1. Sign & Pavement Marking Senior Technician Level III
Refresher Session
Revised February 6, 2014
Dedicated to providing quality certification programs for the safe installation, operation and maintenance of public safety systems; delivering value for members by providing the latest information and education in the industry. 1

2. Intent of Refresher Session:
To briefly review the required technical knowledge and understanding of a typical Traffic Sign & Pavement Marking Technician
Present latest concepts of industry standards in an overview format
Promote group discussion and idea sharing
Time allocated for the session is approximately four to six hours of presentation and open discussions
Questions should be asked as the presentation is underway and the topic is under discussion – others will benefit from any questions asked!
NOTE: This does not necessarily cover all content and/or questions in the associated Sign & Pavement Marking Senior Technician Level III Exam nor is it limited to the content or questions of the Exam

3. Abbreviations: International Municipal Signal Association (IMSA)
Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)
Standard Highway Signs (SHS) book
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)

4. MUTCD Basics: Are you familiar with the MUTCD?
What does MUTCD stand for?
How is the MUTCD laid out? What are the parts, chapters, and sections?
MUTCD general information – example: What does uniformity mean?
Treating similar situations in a like manner.

5. Requests for changes in the MUTCD should contain the following –
A statement including the proposed changes
Any illustration that would be helpful to understand the request
Any supporting research data that is pertinent to the item being reviewed

6. Work Zone Traffic Control:
What’s wrong with this picture?
The formulas for determining the taper length are:
W x S2 / 60 = Taper Length (for less than 45 mph)
W x S = Taper Length (for 45 mph or higher) 6

7. Work Zone Traffic Control: W x S = Taper Length (for 45 mph or higher) Example: 12 foot lane width 50 MPH 12 x 50 = 600 foot taper

8. Work Zone Traffic Control: W x S squared / 60 = Taper Length (for less than 40 mph) Example: 12 foot lane width 50 MPH 12 x (50x50) / 60= 12x2500/60= 500 foot taper

9. Temporary Traffic Control Zone

10. 270 Work Zone Traffic Control:
What’s the minimum number of square inches of retroreflective material for barricades used on expressways and freeways?
270

11. 6 inches Work Zone Traffic Control: 8-12 inches What is the height of
barricade rails?
8-12 inches
How wide are the stripes on Type III barricades?
Page 6F-33&34 MUTCD
6 inches

12. Work Zone Traffic Control:
Temporary Traffic Barriers
Temporary traffic barriers, including shifting portable or movable barriers, are devices designed to help prevent penetration by vehicles while minimizing injuries to vehicle occupants, and to protect workers, bicyclists, and pedestrians.

13. Work Zone Traffic Control:
The primary functions of temporary traffic barriers are:
To keep vehicular traffic from entering work areas.
To separate workers, bicyclists, and pedestrians from motor vehicle traffic.
To separate opposing directions of vehicular traffic.
To separate vehicular traffic, bicyclists, and pedestrians from the work area.
Temporary traffic barriers may be used to separate two-way vehicular traffic.

14. Work Zone Traffic Control:
Temporary traffic barriers shall be supplemented with standard delineation, pavement markings, or channelizing devices for improved daytime and night time visibility if they are used to channelize vehicular traffic. The delineation color shall match the applicable pavement marking color.

15. Work Zone Traffic Control:
What is different about regulatory signs in a work zone?
TTC regulatory signs shall conform to standards in part 2 in MUTCD
What is different about warning signs in a work zone?
Black Legend and Border with an Orange Background

16. General Knowledge: Authority for Placement of Traffic Control Devices-
Certain types of signs and other devices that do not have any traffic control purpose are sometimes placed within the highway right-of-way by or with the permission of the public agency or the official having jurisdiction over the street or highway. Most of these signs and other devices are not intended for use by road users in general, and their message is only important to individuals who have been instructed in their meanings.

17. General Knowledge: The Standard Highway Signs
publication prescribes design
details to reflect the
specified sizes in the
MUTCD.

18. 30x30 R1-1
font is 10 C

19. General Knowledge:
Must all signs be included in retroreflectivity maintenance guidelines?
NO!
Highway agencies may exclude the following signs from the retroreflectivity maintenance guidelines.
Parking, Standing, and Stopping signs (R7 and R8 series).
Walking/Hitchhiking/Crossing signs (R9 series, R10-1 through R10-4b).
Acknowledgment signs.
All signs with blue or brown backgrounds.
Bikeway signs that are intended for exclusive use by bicyclists or pedestrians .

20. General Knowledge:
The minimum vertical clearance for overhead signs in ideal conditions is-
Overhead signs shall provide a vertical clearance of not less than 17 feet to the sign, light fixture, or
sign bridge over the entire width of the pavement and shoulders except where the structure on which the
overhead signs are to be mounted or other structures along the roadway near the sign structure have a
lesser vertical clearance.

21. Approved management methods to maintain sign retroreflectivity include-
A. Visual Nighttime Inspection—The retroreflectivity of an existing sign is assessed by a trained sign inspector conducting a visual inspection from a moving vehicle during nighttime conditions. Signs that are visually identified by the inspector to have retroreflectivity below the minimum levels should be replaced.
B. Measured Sign Retroreflectivity—Sign retroreflectivity is measured using a retroreflectometer. Signs with retroreflectivity below the minimum levels should be replaced.
C. Expected Sign Life—When signs are installed, the installation date is labeled or recorded so that the age of a sign is known. The age of the sign is compared to the expected sign life . Signs older than the expected life should be replaced.
D. Blanket Replacement—All signs in an area/corridor, or of a given type, should be replaced at specified intervals. This eliminates the need to assess retroreflectivity or track the life of individual signs.

22. General Knowledge:
Signs should be vertically mounted at right angles to the traffic they are intended to serve except-
1-Where mirror reflection from the sign face is encountered to such a degree as to reduce legibility, the sign should be turned slightly away from the road.
2-Signs that are placed 30 feet or more from the pavement edge should be turned toward the road.
3-On curved alignments, the angle of placement should be determined by the direction of approaching traffic rather than by the roadway edge at the point where the sign is located.
4-On grades, sign faces may be tilted forward or back from the vertical position to improve the viewing angle.

23. General Knowledge:
New warning or regulatory symbol signs not readily recognizable by the public should be accompanied by an educational plaque.
Educational plaques
may be left in place
as long as they are
in serviceable condition.

24. General Knowledge:
Enhanced Conspicuity for Standard Signs
Based upon engineering judgment, where the improvement of the conspicuity of a sign is desired, some of the following methods may be used to enhance the sign’s conspicuity -

25. General Knowledge:
Increasing the size of a standard regulatory, warning, or guide sign.
Doubling-up of a standard regulatory, warning, or guide sign by adding a second identical sign on the left hand side of the roadway.
Adding one or more red or orange flags above a standard regulatory or warning sign, with the flags oriented so as to be at 45 degrees to the vertical.
Adding a NEW plaque above a new standard regulatory or warning sign.

27. General Knowledge:
The Manual states when numbering interchanges for circumferential freeway routes, the numbering shall be in a clockwise direction.
True or False?

28. General Knowledge: True
For circumferential routes, interchange numbering shall be in a clockwise direction.

29. General Knowledge: Expressway-
a divided highway with partial control of access.
Freeway-
a divided highway with full control of access.

30. Regulatory Signs: ?

31. Regulatory Signs: What is the intended placement of this sign?
At locations where through lanes become mandatory turn lanes, a mandatory movement lane control
(R3-7) sign should be post-mounted on the left-hand side of the roadway where a through lane is becoming a mandatory left-turn lane on a one-way street or where a median of sufficient width for
the signs is available, or on the right-hand side of the roadway where a through lane is becoming a mandatory right-turn lane.
Regulatory Signs:
What is the intended placement of this sign?

32. Regulatory Signs: When would you use a No Turn on Red sign?

33. When would you use a No Turn on Red sign?
A No Turn on Red sign should be considered when an engineering study finds that one or more of the following conditions exists:
Inadequate sight distance to vehicles approaching from the left (or right, if applicable);
Geometrics or operational characteristics of the intersection that might result in unexpected conflicts;
An exclusive pedestrian phase;
An unacceptable number of pedestrian conflicts with right-turn-on-red maneuvers, especially involving children, older pedestrians, or persons with disabilities;
More than three right-turn-on-red accidents reported in a 12-month period for the particular approach; or
The skew angle of the intersecting roadways creates difficulty for drivers to see traffic approaching from their left.

34. Overhead Regulatory Signs:
Where the number of through lanes is three or more, what type of sign support shall be used for an R3-5 and R3-6?
Overhead

35. Regulatory Signs: To prohibit traffic from entering a restricted road section, what kind of sign should be used?

36. What Color are Crossbuck signs?
Highway-Rail Grade Crossings:
What Color are Crossbuck signs?
White background with
black legend

37. What are the lateral clearances for a Crossbuck sign? 6-12 feet
Highway-Rail Grade Crossings:
What are the lateral clearances for a
Crossbuck sign?
6-12 feet

38. Highway-Rail Grade Crossings: What is the height to the center of a Crossbuck sign?
9 feet

39. to provide the best visual. Highway-Rail Grade Crossings:
Where should you place a Do Not Stop On Tracks sign?
Near or Far side
to provide the best
visual.

40. Highway-Rail Grade Crossings:
According to the MUTCD, is it acceptable to install a STOP sign on the same support as a crossbuck sign?
YES!
A grade crossing Crossbuck Assembly shall consist of a Crossbuck (R15-1) sign, and a Number of Tracks (R15-2P) plaque if two or more tracks are present, that complies with the provisions of
Section 8B.03, and either a YIELD (R1-2) or STOP (R1-1) sign installed on the same support.

41. Highway-Rail Grade Crossings:
Are pavement markings required at all at grade Railroad Crossings?
They are NOT required!
Pavement markings shall not be required at grade crossings where the posted or statutory highway speed is less than 40 mph if an engineering study indicates that other installed devices provide suitable warning and control.

42. Warning Signs:

43. Warning Signs: ?
Ask if everyone is familiar with how to use the Advance Warning Sign Placement Table.
Explain the tables use. Point out that the Stop Condition (B) has been combined with the Deceleration Condition (C). Now condition B includes the Deceleration Condition including O mph which is the same thing as Stopping.
-Click and ask if the warning sign showing is correct. The correct answer is NO
-Click to show the correct sign that has replaced the first sign.
-Click to show next sign and use it as an example to use the table. Ex “If the posted speed is 60 miles and hour etc….”

44. Warning Signs:
Conditions that may warrant the placement of warning sign are-
Condition A – Speed reduction and lane changing in heavy traffic
Condition B – Deceleration to the listed advisory speed

45. Warning Signs:
When would
you use
a Reverse
Turn sign?

46. Reverse Turn:
When 2 Alignment changes are in opposite directions and are separated by a tangent distance of 180 m (600 ft) or less.
Engineering judgment should be used to determine whether the Turn or Curve sign should be used. A Turn (W1-1) sign shall be used instead of a Curve sign in advance of curves that have advisory speeds of 30 mph or less.

47. Warning Signs: What is the minimum size of a Warning sign on an expressway? 36 X 36

48. What direction do the stripes on a Type 3 object marker point?
Downward at a 45 degree angle
Object Markers:
What colors and shapes do Type 1 object markers have?
What colors and shapes do End-of-Roadway markers have?
What colors and shapes do Type 2 object markers have?

49. Work Zone : What is the minimum size of a vertical panel ? 8 x 24
mounted height?
1 foot

50. Guide Signs: Route Sign Assemblies
Confirmation
or Reassurance
Assembly
Ask the class if they know what type of Route Marker Assembly is shown
-Click to see the answer.
-Click to show the next sign and cont. through all assemblies.
Trailblazer
Assembly
Advance
Route Turn
Assembly
Directional
Assembly
Junction
Assembly

51. NO! Guide Signs: Green background with white border and legend
What color is standard for conventional guide signs?
Green background with white border and legend
What other background colors may be used on guide signs?
Blue and brown
Do all guide signs have either a green, blue, or brown background?
NO!

52. What kinds of letters are standard for conventional guide signs?
All sign lettering shall be in upper-case letters unless otherwise provided in the MUTCD for a particular sign or type of message. The sign lettering for names of places, streets, and highways shall be composed of a combination of
lower-case letters with initial upper-case letters.

53. Guide Signs:
The longer the legend on a guide sign, the longer it will take road users to comprehend it, regardless of letter size.
Guide signs should be limited to no more than three lines of destinations, which include place names, route numbers, street names, and cardinal directions. Where two or more signs are included in the same overhead display, the amount of legend should be further minimized.

54. Guide Signs:
Tourist-oriented directional signs shall have one or more sign panels for the purpose of displaying the business identification of and directional information for eligible facilities. Each sign panel shall be rectangular in shape and shall have a white legend and border on a blue background.

55. Guide Signs:

56. Guide Signs:
Except for political boundary signs, General Information signs shall have
Green background
& white legend

57. Guide Signs If a reference location sign cannot be installed in the correct location, it may be moved in either direction as much as 50 feet. If a reference location sign cannot be placed within 50 feet of the correct location, it should be omitted.

58. What’s wrong with this picture?
School Areas:
Why should you use a School Crossing sign at a signalized intersection, but not at an intersection controlled by stop signs?
You don’t always have to stop at a traffic signal.
What’s wrong with this picture?
What is the recommended minimum-to-maximum installation range for a School Advance sign from the school grounds or a school crossing?
150 to 700 ft

59. Bicycle Facilities: Part 9 How would you define a shared roadway?
A roadway designated for bicycle travel, shared with motor vehicle traffic but without a designated lane
What is a bikeway?
A road or path that is specifically designed for bicycle travel regardless of whether it is shared or not
In what Part of the MUTCD is this information found?
Part 9

60. Bicycle Facilities: Application and Placement of Signs- Where used on a shared-use path, no portion of a sign or its support shall be placed less than 2 feet laterally from the near edge of the path, or less than 8 feet vertically over the entire width of the shared-use path.

61. Twice the width of a normal line
Pavement Markings:
Define “normal width” when talking about longitudinal pavement markings?
4 to 6 inches
Define “wide width” when talking about longitudinal pavement markings?
Twice the width of a normal line

62. Solid line Double line Pavement Markings:
What type of lane line should you use to discourage lane changing?
Solid line
What type of lane line should you use to prohibit lane changing?
Double line

63. Pavement Markings: White Yellow
What color markings are used to separate traffic traveling in the same direction?
White
What color markings are used to separate traffic traveling in opposite directions?
Yellow
What color are edge lines?
Left-hand side – Yellow
Right-hand side – White

64. Pavement Markings:
The center line markings on two-lane, two-way roadways shall be one of the following
Two-direction passing zone markings consisting of a normal broken yellow line where crossing the center line markings for passing with care is permitted for traffic traveling in either direction;
One-direction no-passing zone markings consisting of a double yellow line, one of which is a normal broken yellow line and the other is a normal solid yellow line, where crossing the center line for passing with care is permitted for the traffic traveling adjacent to the broken line, but is prohibited for traffic traveling adjacent to the solid line;
Two-direction no-passing zone markings consisting of two normal solid yellow lines where crossing the center line markings for passing is prohibited for traffic traveling in either direction.
A single solid yellow line shall not be used as a center line marking on a two-way roadway.

65. Pavement Markings: comprising the yield line should have a base of 12
The individual triangles
comprising the yield line
should have a base of 12
to 24 inches wide and a
height equal to 1.5
times the base. The space
between the triangles
should be 3 to 12 inches.

66. Pavement Markings:
What color are pavement markings that are visible only to traffic traveling in the wrong direction?
Red

67. Pavement Markings: Lane drop markings used in advance of lane drops at
freeway and expressway exit
ramps should begin at least
1/2 mile in advance of the
theoretical gore.

68. Pavement Markings: 1,000 feet Parking regulations Roadway delineation
What are some uses for curb markings?
Parking regulations
Roadway delineation
What is the symbol for an HOV lane?
What is an appropriate spacing for preferential lane markings on a freeway?
Elongated
Diamond
1,000 feet

69. Pavement Markings:
What should the spacing of letters or words on transverse pavement marking be?
At least 4 time the height of the word
Not more than 10 times the height

70. Pavement Markings:
Although agency standards may vary, what distance does the MUTCD recommend between stop bars and the nearest crosswalk?
4 feet

71. Does the MUTCD allow the color yellow for crosswalk markings? NO!
Pavement Markings:
Does the MUTCD allow the color yellow for crosswalk markings?
NO!
When crosswalk lines are used, they shall consist of solid white lines that mark the crosswalk. They
shall not be less than 6 inches or greater than 24 inches in width.

72. Pavement Markings: When an exclusive pedestrian phase that
permits diagonal
crossing of an intersection
is provided at a traffic
control signal, a marking
as shown may be used for
the crosswalk.

73. Pavement Marking Materials:
What is the standard wet film thickness of traffic paint?
15 mils
What are some of the characteristics of glass beads that should be considered for specifications?
Crushing strength
Refraction index
Graduation
How many lbs/gallon of glass beads should be applied when painting?
6 lbs/gallon

74. Pavement Marking Materials:
Beads commonly used in traffic paint have a refractive index of ?
1.50 to 1.90

75. Delineators: How do you determine the color of delineators?
They shall be the same color as the edge line on the side of the roadway.
What is the normal range that delineators should be spaced on tangent sections of roadways?
Page 3D-1 & 3D-2
200 to 530 feet
At what height should delineators be mounted?
4 Feet

76. Sign Fabrication:

77. Sign Fabrication: What is a Cincinnati one-man Printer?
A manually operated screen printing machine
What is Silk Screening?
Passing ink through a mesh screen in order to produce an image

78. Sign Fabrication:
If you have ever seen a black and white stop sign at night the cause is an opaque silk screen ink.  During the day the sign will look great but as soon as we start using the retro-reflective sheeting the opaque ink does not allow light to pass through so it blocks the retro-reflectivity of the sheeting.  Some manufacturers, to save cost or some other reason, will use opaque inks.   It is good to know the proper translucent ink to use and to be able to inspect signs and know the difference between opaque and translucent inks.  The only time you can use and opaque ink is if the color is black.

79. Sign Fabrication:
The standard plotter blades for cutting vinyl and overlay film are between 30 and 45 degrees.  60 to 70 degree blades are used for cutting thicker material like retro-reflective sheeting (and sand blast material in the commercial industry).  The principle is the greater the angle the longer the cutting surface therefore the blade can go deeper into the material. 

80. Sign Fabrication:
Some manufacturer’s claim to have an overlay film for traffic sign application; however it is only a translucent vinyl.  Translucent vinyl does not have the longevity/durability that the acrylic overlay films have.  Not only will the vinyl's color fade quicker but it will start to break down (i.e. curling, peeling, shrinking, etc.)  So it is important to know this when purchasing your material or writing specifications.

81. Sign Shop Management: -Crashworthiness
What is the best practice for loading signs on your truck?
They should be secured in vertical racks to prevent rubbing.
What are some important factors to consider when determining the type of sign support to use?
-Crashworthiness
-Equipment needed to maintain the system
-Maintenance costs
-Appearance (least important)

82. QUESTIONS?
DISCUSSION?