

ClearviewHwyīut a spokesperson told City Lab that more research in the past decade has led the FHWA to decide that the Clearview font is less legible than Highway Gothic on signs with "negative-contrast color orientations," including Speed Limit and Warning signs that have black font on either a white or yellow background.
Clearview font city of phoenix drivers#
The test was conducted at 45 mph, which means drivers had 1.2 seconds longer to read the signs with Clearview font.Ī comparison of Highway Gothic on the left and Clearview on the right. Studies conducted by the Pennsylvania Transportation Institute and the Texas Transportation Institute found that drivers could read Clearview as much as 80 feet farther away than they could read Highway Gothic, which was developed in the 1940s. This means that any new signs must use Highway Gothic again, though existing signs with Clearview do not need to be replaced as long as they are in good condition.Īmong some circles, this decision represents a major lapse in judgement. That "Interim Approval" of Clearview was suddenly terminated on Monday, according to a notice posted on the Federal Register by the FHWA. Studies suggested that Clearview was easier to read than Highway Gothic, especially in the dark, and about 30 states updated their highway signs as a result.

In 2004, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced its " Interim Approval for Use of Clearview Font for Positive Contrast Legends on Guide Signs," allowing states to change the prevailing font on road signs, Highway Gothic, to a font called Clearview if they chose.
