It looks like they could move the sign to the new surface but I'd guess they don't want the old sign on new siding. When the Merritt Parkway was rebuilt/modernized they DID save the old bridge hardware and reattach it.
The exposure looks fine to me. Though you're not centered on the snow the camera, in auto, will check brightness in multiple spots and adjust accordingly. It may well have, "seen" the snow in the foreground since the snow is not overexposed.