Suburb ends quirky stop-sign campaign

OAK LAWN -- Oak Lawn has removed comical remarks in octagonal shapes it placed under stop signs in an effort to get motorists to obey the law.

Mayor Dave Heilmann says the Illinois Department of Transporation determined the signs violated the federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. He says had Oak Lawn not removed the signs, the city could have lost federally funded projects.

The public safety campaign to cut down on speeding through stop signs began in September. Slogans such as "and smell the roses" and "means that you aren't moving" were placed near 50 stop signs.

At the time, Heilmann said he thought the remarks would get motorists to pause, if for nothing else, to read the phrases.

Heilmann says IDOT's objection to the signs meant he had to junk $1,700 worth of signs.