Some residents of South Shore Road believe it to be marked excessively with signage including the above spot where nearly identical speed limit signs pop up well within sight of each other.
Highway Sup’t says all road marking by the book and some by request
Last Tuesday, Town of Webb Supervisor Robert Moore said he had sent a letter recently to the Herkimer County Highway Superintendent about signage, that some constituents believe to be excessive, along the South Shore Road.
He said he received a written response from Superintendent Jay Ewanyk, where Ewanyk explained the rationale behind the signs and their locations.
Herkimer County has jurisdiction over much of the South Shore Road.
In his letter, Ewanyk described the standards the county is held to in marking roadways for the safe travel of motorists.
According to Ewanyk, the Herkimer County Highway Department must adhere to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), which is a document issued by the Federal Highway Administration of the United States Department of Transportation.
The MUTCD specifies the standards by which traffic signs, road surface markings, and signals are designed, installed, and used.
These specifications also include the shapes, colors, and fonts used in road markings and signs.
In the United States, all traffic control devices must generally conform to these standards.
Ewanyk stated in his letter that the Highway Department has conducted several requests and resolutions from the Town of Webb regarding signage requests to reduce the speed limit on various sections of South Shore Road, and that resolutions have been received from the town regarding installation of “no parking” and “no stopping” signs.
Councilwoman Kate Russell asked Supervisor Moore whether Ewanyk had given any indication that the town would be able to act in any way toward decreasing the visual clutter.
Moore responded by reading Ewanyk’s second sentence.
“I hope the following explanation will provide more insight as to the reasoning for these signs as well as the regulations that mandate them.”
Ewanyk went on to explain that the signs are where they are because they are required to be.
And that, “in accordance with the manual, it does not indicate the opportunity for discussion.”
It is the opinion of Jay Ewanyk and the Herkimer County Highway Department that “the signs installed along the South Shore Road are appropriate to maintain a safe roadway for all travelers whether they use the road daily, or are traveling it for their first time.”
