I hear that over 250,000 perfectly good NYC Street Signs are going to be replaced at a cost or 27.6 million dollars! Each sign will cost $110 to replace and this is to comply with Federal Highway Administration guidelines. Why? What's the problem with our signs? Well the names of the streets are written in all caps. The new signs will just have the first letter capitalized and the rest of the name in lower case. The entire replacement project should be completed by 2018 and has already begun in the Bronx. They claim this change will make our roads safer because lower case letters will make the signs easier to read.
Let's see: WALL ST vs Wall St which do you think is easier to read?
This is NOT the only city where this is supposed to be taking place! I don't know how the Federal Government can justify spending this kind of money to change perfectly good street signs. Guess what? I am writing an email to them and we will see if I get an answer! Here is what I found on their website:
"To report fraud, waste, abuse, or mismanagement at the U.S. Department of Transportation: Hotline@oig.dot.gov, OIG 1-800-424-9071, or http://www.oig.dot.gov/Hotline"
Is that IRONIC or what? Well, I am going to report it as all of the above. As a concerned citizen I would like to get an answer because it clearly seems like fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement of our tax dollars.
Thanks for listening.
Well I wrote and got an answer, but no satisfaction! The first part os the govt's answer, the bottom was my letter to them:
ReplyDeleteThank you for contacting the OIG Complaint Analysis Center regarding your concerns. Based on our review of the material provided we have determined that we do not have primary oversight over your concerns and the appropriate venue is the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Therefore, we recommend that your contact the FHWA Office of Public Affairs via its web site at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publicaffairs/index.htm or via telephone at 202-366-0660 for further assistance. We anticipate no further action regarding this matter and thank you for bringing this information to our attention.
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Friday, October 01, 2010 4:00 PM
To: hotline@oig.dot.gov
Subject: DOT101001-11
To Whom It May Concern:
I have just learned of the new guideline of the Federal Highway Administration requiring the replacement of all perfectly good New York City Street Signs by 2018. I understand this amounts to over 250,000 street signs, at a cost of $110 each for a grand total of $27.6 million dollars.
As a concerned citizen I feel that this constitutes fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement of our tax dollars and I am reporting it. I also understand that this is not the only city where this will be taking place.
I would like to know how, in these economic times, this type of expenditure can be justified? I am very sure that I am not the only one questioning the wisdom of this decision.
I would appreciate a response as many of my friends and family would also like to know the answer.
10/4/10