Traffic signals on US41 and US17 are maintained by the City under agreement with Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and therefore must comply with FDOT rules and regulations regarding timing and cycle lengths. The City can suggest changes but ultimately FDOT controls the timing and cycle lengths of these signals. Any changes to these signals must be coordinated through FDOT. Only two signals (Carmalita/Cooper and Marion/Bal Harbor) are fully controlled by the City and can be adjusted as traffic patterns change. You may notice Charlotte County Public Works personnel tending to Punta Gorda traffic signals. Punta Gorda contracts with Charlotte County for maintenance of our traffic signals as the City employs no signal maintenance personnel.

Traffic Signs and Striping are maintained by City personnel. The City maintains a database of nearly 5,000 signs within the City. Faded signs are replaced on rotation based on age and exposure direction. Please report any signs or striping needing attention to Public Works. Request for new signs may be made to Public Works but a general rule is that only signs that are deemed necessary are approved. The City discourages proliferation of signs as many national studies have shown that too many signs actually decrease motorists awareness.

SPEED LIMIT SIGN POLICY

With City Council approval, non-essential speed limit signs have been removed. All roads leaving state roads (US41 and US17) are posted with 30 mph signs. You will likely not encounter any further speed limit signs as the speed limit does not change until you return to a state road. All roadways under the control of the City of Punta Gorda fall under the 30 mph speed limit unless posted otherwise.

NO OUTLET - DEAD END SIGN POLICY

Much of Punta Gorda being a cul-de-sac community, motorists have become accustomed to having very limited through streets connecting neighborhoods. Several years ago a policy was created to eliminate Dead End and No Outlet signs except in extreme cases where motorists are prone to mistakes. We have found that many complaints from residents that drivers mistakenly travel down their street actually turn out to be people sight-seeing or looking for real estate opportunities. We expect the popularity of GPS devices will continue to reduce unwanted travel in our maze of cul-de-sacs.