Street Signs

Am sure at least one of you remembers my November 12 thoughts about street signs in New York being replaced. Here is a follow-up.

The Federal Highway Administration is ordering all local governments, from the tiniest towns to the largest cities, to go out and buy new street signs that federal bureaucrats say are easier to read. The rules are part of a tangle of regulations included in the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices.

The 800-plus page book tells local governments they:

-- Should increase the size of the letters on street signs from the current 4 inches to 6 inches on all roads with speed limits over 25 miles per hour. The target date for this to be completed is January 2012.

-- Install signs with new reflective letters more visible at night by January 2018.

-- Whenever street name signs are changed for any reason, they can no longer be in ALL CAPS.

In Milwaukee this will cost the city nearly $2 million, or double the city's entire annual for traffic control.

"If you can't read it, you can't see it, or you can't comprehend it, it could be a distraction to you,"  said Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez. "You could be in an accident, negative consequences could occur." Hmmm, now about those illegal aliens that can't read English. . .

Government Signs

Recently the Federal Highway Administration decided that it takes way too much time for us to read road signs printed in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. So, the newest FHA Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices says that all such signs must be replaced by those with an initial capital letter, followed by the remaining letters in lower case.

According to a September article in the New York Post, New York City has already begun the process of changing its 250,900 signs. City officials estimate it at $110  each, that amounts to $27.6 million, just for New York City. Maybe it is a secret 'shovel ready' project to keep prisoners busy.