Illegal I ♥ NY Signs Cost Taxpayers $8 Million, 4 Times More Than Estimate

Via the Times Union (HT Empire Report):

Hundreds of state tourism signs erected along major New York highways that have been deemed federally illegal — the source of a years-long Washington-Albany kerfuffle — is $8.1 million, state transportation officials said Wednesday.

DOT Commissioner Matthew Driscoll said during a joint legislative budget hearing on transportation that total costs for 374 of the I Love NY signs were $5.4 million.

An additional 140 signs erected along the Thruway cost $2.7 million total, acting Thruway Authority Executive Director Bill Finch later told lawmakers.

That makes the total cost of all 514 signs statewide $8.1 million.

Read more at the Times Union