As **Exapno Mapcase **said, failure to upgrade older, smaller signs to the more legible standards is often a cost that some local governments fail to include in their budgets. Some states have given grants to local gov’ts (cities/counties) to replace them. That was a big help in at least one state when enhanced 911 systems started including home addresses with the displayed phone number in emergency centers and a large number of unnamed RFD roads had to be renamed with street addresses being required for all abutters. The earlier standard called for all UPPER CASE text (usually 4" & 6") but the “experts” decided that initial UC and remaining lower case was easier to read and comprehend at greater distances, so the 2009 edition of the “Manual” was changed, along with larger font size. This, of course, meant larger sign blade size, at extra cost, in what’s know as an “unfunded mandate”. If you want to complain about inadequate size of text, find out the name of the gov’tal agency that maintains them in your area and contact them with a request to improve it.
According to the Federal “Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices”, which is a national standard that can be found at www.mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov , the following information applies:
"Section 2D.43 Street Name Signs (D3-1 or D3-1a)
Guidance:
01 Street Name (D3-1 or D3-1a) signs (see Figure 2D-10) should be installed in urban areas at all street intersections regardless of other route signs that might be present and should be installed in rural areas to identify important roads that are not otherwise signed.
Figure 2D-10 Street Name and Parking Signs
Thumbnail image of Figure 2D-10
Option:
02 For streets that are part of a U.S., State, or county numbered route, a D3-1a Street Name sign (see Figure 2D-10) that incorporates a route shield may be used to assist road users who might not otherwise be able to associate the name of the street with the route number.
Standard:
03 The lettering for names of streets and highways on Street Name signs shall be composed of a combination of lower-case letters with initial upper-case letters (see Section 2A.13).
Guidance:
04 Lettering on post-mounted Street Name signs should be composed of initial upper-case letters at least 6 inches in height and lower-case letters at least 4.5 inches in height.
05 On multi-lane streets with speed limits greater than 40 mph, the lettering on post-mounted Street Name signs should be composed of initial upper-case letters at least 8 inches in height and lower-case letters at least 6 inches in height.
Option:
06 For local roads with speed limits of 25 mph or less, the lettering on post-mounted Street Name signs may be composed of initial upper-case letters at least 4 inches in height and lower-case letters at least 3 inches in height.
Guidance:
07 If overhead Street Name signs are used, the lettering should be composed of initial upper-case letters at least 12 inches in height and lower-case letters at least 9 inches in height.
Support:
08 The recommended minimum letter heights for Street Name signs are summarized in Table 2D-2.
Table 2D-2. Recommended Minimum Letter Heights on Street Name Signs
Type of Mounting
Type of Street or Highway
Speed Limit
Recommended Minimum
Letter Height
Initial Upper-Case
Lower-Case
Overhead All types All speed limits 12 inches 9 inches
Post-mounted Multi-lane More than 40 mph 8 inches 6 inches
Post-mounted Multi-lane 40 mph or less 6 inches 4.5 inches
Post-mounted 2-lane All speed limits 6 inches* 4.5 inches*
- On local two-lane streets with speed limits of 25 mph or less, 4-inch initial upper-case letters with 3-inch lower-case letters may be used.
Option:
09 Supplementary lettering to indicate the type of street (such as Street, Avenue, or Road) or the section of the city (such as NW) on the D3-1 and D3-1a signs may be in smaller lettering, composed of initial upper-case letters at least 3 inches in height and lower-case letters at least 2.25 inches in height. Conventional abbreviations (see Section 1A.15) may be used except for the street name itself.
10 A pictograph (see definition in Section 1A.13) may be used on a D3-1 sign.
Standard:
11 Pictographs shall not be displayed on D3-1a or Advance Street Name (D3-2) signs (see Section 2D.44).
12 If a pictograph is used on a D3-1 sign, the height and width of the pictograph shall not exceed the upper-case letter height of the principal legend of the sign.
Guidance:
13 The pictograph should be positioned to the left of the street name.
Standard:
14 The Street Name sign shall be retroreflective or illuminated to show the same shape and similar color both day and night. The color of the legend (and border, if used) shall contrast with the background color of the sign.
Option:
15 The border may be omitted from a Street Name sign.
16 An alternative background color other than the normal guide sign color of green may be used for Street Name (D3-1 or D3-1a) signs where the highway agency determines this is necessary to assist road users in determining jurisdictional authority for roads.
Standard:
17 Alternative background colors shall not be used for Advance Street Name (D3-2) signs (see Section 2D.44).
18 The only acceptable alternative background colors for Street Name (D3-1 or D3-1a) signs shall be blue, brown, or white. Regardless of whether green, blue, or brown is used as the background color for Street Name (D3-1 or D3-1a) signs, the legend (and border, if used) shall be white. For Street Name signs that use a white background, the legend (and border, if used) shall be black.
Guidance:
19 An alternative background color for Street Name signs, if used, should be applied to the Street Name (D3-1 or D3-1a) signs on all roadways under the jurisdiction of a particular highway agency.
20 In business or commercial areas and on principal arterials, Street Name signs should be placed at least on diagonally opposite corners. In residential areas, at least one Street Name sign should be mounted at each intersection. Signs naming both streets should be installed at each intersection. They should be mounted with their faces parallel to the streets they name.
Option:
21 To optimize visibility, Street Name signs may be mounted overhead. Street Name signs may also be placed above a regulatory or STOP or YIELD sign with no required vertical separation.
Guidance:
22 In urban or suburban areas, especially where Advance Street Name signs for signalized and other major intersections are not used, the use of overhead Street Name signs should be strongly considered.
Option:
23 At intersection crossroads where the same road has two different street names for each direction of travel, both street names may be displayed on the same sign along with directional arrows.
24 On lower speed roadways, historic street name signs within locally identified historic districts that are consistent with the criteria contained in 36 CFR 60.4 for such structures and districts may be used without complying with the provisions of Paragraphs 3, 4, 6, 9, 12 through 14, and 18 through 20 of this section.
Support:
25 Information regarding the use of street names on supplemental plaques for use with intersection-related warning signs is contained in Section 2C.58."
