Street Sign Blog-Seal

7/30/07
Brad Seal
RTN 663-1>

Stealing area street signs is a favorite prank of Syracuse University students, but it is a prank that is both costly and dangerous. Most area street signs should last about a decade according to Public Works Commissioner Jeff Wright, but dozens of street signs around the Syracuse campus disappear after only a few months and the cost adds up. "To replace it, depending on what actually happens, is anywhere from one hundred thirty five dollars to one hundred sixty five dollars for each incident" said Wright.

The city, however, must keep replacing these signs for safety purposes. Emergency personal may rely on a street sign to locate the emergency. "It's a matter of a minute recovering when you pass that street, a minute can mean a lot to someone under heavy fire situations" said firefighter Keith Brown.

While the city tries to be diligent replacing the signs, Public Works officials say they get frustrated by the sheer number of signs that disappear. Meanwhile area residents must risk longer waits for emergency personnel.