ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The Public Works Traffic Engineering Division is converting more than 3,000 yield signs to stop signs throughout Orange County to try to improve safety in neighborhoods, county officials announced Thursday.

Public Works identified 3,358 yield signs in 15 groups to convert, and a third of those groups have been switched since 2021. The project is expected to be completed by October 2023.

“Over the years, Traffic Engineering has received numerous requests to replace yield signs with stop signs within residential neighborhoods,” said Frank Yokiel, an Orange County Traffic Engineering project manager.  “We review these requests on a case-by-case basis and replace the yield signs.  Since the yield signs were reaching their life expectancy for reflectivity, Traffic Engineering decided to initiate a program to replace all of the yield signs with stop signs for traffic control in residential neighborhoods.”

The project began after Orange County commissioners approved a resolution authorizing traffic control devices to improve safety at intersections in December 2020.

The change — which applies to all vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists — gives people more time to decide whether it’s safe to go through the intersection, according to Traffic Engineering Division Manager Humberto Castillero.

New diamond-grade material used for the stop signs also provides better reflectivity at night so the signs can be seen more easily, he said.