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FDOT: Rights Of Way Wrong For Political Signs
July 11, 2016
As election season gears up across Northwest Florida, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is reminding all citizens that state law prohibits political signs on state right of way.
In Section 479.11(8), Florida Statutes provide that no signs shall be erected, used, operated, or maintained on the right of way of any highway on the State Highway System.
Political signs placed on state right of way will be removed by FDOT staff and placed at one of the department’s operations centers. FDOT personnel will make reasonable attempts to preserve campaign signs that are taken down and to provide campaign offices an opportunity to claim the signs.
The roadway right of way includes the roadway surface, concrete or grassy median, intersections, entrance and exit ramps, and a strip of land, usually bordering either side of the road, which is reserved for shoulders, drainage ditches, sidewalks, traffic signs/signals, fencing, electrical traffic signal control boxes, utility lines and future road expansion.
Improperly located signs on state right of way poses a traffic safety hazard that can distract motorists or block their view, endanger the safety of individuals who are erecting signs along busy highways and present obstacles to crews who maintain roadways.
Comments
6 Responses to “FDOT: Rights Of Way Wrong For Political Signs”
REGARDING:
“Can we citizens just pick them up? Metal holders work well in the garden for plant stakes.”
I suggest you make sure they are in front of your property.
Most people get permission from land owners first and stealing is still stealing.
David for seeing signs
@Bob C.
It’s illegal for tgem to place them, and illegal for us ordinary citizens to remove them.
The company that put those things at the bus stops pay some government entity to put those things at bus stops and those people who advertise on them pay a fee. Nothing in life is free when dealing with government entities.
It’s funny, ECAT can put up billboards all up and down the state right of ways, adorn them with paid advertisements, and the state gives them some kind of exemption on the sign law. All they have to do is call them a bus stop and they and their advertisers get free reign, and free space compliments of the taxpayers.
I find it Ironic that the candidates for Sherriff and BCC are the ones breaking the Law on Pine Forest road between West Roberts and 9 mile rd. because anything outside of the Power pole is on County right of way.
Political signs are like a herd of locusts they invade the right of way for a period of time then they are gone.
Right of way signs for Real Estate Agencies, Lawyers, other sorts of businesses are more like kudzu in that they are planted and seem to multiply with no end and litter the roadsides.
FDOT, is there a regulation for these private business, health care, dog sitters and psychics being removed?
Can we citizens just pick them up? Metal holders work well in the garden for plant stakes.