Don't believe it alice !!!!!
 

I was a depertment of transportation employee for 35 years and involved in many highway construction projects. We operated under a hard and fast rule that no traffic control signs should be left in place that gave incorrect or misleading information. Can anyone tell me why there have been four left lane closure signs on El Camino Real near Freedom Point when there has been no work at that site for over a week. I see drivers obeying the signs moving to the right lanes only to find there is no closures nor work taking place and this goes on 24 hours a day.. First , the contractor who erected the signs should have taken them down and just as important, where are our county highways officials who should be overseeing thie work that was done.

They left them there just in case they have to go back next year to do it again

LOL, I saw them on Thursday and was one of those folks who changed lanes for no reason. They will probably be there for the next four years, just like the construction on 441/27 South of TV.

It's because you are Florida. That's how we do things here.

Good question….what was the county highway officials' response when you ask them? Inquiring minds want to know.

Thanks
Don

Well, they need to store them somewhere. That's as good a spot as any.
(Besides, the signs get practice.)

Skip

Signs Still Erected
 

This morning (Monday) I called the Sumter County highway offices, (three departments) and could only to speak to one live person. I also called the Villages Public Safety Dept. ( nothing they could do) and at 3:45 PM I drove alomg El Camino Real and the signs were still in place. These incorrect signs were up all during the Christmas Holidays and still no work has taken place the past week. I was told be a representative of Sumter County that the work was being done by Freedom Point but has to be in accordance to County standards and rules.. It dismays me that here we have a contractor who has total disregard for the traveling public, A builder who apparently has no one inspecting the contractors operations and most sad of all, County personnel who are not on site to make certain the county regulations were even being followed.

My son who lives in Pittsburgh says there is a large army of people who are responsible for moving cones around the city of Pittsburgh which always has construction and closed lanes occurring all year long. He said that these workers put up all the cones and then they move them around and then they put them back where they started from. Thus the cones are constantly being moved around and sometimes they actually do have construction being done, but this is not necessarily the case. Maybe they do that here?

I can tell you haven't been out on our roads lately. The highways are packed !!! The area of the improper signage is a very high volume street. When you have drivers thinking they MUST change lanes and that RIGHT lane is bumper to bumper, you are setting up an accident. It is insane to cause diversions in traffic flows that aren't necessary. Mostly is ticks me off that a contractor has such disregard for the traveling public that he would leave incorrect signage in place for nearly 10 days. How much effort is required:BigApplause: to lay four signs face down on the ground.
I can add that I have experience and knowledge that a large percentage of accidents in construction zones are the result of improper of unclear directional signage.

I drive on our roads every day. I've also driven in downtown Boston, Manhattan and perhaps the worst traffic city in the world. Manila. Those are dangerous places to drive. In my humble opinion, our roads are some of the best and safest in the world.

I don't see "bumper to bumper" traffic here. I do see a bit more traffic this time of year than in the summer and that's to be expected. I don't see accidents every time I drive. I hardly ever see close calls.

I'm just really surprised that someone who is retired and lives in a place like this would spend his time worrying over a minor situation like this. Then with all the enjoyable things to do here, one would spend times calling agencies and driving along a road to see if signs are still up.

When I moved here, I decided that I'm going to try to not let the little things, especially things that I have no control over bother me. I'm going to relax and enjoy the rest of my life doing things that I enjoy. I'm not always successful, but I try hard to have this attitude because I'd go out of my mind if I worried about little things like this.

Jim (aka Dr. Boogie)
Our grandson Colin certainly enjoyed the fruits of your labors; Beatlemania, and so did his grandparents and Aunt this week. It is so wonderful when people like you make something that they have always enjoyed, a shared experience for many.


His mom gave him grief over bringing his guitar as the "sleigh" was pretty packed, but it was worth it for him to sit in with you great guys. He LOVED it. He adores the music from the Beatles and all music from our youth. Whatta kid.


Whoops. I just hijacked a thread. Back to the traffic sign problem.

Warren, thank you for the heads up. Disregard the naysayers. I don't
travel that way very often, but I will lay the signs over if I see then.
I have investigated too many crashes in work zones, to take the signage
lightly. I don't understand the Sheriff's position on this. Did you talk to
Lt. Wolfe personally?

That doesn't seem like the right thing to do. Couldn't you be liable for doing that?

Personally, I would not touch those signs. To me, they indicate a construction or work area and. besides being private property, it would be an area for authorized personnel only. If the construction folks were gone for lunch and came back unknowing that the signs were laid down in the meantime, somebody might get hurt as a result. And who would be liable for that??? Unless the traffic cones appeared to direct you to another lane, I would just stay in the lane I am driving. IMHO

It was great meeting you and your lovely family, Gracie. I was glad to have Colin sitting in with us. I would like to have featured him a bit, but it was kind of short notice. If he's coming back some time, have him get int touch with me and we'll work out something around him. He doesn't have to bring a guitar to sit in with us. He'd be more than welcome to borrow one of mine.

It always excites me to see young people that appreciate the Beatles music. back when I used to play in Beatles tribute bands I always noticed that the audiences consisted of people from 12 years old up to 70 years old and they would always sing along to all the songs.