…And Then There Are Those Oak Lawn Stop Signs
Most of the people who contacted the Southwest News-Herald regarding the miniature messages found below the stop signs in Oak Lawn were in favor of the amusing and corny sayings.
Most readers who sent us e-mails and wrote letters said they approved of the messages that ranged from “Even When No Ones Looking” and “Stop In the Naame of Love.” But the Federal Highway Administration had informed the village that the messages were a “distraction” and against the law. The FHA got its way, with the signs taken down in mass beginning April 21.
Mayor Dave Heilmann came up with idea of the messages to get the attention of drivers who were often not stopping or just pausing at stop signs near schools and crowded intersections in the village. Heilmann was not going to take down the signs, but the FHA stated they had to go down or they would not fund a village project, according to Heilmann.
We don’t know why this became such a big issue for the FHA. It seems there are more important matters to worry about. This is just a sign of the times.