Metro Jacksonville gets new Signage on I-95

[Lunican]

[copperfiend]

Thanks for posting the image Lunican. I lived on that base on the sign for a few years as a kid.

[thelakelander]

Thanks, I missed that earlier. The signs are a lot bigger than they look.

I think the lesson to be learned is that roads are extremely expensive.

We already know you can construct a mile of track for less than you can a mile of road.  In addition, you also have to pay for the accessories, like those big green signs.  Once you lay your track, you can buy a heritage streetcar for about $200k and no big hurricane resistant green signs will be needed.  To get a system off the ground in Jax, we need less than 10 cars.  However, rail systems and their components are too expensive and don't turn a profit.  Go figure!

[BridgeTroll]

Speaking of innaccurate signs... last week I was heading home from the 5 points area via Stockton.  I crossed under the I-10 interstate in the right hand lane preparing for a right turn onto Irene.  On the newly painted right turn only lane with accompanying arrow I was shocked to see "RIGHT TURN ONLY but with the N backwards.  Laughingly I made the right turn only to see the exact same thing in the right turn only lane to merge onto I-10 West... backwards freeking N... in ONLY.

Not sure if it is still there or not... I wonder how much paint costs...

[stjr]

This is far better than before.  The economic benefits to better traffic flow and even avoiding just one accident caused by a confused motorist it is worth the costs.  I am sure some of the expense is also for working in the middle of an interstate, probably in the middle of the night, while not completely closing it.  And, remember, literally hundreds of thousands, or perhaps millions, of people rely on these signs each year so the costs per "impression" is minimal.

But, I guess addressing Water and Broad Streets, as requested, would have busted the budget!  Mary Street is San Marco, Riverside is Riverside, and "nothing" streets are Downtown on the Acosta signs.  It would also be nice if there were signs indicating the best bridges for the T-U Performing Arts Center (Acosta) and the Areana/Sports Complex (Main).  I am sure DOT would argue this is too much to read at 60 plus mph but it's no more than all those roadside interstate signs showing hotels, gas, and food at interstate exits which are much smaller in size.

In addition, nowhere on these signs does it mention Water St or Broad St (until you are actually on the Acosta bridge). 

[chipwich]

Not sure if it is still there or not... I wonder how much paint costs...

Apparently about $800 per letter.  As Stephandare suggested earlier, maybe its time for a MetroJacksonville field trip to Home Depot.  I bet we could get it done for about 1/8th the price and then spend the rest on beer.  

[BridgeTroll]

Im thinking thats what got the Ns backwards to begin with...

[nicktooch]

let's think of more signs to change in an effort to aleviate confusion, even though the signs will be torn down later: coming NORTH on 95 say u wanna go to the town center (absurd idea right?) be sure to take 9A EAST? even though i'm going north on it eventually?... yes, i know. but dont worry soon it will be 295 north Eastern Beltway, bc that's not gonna confuse anyone lol.

[thelakelander]

In that case, why have signs at all?  Why do anything?  Nothing is permanent, so why bother.

Seriously though, the majority of the new signs aren't even on the Overland Bridge.  It seems like a huge assumption is being made that all of these newly installed signs will be taken down in five years.  How do we remotely know that this assessment is true? 

[tufsu1]

sheet metal, hurricane resistant (cat 3) construction, reflective material (last 10-15 years), labor (probably the biggest costs) it all adds up. Don't even ask how much that those electronic message boards cost.

and don't forget about all of the pre-fab process...FDOT has to pay staff (or a consultant) to do the sign design....then FDOT has to apply to FHWA and get approval (sometimes done before design)...all of this takes time and money...I worked with a guy in Tampa who did signing and marking plans for the I-275 project (now under construction) for the better part of a year!

[stjr]

Again, I support the improvements made and appreciate DOT's efforts, but...

Thousands of signs made to standard DOT green and reflective white/yellow colors, standard typeset and sizing rules, standard metal gauges and alloys, standard structural engineering, etc. - what is the consultant for?  spell check?    No doubt DOT has high standards that are worthy of higher costs but that doesn't mean we should pay for bureaucratic overkill.

This reminds me of Pentagon purchasing - the $5,000 toilet, etc.

I would like to know what Disney pays for the signs on their roadways versus ones made by DOT.

[Charles Hunter]

Didn't Gov. Bush cause a 25% reduction in state employees?  Could it be that some jobs formerly done by state employees (DOT in this case) are now done by consultants?  I mean, it's not like the work of designing signs and road went away when the employees did.  What ya wanna bet that consultants cost more than the staff they replaced?

Oh, and based on what it cost to take the family to Disney earlier this Spring, I wouldn't be on their signs costing any less than DOT signs (and they have all those pretty colors, too!) 

[tufsu1]

Correct Charles...for those who don't know FDOT has about the same # of employees in 2009 as it did in 1979....and the state's populatioon has more than doubled!

As such, FDOT does no do very much themselves, and has consultants for most studies as well as some everyday program management.

[JaxNole]

$58,000 for corrections is worth my portion of tax dollars.  Many may have found their destinations with the incorrect signage, but the fact is they were incorrect.

Not only are they correct, but they are more useful.

Who would object to spending $58,000 to correct signage if northbound I-95 signs were placed in southbound lanes?

[DetroitInJAX]

So its 58 grand... big deal.  Compared to all the waste thats gone on with this stupid courthouse boondoggle thats a drop in the bucket.

The signs were wrong.  They needed to be fixed.

My tax money did something to make thousands of motorists' lives better.. including mine.  I'm happy with it and have always thought those signs were incorrect.