Brief by Central Staff
Transportation – October 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine
Some people call them “roadside shrines,” while others refer to them as “vernacular monuments.” Some see them as worthwhile tributes to those who have died in traffic accidents, while others see them as safety hazards.
They were illegal if they sat too close to the road, since the right-of-way is controlled by the Colorado Department of Transportation, which had no authority under state law to allow them. CDOT generally went easy, but there were vigilantes who removed the memorials (usually crosses with the name of the deceased and the date of the accident), as well as vandals who stole the balloons, teddy bears, flowers, and notes that would be placed at the markers.
Our legislature came up with a sensible compromise this session. It was the brainchild of State Sen. Lew Entz, a Hooper Republican who represents much of Central Colorado.
Under the new law, survivors can ask the state to put up a small blue sign at the closest safe spot. The first one went up on Sept. 8 near Evergreen, and it says “Please Drive Safely. Collin Lipinksi Fisher.” Fisher, who was 16, died in a traffic accident last January.
A sign costs $100 and will stay up for six years before being taken down and given to a survivor. The fee covers the cost of making, erecting, and removing the sign.
While pushing the bill through the legislature, Entz didn’t mention his personal connection because he wanted to focus on the issue, but he lost his 17-year-old grandson in a traffic accident last year. “Until it happens to you, you just don’t know. You can’t realize the impact,” he said.
In a perfect world, there would be no need for these highway memorials. But in this world, Entz came up with a reasonable proposal that avoids making our highways less safe while allowing friends and relatives to remember the place they lost someone they cared about.