With campaign season underway, Alaska’s Department of Transportation and Public Facilities is reminding candidates and supporters to avoid placing campaign signs in the public highway right of way.
Campaign signs are a way for candidates to promote their candidacy, increase name recognition or demonstrate community support. However, signs placed in the highway right of way can pose a serious safety hazard for the public. Signs placed in areas adjacent to intersections and driveways can impair the ability of motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists to see oncoming traffic or other road hazards. Other signs present hazards to drivers if they should happen to experience a roadway departure.
Shannon McCarthy with the Alaska Department of Transportation: “We just want to remind candidates and campaign volunteers that putting signs in the right of way can be a real hazard. Not only is it illegal in terms of using public property for campaign purposes or for private business purposes, but rather, it’s also just really represents a safety hazard for drivers. When drivers are trying to get out onto the roads from an intersection, while it is a great place to get their attention, it also can and will block their line of sight. They may not be able to see a car coming or even a pedestrian walking, and it can set up a really dangerous situation.”
As confirmed in litigation that occurred during the 2016 campaign season, the DOT has the authority to immediately remove all unauthorized signs that are placed within the highway right of way, regardless of content. Priority will be given to removing signs that restrict driver or pedestrian visibility near key areas such as intersections or driveways, with other signs being removed as resources allow.
According to Ms. McCarthy, the goal is for campaigns to do that work before DOT ever has to step in: “We know that most campaigns really try to do the right thing and may not have realized that they’ve set a sign illegally, so we do try to make contact with them and ask them to pick it up themselves. Most campaigns would rather we do that, versus us sending out crews, but we will have to send out crews if it is a safety hazard and we’ll go ahead and remove the signs for them.”
In order to become more familiar with transportation rights-of-way and the state’s sign laws, the department encourages candidates and their volunteers to check the campaign sign website.
For more information regarding specific roads and highways in your area, contact local Department of Transportation and Public Facilities Right of Way offices:
- Central Region, Right of Way, Anchorage Office, (907) 269-0700
- Northern Region, Right of Way, Fairbanks Office, (907) 451- 5400
- Southcoast Region, Right of Way, Juneau Office, (907) 465-4542