Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices

Aren Cambre

11-3-04

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 http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov.

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: http://www.dot.state.tx.us/trf/mutcd.htm

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