Weird sign in the Dearborn PBL

Anyone else notice some weird signs in the Dearborn PBL just south of Washington this morning? They say "Stop for Pedestrians" or something like that. They are sitting on the ground in the bike lane. I didn't stop to investigate closely, but I don't think there's even a curb cut there? It struck me as a bit strange. It was right by the Blue Line entrance/exit (on the west side of Dearborn obviously).

Anyone know if this is a CDOT initiative?

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Permalink Reply by Michelle S on May 16, 2013 at 7:04am

I went to the area to check it out today at lunch time. The signs are back, not in the bike lane, but on either side of the lanes, one on the sidewalk and one in the diagonal striped area on the east. I noticed on Anne's picture (and in person today) that there are vehicles illegally parking/standing/unloading on the diagonal striped area. I'd like to know why they aren't being ticketed, or why there are no signs placed in the middle of that spot to keep motor vehicles out, in order to help bicyclists and pedestrians? This area needs to be clear for visibility purposes, as there is an alley right there, and drivers of turning vehicles can't see the bicyclists (and vice versa). Also, if there weren't motor vehicles illegally parked/standing there, it would increase the mutual visibility of pedestrians and bicyclists. We need more enforcement for the illegal parking/standing. We also need better markings on the lane itself, and additional markings, giving all users a better heads up. We also need those promised curbs built ASAP, because once the diagonal striped area is a raised "sidewalk", drivers won't be able to commandeer it so easily. 

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on May 16, 2013 at 7:22am

The signs are there only when the restaurant is open. They're using the striped zone as their valet area - less than delightful. I'm glad that they at least seem to have some awareness about dooring, but this creates a big blind spot for any traffic that might turn into the alley, as way too many of the vehicle in that valet zone are huge SUVs.

Michelle Stenzel said:

I went to the area to check it out today at lunch time. The signs are back, not in the bike lane, but on either side of the lanes, one on the sidewalk and one in the diagonal striped area on the east. I noticed on Anne's picture (and in person today) that there are vehicles illegally parking/standing/unloading on the diagonal striped area. I'd like to know why they aren't being ticketed, or why there are no signs placed in the middle of that spot to keep motor vehicles out, in order to help bicyclists and pedestrians? This area needs to be clear for visibility purposes, as there is an alley right there, and drivers of turning vehicles can't see the bicyclists (and vice versa). Also, if there weren't motor vehicles illegally parked/standing there, it would increase the mutual visibility of pedestrians and bicyclists. We need more enforcement for the illegal parking/standing. We also need better markings on the lane itself, and additional markings, giving all users a better heads up. We also need those promised curbs built ASAP, because once the diagonal striped area is a raised "sidewalk", drivers won't be able to commandeer it so easily. 

Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein on May 16, 2013 at 7:31am

This is still illegal. They are not allowed to place signs in the roadway, even if it's in a no-parking striped area. Hell, I'm pretty sure that placing them on the sidewalk is also illegal, since those sandwich boards you see everywhere are technically illegal.

Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein on May 16, 2013 at 12:20pm
They're baaaack…
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Permalink Reply by Steven Vance on May 16, 2013 at 12:23pm

I talked to the restaurant owner, who seemed sincere about making a mistake the first time around, with the signs in the middle of the bike lane. He's imploring the city and alderman to come up with a solution that's better than his.

Adam Herstein (5.5 mi) said:

They're baaaack…
Permalink Reply by spencewine on May 16, 2013 at 12:30pm
There are several businesses along Dearborn, doesn't this have the potential to open a can of worms? I'm not sure why the owner thinks his customers are more special than anyone else's or the bikers who use the lane. A sensible alternative would be to operate the valet on the far right of Dearborn and have customers cross at the correct place. Of course that requires walking half a block.
Permalink Reply by Nelson Trautman on May 17, 2013 at 6:59am

Just take them and throw them into a dumpster.

Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein on May 17, 2013 at 7:04am

Turner, a guest poster on StreetsBlog brings up a good point. Bottom line: it is against the law to place signs in the public way, and the owner of the restaurant has committed a misdemeanor by doing so and continuing to do so, even after being talked to by CDOT.

The fundamental issue is that Dan Rosenthal can’t make stuff up, put it on a sign, and stick it out in the public way in an attempt to get traffic to behave like he thinks it should behave.

(Though it’s a fun thought experiment to imagine a world in which that kind of thing is okay...)

625 ILCS 5/11-310 (“Display of Unauthorized Signs, Signals or Markings”) seems to the point:

"(a) No person shall place, maintain or display upon or in view of any highway any unauthorized sign ... which purports to be or is an imitation of or resembles an official traffic-control device ... or which attempts to direct the movement of traffic."

Remedies would appear to go beyond CDOT asking politely:

"(c) Every such prohibited sign, signal or marking is hereby declared to be a public nuisance and the authority having jurisdiction over the highway is hereby empowered to remove the same or cause it to be removed without notice."

and

"(g) Any person failing to comply with this Section shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor."

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