Lower Merion Not Alone in Opposition to Street-Sign Regulation

The Board of Commissioners took another big step towards circumventing that would mandate that Lower Merion's hundred-year-old street signs be replaced over the next decade with larger, government-mandated alternatives, by voting unanimously to recommend the township apply for an exemption waiver on March 2.

In accordance with the regulation, in addition to losing the signs, the township would have to finance their removal and replacement. "Including labor, and the signs themselves, and the new posts, it would cost probably over a million dollars," estimates township assistant manager Pat Ryan.

Once the request for waiver has been filed though, the matter is effectively out of the township's hands, said two board members after a recent meeting of the Haverford Civic Association. If the Department of Transportation is to grant exemption, it will need prodding from the area's federal representatives.

"At this point, we encourage our elected federal officials, our member of congress, and our two senators to actively support our waiver request. I've spoken with our member of congress, Jim Gerlach (R-Sixth District), who's said he will support it, and I believe that Senator Toomey (R-Pa) will support it. And I'll count on my [Democratic] colleagues to speak with Senator Casey (D-Pa) and get him to support the waiver as well," said Ward 10 representative Scott Zelov.

"I think, probably, they will all support [the waiver]," added Ward 5's Cheryl Gelber.

Though he stopped short of saying he expected an exemption would be granted, Zelov said he would be "extremely disappointed if we don't [get exempted]."

Gelber said that Lower Merion isn't alone in its opposition to the bill. In this case, there may be strength in numbers.

"There are other municipalities who are also protesting and asking for waivers," said Gelber, adding that most of these municipalities were put-off by the cost of replacing the signs, rather than the loss of the signs themselves.

According to Pat Ryan, the regulation is already deeply unpopular. Irrespective of its root, this wellspring of opposition could ultimately lead to the program's revocation.

"The Federal Highway Administration issued a request for municipalities to share thoughts about the 2018 time-line. And that's all they were looking for. But the municipalities are all pouring in with many more remarks than just that. They're saying 'we don't need to do this,'" Ryan explained. "So we're waiting now for the Federal Highway Administration to determine what they're going to do with this input they got from all over the country. They may can the whole requirement... We don't know."

If a waiver can't be procured and the regulations aren't retracted, Lower Merion's street signs would each be replaced by the government-mandated versions by 2018.

The township doesn't yet have an estimate of when the issue will be resolved.