Street smarts

Papa Johns delivery man Alvino Cisneros is a pro.

He's been taking the goods to hungry families for five years now, so he knows Odessa's streets like the back of his hand.

But he gets occasionally thrown off if a street sign isn't in good shape.

"Some signs, from all the sun and weather, you can't see all the letters," Cisneros said before a recent run.

City traffic engineering director Hal Feldman is working on it.

Feldman said the traffic division is in year three of a five-year plan to replace street signs all over the city. Sign shop workers have been busy making bigger, more-reflective signs to replace older ones that are weathered - and drive people like Cisneros nuts.

"Basically the new signs are larger, have larger and bolder text, and all the letters are in all caps now, which make them more legible," Feldman said. "The newer signs have better reflective sheeting material on them. It's  a huge improvement, especially at night."

Feldman said the total project will replace more than 5,700 signs around town by its end.

"As everyone knows, the population is aging," he said. "Older drivers need bigger, more-reflective signs."

The city has spent $110,000 on new signs so far. Feldman said he's asking City Council members to give him $43,000 to complete next year's phase. The new signs are supposed to last at least 10 years.

"We'll see how long they're doing out there in the field," Feldman said. "We're more severe in our weather, especially with the sun. Maybe we'll get 10, maybe longer."

Feldman said no street names have been changed, and there are no big plans to change up any of the city's street grid.

Cisneros said he thinks sign replacement will help his rookie delivery guys, but he's more concerned with often-faded house numbers painted on curbs.

"Right now, finding the street isn't too bad," he said. "It's the house numbers. Especially on the west side where there's no lights."

AT A GLANCE

>> What: City street sign replacement project.

>> When: The traffic department is in year three of a five-year effort to replace old signs around town.

>> Why: To help eliminate confusion for police, fire and medical personnel, to make it easy on visitors and to accommodate an aging population.

>> How much: The city has spent $110,000 so far, and $43,000 is planned for next year.