MUTCD for Elected Officials Moderator Dave Boruff Indiana

MUTCD for Elected Officials Moderator: Dave Boruff, Indiana Department of Transportation Speakers: Karen Stippich, Federal Highway Administration Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 1

What is the MUTCD ? The National standard for Traffic Control Devices (TCD). The MUTCD outlines the design, application, and placement of TCDs through standards, guidance, options, and support provisions. (23 USC 109(d) and 402(a)) and 23 CFR 655 Subpart F Purdue Road School March 8, 2011

Traffic Control Devices: Signs Signals Pavement Markings Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 3

Why do Elected Officials need to know about the MUTCD? • Deadlines for sign upgrades that will effect Budgets! • Tort Liability • Better Signage can improve Safety Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 4

MUTCD Compliance - Signs Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 5

Uniformity Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 6

What is the legal status of the MUTCD? The MUTCD is adopted by reference in accordance with Title 23, United States Code, Section 109(d) and Title 23, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 655. 603, and is approved as the national standard for designing, applying, and planning traffic control devices. Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 7

MUTCD – The MUTCD is issued by FHWA Administrator and is the national standard – NCUTCD & AASHTO develop consensus recommendations, which are then submitted to the FHWA – Federal Register rulemaking process – All Local, State or Federal Agency MUTCDs have to be in substantial conformance with the National MUTCD 8 Purdue Road School March 9, 2011

Indiana Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices – 2008 Edition Order and Adoption by the INDOT Commissioner per IC 9 -21 -2, 9 -21 -3 & 9 -21 -4 FHWA Letter of Approval Effective July 1, 2008 http: //www. in. gov/dot/div/contracts/design/mutcd/ mutcd. html Ø New Edition coming soon (based 2009 National Manual) Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 9

MUTCD is the national standard for all traffic control devices installed on any street, highway, or bicycle trail open to public travel. Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 10

MUTCD applies to private roads that are “open to public travel” Toll roads and roads within shopping centers, airports, sports arenas, theme parks, and similar business or recreation facilities that are privately owned, but the public is allowed to travel without access restrictions Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 11

Parking areas and their driving aisles are not subject to MUTCD requirements Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 12

Enforcement State and local jurisdictions can encourage MUTCD compliance on private roads by incorporating pertinent language into zoning requirements, building and occupancy permits, and similar controls that they exercise over private properties. Parties responsible for such private roads are encouraged to bring the traffic control devices into compliance with the MUTCD and other applicable State Manuals, and those who do not may find themselves exposed to increased tort liability. Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 13

I - General Sign Compliance • If you are going to place a sign the MUTCD directs you how to do it. • Some signs required others are left to engineering Judgment/Study • 23 CFR 655 Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 14

II - Traffic Sign Retroreflectivity Requirements DEADLINES Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 15

News Headlines • Street Sign Overhaul To Cost Communities Thousands (WRTV – Indianapolis) • Government Orders Cities To Change Street Signs (KMBC) • Local Governments Told To Buy New Street Signs (ABC) Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 16

Replacement • Not all signs • Just the ones that are under the minimums • The media should not be your source – LTAP – INDOT – FHWA Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 17

Just the ones that are under the minimums Purdue Road School March 8, 2011

Retroreflectivity Rules • “Standard: Public agencies or officials having jurisdiction shall use an assessment or management method that is designed to maintain sign retroreflectivity at or above the minimum levels in Table 2 A-3” • “Support: Compliance… is achieved by having a method in place and using the method to maintain the minimum levels established in Table 2 A-3. Provided that… a method is being used, an agency would be in compliance… even if there are some individual signs that do not meet the… levels at a particular point in time. Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 19

Retroreflectivity Minimum Values • Table 2 A-3 Minimum Maintained Retroreflectivity Levels Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 20

Compliance Dates Jan 22, identify and begin using method(s) 2012 replace identified regulatory, warning, Jan 22, and ground-mounted guide signs 2015 (except street-name) Jan 22, replace identified street name and 2018 overhead guide signs Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 21

Exempt Signs Parking/Standing/Stopping Walking/Hitchhiking Adopt-A-Highway Blue or Brown Backgrounds Exclusive Use of Bikes or Peds Note: Must still meet other requirements in MUTCD (inspections, retroreflective, etc, ) • • • Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 22

Why Create Minimums? Daytime Nighttime Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 23

Nighttime Driving Daytime Many cues available Nighttime Few cues remain Driver task relatively easy Task more difficult Retroreflectivity provides nighttime guidance

Retroreflectivity Degrades Over Time When do we replace the sign? Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 25

Sign Management and Tort Liability In addition to improving safety for drivers, FHWA believes that the selection of a reasonable method for maintaining sign retroreflectivity might serve to defend public agencies in tort liability claims and litigation. Public agencies that demonstrate a reasonable maintenance policy as outlined in the MUTCD should be better equipped to successfully defend against tort litigation involving claims of improper sign retroreflectivity. The method should also include a process to systematically upgrade signs to meet the all the requirements of the MUTCD per 23 CFR 655 Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 26

Liability • • Warning Signs Regulatory (Stop) Work Zone Signs Not placed properly Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 27

So now what? • Act casual, say (do) nothing and hope no one notices… ? Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 29

Method to Maintain • So you need to have an method to maintain • That is well documented • By the Deadline – January 22, 2012 – That’s 10 months from now!!!! – What does it take to do this? ? – What will this do for me? Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 30

Method includes…. . • Assessment or management process • Inventory and Maintenance Records • Budget • Implementation Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 32

Method to Maintain • Assessment method • Management method • Other or combination Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 33

Assessment Methods 1. Visual Nighttime Inspection This is assessment made by trained inspectors during Nighttime conditions. – Calibration Signs – Comparison Panels – Consistent Parameters 2. Measured Retroreflectivity The retroreflectivity of each sign is measured with a retroreflectometer. Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 34

Management methods 4. Blanket Replacement 5. Expected Sign Life 7 th yea r 3 rd year Replace all signs in this area 5 th during yea 1 st year r 6. Control signs Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 35

Other/ Combo • Other Method developed based on engineering study • Any combination of the aforementioned methods Document method Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 36

Which method is best for your agency? Considerations: – Staff time for training and assessment time – Cost of equipment – Which method gives you the longest sign life – Blanket method - replace some signs before reached minimum threshold – Number of signs – Number of vandalized signs – General Condition of signs (all, some, few that need to be replaced) Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 37

Inventory Data to Collect A robust inventory would include enough information to make informed decisions on upgrading signs. This is a list of good data to collect in an inventory. • • • Location Sign Information Installation Condition (Good/Marginal/Failing) Replacement needed (yes or no) Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 38

Inventory Data Location Route/Street Name Location along route Direction of travel (EB, WB, etc. ) or Direction Sign is facing Side of Roadway – (left, right overhead or median) Sign Information Type – Regulatory, Warning, Guide, etc. Legend - message (stop sign, curve warning etc. ) MUTCD sign number - top to bottom if multiple plaques Size (horizontal and vertical measurement) Sign Material Installation Date (if known – need for current and future installations) Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 39

Inventory Data Installation Post Type with Installation Date Breakaway (yes or no) Lateral offset – distance from edge of pavement Height to bottom of sign Condition (Good/Marginal/Failing) Sign Face condition (graffiti, holes, etc) Background Retroreflectivity* Text Reflectivity* Post condition If Marginal when is Re-Review needed: Replacement needed (yes or no) Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 40

How are you going record the Data? Paper vs. Computer based Paper – fill in form blank Computer Based – Simple Excel file or Commercial Software Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 41

Financial Budgeting • How much is it going to cost to comply? ? • Number of signs you need to replace – With a robust inventory you will know that! • Selected replacement schedule • Sheeting type/post type/installation • Annual knockdowns and vandalism Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 42

Sheeting Types that meet Minimums Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 43

Sheeting life in Indiana Type III Type IV White 10 years 1 20 years plus 1 18 years 2 Red 10 years 1 20 years 1 18 years 2 Yellow Not Allowed 20 years plus 1 18 years 2 Green Not Allowed 18 years 2 Indiana Data Ground Mounted Source – – 2 INDOT (Todd Shields) 1 LTAP in conjunction with Purdue (Neil Carboneau) Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 45

Sign Retroreflectivity • Sheet Sign History – INDOT – Pre mid-1990’s = Type I Engineer Grade – Mid 1990’s – 2007 = Type III High Intensity – 2007 + = Type IV High Intensity Prismatic (HIP) • Age Replacement Cycle – Prior to 2007 = 10 years – 2007 to 2011 = 14 years – 2011+ = 18 years (20 years for Panel Signs)

INDOT Sheet Sign Study • Type I signs are virtually phased out • Majority of existing signs are Type III, and signs installed since 2007 are Type IV • Looked at signs of all colors (white, green, yellow, red), facing all directions, northern and southern Indiana – Total of 211 signs were evaluated – Retro, color, sheeting type

Sign Retroreflectivity • INDOT’s method of compliance: – Combination of • Measured Retroreflectivity • Expected Sign Life • Blanket Replacement

Sign Sheeting Material Costs • Initial cost of a 36 x 36 inch warning sign – Type I Engineering Grade = $65 – Type III High Intensity Beaded = $68 – Type IV High Intensity Prismatic = $71 – Other Prismatic (Avery, NCI, or DG 3) = $87 (includes substrate, materials and installation) Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 49

Life Costs of Warning Signs with Different Sheetings • Warning sign (36 x 36 inch) – Engineering Grade = 65 ÷ 10 = $6. 50/yr – High Intensity Beaded = 68 ÷ 20 = $3. 4/yr – High Intensity Prismatic = 71 ÷ 18 = $3. 9/yr • How many Warning signs do you have? (200) – $6. 50 x 200 = $13000 – $3. 4 x 200 = $680 – $3. 9 x 200 = $780 Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 50

Replacement • Only Required to place what you need to! • Prioritize – Safety Considerations • Use of horizontal alignment signs is based upon the justification of an engineering study (Curve/Turn warning signs with advisory speed reduce crashes by 22%) • Chevron Alignment signs help drivers recognize roadway curves at night (Chevrons reduce crashes by 33%) – Budget Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 51

Summary of “Safety” Studies • Sioux City – – City-wide Application – Reported crash reductions – Day/Night Ratio – 34: 1 B/C – Program continued • Putnam County – Spot Locations – 25% reduction in crashes – 50% reduction in nighttime – Crash Types 52 • Mendocino County – Spot Locations – 42% reduction in crashes – Program continued

Document & Implement • • • Method Maintenance Practices Budgeting Overall plan Inventory A well documented process with records to show you are using it will help you with tort liability cases. Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 53

MUTCD training by LTAP Indiana LTAP MANUAL ON UNIFORM TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES (MUTCD) WORKSHOP DATES and LOCATIONS Fulfills the requirement for Indiana LTAP Road Scholar Core Course #8 MUTCD May 10, 2011 HUNTINGBURG Event/Community Center May 12, 2011 BROWNSTOWN Pewter Hall May 24, 2011 SELMA Ballroom at Cardinal Hills May 26, 2011 DANVILLE Hendricks County 4 -H Fairgrounds June 7, 2011 FORT WAYNE Allen County Fairgrounds June 9, 2011 SOUTH BEND Century Center Indiana LTAP website: http: //rebar. ecn. purdue. edu/LTAP/Home/ Road Scholar Core Course #5 Roadway Safety (3 hour Course) June 1 st 2011 in Indianapolis at (IACHES Conference) Road Safety Workshop (6 hour Course) July 28 th 2011 in West Lafayette Purdue Road School March 8, 2011

Break ? • Then some MUTCD Basics! Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 55

MUTCD Basics Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 56

MUTCD Website National MUTCD website http: //mutcd. fhwa. dot. gov • Standard Highway Signs book • Interim approvals • Power. Point of Changes Indiana MUTCD website http: //www. in. gov/dot/div/contracts/design/mutcd. html • Substantial Conformance • Complete version • List of deviations Purdue Road School March 8, 2011

Systematic Upgrades • Have a program for the systematic upgrading of substandard traffic control devices (23 U. S. C. 402(a)) (23 CFR 655 F) • Either when the devices are no longer serviceable because they reach the end of their service life or otherwise need to be replaced, or when other events such as highway improvement or reconstruction projects occur • All new or reconstructed devices installed anytime after a new MUTCD is adopted must be in compliance with the new MUTCD provisions, regardless of whether or not there is a compliance date established for a given provision in the Manual Purdue Road School March 8, 2011

MUTCD Basics • Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices • Applies to Traffic Control Devices (TCD) “on all streets and highways open to public travel…” • The purpose of TCD’s is Fast and Accurate Communication with the Driver 59

MUTCD Language Categories • The Text Headings ØStandard ØGuidance ØOption ØSupport 60 Purdue Road School March 9, 2011

Standard • A SHALL statement of required, mandatory, or specifically prohibitive practice regarding a traffic control device. • All standards are labeled, and the text appears in bold type. • Standards are sometimes modified by Options 61 Purdue Road School March 9, 2011

Guidance • A SHOULD statement of recommended, practice but not mandatory, practice in typical situation, with deviations allowed if engineering judgment or engineering study indicates the deviations to be appropriate. • All Guidance statement are Italic text and labeled. • Guidance statements are sometimes modified by Options. 62 Purdue Road School March 9, 2011

Option • A statement of practice that is a permissive condition and carries no requirement or recommendation. • Options may contain allowable modifications to a Standard or Guidance. • All Option statements are labeled. • The verb may is used. 63 Purdue Road School March 9, 2011

Support • An informational statement that does not convey any degree of mandate, recommendation, authorization, prohibition, or enforceable condition. • Support statements are labeled. • The verbs shall, should, and may are not used in Support statements. 64 Purdue Road School March 9, 2011

Signs in the MUTCD • Regulatory Signs Regulatory signs shall be used to inform road users of selected traffic laws or regulations and indicate the applicability of the legal requirements. Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 65

Signs in the MUTCD • Warning Signs Warning signs call attention to unexpected conditions on or adjacent to a road to situations that might not be readily apparent to road users. Warning signs alert road users to conditions that might call for a reduction of speed or an action in the interest of safety and efficient traffic operations. Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 66

Signs in the MUTCD Guidance Guide signs are essential to direct road users along streets and highways, to inform them of intersecting routes, to direct them to cities, towns, villages, or other important destinations, to identify nearby rivers and streams, parks, forests, and historical sites, and generally to give such information as will help them along their way in the most simple, direct manner possible. Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 67

General Requirements Placement • Can combine Street Name signs with Stop or Yield • Breakaway post • Optimize Visibility Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 68

Heights and Lateral Locations of Signs

Street Name Signs Lettering (Section 2 D. 43) Ø combination of lower-case letters with initial upper-case letters Multi-lane 40 mph or less 6 inches 4. 5 inches Multi-lane More than 40 mph 8 inches 6 inches Green with White letters Blue with White letters Brown with White letters White with Black letters January 2018 – Retroreflectivity Purdue Road School March 8, 2011

New and revised sign size tables • Updated/expanded table for regulatory sign sizes • New detailed sign size tables: – Warning signs – Conventional road guide signs – Freeway/expressway guide signs – General service signs – General information signs

The use of 2 -WAY, 3 -WAY, and 4 -WAY plaques is prohibited ALL-WAY plaque remains as a “shall” if STOP signs are used on all approaches

Plaques for use when STOP signs control all but one approach to the intersection

Signs mounted back-to-back with STOP or YIELD signs should stay within the edges – Do Not Obscure Shape

Horizontal Curve Warning The Turn (W 1 -1) sign or the Curve (W 1 -2) sign may be combined with the Cross Road (W 2 -1) sign or the Side Road (W 2 -2 or W 2 -3) sign to create a combination Horizontal Alignment/Intersection (W 1 -10) sign that depicts the condition where an intersection occurs within a turn or curve. Purdue Road School March 8, 2011

New warning signs for road flooding

Provisions for use of pictographs on guide signs Exceeds maximum size, not official seal

Route shield may be used on a Street Name sign

Part 5 is not applicable on neighborhood residential streets Not applicable Applicable Part 5 applies only outside of built-up areas of cities, towns, and communities

Passive Rail Crossings • A YIELD sign shall be the default traffic control device for Crossbuck Assemblies • Unless an engineering study performed by the regulatory agency or highway authority having jurisdiction over the roadway approach determines that a STOP sign is appropriate Purdue Road School March 8, 2011

New symbol sign to replace the S 3 -1 word message sign S 3 -1

New sign to warn of school bus turnaround locations S 3 -2

High-visibility safety apparel - Required for all workers within the public right of way - Applies to all roads, not just those on the Federal -aid system - Option for law enforcement and first responders to use new ANSI “public safety vests” - Firefighters and law enforcement are exempted from the requirement under certain conditions - December 31, 2011 compliance date on non Federal-aid highways

Placing two STOP signs or two YIELD signs on the same post for emphasis is prohibited

“Double-Up” of Advance Warning Signs Crash Reduction of 31% 85

Signs - Visibility 86

Signs - Visibility 87

Good Idea 88

Retroreflective Strips -a good idea. 89

Signal - Visibility 90

Positive Guidance: Primacy 91

Positive Guidance: Spreading/Overload 92

Information Spreading 93

Positive Guidance: Expectancy 94

Positive Guidance: Expectancy 95

Positive Guidance: Expectancy 96

Positive Guidance: Expectancy 97

Design of Traffic Control Devices 98

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MUTCD training by LTAP Indiana LTAP MANUAL ON UNIFORM TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES (MUTCD) WORKSHOP DATES and LOCATIONS Fulfills the requirement for Indiana LTAP Road Scholar Core Course #8 MUTCD May 10, 2011 HUNTINGBURG Event/Community Center May 12, 2011 BROWNSTOWN Pewter Hall May 24, 2011 SELMA Ballroom at Cardinal Hills May 26, 2011 DANVILLE Hendricks County 4 -H Fairgrounds June 7, 2011 FORT WAYNE Allen County Fairgrounds June 9, 2011 SOUTH BEND Century Center Indiana LTAP website: http: //rebar. ecn. purdue. edu/LTAP/Home/ Road Scholar Core Course #5 Roadway Safety (3 hour Course) June 1 st 2011 in Indianapolis at (IACHES Conference) Road Safety Workshop (6 hour Course) July 28 th 2011 in West Lafayette Purdue Road School March 8, 2011

Contact Information Karen Stippich Karen. Stippich@dot. gov 317 -226 -7122 • Indiana LTAP website: http: //rebar. ecn. purdue. edu/LTAP/Home/ Purdue Road School March 9, 2011 102