Street Sign Replacement

You may have noticed the new street signs at Cambridge and Woodward. These are a new style of sign that we will be installing as needed in the City. The first batch of these signs are being installed at intersections along Woodward. Following is further information about the new signs:

• We are moving away from the old black and gold signs for a few reasons: 1) they do not meet MMUTCD standards for legibility, 2) the font is too narrow and is not visible at night and 3) the new signs are much more legible and reflective, making them much more readable.
• The black and white color scheme was chosen for visibility and legibility, to meet MMUTCD standards, and also to be consistent with Pleasant Ridge’s past street sign appearance. The black and white color scheme matches the signs that we had before the black and gold signs and is also much more legible. We are keeping the attractive design of the black and gold signs, and we matched the font on the black and gold signs while making the lettering wider and thicker.
• We are replacing the signs at Woodward intersections during this first phase. The reason for this is because the decorative black and gold signs that were first installed along Woodward about 15 years ago, and the black and gold signs are now very worn, as you can see in the photos below.
• The black and gold signs are very expensive – about $800 each. The new black and white signs are about $125 each, reducing our cost to replace and maintain the signs as needed. We have about 100 street signs in the City, so the cost difference between the two signs is significant. Just replacing the signs along Woodward would cost $22,400 for the black and gold style, vs. $3,500 for the black and white style.
• Over time we will replace the black and gold signs in town as they wear out. Most of the signs at intersections away from Woodward are in good shape and have a years of life left in them. Of course, if resident sentiment is strongly in favor of changing to the new black and white style, it is cost effective for us to do so and we are happy to hear your input on this.
• Will you have the chance to bid on one of the old black and gold signs at a future PR Foundation auction? Not this year, but quite possibly in the future.