City color pick ticks off state DOT

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - The state question pits red vs. green chiles, but it's green vs. blue street signs heating up a potentially pricey dispute between the city of Albuquerque and the state Department of Transportation.

And the choice of colors could affect how much the state gets in federal funding.

National standards set colors for traffic controls so drivers know what to expect. For example black-and-white signs show regulations like speed limits, red means stop and yellow warns.

Normally green equals location and guidance while blue indicates services such as hospitals and campgrounds.

The colors give drivers advance notice of what's ahead.

"If you're looking down the road you start to see color and say, 'Oh that's what that means,' and then you read the message on this," DOT District Engineer Larry Velasquez said. "It becomes very important for motorists."

Velasquez, who heads up the Albuquerque-area DOT District 3, said the state has adopted a federal manual on standards for highway signage.

"All state roads have to comply with this," he said.

However nighttime drivers on Coors Boulevard NW now are seeing illuminated blue street signs instead of green.

The city of Albuquerque ignored state policy on Coors, which is State Highway 448 from St. Joseph's Drive north.

"The end result could be if we're in violation of the federal rule and that could consequently hinder us getting federal funding to a particular project," Velasquez said.

At the city Department of Municipal Development, Acting Director Michael Riordan said Albuquerque will continue installing the blue signs at $2,000 a pop because they're innovative.

"At the end of the day the blue signs provide the highest reflectivity during the day," Riordan said. "Blue's an interesting color."

Meanwhile the city and DOT are in negotiations over compliance with the federal sign manual.

"We have guidelines for street signs throughout the country," Riordan continued. "They particularly allow green and white, and they've allowed variances in the past.

"The next rendition of those standards coming out is going to allow blue signs."

The dispute involves 16 signs on the state portion of the road, and the DOT is drafting a letter requesting the city bring them into compliance.

City officials said if they do have to fix those signs it will only cost a fraction of the original price tag because only a portion of each sign will need to be replaced.

The KRQE.com Web Question Monday asked whether you prefer green or blue street signs. About one-quarter of the respondents to the unscientific poll favored green, another quarter blue, and nearly half said they didn't care.