Someone went to a lot of effort to steal a “When Flashing” sign warning drivers at the entrance of the tunnel near Buffalo Bill Dam east of Cody that bicyclist is inside. The thief also went to a lot of effort to get away with it.
The story that made it back to the Wyoming Department of Transportation about what happened to the sign was someone dumped it “in the desert.”
It’s the latest in a series of road sign thefts in Park County that are costing WYDOT and taxpayers a lot of money — and especially for anyone cycling through the tunnel, unnecessarily dangerous.
Recovering stolen signs doesn’t happen often, but WYDOT pulled out some serious investigative skills to find this one, and it was far from “in the desert.”
The warning sign will soon be returned to its original location, where it will keep cyclists safe on U.S. Highway 14/16/20.
WYDOT spokesperson Cody Beers said the agency also has a suspect in its ongoing investigation into the theft. If the thief’s warning lights weren’t flashing before, they are now.
“Stealing a sign over $1,000 is a felony,” he said. “Road signs are something everyone seems to want, but WYDOT doesn’t just put up signs. They are there for a purpose, and when they’re vandalized or stolen, that’s eliminating our ability to fix a pothole. It all comes out of the same pot.”
Theft Terminated
According to Beers, the “When Flashing” sign was stolen sometime over the last weekend. Based on the evidence at the crime scene, he believes the thieves might have been interrupted during their road sign heist.
“The thieves disconnected the ‘Bicycle in Tunnel’ sign and dropped to the ground,” he said. “It probably weighs 20 to 30 pounds, but they didn't take that one. I'm guessing they were going to take both signs, then a and car came up, so they grabbed the little sign, jumped in their vehicle, and took off.”
Wyoming Highway Patrol Lt. Lee Pence of Cody had a different assessment of what happened.
“Apparently, the offender was too weak to take the big sign, dropping it, but took the ‘When Flashing’ sign,” he said.
The signs were installed when WYDOT upgraded the tunnel’s lighting system in 2023. Cyclists can press a button that turns on a flashing beacon on either side of the big tunnel, alerting drivers when they are inside.
“The flashing light blinks for as long as there’s a cyclist in the tunnel,” Beers said. “The warning system was an enhancement to the tunnel, and these signs are an important part of it.”
It’s impossible to say what made a “When Flashing” sign alluring enough to steal — maybe the “Bicycle in Tunnel” sign was the intended target. Nevertheless, the larger sign was damaged, and Beers said it will likely need to be replaced.
“It’s been gouged up pretty good,” he said. “WYDOT’s estimate to replace it was around $1,000. A lot of people say that’s government waste, but that’s what it costs to manufacture the sign at our sign shop, haul it from Cheyenne to Cody, and mobilize a crew to replace it.”
In this case, the theft might not cost the taxpayers. Most signs disappear after they're stolen, but that’s not the end of this sign’s story.
Surrender The Sign
Within 20 minutes of posting about the stolen sign on Facebook, Beers received a call.
“I got a call from a parent in Powell who was extremely nervous about talking to me,” he said. “This parent told me that the son and his friends found a ‘When Flashing’ sign out in the desert over the weekend.”
Beers said the “youngsters” didn’t leave the sign where they found it. They only divulged where they found it after the parent discovered the sign in the family garage.
The family soon got a visit from Lt. Pence, who recovered the sign and “had a discussion” with the desert finders.
“I’m not sure what I believe,” Beers said. “All I can say is I was a young person at one time, and stealing signs is not a smart thing to do.”
Beers appreciates the parent who called about the missing sign. The son might not think the same, but it saved WYDOT some time and money.
“Within 30 minutes of the release, the sign was miraculously located in a garage,” he said. “We don't want young kids getting in trouble for making bad decisions, but we appreciate that the parent called us so we could recover the sign.”
Signs Mean Things
Theft of road signs and other road materials has been on the rise in Park County. The “When Flashing” sign was the most visible incident, but it’s been a persistent problem for WYDOT and the Wyoming Highway Patrol.
“The Park County area has had a rash of road sign thefts on county and state roads," said Pence. “Rocks recently taken for landscaping on personal or business properties from a local WYDOT pit were destined for other projects, including the current erosion control project near the Buffalo Bill Dam.”
There’s an undeniable allure to Wyoming’s road signs. WYDOT recently made over $100,000 selling several “Welcome to Wyoming” signs at a public auction.
However, those signs had been removed and replaced. Any signs installed along Wyoming’s roads and highways serve a specific purpose, and their theft can endanger lives.
“Stealing and vandalizing signs is a crime with serious consequences, ranging from misdemeanors to felonies depending on the circumstances," said WYDOT traffic engineer Jack Hoffman of Basin. "Beyond the legal penalties, stealing and vandalizing signs poses significant safety risks to drivers and emergency responders, and the act leads to increased costs for taxpayers due to replacement costs."
If the fines, felonies, and potential fatalities aren’t enough to dissuade sign thieves, Beers suggests they consider how their actions impact their driving experience and what they pay to keep it safe and maintained.
“When you vandalize and steal signs, you're costing taxpayers money,” he said. “WYDOT doesn’t get federal funds to replace these signs. That’s state money. Those signs are state property. They’re there for a reason.”
When people ask Beers how they can stay safer on Wyoming’s roads, his answer is short and simple: follow the signs. When the signs aren’t there to be followed because they’ve been stolen or vandalized, it can have serious consequences.
“Most of our signs are about safety,” he said. “You might steal a stop sign, and then somebody doesn't stop, it causes a crash, and someone's killed. If anything happens, the person who stole or vandalized the sign could be held liable in a civil court. It’s just not a smart thing to do.”
Bikes In Tunnels?
After WYDOT released information on the “When Flashing” sign theft, many people were surprised that the signs were there to begin with. Why are bicycles going through the Cody tunnels?
“It’s a state highway,” Beers said. “People might think it’s stupid, but bicycles have a right to go through there.”
Beers said that many Cody residents cycle along U.S. Highway 14/16/20, and it’s a popular route for cyclists on their way to Yellowstone National Park. He gets the appeal, as he’s one of those cyclists.
“I used to race bikes when I was in high school, and I’ve ridden bikes through that tunnel many times,” he said. “It might take you five minutes to go through the tunnel toward Cody, but going the other way, it’s all uphill. It takes a while.”
WYDOT installed the bicycle beacon to keep cyclists safer as they enjoy their legal road rights. That’s why WYDOT and the Wyoming Highway Patrol took the theft of the “When Flashing” sign so seriously.
“Nobody wants to hit somebody,” Beers said. “Those signs are to keep drivers and cyclists safe in the big tunnel. That’s why we appreciate any information on stolen signs that people want to share with us. It saves our time and your money.”
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
