Federal Street Signs

redcliffsw · November 30, 2010, 09:39:37 AM

Mandated Street Sign Changes

http://news.yahoo.com/video/us-15749625/federal-mandate-for-safer-street-signs-23247746

W. Gray · December 05, 2010, 10:25:33 AM

Local entities have been ordered to 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 completion is January 2012, which is a little over a year from now.

They are to install signs with new reflective letters that are more visible at night by January 2018. And whenever street signs are changed for any reason, they can no longer be all caps such as "WABASH" or "RANDOLPH" but must add small lettering to read "Wabash" or "Randolph."

Maybe this law would not effect the Elk County roads that presumably do not have a legal speed limit set in county law. Recall that the county had a time putting in the street signs a short time ago. Right now, I cannot remember if the "new" county signs would conform to the the new law or not. But Junebug road is still my favorite.

Some or maybe most towns have an ordinance that sets a speed limit, such as 25 mph, for all roads not posted.

The city of Denver says they have completed the replacement of all 500,000 of their street signs. Although the new federal law was enacted in 2008, Denver says they started in the mid 90s. Other towns are wondering where they are going to get the money for the replacement, which is not cheap. A Denver spokesman did not mention the cost, but the city of Milwaukee says it will cost them $2 million.

Wilma · December 05, 2010, 12:15:51 PM

I just looked at my street sign and the letters are all caps and I don't think they are reflective. Neither do I think they are 6" tall. Neither do I think that in a community like this one, that these changes are necessary. No one ever looks at the street signs anyway. As to the posted speed limit, as far as I know there is no posted speed limit for the residential areas of Howard. I do know that if there is, a lot of people are breaking the law when they speed past here.

I do know that I find it irritating to not be able to read the street signs in Wichita until we are almost upon them. I also find it irritating to have to hunt for the sign as they are not always on the same corner of the intersection. My favorite is the street sign that is suspended above the street. Any street that has the traffic lights suspended from an arm could easily also suspend the street sign.

Janet Harrington · December 06, 2010, 12:42:32 AM

I think that when we ordered the 911 street signs for the Elk County roads we made them six inches high. I wanted to be able to read them at a high rate of speed. Elk County's road signs are bigger then most counties, so I don't think we will have to change. The cities may be a different story.

Howard's speed limits are the same as they are in any city. 30 mph in residential unless other posted and 20 mph in business districts. That is state law.

Mother, when we installed the Elk County signs we had to put them where we could get the post in. We were not able to use a specific corner. Sometimes there just wasn't a place to put a post in the same corner for every intersection. Naming those roads and getting all of that done was one thing I really enjoyed when I worked for the citizens of Elk County.

Warph · December 06, 2010, 02:30:00 AM

This is a very disheartening level of journalism and misinformation. What the video DOESN"T say is this law has been in effect for seven years (2003). The law also states that "existing signs in good condition can remain for the remainder of their service life." Replacement signs which need to be bought anyway must comply with the new standards.

And yes, most of the signs here in Surprise, AZ have already complied with the goofy law. (e.e. cummings must be smiling big time from his grave!) I guess it is because the signs are supposed to be easier to read by us 'old fogies' according to the Feds. And I guess y'all know we have more 'old fogies' here than any other place in the world... or it seems like it. Lord, I sure do hate 'snow birds' when I have to drive someplace.... man, they're EVERYWHERE and most of them do not know how to drive! Yes... even the ones from Kansas. They must think they are driving a tractor.... SLOW! What's that all about???

Wilma · December 06, 2010, 08:15:24 AM

Watch out who you are calling an "old fogie".

I guess the only way the street signs in Wichita will be changed so that I can read them is for someone to make them impossible to read. I really do think it is short sightedness on the part of the planners to not put suspended street signs on every traffic light arm, especially if the arms are newly installed. If we "old fogies" didn't have to slow down to have time to read the signs, we wouldn't be holding up you "younguns" in your hectic race for fame and fortune.

W. Gray · December 06, 2010, 02:09:13 PM

Wilma, another thought about those hanging signs is to have them illuminated after dark. Although, some of us old fogies don't like driving at night unless it is absolutely necessary.

Another item that will help is GPS. I have had GPS for three years now and believe it is one of the best things to come along since sliced bread. I cannot imagine why it would not be standard on a lot of cars in a few years.

I took a 40 mile round trip through the urban jungle as a passenger today and noticed the street signs as I went.

Denver, does appear to have all their street signs with 6 in capital and small lettering. This included the main arterials, the feeder streets, the collector streets, and the residential streets. Denver also had the road designation, such as "street," "avenue," "road," etc., in smaller abbreviated letters, such as "Park St," or "Chase Av," with the "St" and "Av" being in much smaller letters. I am still wondering, though, if that city could possibly have 500,000 street signs as stated in the newspaper article.

Aurora has their main arterial street signs in 6 inch capital and small letters but virtually all other streets are in caps. On some signs for numbered arterial streets Aurora had small letter and capital variances such as "17TH St" and "2nd St." Additionally some of the arterial signs were labeled "ST" and some "St." Those differences could be driving some fellow or gal, who is the city traffic standardization policy boss, crazy.

Centennial, at least in our neighborhood is at all caps.

Wilma · December 06, 2010, 06:21:37 PM

As we were driving to Wichita today, I noticed the signs. As Janet said, Elk County signs are 6, but when we got into Greenwood County, they were much smaller. They were smaller in Butler County, too. We had to be almost even with them for me to read them. Someone looking for a particular road along 400 could cause a lot of traffic problems.