Town to take down 'illegal' stop signs

NORTH PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) -- Mayor Charles Lombardi wants the North Providence Police Department to determine which town stop signs are legal, and which aren't.

Lombardi's Chief of Staff Dick Fossa said that the Mayor has ordered the department to investigate because stop signs that weren't installed as a result of a city ordinance are not legally enforceable.

The review was also partially motivated by discussions about installing cameras to monitor town stop signs , similar to red-light cameras.  If those were installed overlooking an 'illegal' stop sign, that could potentially create more legal snarls for the town.

Fossa said that before Lombardi took office, town officials sometimes installed stop signs after residents requested one and without the proper authorization by the Town Council.

If a driver were cited for running a stop sign and could verify through the town clerk's office that the sign was not authorized by ordinance, the citation would have to be dismissed.

Fossa said that officials will determine which stop signs were illegally put up and then take them down.