Village Moves Forward with Federal Road Sign Mandate

A federal mandate requiring municipalities to change out street signs to meet new nighttime safety standards is causing the Village of Glen Ellyn to scramble for funds to become compliant.

Under Federal Highway Administration regulations, communities have until 2015 to improve the nighttime visibility of roadside signs, including stop signs, yield signs and railroad crossing signs. The regulations are also forcing municipalities to change street signs. Current street signs around town are written in all capital letters. However, the new regulation would have municipalities change those signs as well. The new signs would no longer be in all capital letters, instead only the first letter would be capitalized. The lettering would also increase in size by an inch to six inches. According to the government's Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices that will make the signs easier to read. In addition to the change in lettering, the new signs will also have to include a reflective paint that will redirect an automobile's headlights back to the driver.

FHWA Director Victor Mendez told USA Today the changes in the sign style will make it easier for older drivers to see and read.

"Research shows that older drivers are better able to read signs when they're written in both capital and small letters. It's really driven by safety," Mendez said.    

Joe Caracci, the director of public works in Glen Ellyn, said the village is taking an inventory of signs to see what they need to do in order to become compliant by 2015.

"This is an unfunded federal mandate and we have to find the money for it," Caracci said.

Caracci said the village will seek bids from private companies to change out the signs. He said it is more cost effective for the village to go this route rather than his department handling the mandate.

"If we tried to do it ourselves it would take years," Caracci said.

Caracci speculated it will cost the village $35,000 - $45,000 to change out the signs on time. He said he does not have an exact figure of what each type of sign will cost.

To help cash strapped municipalities, Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood announced Nov. 30 there will be a new 45-day public comment period about the regulations. In a press release LaHood said his department wants to make sure the new regulations are fair and cost-effective for municipalities.

Caracci said despite the regulations being an unfunded federal mandate, the village is in better shape because they kept up to speed on the latest signage materials. He said so far the village of Glen Ellyn is "ahead of the game" in comparison to other municipalities in DuPage County.

Caracci said there is one potential stumbling block for the village to become compliant—the vertical street signs in the downtown neighborhoods. The UFHA regulations call for road signs to read horizontally, Caracci said.

Caracci said public works put reflective material on the vertical signs, but have not planned on anything further.

"I don't know what we're going to do regarding those signs," Caracci said.

Caracci said the village will first focus on the stop signs and regular street signs before they look at anything else.

"We'll meet the time frames laid out by the government," Caracci said. "The big thing with the program is we need to have a management program set in place. It's a baby step thing."