New-York tribune., 1903-03-15
TIE FIGHT FOR STREET SIGNS.

Thank YOU very much.' writes prominent
citizen of NeW-Y York. to the Editor OF Inc
Tribune "for your denunciaton OF the blue-
'purplc and illeCihlc street signs Kindly Keep
lat it till get signs that at least are NOT
ugly. and that are so plain that a "aEiarins
man, though 4 fool, need not err therein
This is only one of numerous letters OF like pur-
mort which we have received. Not one has
come to hand in praise or in defence Of the
signs which now deface this borough.
There are still a few of the old signs, put
up during Mayor Strong's administration to be
sef1. There are at least two or three on Fifth
ave, and two or three more on the lower part
of Broadway and Park Row. Before they
disappear all who are interested in having the
city streets properly marked will do well to OBJ
serve them carefully and contrast them with
the new tangled devices which are taking
their place 1t will be seen at a glance that
the style of lettering of the old signs, dark
letters on a white or translucent ground, makes
them generally much more legible, and iegibe
at greater distance. than that Of the new
signs white or light letters on a dark ground.
One has only to compare the page OF an ordl-
nary book black print on white paper, with
some freakish advertisement in which the print
is white on a black ground, to satisfy himself
that the new signs are lettered the wrong
principle
Comparison Of the two styles Of sign will
show. also. that from any line Of approach on
the sidewalk OH the roadway two faces or
the old style sign are almost constantly visible,
reminding the traveller what street ne is on
and informing him what street he is approach
ing or crossing The new signs on the con-
trary. never indicate to the traveller on the
| roadway what street he is on. and at only
foy oil fho tho sidewalk
what street he rs crossing unless he looks at
the sign OH the other side OF the street. In
describing n circle around a sign the names
of both streets are visible and legible through
four times many degrees the square
sign as Oh the triangular one. We are not
saying the old sign was perfect. We do say
it was better than these new ones in the inn
portant respects of the amount of information
which it gave. the extent to which it gave it,
and the perspicuity with which it gave it,
In the matter of uniformity of place. and in
deed of suitability Of place, the signs are
decidedly unsatisfactory. There should be two
sign hearing lanterns at each intersection.
diagonay opposite each other, and so placed
that travellers on the roadway OF the more I'M
portant of the two thoroughfares will find them
on the near" corners of crossings. Thus on
Fifth-ave, there should be one the south
east corner Of each crossing that people
driving up the avenue on that side will come
to the sign before they cross the street which
# indicates. and each northwest corner
so that people driving downtown on that side
will come to it before they cross the street
But these new signs are not placed in accord
ance with that rule or with any rule. Cen
orally there is only one at an intersection, and
it may be any Of the four corners
at haphazard. so that the traveller has to gaze
around from corner to corner until he finds it,
To say that such a system, or lack of system
| is unsatisfactory is much like saying that two
and two make four
| Accuracy, legibilty and uniformity the
| three essential qualities of a good street sign
These new tangled devices possess not one of
| those qualities.