Why Are These Small Green Signs Important? Here’s What They Mean

Do the numbers on these signs mean anything special?

Just last month, we had a long conversation about those little white signs that can be seen on some Hudson Valley roads. We told you that the signs pictured below actually have a special meaning.

At first, we were told that the signs are put in some areas to let other drivers know what the center lines on the road ahead will look like. The sign above would mean that you are approaching a part of the road that will allow drivers coming in the other direction the ability to legally pass slower drivers.

White Road Signs Aren't for Drivers?

After sharing the article, we were contacted by a few folks that work for a few different Department of Transportations in the area and they told us that those signs are used for the crews that are in charge of putting the lines on newly paved roads. They called them the "striping crew" and told us that those signs aren't necessarily put on roads for drivers, they are there to show the stripers what lines to put on the road if they need to be relined.

After we learned what the white signs mean, a few Hudson Valley police officers reached out to ask if we knew that the green mile marker signs, also seen on the side of some roads, have a special meaning.

What do the Green Signs Mean?

According to them, the small green signs known as "reference markers" usually have three lines of numbers on them. Each row of numbers has meaning with the top number being the route number. For example, if you see one on Route 376, the first row will say 376.

According to the New York State Department of Transportation, the second line shows the DOT region, the county, and the sequence of the county along the route. Lastly, the third line is the mileage of that route from the county line, going west to east, or south to north in tenths of a mile.

Why Do These Signs Matter?

The signs are in place so that anytime an accident happens on the road drivers and local police can use the numbers when they fill out an accident report. A few times a year safety engineers analyze those numbers and can pinpoint any trouble spots on the road according to the DOT.