Take a minute to think about how many street signs there are across the city. Two or more at every intersection, with additional posts sprinkled in here and there — our basic math says, that’s a lot.
The Portland Bureau of Transportation recently shared a behind-the-scenes look at the process of making these graphics inside the department’s North Portland maintenance facility.
There, digital printers, an applicator, and a large cutting machine are used to create street name designs. Ultraviolet protection and anti-graffiti measures are also added to extend the life of each sign to 12 years (and beyond in some cases).
![A digital printer prints street signs for the Portland Bureau of Transportation.](https://6amcity.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c6421aa/2147483647/strip/true/crop/600x338+0+31/resize/1000x563!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fk1-prod-sixam-city.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fe0%2F39%2F5b0801254364a02164a72bbae44a%2Fpdxtoday-streetsignsgif.gif)
Residents of Southeast Franklin Street, this one’s for you.
Gif by @pbotinfo
To report a missing or damaged street sign, reach out to dispatchers at pdxreporter.org, call (503) 823-1700, or email pdxroads@portlandoregon.gov.
According to PBOT, the sign maker is fabricating approx. 500 signs a week ahead of a mass update this fall. Where would we be without them? No really, we’re lost...