Policy

ALL-CAP Street Signs MUST DIE!

|

Because there is simply nothing left to talk about or fix or STFU about, it's come to this:

The federal government is requiring communities around the USA to change street name signs from all capital letters to a combination of capital and lowercase letters. The government says that makes them easier to read. Cash-starved localities also will have to dig deep for new, more reflective traffic signs to make them easier to see at night, especially by older drivers….

Under Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) regulations, communities have until 2015 to improve the nighttime visibility of roadside signs — such as stop, yield and railroad crossing signs. The issue is how well a sign redirects light from an automobile's headlights back toward the vehicle. Signs that fail to meet minimum standards must be replaced. Communities will be allowed to change the street name signs as they wear out.

The feds are, as is their wont, not giving any money to comply with this mandate. More, including multiple gripes from city managers, here.

Let's not even get started on the topic of traffic anarchy, which would probably save money on signs while reducing accidents and snarls.