Washington’s Road Sign Mandate Hits Localities

Writes Michael Rozeff:

In nearby Orchard Park, NY, the Highway Superintendent informs the Town Board of the national road sign mandate — “This is another state mandate, unfunded.” The U.S. passes mandates for the states, and the states pass mandates for the local governments.

Local factors of cost and benefit should determine the numbers of signs, their placement, their sizes, colors, shapes, reflectivity, durability, beauty, coordination with one another, etc. Washington doesn’t know the trade-offs of sign costs with other uses of tax dollars, nor with local driving conditions, accidents, road hazards, and multiple other variables that affect road safety and travel benefits. Even on these narrow grounds, national mandates are senseless. There are, of course, other important reasons to be against such mandates.