tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7189482.post3003276284877719500..comments2024-03-26T21:46:56.291-07:00Comments on The ZehnKatzen Times: [pdx] Presenting The César E Chávez Blvd Blades (with Bonus Beech Street)Samuel John Kleinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00514541030057763303noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7189482.post-54940854363703985912010-02-02T17:03:54.907-08:002010-02-02T17:03:54.907-08:00Yep. Mary Gates is Bill's mother and a Univers...Yep. Mary Gates is Bill's mother and a University of Washington regent; the section of Union Bay Place N.E. renamed after her runs through UW property on both sides. I assume they didn't just name it Gates Place to avoid people thinking we were naming a street after Bill. Though why <i>memorial</i> drive, I'm not sure. Royal Brougham was a sportswriter for the dearly departed <i>Seattle P-I</i>, and Edgar Martinez played for the Mariners, so that's where those renamings on either side of Safeco Field came about (though Royal Brougham got its name when we still had the Kingdome).Benjamin Lukoffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17027529534385493129noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7189482.post-43356187595980265002010-02-01T11:35:56.501-08:002010-02-01T11:35:56.501-08:00@Ben2, that's a good point. I've had mixed...@Ben2, that's a good point. I've had mixed feelings about TriMet's newer paint job and paint scheme, but the half-moons are very distinctive and the design is very apt and pleasant to look at – and readable. I'll whip something up on TriMet soon, thanks to your suggestion.<br /><br />I remember seeing KC Metro signs a long time ago, and I remember they were functional to the point of being drab. That was some 15 or so years ago, tho. From what you've written here, I'd say they've not changed much.<br /><br />Welcome back to PDX!Samuel John Kleinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00514541030057763303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7189482.post-9408174402684886422010-02-01T11:33:27.885-08:002010-02-01T11:33:27.885-08:00@Benjamin Lukoff: That's quite a list of renam...@Benjamin Lukoff: That's quite a list of renamings that Seattle's been though. I've collected enough Seattle maps to know about the Empire Way-MLK Way renaming, but the rest are fascinating, too.<br /><br />But … <i>Troll Avenue?</i> Delightful! I was actually able to use Google Maps Street View to peep this sign, and I'm going to post about it soon.<br /><br />There's a lot of myopia involved in the way street names get changed around PDX. At least they let us ease into it. And by mounting the sign the way they did, we have some idea of how tough the new blades are – they look pretty substantial.<br /><br />From what I've sen of Seattle's blades, they still use the FHWA-style font that they've been doing, and my guess is that it's because FHWA-standard fonts seem (<i>seem</i>, I say) to have no diacritics.<br /><br />What can I say? They should have gone to Clearview as well. The more I see that font the more I find the more to like.Samuel John Kleinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00514541030057763303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7189482.post-12758725811134646452010-02-01T07:47:10.647-08:002010-02-01T07:47:10.647-08:00Nice. :-)
I'm surprised you haven't writte...Nice. :-)<br />I'm surprised you haven't written about bus stop sign improvements. I love TriMet half moons. Distinctive poles, easy to read signs (with route directions) and overall great. Ever seen what most Metro signs are like in King County? *small groan*<br /><br />Glad to be back in Portland! :)Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17087364214942172188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7189482.post-35294820260038328362010-01-30T12:09:50.655-08:002010-01-30T12:09:50.655-08:00Wow, so standard PDX practice is to leave both sig...Wow, so standard PDX practice is to leave both signs up for five years? Fascinating. When we change names, they all come down en masse. At least that has been the case for the changes that have happened within my lifetime that I can think of right now: Empire Way --> Martin Luther King Jr. Way; Union Bay Place (south section) --> Mary Gates Memorial Drive; Aurora Avenue (under the George Washington Memorial Bridge) --> Troll Avenue; Connecticut Street --> Royal Brougham Way; Atlantic Street (section south of Safeco Field) --> Edgar Martinez Drive.<br /><br />Actually, <i>there</i>'s a street which could have incorporated a diacritic: name's actually spelled Martínez. But none to be found on the sign.Benjamin Lukoffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17027529534385493129noreply@blogger.com