For roadgeeks only: RIP Clearview

[dixiehack]

The ugly font that started cropping up on highway signs about a decade ago is on the way out after a thumbs down from Uncle Sam.

'Clearview' Road Sign Font to Slowly Disappear from U.S. Highways

 

[Riptide]

RIP, font. You were great in "The Client."

 

[Buck]

I'm not buying the explanation. Something's up.

 

[Buck]

Also, is this story of more interest to roadgeeks or design/font geeks?
I am the latter but not the former.

 

[wicked]

At least in my neck of the woods, I don't remember seeing many signs switch over from Highway Gothic.

 

[apeman33]

For the most part in Kansas, only the Turnpike Authority changed its signs to Clearview. KDOT stayed with Highway Gothic but has been slowly switching to mixed case on every road and not just divided highways, FWIW.

 

[Donny in his element]

I, for one, am excited about the forthcoming highway shield discussion.

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

Texas will stay with Clearview just to gig the feds.

 

[SpeedTchr]

It outlived Abe Vigoda.

 

[mpcincal]

Just you watch: The Feds will contract the highway signage out to Nike, who will start putting green lettering on green signs because all the younger motorists think it looks cool.

 

[Starman]

Texas will stay with Clearview just to gig the feds.

Texas will go with Comic Sans All Block Caps because Jeebus says so.

 

[Batman]

Protestors in Missouri are already planning rallies to support a black-on-black color scheme.

 

[Batman]

From the story:

As City Lab points out, switching to Clearview requires municipalities to purchase a standard license for the font—$175 for one font and up to $795 for the entire typeface family of 13 fonts—so cost might be a factor in the FHWA's decision.

Is that right? Cities and states have to pay to use that font? Why can't the FHWA come up with one that's in the public domain, or have someone in the government design one that everyone can use?
Even though it's a small amount, that seems weird.

 

[Buck]

Really the only thing subject to copyright is the name of the font.
You could reproduce every shape in that font family and rename it Federal Gighway.

 

[KYSportsWriter]

They've already started changing some of the signs around here.

 

[wicked]

That's because signs have finite lives. I think it's only a year or two before the reflective qualities in them wear out.

We can put a man on the moon, you'd figure we could create a highway sign that lasts more than 24 months.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

Protestors in Missouri are already planning rallies to support a black-on-black color scheme.

Are Missouri highways safe spaces?

 

[Brian]

"Helen Keller can tell you from the grave that Clearview looks better," Donald Meeker, one of the designers of the Clearview font, told City Lab.

This sounds like a quote made up by an Onion writer.

 

[Football_Bat]

I like the font that highway signs use in the UK.

 

[Buck]

I'm not taking traffic advice from a country that drives on the wrong side of the road.

(And tried to exterminate my ancestors and their culture.)