Check out how Cape Coral makes its own traffic signs and how it saves you money

CAPE CORAL, Fla. —

The City of Cape Coral makes its own traffic signs locally, starting with prefabricated, pre-drilled blanks, to save money and provide faster service.

"A lot of our signs, we already have files for on hand, so we can go right to here and grab it from there," said Jason Smolinka, a sign fabricator for the city.

Once the design is sent from the computer, the printer lays down the ink, and the laminator and metal machine complete the fabrication process.

Having the signs made locally saves you money.

"For them to design it, fabricate it, ship it, this saves money in the long run, too, because we’re not having to pay all that extra cost to have that done," Smolinka said.

The local production also ensures faster delivery of signs, which is crucial for traffic management.

"It benefits our traffic tremendously because you’re not waiting on fabrication from another warehouse, shipping time. If they need it today, they can have it in 15 minutes," Smolinka said.

This speed becomes even more critical after hurricanes, when damaged signs need immediate replacement.

"After that storm passes, it’s all hands on deck, and let’s get rock and roll," Smolinka said.

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