Stop Signs on the Square Keep Turning into “Road Kill”
February 7th, 2011 by Joe Burgess
In November, 2009, a pick-up truck damaged the pole and controls for the stoplights on the Monticello Square.
In June, 2010, the State HWY Dept. installed new “All-Way” stop signs in place of the old stop-lights, aggravating hundreds of Monticello residents, including the City Council.
Thursday around 5 pm.
Since then, there has been an un-official contest between drivers (knocking down the signs) and the Highway Dept. (putting them up, again, and again, and again.)
Here is a photo taken Thursday, around 5 pm, showing where an 18-wheeler from Tennessee took out a stop sign next to Cockrell’s Shoes. (Actually, you can also see the police unit headed to his location on HWY 278 East in the top of the photo.)
When the driver was stopped at a Monticello factory, it was found that he was driving on suspended license, out of Mississippi. He was cited, and his big rig was impounded by Triple A Towing.
After Friday's collision, you can see BOTH signs, laying on the sidewalks.
That’s not the end of the story, according to reports, Friday, the stop sign on the other side of the same street was crushed by another driver.
These next two photos were taken in mid December and late December, showing how often these signs are getting run over by traffic on the Monticello Square.
At least only log trucks were tall enough to hit the stop lights.
Maybe if the “stop signs” were bolted onto the “street sign” poles that don’t get run over would help. But that wouldn’t help anyone walking on the sidewalks at the ”wrong place and wrong time.”
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Good Article Joe..maybe soon something will get done about all that!! It’s acutally hysterical when you think about it!
Really, folks, isn’t it time to bring back stoplights on the square. There re now way too many close calls both for vehicles and pedestrians. I avoid the square because I can’t tell what the traffic is going to do. I’m sure the local merchants love that.
Thank God these people don’t drive in major cities. They wouldn’t last ten minutes in Washington, DC. I have a young granddaughter and she sees all stop signs and quickly points them out. Guess most folks in Monticello are in just too big a hurry to notice a thing like a stop sign. The highway department will never put lights back on the square or allow them to be put up. Monticellonians just need to learn how to drive.
Very true Debbie!
That ought to be a clue!!! Bring the stop lights back!!
this is too funny…..i hope whoever is running over the stop signs keeps up the good work. If I knew i could get away with it I would runover them myself. Bring back the stop lights please.
I agree Debbie. That area is so small; I am sure those folks are lucky enough to see a person walking than a sign. They should reallly bring back those overhead lights. Everyone knows 18-wheelers clip signs all the time that are on the edge of a curve. But after once or twice you would think they would stop putting them up. Unless, they are going to ban Large trucks there. Which I doubt!
I live on the east end of town, so I go through the square any where from 2 times a day up to 8 times a day. I have never seen any of the stop signs knocked over. The problem isn’t the stop signs, the problem is the drivers. I thought I would hate not having stop lights but actually I like the stop signs better. Really people I just don’t understand what the big deal is!
I agree with Rainedrop that the problem isn’t the signs, but the drivers. All the numerous lights on the square were a great
nuisance that created too much backed up traffic. I’m 50+ years old & have never plowed down a stop sign. I see drivers in town ALL the time who drive 15mph in a 45mph zone, drive 50mph in a 30mph zone, & the BEST of all – do not use a turn signal! But people are still going to insist that it’s the signs fault. Post an officer or two, or some cameras, & bet the signs would stay up.
I’ve heard the merchants on the square say that the problem with the signs is that the traffic is so constant, that people who are trying to park, or back out of one of the banks or insurance companies, have a hard time because of the constant traffic. Yes, traffic was backed up some with the lights, but at least you had time to park. I think the signs make us look like poe dunk holler. In time, the by pass around the square from 278 east then northwesterly over to 425 will keep most of the big trucks off the small town square. That will help some. However, that by pass is a long way off. The traffic is so constant, when I go through there, I’m always unsure that the driver whose turn it is to stop, will do so. I always proceed with extreme caution. Bring back the lights.
they really need to bring back the lights the traffic is really bad it’s not how the people drive it’s because when u are so use to having the lights up their it helps alot the traffic is sometime all the way down the hill by the child support office and on the other side down by the chambers so something needs to be done it is very easy to run the stop signs and not know it so please think very hard on putting the stop lights back up because coming from by the court house the big truck have to make wide turns and the stop signs are in there wayso come people we need the stop lights back up…………………………..