Deadline Closing In For Removal Of 'I Love New York' Highway Signs

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - The deadline to remove New York state's "I Love New York" highway signs is one week from today.

The federal government says the blue signs are illegal and some of the writing is distracting to drivers.

There's no love lost between federal regulators and Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration over the issue. If the state doesn't take the signs down by Monday, New York stands to lose $14 million in federal funding.

As it turns out, the Federal Highway Administration has focused on the fact that the word "experience" on the signs is in italics, which they say is hard for drivers to read at high speeds.

"I am at a loss as how the font of the word 'experience' has us stuck," said Alexander Cochran, special counsel to the governor, in an email to federal officials negotiating with the state to save 122 of the 500 signs.

The state is hoping to keep 122 of the 500 signs, which they call the "motherboard" signs, while removing the four follow-up signs that follow the motherboard in quick succession. Of those, there are about 400.

Also, the I Love New York website and the app name would be removed from the bottom of the signs.

Spokespeople for the state and the feds tell CBS2 Political Reporter Marcia Kramer the discussions are ongoing to see if an exception is going to be made. As it stands now, the signs violate state and federal rules.

That deadline is Sunday.