seal? 

The new ones look sharp, but not as unique as the yellow circle ones. 

[getemngo]

54 minutes ago, Khorasaurus1 said:

Has anyone noticed the new street signs popping up around town that do not have the "yellow circle" city seal? 

The new ones look sharp, but not as unique as the yellow circle ones. 

Can you give an example? I'm nerdy about signs and fonts and things and I'd like to see.

[Khorasaurus1]

Just now, getemngo said:

Can you give an example? I'm nerdy about signs and fonts and things and I'd like to see.

Burton and Morningside down by Calvin College. And Division at either Hall or Franklin - can't remember which off the top of my head. 

I've seen them in some residential neighborhoods, too. 

[RegalTDP]

1 hour ago, Khorasaurus1 said:

Has anyone noticed the new street signs popping up around town that do not have the "yellow circle" city seal? 

The new ones look sharp, but not as unique as the yellow circle ones. 

I love how street signs within GR city limits sport the city logo.  I'd be disappointed if that went away.

[mgreven]

There’s even one in the Smithsonian...

Sorry the photo is the wrong way...

It's in the Museum of American History exhibit on presidents, FYI.

Edited January 28, 2020 by mgreven

[organsnyder]

I noticed a logo-less one—I think Eastern & Alexander (or thereabouts). I assumed it was really old rather than new.

I can't think of a good reason (aside from a tiny cost savings) to not include it.

[ChevalierNoir]

There are some on Jefferson too, I'll try to snap a photo tomorrow morning.

[ChevalierNoir]

15 hours ago, ChevalierNoir said:

There are some on Jefferson too, I'll try to snap a photo tomorrow morning.

What has also changed is the addition of the abbreviations for Street and Avenue.

[mpchicago]

A even bigger issue is that the city has a problem of actual missing and undersized  street signs,  especially downtown.    Those traffic light masts should have have street signes hanging from them  and should be 2 or 3 times larger than typical street signs.  Back in the 1980's the city actually had integrated lighted street signed attached the traffic light masts.  Why did that go away?  

 

 

Edited January 31, 2020 by mpchicago

[organsnyder]

 

42 minutes ago, mpchicago said:

Back in the 1980's the city actually had integrated lighted street signed attached the traffic light masts.  Why did that go away?  

I imagine those would not have been cheap to maintain (especially back before 15,000-hour lifespan LED fixtures were developed).

[Guest]

A lot of the newer street signs will be/are sans the logo.  Not sure why, but I'll see if I can find out why.  It probably comes down to time/money.  The traffic department is always swamped.  I don't think people realize how many signs are in the city.

[RegalTDP]

I'm probably making too much of this, but not for nothing:

[GRDadof3]

2 hours ago, Floyd_Z said:

A lot of the newer street signs will be/are sans the logo.  Not sure why, but I'll see if I can find out why.  It probably comes down to time/money.  The traffic department is always swamped.  I don't think people realize how many signs are in the city.

This is a bad decision. This should be stopped before any more are made. 

[Khorasaurus1]

10 hours ago, mpchicago said:

A even bigger issue is that the city has a problem of actual missing and undersized  street signs,  especially downtown.    Those traffic light masts should have have street signes hanging from them  and should be 2 or 3 times larger than typical street signs.  Back in the 1980's the city actually had integrated lighted street signed attached the traffic light masts.  Why did that go away?  

 

 

I agree. These exist in Wyoming, Walker, and Grandville, but there are almost none in the City limits.

That said, the 80s-era ones were UGLY.

[MJLO]

10 hours ago, Khorasaurus1 said:

That said, the 80s-era ones were UGLY.

That can be said about pretty much EVERYTHING that came out of the 1980s.

[organsnyder]

5 hours ago, MJLO said:

That can be said about pretty much EVERYTHING that came out of the 1980s.

Hey! I came out of the 80s! (not sure that I'm refuting your comment, though)

[Chisox]

It was snowing inside during the 80s. 

[grandrollerz]

I imagine it's just because without the city logo you can get them as a standard ordered item from a supplier rather than a custom sign? I agree though it doesn't look right without the angry Pacman

Sent from my Acer Chromebook R11 (CB5-132T, C738T) using Tapatalk

[Raildude's dad]

I know what goes on in another gov't sign shop. They buy various size green blanks. The street names are made using a computer program and cut out of reflective sign sheeting. The logos are printed on the same sheeting in "squares". The backing is peeled off and the logo stuck on.  Keeps 1 employee busy making street signs and other signs. All street name signs have to be custom made. No one keeps names "in stock" . Stops, stop heads, speed limits etc can be kept in stock.

If they are buying them from a vendor, the vendor uses the same process. The vendor could print the logos and add them. It certainly would not be expensive.  Cheap cost to advertise the city

Edited February 2, 2020 by Raildude's dad