diff --git a/modules/svg/vertices.js b/modules/svg/vertices.js
index c0704b9bc..8a57b19ed 100644
--- a/modules/svg/vertices.js
+++ b/modules/svg/vertices.js
@@ -72,13 +72,60 @@ export function svgVertices(projection, context) {
             return icons[entity.id];
         }
 
+
         function getDirections(entity) {
             if (entity.id in directions) return directions[entity.id];
 
-            var dir = (entity.tags['traffic_signals:direction'] || entity.tags.direction || '').toLowerCase();
-            var stop = ((entity.isHighwayIntersection(graph) && entity.tags.stop) || '').toLowerCase();
-            var goBackward = (dir === 'backward' || dir === 'both' || dir === 'all' || stop === 'all');
-            var goForward = (dir === 'forward' || dir === 'both' || dir === 'all' || stop === 'all');
+            var dir = '';
+
+            if (entity.isHighwayIntersection(graph) && (entity.tags.stop || '').toLowerCase() === 'all') {
+                // all-way stop tag on a highway intersection
+                dir = 'all';
+            } else {
+                // direction tag
+                dir = (
+                    entity.tags['railway:signal:direction'] ||
+                    entity.tags['traffic_signals:direction'] ||
+                    entity.tags.direction ||
+                    ''
+                ).toLowerCase();
+            }
+
+            // swap cardinal for numeric directions
+            var cardinal = {
+                north: 0,               n: 0,
+                northnortheast: 22,     nne: 22,
+                northeast: 45,          ne: 45,
+                eastnortheast: 67,      ene: 67,
+                east: 90,               e: 90,
+                eastsoutheast: 112,     ese: 112,
+                southeast: 135,         se: 135,
+                southsoutheast: 157,    sse: 157,
+                south: 180,             s: 180,
+                southsouthwest: 202,    ssw: 202,
+                southwest: 225,         sw: 225,
+                westsouthwest: 247,     wsw: 247,
+                west: 270,              w: 270,
+                westnorthwest: 292,     wnw: 292,
+                northwest: 315,         nw: 315,
+                northnorthwest: 337,    nnw: 337
+            };
+            if (cardinal[dir] !== undefined) {
+                dir = cardinal[dir];
+            }
+
+            // if direction tag is numeric, return early
+            if (dir !== '' && !isNaN(+dir)) {
+                directions[entity.id] = [(+dir) - 90];  // -90 because marker is oriented along Y not X
+                return directions[entity.id];
+            }
+
+            // determine which direction(s) this feature points
+            var goBackward =
+                (entity.tags['traffic_sign:backward'] || dir === 'backward' || dir === 'both' || dir === 'all');
+            var goForward =
+                (entity.tags['traffic_sign:forward'] || dir === 'forward' || dir === 'both' || dir === 'all');
+
             if (!goForward && !goBackward) return;
 
             var nodeIds = {};
@@ -87,10 +134,10 @@ export function svgVertices(projection, context) {
                 for (var i = 0; i < nodes.length; i++) {
                     if (nodes[i] === entity.id) {  // match current entity
                         if (goForward && i > 0) {
-                            nodeIds[nodes[i - 1]] = true;  // viewfield point back to prev node
+                            nodeIds[nodes[i - 1]] = true;  // viewfield points back to prev node
                         }
                         if (goBackward && i < nodes.length - 1) {
-                            nodeIds[nodes[i + 1]] = true;  // viewfield point ahead to next node
+                            nodeIds[nodes[i + 1]] = true;  // viewfield points ahead to next node
                         }
                     }
                 }
@@ -99,6 +146,7 @@ export function svgVertices(projection, context) {
             var dirAngles = Object.keys(nodeIds).map(function (nodeId) {
                 return geoAngle(entity, graph.entity(nodeId), projection) * (180 / Math.PI);
             });
+
             directions[entity.id] = dirAngles;
             return directions[entity.id];
         }