Saturday, January 24, 2015

Guerrilla Public Service: An Unsanctioned Highway 5 Sign

From Now I Know:

In the early 1950s, the predecessor to the California Department of Transportation (colloquially "Caltrans") opened an innovative solution to Los Angeles' traffic problems at the junction of U.S. Route 101 and California Highway 110...

It looks like a mess but apparently, it's an improvement over what was there before. Nevertheless, there is always room for further improvement. For example, in 2000 and into 2001, the section of California Highway 110 leading into the Interchange had a problem -- inadequate signage, at least if you were hoping to get to Interstate 5 North...

It's hard to read, but the sign says that if you want Interstate 5 North, you want to be in the left three lanes on a five-lane highway. It's easy to miss, and if you do, you're probably going to be in the wrong lane until it's too late.

That was the experience of a man named Richard Ankrom, at least. In 2000 or 2001, he missed his exit and, frustrated, decided to do something about it. But unlike most people, who would complain (probably fruitlessly) to Caltrans or a government official, Ankrom took matters into his own hands. Ankrom is an artist -- and in this case, his masterpiece was a new sign...

No comments: