Citizens as traffic controllers
· By: Drivers.com staff
· Date: 2001-09-26
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If you ever notice a painted crosswalk that is somewhat crooked, or stop signs
that seem less than permanently installed, you may be seeing the work of citizens
armed with paintbrushes and shovels. Some residents of Seattle, Washington,
USA, have been taking the traffic control laws into their own hands, and adding
new control features to streets and intersections they believe need them. According
to the story in the Seattle
Times , it "costs the city about $300 to replace each sign that is
stolen or vandalized, said Tammy Ravert, Seattle Transportation field supervisor.
One or more signs are taken or vandalized every day." The city spends half
a million dollars annually removing unauthorized controls. Though officials
acknowledge that citizens sometimes have legitimate concerns, they insist that
proper engineering standards must be applied to controls to ensure consistency,
and the safety of drivers and pedestrians. 
- Myths of traffic control devices—city of Palmdale, California
- Drivers.com's section on Traffic Control
- Trial set for crosswalk artist
