making your own road signs

Team Banana Spokesman

I want to make one of these to put up in busy manchester on my commute:

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak ... 9457_n.jpg

maybe with this written underneath:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg ... 070531.jpg

what's the best way to do this? cheap? (corrugated for lighter weight) plastic? would I get in trouble for sticking a diy sign up onn a lamp post??

the part of my commute where i want to put it is brutal. this might help. you never know.

Moaner

Can't advise you on the practicalities, but great idea. Let us know how you get on.

Ollieda

As far as im aware, as long as its below the height of a "for sale" sign and is on (including any overhang) private property for which your have permission from the owner to use, then you shouldn't have to apply to be able to put it up. Things higher than a "for sale" sign might need planning permission. Don't just plonk it up on the side of the road, whilst the sign is a good idea your local authority may throw up a stink and it may end up making cyclists look bad (i.e. some paper blasts cyclists for being vigilantes or something stupid like that - before I get moaned at for saying that I'm just saying there is a chance!)

Normally as long as it's nothing offensive and complies with the above rules you should be in the clear....however your local authority might not like the idea of it and may apply to have it taken down, probably quoting something like "driver distraction". On the over hand your LA might love the idea and start putting up their own ones!

If you do go ahead with it then make sure everything is done legally and then it will be a good thing. I would hate to see you put it up and then it ends up being ripped down because it doesn't comply with some local council regulation.

geoff_ss

I've seen loads of that type of sign in France. They're excellent but I'm not sure if they actually help - never had much problem cycling in France anyway ... except from cars with GB plates. Worth a try but don't expect them to stay in place for long; someone will pull them down.

Anyway the stuff you need for the signs is called Correx. It's the plastic corrugated stuff house 'For Sale' signs are made of as well as some local authority temporary ones. I bought some for modelling purposes. Can't remember where I got it but probably somewhere on eBay. Try a search on 'Correx'.

Geoff

deptfordmarmoset

Any street sign goes in my street...

http://www.se8signs.co.uk/se8signs_18.html

EDIT...though picture 55 might not be that popular...

Pross

Only the Highway Authority is permitted by law (Highways Act 1980) to erect a sign in the Highway. Signs have to either comply with the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002 or be approved by the DfT (takes months and hard to obtain even for official signage).

That said if you put a private sign up then the worst that is likely to happen is you get told to remove it - if you fail then the Highway Authority will remove it and charge you. However, as I'm sure everyone has seen, private signs get put up and left for years untouched and no-one is likely to know who erected it.

A bigger reason for not putting one up would be that there's already way to much street and sign clutter and drivers don't pay any attention to half of the legitimate signs so you would just be wasting time and money. I've just finished a 50 page dissertation on the subject of Sign Clutter (yawn!) and the lack of attention paid to signs and understanding of their meaning is frightening!

DavidBelcher

deptfordmarmoset wrote:

Any street sign goes in my street...

http://www.se8signs.co.uk/se8signs_18.html

EDIT...though picture 55 might not be that popular...

Cheers for the link - I may now have to invest in a "Staggering Genius" T-Shirt. Quality logo and a bargain at 10 quid! Did Boris have a hand in producing design no.31, I wonder?

David

DavidBelcher

Pross wrote:

Only the Highway Authority is permitted by law (Highways Act 1980) to erect a sign in the Highway. Signs have to either comply with the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002 or be approved by the DfT (takes months and hard to obtain even for official signage).

Does this even apply to ones zip-tied to lamp posts etc. advertising furniture sales, PYO fruit, etc.? They seem to spring up unannounced and stick around for ages.

David

cee

i liked this...

deptfordmarmoset

What, this one? No, that's where he got the idea

These signs went up a couple of years ago and I know the woman that put them up and printed the t-shirt - not sure she has all the sizes left. I'll give her a call if you like - let me know.

Pross

DavidBelcher wrote:

Pross wrote:

Only the Highway Authority is permitted by law (Highways Act 1980) to erect a sign in the Highway. Signs have to either comply with the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002 or be approved by the DfT (takes months and hard to obtain even for official signage).

Does this even apply to ones zip-tied to lamp posts etc. advertising furniture sales, PYO fruit, etc.? They seem to spring up unannounced and stick around for ages.

David

Yep, even them - as I said they tend to get overlooked unless you're in Nottingham City or County where they are red hot on this (I had a site where they were threatening to charge the Contractor for taking down an approved sign as it had been up for one day longer than permitted! :shock: ).

Le Commentateur

never had much problem cycling in France anyway ... except from cars with GB plates.

Indeed!

geoff_ss

Pross wrote:

DavidBelcher wrote:

Pross wrote:

Only the Highway Authority is permitted by law (Highways Act 1980) to erect a sign in the Highway. Signs have to either comply with the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002 or be approved by the DfT (takes months and hard to obtain even for official signage).

Does this even apply to ones zip-tied to lamp posts etc. advertising furniture sales, PYO fruit, etc.? They seem to spring up unannounced and stick around for ages.

David

Yep, even them - as I said they tend to get overlooked unless you're in Nottingham City or County where they are red hot on this (I had a site where they were threatening to charge the Contractor for taking down an approved sign as it had been up for one day longer than permitted! :shock: ).

That's interesting because the Rolls-Royce Hucknall Model Aircraft Club (near Nottingham) used to get their temporary signs taken down which directed visitors to their model air shows. That resulted in people driving all over the place trying to find their way to the rather obscure access lane.

I know what you mean about sign clutter though. Will anyone take any notice of your dissertation?

Geoff

stigofthedump

How about this useful sign in Bristol. Early signing for the Paris-Dakar rally perhaps?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/8355143.stm

El Gordo

Also in Nottingham was this inspired bit of prankery:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nott ... 798194.stm

Pross

Geoff_SS wrote:

Pross wrote:

DavidBelcher wrote:

Pross wrote:

Only the Highway Authority is permitted by law (Highways Act 1980) to erect a sign in the Highway. Signs have to either comply with the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002 or be approved by the DfT (takes months and hard to obtain even for official signage).

Does this even apply to ones zip-tied to lamp posts etc. advertising furniture sales, PYO fruit, etc.? They seem to spring up unannounced and stick around for ages.

David

Yep, even them - as I said they tend to get overlooked unless you're in Nottingham City or County where they are red hot on this (I had a site where they were threatening to charge the Contractor for taking down an approved sign as it had been up for one day longer than permitted! :shock: ).

That's interesting because the Rolls-Royce Hucknall Model Aircraft Club (near Nottingham) used to get their temporary signs taken down which directed visitors to their model air shows. That resulted in people driving all over the place trying to find their way to the rather obscure access lane.

I know what you mean about sign clutter though. Will anyone take any notice of your dissertation?

Geoff

The 2 Nottingham Council's pioneered the clutter busting schemes. The club just needed to contact the Council and agree for some AA type signs to go up for a day or two but would have cost them a few quid.

Doubt anyone will ever read my work again but don't care as I've now passed my course

geoff_ss

El Gordo wrote:

Also in Nottingham was this inspired bit of prankery:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nott ... 798194.stm

Anyone who's cycled in France or, more particularly, Belgium will know that they take a much more relaxed view of these things over there. Toilet stops are a regular, and necessary, feature of our cycling life, particularly as one of our number is undergoing treatment for the early stages of prostate cancer. Are we liable for arrest? Isn't that what field gates are there for?

Geoff

snailracer

Just do it.

BTW, in the UK, the recommended distance is 1.8m.

Pross

snailracer wrote:

Just do it.

BTW, in the UK, the recommended distance is 1.8m.

What distance? Mounting height should be 0.9m to 1.5m where no pedestrians are expected 2.1m absolute min. but preferably 2.3m min. where pedestrians are expected and 2.4m min. over a cycleway. 1.8m would be the perfect height to scalp an averagly tall person.

I know some tedious stuff :oops:

snailracer

Pross wrote:

snailracer wrote:

Just do it.

BTW, in the UK, the recommended distance is 1.8m.

What distance? Mounting height should be 0.9m to 1.5m where no pedestrians are expected 2.1m absolute min. but preferably 2.3m min. where pedestrians are expected and 2.4m min. over a cycleway. 1.8m would be the perfect height to scalp an averagly tall person.

I know some tedious stuff :oops:

Err I meant the distance written on the sign itself, not high up the post it's mounted.

pedylan

deptfordmarmoset wrote:

Any street sign goes in my street...

http://www.se8signs.co.uk/se8signs_18.html

EDIT...though picture 55 might not be that popular...

"Here we present a visual record of the project............."

Photos

Unless I'm mistaken.

deptfordmarmoset

pedylan wrote:

deptfordmarmoset wrote:

Any street sign goes in my street...

http://www.se8signs.co.uk/se8signs_18.html

EDIT...though picture 55 might not be that popular...

"Here we present a visual record of the project............."

Photos

Unless I'm mistaken.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean, pedylan. Did you mean Photoshop? In which case, they were quite possibly designed on Photoshop - gawd knows what software graphic designers on their Macs - but all except the later images (of which pic 55 is one) were manufactured using that corrugated plastic stuff Geoff_SS mentioned and attached to lamp posts with cable ties in flagrant disregard of traffic by laws (the LA and Deptford residents share a deep and mutual disrespect for each other). I saw them all - the ''arbitrary nature of the sign'' one was right outside my balcony. One of them is still visible from my balcony, though now off road.

pedylan

Didn't intend to be cryptic and didn't mean photoshop.

The phrase "Here we present a visual record of the project" just seemed a long winded, jargonistic way of saying "photos".

I'm only practicing to be a grumpy old man and haven't passed my test yet.

deptfordmarmoset

pedylan wrote:

Didn't intend to be cryptic and didn't mean photoshop.

The phrase "Here we present a visual record of the project" just seemed a long winded, jargonistic way of saying "photos".

I'm only practicing to be a grumpy old man and haven't passed my test yet.

Aha! They're artists, so you're lucky to get away with such laconic language, believe me

Pross

snailracer wrote:

Pross wrote:

snailracer wrote:

Just do it.

BTW, in the UK, the recommended distance is 1.8m.

What distance? Mounting height should be 0.9m to 1.5m where no pedestrians are expected 2.1m absolute min. but preferably 2.3m min. where pedestrians are expected and 2.4m min. over a cycleway. 1.8m would be the perfect height to scalp an averagly tall person.

I know some tedious stuff :oops:

Err I meant the distance written on the sign itself, not high up the post it's mounted.

Ah right :oops: be lucky to get 1.8 feet to be honest!

beverick

Geoff_SS wrote:

El Gordo wrote:

Also in Nottingham was this inspired bit of prankery:
....... Are we liable for arrest? Isn't that what field gates are there for?

Geoff

It's a fixed penatly offence (so £80 with reductions for early payment). I think it's greater Manchester that make you clean up if you're caught by one of their 'hooli-vans' as well.

BTW, placing unauthorised signs on the highway may attract a FPN (so another £80 or so). Signs placed on private premises either need to comply with appropriate legislation (ie for sale/to let signs) or require at least planning permission. They may also need other clearance such as from a National Park Aurhority.

Bob