Oak Lawn Mini-Stop Signs Are Taken Down
Those mini-stop signs that are loved by some and hated by others will be taken down.
Oak Lawn Mayor Dave Heilmann said he received a letter from IDOT stating that if the village did not take down the signs, the federal government would with-hold road money for a project on Southwest Highway.
“Withing an hour of receiving that notice I asked that all of the signs be removed,” said Heilmann.
Heilmann stated that he believes that the village was doing a good thing trying to get people to come to a complete stop around schools. He also said that his office has been flooded with calls from residents asking why the signs are coming down.
“I received so many calls from teachers and students who took notice of this and appreciated it. So on top of safety, we were reinforcing a message to young drivers,” said Heilmann.
According to Heilmann, he asked federal officials what the problem was with the signs and there answer was, “the signs are red and octagons.”
Earlier this month, Nancy Singer, a spokesperson for the Federal Highway Administration said that the mini-stop signs could not be there and must be taken down.
“They are a distraction to the stop sign,” said Singer.
Singer also said that the signs should not be there and are in violation of the law. She also said stop signs should be the uniformed standard sign with no additions or subtractions.
“It’s so unfortunate that when our community likes it, when it is effective in making our streets safer, when municipalities from around the country praise the idea, that our own federal government would say ‘we know better’ — and go so far as to threaten to take away federal funding on other projects because we have ‘red octagons,’” said Heilmann.
Heilmann went on to say that the mini-stop signs reinforce the message that drivers must come to a complete stop and watch out for pedestrians.
According to Heilmann, the letter from IDOT also mentioned that the signs took away from the seriousness of the word stop. Heilmann very much disagrees with that thought.
“People use humor in speeches every day, not because they are trying to be cute, but rather to get the attention of the audience,” said Heilmann.
But, Heilmann has told IDOT that he will work with the government and the 140 mini-stop signs throughout the village will be coming down. The signs might be already down by the time this article appears.
The mayor still does not understand why the village was singled out because of the signs.
Most of the signs were put up around schools, public buildings, parks and areas where children and elderly might frequent.