PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Months after a Tradition resident told WPTV a fallen crosswalk sign damaged his truck, the in-street markers at roundabouts in the community have now been removed.
WATCH:
Back in August, David Cates reached out to WPTV after he hit a crosswalk sign that was lying flat in the road near Rowley Way and Community Boulevard in Port St. Lucie.
Cates said the impact caused more than $2,500 in damage to his truck — something he believed could have been prevented.
After WPTV began asking questions about the signage and who was responsible for maintaining it, changes have now been made.
Six months later, all in-street crosswalk markers at Tradition roundabouts have been officially removed.
“I started smiling because by the time I got to the third roundabout last month, I saw that they were all gone, and I knew they had made some changes,” Cates said.
According to the City of Port St. Lucie, several of the signs were not installed according to federal standards and were not properly anchored to the pavement.
City spokesperson Scott Samples sent WPTV reporter Brooke Chau this statement:
"The City of Port St. Lucie’s Public Works team had discussions with Tradition Community Development District No. 1 about removing in-street pedestrian markers. The City noted multiple markers were not installed in accordance with federal standards and were not anchored to the pavement satisfactorily. It was also noted that there was additional pedestrian crossing signage in and around the crosswalk, exceeding federal standards."
However, city officials say the decision to remove the markers stemmed from the Tradition Community Development District (CDD).
"The determination to remove the signs did not come from the City’s Public Works department. On Nov. 26, the City received a letter from Stefan Matthes, the Tradition CDD Assistant District Engineer, noting that they would be removing the signage at all roundabout locations. This decision, the letter stated, came “after continually monitoring their effectiveness…” and noted that “we have found that the devices are creating impediments to traffic flow rather than serving as effective pedestrian advisories.”
For Cates, the change brings relief for drivers traveling through the busy roundabouts.
“I don’t have to worry about a car in front of me trying to stop or swerve from one of the signs,” he said. “Drivers in Tradition won’t have to worry about the same thing happening to them now."
Cates says he is still out the cost of the repairs and has not yet fixed all of the damage to his truck, as he hopes to still resolve with the Tradition Community Development District.
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