Too many signs

Longboat Key Planning and Zoning Board member Walter Hackett is upset with the number of road signs that the Florida Department of Transportation has placed in the Gulf of Mexico Drive right-of-way over the years.

According to his count, there are 405 state road signs along 9.7 miles of Gulf of Mexico Drive right-of-way.

The signs include everything from 61 bike lane signs, 27 right turn yield to bike signs, 34 begin right turn lane yield to bike signs and 87 trolley stop signs.

Hackett presented his study to his fellow planning board members at the Tuesday, May 5 sign code public meeting at Town Hall.

The planning board agreed with Hackett that too many state signs clutter the right-of-way, while no town signs are allowed in those same swales.

Town staff is attempting to bring a Florida Department of Transportation official to the next sign code meeting to discuss the possibility of removing some of the state road signs that the planning board believes is overkill.

The next sign code public meeting will be 9 a.m. Tuesday, May 12 at Town Hall, 501 Bay Isles Road.