Stop signs replace some Oakland traffic lights to deter copper theft
Oakland has removed the traffic lights from one intersection and replaced them with 4-way stop signs due to people stealing copper and then tampering with an electrical box.
It's a sight that has made drivers do a double take: a stop sign hanging overhead where a traffic light would normally be, located above the intersection of E. 12th Street and 16th Avenue in Oakland.
Neighbors said city workers removed the all the traffic lights in the last week and replaced them with four-way stop signs. The installation came after months of people stealing copper wires and tampering with the city electrical boxes that supply power to the traffic lights.
"It's just telling us that the city is giving up on us," said Tam Le, owner of Le's Auto Body & Engine Repair, located at the corner of the intersection.
https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/stop-signs-replace-some-oakland-traffic-lights-to-deter-copper-theft/