The SFMTA is slowly but surely replacing all the street signage around town, doing away with the lovely, modern, all-caps typography they've employed for the better part of the last century, and going with title (upper and lower) case instead. This, we say, is ugly. Can we get an AMEN from our graphic designer friends?
We imagine this decision which came down via federal mandate, and is ruining the signage of New York City as well was discussed, commented upon, studied, focus-grouped, and consulted about (or maybe it wasn't at all). And we know the school of thought about how upper and lower case lettering is easier to read however that would not be the case with the newish, sans-serif, white-on-black Muni station signage, which is nearly impossible to read and totally inferior to the bold, all-caps signage they had before.
But we'd like to open up the discussion here, since this affects us all, to see how you, dear readers, feel about the new signs. Aren't the old ones just, aesthetically, better? No one likes to see ALL CAPS in an email, but it's appropriate, and pleasing to the eye, on a street sign, no?
Perhaps you'd like to contact the SFMTA and let your opinion be heard, even though it's obviously too late now.
Also, see some older examples of SF street signage here and here.