Are you going to post some pictures of what it is that you have observed?

I don’t have pictures. But both Interstate and the FHWA stuff are easily viewable, no? Actually, where is a good place to see the latter?

hhp

Standard Alphabets for Traffic Control Devices PDF: http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/SHSe/Alphabets.pdf

See also Roadgeek fonts: http://www.triskele.com/fonts/

FHWA could use some work I must say.
I know that Don Meeker and James Montalbano were trying to get the highway admin. to approve the “Clearview” typeface which they developed to solve the many problems that the current typeface (series-d) created. The last I heard about the project was over a year ago. I wonder what is going on with the approval process.

I found a link
http://www.clearviewhwy.com/

-John

A couple states are going ahead and using Clearview... both Pennsylvania and Texas are using Clearview on their new signs. From what I’ve seen, Texas is pulling it off better, despite the fact the new standards still call for FHWA Series C on route markers.

The first image here is a good example of how it’s being used:

http://www.lonestarroads.com/pr-022.html

Michigan is switching over to Clearview
http://www.michiganhighways.org/route_markers_clearview.html

I also ran across an essay some kid wrote slamming clearview
http://briantroutman.com/highways/clearview.html
It would be better if the author knew what he was talking about but the conclusion is too good not to link.

“Clearview is very un-American; if it was any less American, it would be riding public transportation.”
rofl

any less American, it would be riding public transportation.

Ha! :o)

__
www.typeoff.de

Don’t be treadin’ on my big white truck, gol’dangit!

hhp

Not that this has anything to do with the thread Hrant started but... Our Clearview design has been granted interum approval by FHWA for use on all federal roads. Texas, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Virginia have started using the fonts for various aspects of their transportation signage. There are a number of states that are poised to make the change to Clearview.

The fact that some kid slammed Clearview for being un-American only makes me happy.

http://briantroutman.com

you’ve got to laugh, ’cause if you didn’t you’d cry...

This site makes me wish there was some kind of enforced quality control on the web (lol) :)

Hrant, Interstate is far better than the actual FHWA. I believe I’ve even seen signs using the redraw instead of the official FHWA original.

James, I also wanted to tell you that I’ve been on quite a few roadtrips through Pennsylvania. Your typeface is VERY legible and one of the best uses of functional typography I have ever seen. You should really be proud of your work. Anyone on the road could not disagree with that.

> Interstate is far better than the actual FHWA.

I certainly agree, in the overall.
But I’m wondering about the micro stuff, bascially
how/why it’s better (or let’s jusy say different).

hhp

Is it possible that the “p” that sparked this whole thread was in fact a “q” applied backwards? I’ve seen a sign that used an upside down “m” instead of a “w”. Anyway, all the sheared stems in FHWA are cut southwest-to-northeast. Does Interstate do that differently with some letters?

By the way, I also like the new Clearview fonts for the most part; I’m not so enthusiastic about the numerals, however. I thought the FHWA numerals were quite effective, and some of the Clearview numerals look too much alike — specifically, the free strokes of the 6 and 9 curve back towards the loops more than in FHWA, making them less distinct from 8. I also miss the inflection in the middle of the curved stroke of the 2, but that may be more a matter of personal taste than function.

Does this font make me look fat?