When someone reports a stolen or damaged stop or yield sign in Lyon County, Kansas, county highway department employees are immediately called out to replace the sign no matter the time of day. Once workers are on the scene with an abundance of replacement materials and tools, they find the existing hole where the missing sign once stood or remove the remainder of a broken pole and replace it with a new sign.
“This process was time-consuming because of the time it took to gather the tools and equipment needed to replace the sign, which extended the time the intersection was left without safety signs,” says Jim Brull with the Lyon County Highway Department.
Highway workers needed an easier solution to quickly replace the signs while restoring safety to the intersections. They found their solution in portable stop and yield signs.
“I brought up the idea for the portable signs during a brainstorm session,” Brull says. “Our department promotes change for the better using innovation.”
Going portable meant less time spent replacing signs. The portable signs have adjustable height legs with extensions that can be quickly installed in various terrains using fewer tools.
Prior to the portable signs solution, workers would have to guess which tools would be needed to install the new signs. The signs are also easily transported in pickup trucks and SUVs.
Lyon County officials say implementing use of the portable signs improved response times for temporarily replacing the signs and restoring safety at the intersections.
Brull has advice for encouraging creativity to address challenges: “Speak openly about the issues with everyone, especially the front-line workers. Be open to change, encourage innovation for improving job performance, and build a great team!”
(Reprinted from the 2020 FHWA Build a Better Mousetrap booklet.)
Learn more:
Jim Brull, Lyon County Highway Department, 620-340-8220, jbrull@lyoncounty.org