By Jennifer Glickel
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — Federal transportation officials have potentially delayed a costly mandate for the city to replace all of its street signs.
The U.S. Department of Transportation asked for a 45-day period on Monday for the public to give input on federal traffic control regulations and the deadlines for putting them into effect.
"Given the difficult economic conditions states currently face, asking for additional input on compliance dates is the right thing to do," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement.
"We want to be sure these safety requirements are reasonable, fair and cost-effective."
Under the plan, which would cost approximately $27.5 million, the lettering on the new signs would change from all capital letters to a combination of upper and lower case letters.
The change will go into effect by 2018, as another regulation goes into effect then requiring the signs to be more reflective.
That deadline was enacted in 2007 when federal transportation officials found that drivers can more effectively read highly reflective signs.
