New signs for school safety

The new pedestrian, school and bicycle crossing signs with black symbols on a "fluorescent yellow-green" background that have appeared in Alleghany and other area counties in recent weeks are part of a $2.7 million N.C. Board of Transportation project to improve safety.

They are replacing the traditional signs with black symbols on yellow backgrounds.

These new, larger signs are designed to increase safety for children walking in school zones by making motorists more aware that they are approaching a school zone, stated an N.C. Department of Transportation news release.

"The new signs use a new yellow-green fluorescent reflective material that makes signs easier to see during the day and night. These new signs can be seen especially well during dusk and twilight, two times when it is sometimes difficult to read road signs clearly," the release stated.

As of Sept. 7, there were 240 advance school warning signs and 58 school crossing signs up in Division II of DOT, which includes Alleghany, Wilkes, Ashe, Watauga, Yadkin, Surry, Caldwell and Avery counties, said Division II Traffic Engineer Dean Ledbetter.

There were 50 advance pedestrian warning signs and 17 pedestrian crossing signs up in Division 11 as of Sept. 7, said Ledbetter.

The "advance" signs and "crossing" signs are alike, except the "crossing" signs have lines depicting an actual crossing. Fifty-two "school bus stop ahead" warning signs have gone up in the division.

Division II is ahead of other divisions in the state in getting the new signs, he said, adding that DOT is in "overtime mode" statewide to get them up.

The signs are being made by inmates in the N.C. Department of Corrections.

"We don't know yet what we will do with the old signs" that are being replaced, said Ledbetter. They could be sold to municipalities in other states or recycled into new signs, he explained.

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