The classic American emergency exit sign—the bold red letters spelling out E-X-I-T—seems at first glance like an unimpeachable bit of sign design. The contrast between the letters and the ...

It made no sense to ignore mileage-based exit numbers as long as the DOT had to replace the signs, Cotton and Schaefer explained, not when the project was going to cost $6.3 million.

Exit 11 for Ithaca/Cortland on I-81 recently changed to Exit 52 and Exit 13 for state Rt. 281/Preble is now Exit 62; both include smaller signs noting the “old exit” number.