Signs Sprouting Along County Roadways

For Immediate Release: Monday, April 05, 2010

Spring is here and signs are sprouting like weeds along Washington County roads. They're getting out of control and we're pulling them up by the roots. The blight of political, real estate, work at home, and garage sale signs will start to disappear as crews begin their periodic sweep of illegal signs.

According to Land Use and Transportation operations manager Dave Schamp, "Signs placed illegally along the road generate safety issues and many citizen complaints, so periodically we concentrate on rounding them up. Naturally the problem peaks just prior to elections but we don't discriminate – politics, real estate, internet access – we take them all."

Besides being a visual blight on the landscape, illegally placed signs block driver visibility and pedestrian access, and compete with important traffic control signs for driver attention. They also damage irrigation systems in landscaped areas.

The public should never place signs in the road right-of-way, which generally includes the roadway, ditches, shoulders and sidewalks; basically all the area between the utility poles on both sides of the road. Signs must also not be placed on traffic signposts, power poles or signal cabinets.

The majority of signs are snagged by community service workers who, under the supervision of county employees, cruise the main roads favored by sign owners. The confiscated materials are recycled or disposed of at the landfill.

For more information about Washington County's sign regulations, contact the Operations Division at 503-846-ROAD (846-7623) or [email protected].

Related: Roadside Signs flyer

Washington County is committed to building and maintaining the best transportation system, ensuring the safety of all roadway users, and to operating the county roadway system in a cost-effective and environmentally responsible manner.

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