Tarnished traffic signals
Kathy Dillon takes pride in the beauty of Okaloosa County. That’s why the Niceville resident is tired of looking at the peeling metallic paint on many local traffic signals.
“I think they look pretty ugly,” Dillon said.
She recently wrote a letter to the Florida Department of Transportation to explain her concern.
“I just think it makes everything look neglected, and then you do wonder about the physical structure of it,” she said Thursday.
DOT officials responded and said they are working on the problem, which is merely aesthetic and not structural.
An inventory is being taken on of every mast arm with what is thought to be coating problems. But it may take some time to correct the situation.
Although it’s only aesthetics, Dillon is not alone in her concern.
DOT district spokesperson Tommie Speights said it’s become a statewide issue over the past few years.
Speights said it appears there is something wrong with the coating. But DOT officials haven’t found a solution yet.
“We realize there are some ugly structures out there and we’re looking to fix those,” he said.
Dillon hopes something can be done sooner rather than later.
“It’s like litter on the road. If you don’t pick that up, it looks trashy after a while,” she said.