Does anybody ever write to their DOTs?

[roadman65]

We have a lot of great ideas here.  Plus I am sure at one time or another we wrote an email to our local road agencies to have issues resolved at times, but do we ever share our suggestions with local, regional, or state engineers?

Some of us go all out on here to impress each other with our ideas with even some of us becoming obsessed with our own plans on what roads should be.  However, I was wondering do we even talk our ideas out with those who really matter?  Not to say our thoughts are not welcome here, but just wondering if anyone ever took their concerns to the proper agencies.

[SignGeek101]

I've never written to my DOT (Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation). However, since I myself am a training civil engineering student, perhaps in the future I may be able to share my ideas with them. I'm applying for a summer position with them, so who knows.

[NWI_Irish96]

I've never written or even e-mailed them, but I have posted on Facebook pages of at least 3 of INDOT's 6 regions. 

[AsphaltPlanet]

I have, though I don't do so very regularly.  I generally annoy them with my observations of signing problems that I notice while I am traveling.

[cpzilliacus]

I call them (Maryland SHA, MdTA and VDOT) when I find problems on highways that they maintain (at least in Maryland and Virginia).

Not usually elsewhere.

[1995hoo]

I report potholes all the time via VDOT's website and I've exchanged tweets with their Northern Virginia office multiple times, again usually for purposes of reporting road problems.

When I found signage problems I reported them via e-mail. One time as a thank-you they sent me a VDOT pen, a beach ball, and some other stuff.

[NJ]

Yes, I've been doing it many many times, including to MUTCD. They have actually made some changes local towns, such as adding Yield signs at places that needed, and fixed other things such as repaving and adding crosswalks.

[NJ]

I have, though I don't do so very regularly.  I generally annoy them with my observations of signing problems that I notice while I am traveling.

Sounds like me     
Problem is they are lazy doing their jobs correctly...

[Alex]

I have emailed FDOT on a number of occasions over the years.

Got them to add the TO on Exit 28 signs for SR 546 that connects I-4 to US 92.
https://www.aaroads.com/southeast/florida004/i-004_eb_exit_028_04.jpg

Got them to add county line signs for Escambia/Santa Rosa on I-10:
https://www.aaroads.com/southeast/florida010/i-010_eb_exit_022_16.jpg

Got them to add "Rd" to Wilcox on this mileage sign posted west of the weigh station after Exit 5. They subsequently replaced the whole panel at some point afterwards with https://www.aaroads.com/southeast/florida010/i-010_wb_exit_000_04.jpg

Got them to add the missing e in Tallahassee on this sign on CR 89 back in 2009:
https://www.aaroads.com/southeast/florida085/cr-089_nb_at_old_hickory_hammock_rd.jpg

I also got County Road 399 signed from both FDOT on US 98 and Santa Rosa County on the alignment through Navarre Beach.

ALDOT however was not receptive to me pointing out that the distance on this sign is off by 3/10th's of a mile: https://www.aaroads.com/southeast/alabama010/i-010_wb_exit_027_04.jpg

When I worked for Universal Map, I routinely queried DOT's about projects for map updates. Generally feedback was decent and I got some interchange renderings ahead of time.

[shadyjay]

When I first moved to VT in 2005, I did write to VTrans, and got a reply back.  My questions, IIRC, centered around mile-based exits, removal of attraction signs from the interstates, and a vanished parking area.  Mile-based exits were not a priority then, the attractions signs were removed since they were only good for X amount of years, and the parking area was removed and "returned to nature" since it was about 3/4 mile before an exit. 

When I was in jr high school, I wrote to the Connecticut DOT with my plans to fix Route 9 in Middletown (traffic lights on the highway).  It got me a tour of the ConnDOT facility in Newington and a few meetings with the commissioner of transportation at the time.  20+ years later, not one thing has been done to Route 9 - the traffic lights remain. 

[Zeffy]

I emailed NJDOT about the application of Clearview on I-195/295 in Mercer/Burlington Counties and found out that it was just a test phase and that they did not plan to move forward with any switch to Clearview (thankfully).

[Duke87]

Personally I would rather laugh at sign goofs than attempt to get them fixed.

And I don't bother reporting potholes since there are bajillions of them in New York City, and the patches aren't really much of an improvement over the holes they replace.

So... no.

[dgolub]

I've been in touch with a number of agencies for the purpose of requesting information, but not to encourage them to do work somewhere.

[Pete from Boston]

Yes, I've been doing it many many times, including to MUTCD.

Did the Manual write back?

[Pink Jazz]

I occasionally keep in touch with ADOT on their Facebook page.

[hbelkins]

In my previous life, I contacted various KYTC personnel about a few things. One email in particular went to someone in the Pikeville office with whom I later became very good friends as well as a co-worker. I got a very detailed answer to my questions from her.

In my present job, I actually write letters, email messages and social media replies to queries that come in. Often those letters are for the signature of the chief district engineer, state highway engineer or cabinet secretary. I maintain our district's Facebook and Twitter accounts and answer every legitimate message.

Yes, there are a few crackpots out there, including one guy who kept asking all the district public information officers to go out and take pictures of backhoes, dozers, tractors and dump trucks. I think he had a fetish or something.

[US71]

I've contacted AHTD a number of times. I've e-mailed MODOT a couple times, as well.

[DandyDan]

I did a couple times to NDOR and once to the Iowa DOT, all about inconsistent and/or missing signage.  I have written to the local public works department a couple times as well.

[Pete from Boston]

It can be difficult to get contact information for the right party about a particular issue.  This, combined with the relative inanity of a lot of my inquiries, make me unlikely to pursue these contacts more rigorously than I might.

[froggie]

I occasionally write to MnDOT, and to VTrans to a lesser extent.

[jeffandnicole]

I have written to NJDOT many times, and participated in various public meetings.  However, they generally tend to be very anti-public.  In the past, I used to receive answers all the time...sometimes form letter-type mailings; other times responses specific to my inquiries.  Lately though, I won't hear a thing from them.  At the public meetings, they assume everyone is a dumbass that doesn't understand the project or the need.  If you're not directly affect, they really won't even talk with you.  During the recent public comment period for the TIP, my suggestions received generic responses. 

[roadman65]

I wrote to FDOT about missing shields in Tallahassee on US 90 at US 27 as there were none at all, as well as on US 27 at the State Capitol where US 27 turns right onto Monroe Street from Apalachee Parkway which was also missing signs.

They responded back and said they replaced them, however only with US 27 shields as they left out the FL 61 shields at both places as FL 61 is aligned on Monroe Street as well.

I also once complained about US 41 not being signed along its former concurrency with US 1 in Miami which ended up getting the END EAST sign at Brickell Avenue truncating the route.  Apparently FDOT made the move already to truncate it and thought I was crazy thinking US 41 ended in Miami Beach when I pointed it out to them.  They argued that it ends at US 1 and went no further east.

I had to further point out that if it did not, then why was US 41 signed east from US 1 at the MacArthur Causeway ramp as well as some US 41 shields along the Causeway that were scattered I had asked. They actually did a study and removed them including the overhead on NB US 1 at MacArthur Causeway which when later that year I saw the FL A1A NORTH shield was added to replace it.

I also got US 17, 92, and 441 shields back in the paper letter days in the 90's as no confirmation shields existed between US 192 and FL 528 along the then developing Southchase and Hunters Creek areas which is why there were none due to it once being rural between those two points having no junctions then to warrant shields.  The ones at FL 417, Osceola and Central Florida Parkways were added after I wrote to FDOT about it, and after they studied my concerns, they found that I was correct on my observations and it then needed the shields.

[Buffaboy]

I have written to NJDOT many times, and participated in various public meetings.  However, they generally tend to be very anti-public.  In the past, I used to receive answers all the time...sometimes form letter-type mailings; other times responses specific to my inquiries.  Lately though, I won't hear a thing from them.  At the public meetings, they assume everyone is a dumbass that doesn't understand the project or the need.  If you're not directly affect, they really won't even talk with you.  During the recent public comment period for the TIP, my suggestions received generic responses.

This is why I wouldn't bother to write in to NYSDOT, NYSTA, or ECDOT about anything.

If I had to, I would suggest they try a pilot program of putting up county shields on some heavily trafficked roads. But that's such an extraneous request.

[riiga]

I've written to both the municipality and DOT about erroneous signs, but so far none of them have been replaced. Most of them are minor errors though.

[NJ]

I have written to NJDOT many times, and participated in various public meetings.  However, they generally tend to be very anti-public.  In the past, I used to receive answers all the time...sometimes form letter-type mailings; other times responses specific to my inquiries.  Lately though, I won't hear a thing from them.  At the public meetings, they assume everyone is a dumbass that doesn't understand the project or the need.  If you're not directly affect, they really won't even talk with you.  During the recent public comment period for the TIP, my suggestions received generic responses.

I've written to them many times and always get the same BS respond back that I must contact the local town first before making any changes. They added "Entering Mahwah" sign on Route 17 N once though after emailing both Mahwah DPW and NJDOT.