Ald. Fioretti Thinks Your Honorary Way is Silly

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Apr 27, 2009 6:00PM

In a fight that's been around for a while, Ald. Bob Fioretti (2nd) is waging a new battle to reduce the number of honorary drives the city bestows on its streets. According to the Sun-Times:

Fioretti says firefighters worry that a person reporting an accident in a strange neighborhood may call 9-1-1 and give the wrong street because they're looking at the honorary sign. Mayor Daley had voiced the same concern, though he has said the designations are the exclusive purview of each of the 50 aldermen.

Another problem is deciding who gets the signs. A family who has lived on a block for generations may get an honorary sign -- which angers another family who has also lived on the block for generations, Fioretti said.

"There are a lot of city resources devoted to putting up these signs," Fioretti said. "It's wasteful."

Fioretti isn't the only one who's tried to curb the number: the Sun-Times points out that Ald. Tom Tunney (38th), who chairs the city council's transportation committee, has tried to do so several times but the street signs proved too popular amongst other council members, especially as a way to appease residents and accumulate for clout.