P.G. Sign Blitz Removes Over 1,000 Illegal Signs From County Roadsides

The Department of Public Works and Transportation's sign blitz resulted in the removal of 1,500 illegally posted signs from the county right of way

UPPER MARLBORO, MD - Officials at the Prince George's Department of Public Works and Transportation are calling this week's sign blitz a huge success.

On Tuesday members of the Johnson Administration hit the streets to help DPW&T crews remove illegally posted signs from the county right of way.  Their efforts resulted in the removal of 1,500 signs from county roadways.

Prior to each sign being removed, it was photographed and its location was noted so violators could be notified and fined appropriately.  DPW&T officials are in the process of preparing violation notices for mailing and say notifications will be in the mail by the end of the week.

The effort was part of the DPW&T's quarterly sign blitz, but this was the first time that top administration officials took to the streets to remove signs as part of a community awareness campaign geared towards furthering County Executive Jack Johnson's Livable Communities Initiative.

Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Al Cornish was joined by fellow DCAO James Dula, Ph.D., to assist Department of Public Works and Transportation crews in removing the signs.

"We're ready to wage war on illegally posted signs on our roadways and rid our communities of this blight," Cornish stated.

DPW&T removes 25-40 illegally posted signs from county roadways on a daily basis.  During each sign blitz, approximately 1,500 signs are removed in one day.

Fines range from $100 for a first offense to $1,000 and 90 days in jail for a third offense and any subsequent offenses.

Sign blitzes began after the illegal sign bill was enacted in November 2003, with increased fines being imposed beginning in January of this year.

A "sign morgue" was set up at 8414 D'Arcy Road in Forrestville to display all signs collected during the blitz.

DPW&T is responsible for keeping over 1,750 miles of county-owned roadways clean of litter and debris.  Crews maintain strict, strategically developed schedules, working seven days a week, to successfully tackle this issue," said Dale Coppage, acting DPW&T director.

Last year the county spent $1.5 million to remove more than 4.7 million pounds of litter from county roadways.  Fines for illegal dumping range from $1,500 to $30,000.

"As part of the county's Livable Communities Initiative, this department takes pride in the work that we do toward keeping our county clean," Coppage said.  "We are striving for a gorgeous Prince George's."