Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices Aren Cambre

What is MUTCD? “the national standard for all traffic control devices” Defines TCDs in detail: –Fonts and appearance –Positioning –Usage Originates from 1927 document for rural roads Current version is 2003 ed., rev. 1

Availability Available online at

Requirement to Follow Per 1966 Highway Safety Act, all public roadways must be in “substantial conformance”. No compliance = no federal funds. Four levels of compliance: –Standard: must follow –Guidance: recommended –Option: “statement of practice,” may be used to modify standard of guidance –Support: informational, not required

State MUTCD? States may have their own MUTCD. Must comply with federal MUTCD. Must comply with federal MUTCD changes within 2 years. Texas MUTCD:

Parts of MUTCD MUTCD divided into 10 parts and an appendix.

Part 1: General Overall concepts, like: –Purpose –Design –Principles –Placement –Operation –Definitions –Primacy of engineering judgment –Appropriate abbreviations

Part 1: Standard Colors Black—regulation Blue—road user services guidance, tourist information, and evacuation route Brown—recreational and cultural interest area guidance Coral—unassigned Fluorescent Pink—incident management Fluorescent Yellow-Green—pedestrian warning, bicycle warning, playground warning, school bus and school warning Green—indicated movements permitted, direction guidance Light Blue—unassigned Orange—temporary traffic control Purple—unassigned Red—stop or prohibition White—regulation Yellow—warning

Part 1: Inappropriate Abbreviations

Part 2: Signs 9 sections First section is “general”: again, definitions and housekeeping Organized by sign type

Regulatory Signs Describe legal requirements to motorist. Disregarding sign is usually a violation of law.

Speed Limit Speed limit is a regulatory sign Standard –“After an engineering study has been made in accordance with established traffic engineering practices, the Speed Limit sign shall display the limit established by law, ordinance, regulation, or as adopted by the authorized agency. The speed limits shown shall be in multiples of 10 km/h or 5 mph.”

Speed Limit Guidance –At least once every 5 years, States and local agencies should reevaluate non-statutory speed limits on segments of their roadways that have undergone a significant change in roadway characteristics or surrounding land use since the last review. –No more than three speed limits should be displayed on any one Speed Limit sign or assembly. –When a speed limit is to be posted, it should be within 10 km/h or 5 mph of the 85th-percentile speed of free- flowing traffic.

Other Regulatory Signs

Warning Signs Informational Warn of conditions motorists may not catch.

Guide Signs (Conventional) Mostly directional or information.

Guide Signs (Freeways)

Specific Service Signs

Tourist-Oriented Directional Signs

Recreational and Cultural-Interest Signs

Emergency Management Signs

Sign Positioning

Part 3: Markings Describes “pavement and curb markings, object markers, delineators, colored pavements, barricades, channelizing devices and islands.”

Markings Layout

Yield Line

Traffic Island

Object Markers

Part 4: Highway Traffic Signals Applies to “any highway traffic signal by which traffic is alternately directed to stop and permitted to proceed.” Includes: –Traditional traffic signals. –Pedestrian signals. –Lane-use signals. –Flashing beacons.

Typical Signal Head Arrangements

Part 5: TCDs for Low Volume Roads Mainly recreational, farm-to-market, or county roads. Essentially a relaxed set of the prior requirements.

Part 6: Temporary Traffic Control Mostly construction zones signage and pavement markings.

Flagging

Temporary Signs

Suggested Layouts

Incident Management Areas Part 6 also includes the pink signs.

Part 7: School Areas

Part 8: Highway-Rail Grade Crossings

Part 9: Bicycle Facilities

Part 10: Light Rail Crossings