There were some, but no State ever when fully metric on the distance signage. Arizona had one road, I-19, which was fully metric distance signage (but Customary speed limit). Everything else is limited demonstration projects. However the previous edition of the MUTCD (Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices) fully supported metric in both the dimensions and message content of signs (you can download online.) Unfortunately the 2009 (latest) edition moved all metric to an Appendix because it got minimum usage.
Reading it, I think metric is still legal if the State elects it (unlike UK), but they have made it MUCH harder to apply, and no State seems to be exopanding metric usage. Existing signs are "grandfathered" until replaced, but I predict metric signage will quietly go away. ________________________________ From: Stephen Davis <[email protected]> To: U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]> Sent: Tue, July 13, 2010 8:46:20 AM Subject: [USMA:48225] Re: attitudes I'm sure I read somewhere that, in some US states, there were proper Km road signs. I am sure I've seen pictures of them. Is this correct? Do they still exist today? There were signs on a local country road near where I live that read 1/2Km that dated from (at the very least) the late 1970s. In 1975, it was expected that the UK would become almost fully metric, and I believe these signs were a sort of test bed for this. Of course, the usual suspects kicked up a fuss about this, so full metrication was never realised here. Did something similar to this happen over in the US? ----- Original Message ----- >From: Carleton MacDonald >To: U.S. Metric Association >Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 2010 4:11 AM >Subject: [USMA:48222] Re: attitudes > > >In 2002 my old 1988 Saab 900 died on Autoroute* 15 in Quebec, about a third of >the way between Brossard and St-Bernard-de-Lacolle on the US border. (We were >heading home and it becomes Interstate 87 once south of the big dotted line.) >The engine blew. Knowing I’d be calling for help, and knowing I’d have to >indicate (in French) where we were, I managed to coast to a stop right next to >a >small green vertical sign that said “km 26”. This was on top of a railroad >overpass and the road was straight and from there I could see the km 27 post. > >*UK: motorway, US: freeway > >Carleton > >From:[email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of >Stephen Humphreys >Sent: Monday, July 12, 2010 17:45 >To: U.S. Metric Association >Subject: [USMA:48206] Re: attitudes > >Martin - I have always believed you regarding those little signs. I have never >doubted you - because I knew anyway. There was never a need to 'try'. >My point is - there is no 'm', no 'km' and nothing other than a number on >them- >there is nothing there to hint at the measurement units used. They are not >there for general consumption (I think everyone knows this) but used as a way >of >locating you in an emergency. I understand you might use them for whatever >reason but please ask 50 people what they say about these little signs - see >what sort of response there is. You don't have to get concerned with my >opinion >of you , btw, because you have always been very good arguer, reasonable and >realistic when you debate. It's a pleasure to read your posts. Although I >would love for you to admit the significance of those signs you talk about ;-) > >Here's a scary thought - I've been in the same debate as you (going back the >defunct bwma board together) for OVER A DECADE! > ________________________________ >From: [email protected] >To: [email protected] >Subject: [USMA:48203] Re: attitudes >Date: Mon, 12 Jul 2010 22:07:17 +0100 >Steve H ought to already knows this – I have been trying to educate him about >that matter on other boards for many years. Since I first drew it to his >attention, the Government have erected driver location signs. I am sure that >he >knows what they are, if he doesn’t, he can always go to the Wikipedia article >which will guide him through authoritative references. Most of the motorway >article concerning English motorways have the Driver Location Signs at each >junction cataloged – one of the anomalies is the M4 where only the English >part >has driver location signs. > > ________________________________ >From:[email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of >Stephen Davis >Sent: 09 July 2010 19:28 >To: U.S. Metric Association >Subject: [USMA:48142] Re: attitudes > >Steve: > >There are kilometre signs on all British motorway's -not opinion, fact. > >99.9 per cent of pre-packaged goods are in hard metric-not opinion, fact. > >All loose goods in supermarkets are weighed in metric at the checkout, not >opinion - fact. > >There are dual measurement signs on British roads, particularly for bridge >heights, not opinion, fact. > >Wines and spirits are sold in metric measures in bars in the UK - not opinion, >fact. > >Like it or not, almost everything voiced by Anthony and myself is 100 per cent >fact. > >"What is being 'tried on' here is submitting a minutae of very feeble 'less >than >side issues' against something so obvious it more or less punches you in the >face and revealing this pedantry as the sum of the argument being put across." > >I'm showing you facts you continually try to deny. Any one of them can be >easily looked up. It's like me saying "David Cameron is the Prime Minister" >and >you continually saying "no he's not!" in the face of overwhelming evidence to >the contrary > >But, as I've said before, you know this full well. > >But I suspect you'll carry on trolling! >----- Original Message ----- >>From:Stephen Humphreys >>To:[email protected] ; [email protected] >>Sent:Friday, July 09, 2010 3:02 PM >>Subject:RE: [USMA:48126] Re: attitudes >> >>It's a fact that not all road signs in the UK are in English. >>Better put out that roadsigns are multilingual then. >>Stephen - you must realise that the whole subject here is very opinionated. >>The >>debate would not exist otherwise. What is being 'tried on' here is >>submitting a >>minutae of very feeble 'less than side issues' against something so obvious >>it >>more or less punches you in the face and revealing this pedantry as the sum >>of >>the argument being put across. >>I had to fill my tyres with air the other day - the machine would ONLY give >>me >>PSI. Thus do I rush here to claim that the entire tyre making industry and >>the >>economy surrounding it is purely imperial? What I saw was fact - the gauge >>only >>said PSI - therefore there is no room for any more opinion. Correct? >> >> >>(By the way - using those emergency sticks just to try to put out that >>there's >>this metric manna on our roads - that's scraping the barrel a teeny bit isn't >>it?) >> >> >> ________________________________ >>From: [email protected] >>To: [email protected] >>Subject: [USMA:48126] Re: attitudes >>Date: Fri, 9 Jul 2010 14:14:20 +0100 >>Except that, those things I mentioned happen to be facts, not opinions. >> >>Which you well know. >>----- Original Message ----- >>>From:Stephen Humphreys >>>To:U.S. Metric Association >>>Sent:Thursday, July 08, 2010 10:28 PM >>>Subject:[USMA:48113] Re: attitudes >>> >>>I think I will survive you saying that you have a different opinion to me, >>>steve >>>;-) >>> >>>(Now where's that cigar....) >>> ________________________________ >>>From: [email protected] >>>To: [email protected] >>>Subject: [USMA:48108] Re: attitudes >>>Date: Thu, 8 Jul 2010 19:31:57 +0100 >>>"Other than the obvious road signs and pint glasses in pubs, I see no other >>>major uses of non-metric in the UK (the pint glass issue is somewhat a minor >>>issue). Being a pro-metric person who wants total metrication you may see >>>this >>>as the UK not being as fully metric as you would like it." >>> >>>"Even road signs are not entirely non-metric in the UK. There are signs >>>along >>>highways that show kilometre distances that are ignored by the anti-metric >>>fringe." >>> >>> >>>"Products in the supermarkets are sold in metric only sizes and even the >>>scales >>>used to weigh your asked for goods are metric only. If you ask for an old >>>amount you get a metric amount." >>> >>> >>>Erm...all of the above happens to be entirely true, NOT bunkum as you suggest. >>> >>>Nice try, but no cigar! You continually try to suggest most of the time >>>that >>>the above is not entirely true....I'm happy to put you right. >>> >>>PS >>> >>>And yes....you did say ALMOST total bunkum, though, as ever, you never state >>>which parts actually are bunkum...strange that! >>> >>> >>>----- Original Message ----- >>>>From:Stephen Humphreys >>>>To:U.S. Metric Association >>>>Sent:Thursday, July 08, 2010 4:20 PM >>>>Subject:[USMA:48096] Re: attitudes >>>> >>>>Hopefully most on the list will remember all this as (almost) total bunkum >>>>from >>>>previous attempts. The anti-US spin is just the cherry on the cake. For >>>>clearer realistic responses and final outcomes please refer to the previous >>>>times that this consolidated effort below have been raised and put to bed. >>>>These can be found via searching on the USMA list archives via the web >>>>front end >>>>rather than the distribution list. >>>> >>>> ________________________________ >>>>Date: Thu, 8 Jul 2010 07:29:56 -0700 >>>>From: [email protected] >>>>Subject: [USMA:48095] Re: attitudes >>>>To: [email protected] >>>>America has always thought of itself as being holier than thou. When you >>>>have a >>>>superiority complex it makes you look inferior all of a sudden if you adopt >>>>the >>>>practices of those you have always looked down upon. Now that America is >>>>no >>>>longer superior it is still hard to break the habit and belief. It would >>>>seem >>>>Americans would prefer to be dirt poor and unemployed than to adopt the >>>>ways of >>>>the "French". >>>> >>>> >>>>Other than the obvious road signs and pint glasses in pubs, I see no other >>>>major uses of non-metric in the UK (the pint glass issue is somewhat a >>>>minor >>>>issue). Being a pro-metric person who wants total metrication you may see >>>>this >>>>as the UK not being as fully metric as you would like it. >>>> >>>>An anti-metric person would harp continuously on these two instances to >>>>claim >>>>the UK is not metric at all and ignore the 90+ % that is metric. >>>> >>>> >>>>Even road signs are not entirely non-metric in the UK. There are signs >>>>along >>>>highways that show kilometre distances that are ignored by the anti-metric >>>>fringe. There are signs that show metres but are marked off as yards >>>>(denied by >>>>the anti-metric fringe). And soon there will be height signs, possibly >>>>width >>>>signs too, that will show metres (in addition to out-dated units), >>>>something the >>>>anti-metric fringe is opposing. >>>> >>>>Even in pubs you can purchase products other than beer in metric amounts, >>>>such >>>>as wine and hard licquor. >>>> >>>>Products in the supermarkets are sold in metric only sizes and even the >>>>scales >>>>used to weigh your asked for goods are metric only. If you ask for an old >>>>amount you get a metric amount. >>>> >>>> >>>>You purchase petrol by the litre and hear weather reports in metric. >>>> >>>>Remnant uses of old unit names exist in every country and may continue to >>>>do so >>>>for a long time. >>>> >>>> >>>>You should at least be grateful that the UK is not in the same position as >>>>the >>>>US. >>>> >>>> >>>>I highly doubt the US will ever regain its pre-eminence even if it does >>>>metricate. No empire that has ever collapsed has ever returned to >>>>greatness. >>>>All have become insignificant and poor. Look at Iran (Persia), Iraq >>>>(Babylon), >>>>Egypt, Greece, Rome and the UK. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> ________________________________ >>>>From:John Frewen-Lord <[email protected]> >>>>To: U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]> >>>>Sent: Thu, July 8, 2010 9:52:52 AM >>>>Subject: [USMA:48093] attitudes >>>>Does America not adopt the metric system out of sheer bloody-mindedness? >>>>On the >>>>BP oil spill, this article I find very telling (mostly imperial >>>>unfortunately). >>>>The UK is not much better, at least at governmental level. The day America >>>>changes its attitude to the rest of the world (of which SI is a fundamental >>>>part) is the day that the US will regain its pre-eminence, not until. >>>> >>>>http://www.financialpost.com/Avertible+catastrophe/3203808/story.html#ixzz0sGacwW4e >>>> >>>> >>>>John F-L >>>> >>>> ________________________________ >>>>Get a new e-mail account with Hotmail - Free. Sign-up now. >>> >>> ________________________________ >>>Get a free e-mail account with Hotmail. Sign-up now. > > ________________________________ >Get a free e-mail account with Hotmail. Sign-up now. > > ________________________________ >Get a new e-mail account with Hotmail – Free. Sign-up now.
