Telling signs of stimulus dollars

CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WIVB) - It's your stimulus dollars at work. But do you really need expensive signs telling you how that money is being spent?

A portion of Transit Road between Genesee and French has been freshly paved.

Motorist Amanda Dawson said, "It's nice to drive on. It's smooth and everything."

And it comes with brand new NYWorks signs.

Dawson said, "That's not nice. I don't like the sign, ha ha."

Dave Roetzer of Amherst Paving Inc. said, "And they cost us $310 each, so the total for the two signs were $621."

And that's actually a bargain. When The Federal Highway Administration doled out stimulus money, the agency strongly encouraged states to place signs like that on each project indicating it is your stimulus dollars at work.

New York State Department of Transportation spokesman Skip Carrier said, "The price ranges anywhere from a thousand dollars to twelve hundred for the small signs, up to $4 or $5 thousand dollars for the larger signs."

Lancaster resident Mary said, "Well, I could think of better ways of spending money."

South Wales resident Robby McKenzie said, "I think we all know where the money's coming from to do it. We don't need a sign to tell us. They could take that money and maybe use it to re-stripe the other roads around town."

Does Dave Roetzer think people know what NYWorks means?"

Roetzer said, "No, I wouldn't,"

Roetzer admits the stimulus money has helped his paving company through a very tough year.

The state has over a billion dollars in stimulus projects. The signs will cost a million, but DOT officials think it is imporant.

Carrier said, "It'll be clear that these are related to the Economic Recovery Program, and I think that the public deserves to have that kind of information."