Anyone know of a source of information (book, website, article, whatever) about roads/streets in the past? For example, the color of center stripes – white or yellow, solid or dashed, single or double – that kind of thing.
Dave Nelson
The movie Its a Mad Mad Mad World 1963 has good shots showing road striping in southern California.
Some of the centerlines are white and some yellow. The current pattern of broken lines for pasing zones and solid for no pasing was in use at that time.
The first yellow center line I personally remember was in 66 or 67. On a very foggy day I made a left turn anto a road and ended up on the wrong side. I mistook the newley painted white edge line for the centerline, but realized my mistake when I saw the yellow line to my right.
Probably by 69 most roads, but not all roads would have yellow centerlines. White edge lines existed were probably less common.
I know of a road in Butte County California that apparently has not been stripped since the 1960’s or earlier. The white centerline is still visible.
I actaully found a manual online that had all the signs, road marking etc. Unfortunately I am deployed right now away from my own computer with all the cool favorites I’ve found. If I find again, I will post here but don’t hold your breath.
Rick