EDITOR:
It was with great dismay that, over the past months, I observed the installation of large foundations, and now the erection of huge cantilevered electronic reader board signs over U.S. 395 northbound at the north edge of Minden and southbound north of Jacks Valley Road. These structures are overly huge, ugly, obnoxious, intrusive, unnecessary and a waste of taxpayer monies.
It is my understanding these readerboards are for the purpose of notifying motorists of a large accident that may close the highway or slow down traffic for an extended period of time and to use an alternate route such as Muller Lane, Genoa Lane or Jacks Valley Road. This may occur a couple of times a year. I realize there are probably more accidents than this, but they are of a more minor nature and only cause a minor delay to the motorist.
Telling everyone to use the two-lane, speed-controlled roadways and going through the Town of Genoa will cause far more congestion and delay than a slowdown on U.S. 395.
The majority of users on U.S. 395 are regulars and they recognize a significant traffic delay and use alternate routes, or if they have passed an alternate route, continue on and make a u-turn at an opening in the cable barrier and return to the alternate route.
Please remove these signs and use them in Reno, Las Vegas or sell them on eBay to some major metropolitan, urban community where they would be fit for a major freeway and the surrounding landscape.
If the State of Nevada and Douglas County believe these signs are absolutely necessary and justifiable, which I find it difficult to believe, replace them with ones about a third the size, same as the one at the foot of Kingsbury Grade just west of Foothill Road.
Bob Nunes
Minden
