NYC Pulling Down 'Don't Honk' Signs
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- New York City's "Don't Honk'' signs are coming down, but it's still against the law to blow a car horn unnecessarily.
The Department of Transportation said all the signs will be removed by the end of the year.
"I probably won't miss them that much," a cabbie told 1010 WINS' John Montone.
As CBS 2's Dana Tyler reported, the sound of honking horns is as much a part of New York City as a corned beef reuben, but do those signs that for many years have warned of a ticket for those who honk the horn actually work?
New Yorkers had no consensus on the subject.
"Hell no," one man said.
"I think they work on Murray Hill," a woman said.
"I think they would work if the fines were actually levied," another pedestrian said.
But regardless of whether the signs were effective, New Yorkers will now have to refrain from honking without any sign telling them to do so.
City officials said the decision is part of an effort to de-clutter the streets of signs that generally go ignored, according to The New York Times.
NYC Pulling Down 'Don't Honk' Signs
In all, there are 1.3 million "don't honk" signs in New York City, according to city Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan.
She said that is enough to provide a street sign for every man, woman and child in the Bronx.
Commissioner Sadik-Khan said for the first time in generations, the city is "systematically updating our streets to eliminate the sings that don't work, and improve the signs we actually need."
She went on to say that while the "no honking" signs have been around for decades, there is no sign that they actually do anything except add clutter.
The DOT said complaints about honking have declined 63 percent since 2008, but City Councilwoman Gale Brewer said in a letter to the agency: "I can't tell you how many requests I get for 'no honking' signs.''
The signs were introduced during Mayor Ed Koch's administration.
Unnecessary honking carries a $350 fine but is rarely enforced. Last year, the city issued 206 tickets for improper use of horns.
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