Federal Officials Reviewing Rules on Replacing Street Signs

Photo Courtesy - ABC News(WASHINGTON) -- U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood says his agency's regulations on street signs "make no sense."  The reversal comes after an ABC News story found that regulations forced all cities and towns to buy new street signs.

"I believe that this regulation makes no sense.  It does not properly take into account the high costs that local governments would have to bear.  States, cities, and towns should not be required to spend money that they don't have to replace perfectly good traffic signs," said LaHood in a statement released Tuesday.

Now, U.S. Department of Transportation officials are asking for the public's input after considering the costs behind the changes.

Earlier, the Federal Highway Administration defended the changes as an effort to improve safety.  The new regulations, which were written under the Bush Administration, are designed to make sure that signs are easier to read for an aging population.

"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 earlier this week.  "You could be in an accident, negative consequences could occur."

On Monday, the Federal Highway Administration announced on a new 45-day period of public comment on the rules and deadlines. 

Copyright 2010 ABC News Radio

Local Governments Ordered to Buy New Street Signs

Photo Courtesy - Getty Images(WASHINGTON) --  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 must:

-- Increase the size of the letters on street signs from the current four inches to six inches on all roads with speed limits over 25 miles per hour.  This must be done by January 2012.

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

-- And whenever signs are changed for any reason, they can no longer be in all caps.

In Milwaukee, this will cost the cash-strapped city nearly $2 million -- double the city's entire annual for traffic control.  In Dinwiddie County, Virginia -- with lots of roads, but not many people -- the cost comes to about $10 for every man, woman and child.

The Federal Highway Administration says it's concerned about safety.  The new regulations, which were written under the Bush Administration, are designed to make sure that signs are easier to read for an aging population.

Copyright 2010 ABC News Radio