Road runner : Speed-van warnings: Should sign code apply?

These signs, while informative and useful to lead-footers, don't sit right with me.

You see, while they fully comply with city standards for traffic-control devices, they don't comply with the city sign code.

This is presumably because they warn you of a traffic-related situation ahead. However, they look much more like roadside signs than traffic-control devices that actually control drivers' behavior (stop signs, speed limit signs, etc.).

The city says they're not subject to the sign code, so that's about all there is to it.

However, I'd just like to point out why Jim's Frozen Yogurt Shop can't slap up an identical sign and get away with it.

The city code for portable A-frame signs requires all signs to get permits from the city. The application fee is $25, and if your application is approved, a one-year permit costs $100. Once the sign has been permitted, a decal showing as much must be placed on the top right corner of the sign.

The city photo radar signs don't have this permit.

Regular A-frame signs must be placed on private property, or they must have permission to be on the right of way.

City photo radar signs are on the right of way, but they don't have the sticker required for A-frame signs, which have been allowed in the easement.

Applicants must seek special permission to put the signs in the right of way. The sign code also says these portable signs must be at least 2 feet away from the edge of the curb. There is a reason. It relates to public safety and driver visibility.

The permit application says the signs must be at least 6 feet away from the edge of the curb.

The portable photo radar signs behind the vans, however, are usually quite close to the curb — closer than 1 foot in the instance when I went up to a sign to take pictures. Obviously, the closer they are to the curb, the better we can see them, which is the same reason businesses would like to occupy a similar spot. But still, fact remains that the city doesn't comply with the standards everyone else has to meet.

What if someone else failed to meet the requirements? The first offense brings a warning. The next time the errant sign is spotted earns a $130 fine, then that climbs to $250 on the third offense and $500 on the fourth.

The city says the signs aren't subject to the regular sign code, but it sure looks like a double standard: one rule for you and another for the government.

Road Q

Question: "On the Rillito River Walk, north side, between Country Club (Road) and Campbell (Avenue), there is about one-quarter of a mile of unpaved path. Are there any plans to pave it?" Thomas A. Webster wrote.

Answer: The county is working on the design for a paving project, but the solution involves more than just paving over the unpaved section, said John Spiker, civil engineering manager for the county's Regional Flood Control District.

The steep slopes at that spot mean stabilization is required before paving, and the county doesn't yet have the funding for the full scope of work, he said. It could cost about $1 million to get the job done, he guessed.

In the meantime, for paved routes, try crossing to the south bank of the river at Campbell or at Country Club, and crossing back to the north at the next bridge. Or go north on Hacienda del Sol from the river park, and use the River Road bike lanes to get to Brandi Fenton Memorial Park and rejoin the paved path.