iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Nathan_A_RF @nathanarf.bsky.social · 25/12/2025

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a good 2026!

A misty morning by the River Thames with the yellow sun breaking through the clouds. The tall tower of a bridge lies in the background while various boats sit on the opposite side of the river. A greylag goose is in mid flight in the foreground.

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Nathan_A_RF @nathanarf.bsky.social · 21/11/2025

A "trixie" crossing? One for the glossary @roads.org.uk ! assets.dft.gov.uk/trafficauths...

A plan of a segregated pedestrian, cycle and equestrian crossing, with the three crossings at a slight diagonal as they cross the road

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Nathan_A_RF @nathanarf.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

I'm not sure Network Rail understand suitable x-heights on signs... This is seen increasingly more and more these days. (picture from a friend)

A newly upgraded level crossing with lights and barriers on a rural road. There are 'KEEP CROSSING CLEAR' signs underneath the lights, potentially only 20x10cm big.

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Nathan_A_RF @nathanarf.bsky.social · 02/11/2025

It's nice when you know what you want to do in life at this age

A picture of me as a young child laying on the floor next to an array of handmade road signs

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Nathan_A_RF @nathanarf.bsky.social · 31/10/2025

There's a few of these lining the Thames in Reading. Vintage. @showmeasign.online

A triangular warning sign on a lamp post, warning of an unprotected quayside or riverbank. The car is of a design that makes the sign many decades old.

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Nathan_A_RF @nathanarf.bsky.social · 29/10/2025

The congestion charges started in Oxford today. If only they had someone check the spelling on the signs!

A sign on a lamp post. The top is a red circle with a white 'C', the bottom is a black and white plate stating "7am-7pm, Charge for (picture of a car) only, Pay on line by midnight tomorrow" (note the space between "on" and "line")

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Nathan_A_RF @nathanarf.bsky.social · 27/10/2025

Was quite nice to stumble across this last week in the Chilterns. The Centre for Outdoor Accessibility has a lot of gates for testing!

A field with four rows of fences close together and various gates, gaps and barriers in esch one. Grass is mown around the fences

A lone small gate in a field with far reaching views across Oxfordshire in the background. The wooden hate has a large metal and plastic pad in the middle to press to open the gate.

A view the same as image 1 but from the other direction, showing different gates.

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Nathan_A_RF @nathanarf.bsky.social · 25/10/2025

One added benefit of seeing @jayforeman.bsky.social and @markcooperjones.bsky.social launch their excellent book in Bristol on Thursday was I got a taste of some Dutch kerbs!

A newly constructed pavement in amongst roadworks. A number of large sloped kerbstones form a ramp along the kerbline for around 3m. Behind thr pavement is a cycleway still under construction.

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Nathan_A_RF @nathanarf.bsky.social · 11/10/2025

A sump buster for @rantyhighwayman.bsky.social and some interesting use of advisory speed signs for @showmeasign.online

A single lane road with a cycle lane heading towards a bus stop and a sump buster, a petruding metal and concrete lump, in the background. A pair of blue and yellow pedal cycle and bus only signs are in the foreground either side of the road. Below them are 'max speed 10' signs, and a yellow warning sign for the sump buster.

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Nathan_A_RF @nathanarf.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

Settling in to Reading well, it's a lovely place but the cycle infrastructure is almost non-existent. Shall join the local cycling campaign group at their next meeting to see if I am of any use.

A view of the River Thames at Reading, with the single-tower cable-stayed Christchurch Bridge crossing the calm blue river. A boat is moored on the nearside bank, with another sunk vessel in front of it.

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Nathan_A_RF @nathanarf.bsky.social · 11/09/2025

Guerilla 20 mph signs have appeared on a road local to me. People are getting fed up with dangerous roads and want a simple intervention that is proven to improve road safety.

A road with two road signs on either side, both with a contraflow bus lane sign and a small 20 mph sign underneath. There is a 20 mph road marking on the ground.

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Nathan_A_RF @nathanarf.bsky.social · 08/09/2025

Very excieted to have started my career with @pja-betterplaces.bsky.social today as a Graduate Consultant. I look forward to working with the transport team in a number of different ways and on a variety of projects.

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Nathan_A_RF @nathanarf.bsky.social · 07/09/2025

A nice blue-bordered survivor spotted while holidaying in Ceredigion a few weeks ago.

A large thick-blue-bordered sign pointing diagonally top right to Aberaeron, 7 miles away, and diagonally bottom left to Cross Inn, 4 miles away.

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Nathan_A_RF @nathanarf.bsky.social · 05/09/2025

Unusual way of adding a yellow backing board. Reminds me of old railway semaphore signals that needed to be more conspicuous.

Two no entry signs next to each other. One is mounted on a free-standing post, the other on a post attached to a wall with a yellow backing board behind it.

A closeup of the sign attached to the wall showing the cables running down from the lamp illuminating the sign into an electrical box.

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Nathan_A_RF @nathanarf.bsky.social · 26/07/2025

and desolate areas like this that can't even be a meadow because that's too dangerous for people to cut. You know, not like we have robot lawnmowers or anything...

A dual carriageway with a large strip of asphalt in the central reservation

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Nathan_A_RF @nathanarf.bsky.social · 23/07/2025

Overgrown hedge obscuring an important sign 👎 Overgrown hedge full of cherry plums 👍

A 40 mph speed limit sign partially obscured by foliage from a cherry plum tree, with yellow and red fruit adorning the branches

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Nathan_A_RF @nathanarf.bsky.social · 21/07/2025

Was great to experience Prague and its trams last week. A fantastic (but not perfect) transport system. Had my first ride on a trolleybus too.

Two soviet-era T3 trams in red and beige round a bend on a cobbled street with the ornate blue and beige towers of St. Nicholas Church in the background

A Škoda tram in a Tesco advertising livery runs along a cobbled street in central Prague

A grey and red trolleybus with three sections connected by two pivots

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Nathan_A_RF @nathanarf.bsky.social · 19/07/2025

After hard work in difficult times, I was proud to graduate from the University of Southampton this week, receiving the degree of master of engineering with first class honours in civil engineering. My career with @pja-betterplaces.bsky.social starts in September!

Myself dressed in university gown and cap shaking the hand of the vice president of the University of Southampton, dressed similarly.

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Nathan_A_RF @nathanarf.bsky.social · 13/06/2025

Some unique signs reminding drivers to slow down in the New Forest. As much as I dislike nonsense safety signage in favor of actual interventions, I think these are quite nice in their own way.

A wild horses warning sign with a navy blue rectangular sign and dark green rectangular sign underneath, reading "Ponies don't dent THEY DIE" and "WATCH OUT Day and Night" respectively.

A wild horses warning sign with a teal rectangular plate underneath reading "EXPECT it to STEP OUT"

A wild horses warning sign with a brown rectangular plate underneath reading "FOALS Day and Night" underneath. Below that is a predominantly blue sign informing of a 7t weight limit 120 yards ahead.

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Nathan_A_RF @nathanarf.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

Visited the Hovercraft Museum a couple of days ago. Was a very nice day out. The SRN4 looked a little worse for wear on the inside however it was good to hear the museum has recently obtained funding from the national lottery heritage fund. Can recommend visiting if down south.

The last SRN4 hovercraft, named The Princess Anne, with the main vehicle door open. Visble are two of the craft's enormous propellers on its roof. The craft is white with a blue and red stripe along its side.

A view inside one of the sheds at the museum, showing various small hovercraft.

A large military hovercraft with its main door open. The craft is grey with a large vertical protrusion housing sonar equipment (if I remember correctly).

A medium sized military hovercraft in camouflage colours sitting on grass with a royal marines flag atop its cabin. A large shed with blue and red 'HOVERCRAFT' lettering is in the background.

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Nathan_A_RF @nathanarf.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

If only drain covers were all this shape

A square with a corner cut at 45 degrees

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Nathan_A_RF @nathanarf.bsky.social · 11/03/2025

Still not convinced by the ♋ that has replaced the ship on Southampton's boundary signs. I would have proposed something using diagram 2404 of the TSRGD.

An example of a Southampton boundary sign using diagram 2404 of the TSRGD. There is a picture of the Bargate with the text "Welcome to SOUTHAMPTON International Maritime City" underneath on a brown background.

The new Southampton boundary signs featuring the text "Welcome to Southampton" on a white background with two green/cyan sideways-d shapes above and below on a white background. A solicitor advert is underneath.

The old Southampton boundary signs featuring the text "Welcome to Southampton" on a white background next to a blue bow of a ship, with further text saying "International maritime city" underneath on a blue background. A solicitor advert is underneath.

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Nathan_A_RF @nathanarf.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

I've been here five years and even I am struggling with these abbreviations. Saving cost by saving space isn't always a good thing.

A parking availability sign for the University of Southampton, showing available parking spaces at "Boldr, S. Brd, Hamp, Phy, Ave".

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Nathan_A_RF @nathanarf.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

The fluctuations (presumably) due to the seasons even out when you take yearly values. Here's the values for numbers killed or seriously injured over the past decade. The difference the 2024 data will make to the ends of these curves will be interesting, as is all data analysis.

Four graphs showing people killed or seriously injured in collisions from 2014 to 2023, each showing a rough downward trend and a big drop in 2020. Top left, Great Britain, top right England, bottom left Scotland, bottom right Wales.

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Nathan_A_RF @nathanarf.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Well the percentage change from the previous year speaks for itself! The drop on the graph is a bit clearer with some rudimentary best-fit lines drawn, obviously many ways of doing a better job with the raw data and a program like R or MATLAB.

The casualties vs quarter graph from OP with best fit lines drawn in red

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Nathan_A_RF @nathanarf.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

Many signs beforehand but of course the classic "not enough/confusing signs" line has been played. Final scheme is to look better, just an ETRO for the restrictions so far.

A CGI view of Portswood Broadway with trees, planters, cycle lanes and devoid of cars.

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Nathan_A_RF @nathanarf.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

New bus gate for Portswood Broadway. Hilarious from the local media that simultaneously the road is still as usual with drivers ignoring the restrictions, yet some businesses say no one is visiting because of the restrictions forcing drivers away... Bring on the enforcement cameras.

Portswood High Street with new bus gate signage and red surface treatment, with drivers ignoring the restriction

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Nathan_A_RF @nathanarf.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

Southampton 20 mph update - Portswood to be signed fully by next week hopefully. Need some action in the east side of the city judging by the map now! See map in detail (beware - slow to load): www.openstreetbrowser.org#map=13/50.91... @20splenty.bsky.social

A map of Southampton (outlined in blue) showing the road network in grey. Roads that are subject to a 20 mph speed limit are coloured green.

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Nathan_A_RF @nathanarf.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

Ah yes the earring holder pylons

A gold T-shaped earring holder with two diamond-shaped earrings hanging from the top

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Nathan_A_RF @nathanarf.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

Data visualisation is both incredibly useful and fascinating. So, using the wonderful OpenStreetBrowser, here's a look at what the speed limits look like on roads in the UK. (Beware, the map takes a little while to load when you pan). www.openstreetbrowser.org#map=6/54.655...

A map of Winchester with various roads colour coded by their speed limit

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Nathan_A_RF @nathanarf.bsky.social · 06/01/2025

The newest 20 mph area in Southampton - Portswood. Great to see.

A new 20 mph speed limit sign on a lamp post with a clear blue sky and a crescent moon behind.

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Nathan_A_RF @nathanarf.bsky.social · 02/01/2025

Old signs still going strong in Burwash. Surprising given a number of signs in East Sussex were replaced a couple years ago.

A very old free parking 250yds ahead sign with a small blue-bordered toilets sign and a 30mph repeater sign underneath

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Nathan_A_RF @nathanarf.bsky.social · 15/12/2024

I did notice this one in a cab ride I watched last week.

A view from the cab of a train showing three tracks of a railway ahead. A marked pedestrian crossing traffic sign, facing trains, is attached to a catenary post holding the overhead wires.

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