National Standards for Traffic Control Devices; the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways; Notice of Termination of Interim Approval IA-5 |
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Gregory G. Nadeau
Federal Highway Administration
January 25, 2016
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 15 (Monday, January 25, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4083-4084]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-01383]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
National Standards for Traffic Control Devices; the Manual on
Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways; Notice of
Termination of Interim Approval IA-5
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and
Highways (MUTCD) is incorporated in our regulations, approved by FHWA,
and recognized as the national standard for traffic control devices
used on all streets, highways, bikeways, and private roads open to
public travel. This notice terminates the Interim Approval for Use of
Clearview Font for Positive Contrast Legends on Guide Signs (IA-5),
issued September 2, 2004, as authorized by Section 1A.10 of the MUTCD,
and discontinues the provisional use of an alternative lettering style
in traffic control device applications. The result of this termination
rescinds the use of letter styles other than the FHWA Standard
Alphabets on traffic control devices, except as provided otherwise in
the MUTCD. Existing signs that use the provisional letter style and
comply with the Interim Approval are unaffected by this action and may
remain as long as they are in serviceable condition. This action does
not create a mandate for the removal or installation of any sign. This
action does not amend any provision of the MUTCD.
DATES: Effective 30 days after publication in the Federal Register.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions about this notice,
contact Mr. Kevin Sylvester, MUTCD Team Leader, FHWA Office of
Transportation Operations, (202) 366-2161, or via email at
Kevin.Sylvester@dot.gov . For legal questions, please contact Mr.
William Winne, Office of the Chief Counsel, (202) 366-1397, or via
email at William.Winne@dot.gov. Office hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30
p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Numerous research efforts have taken place over the last 15 years
with the goal of improving the legibility of highway signs. One area of
focus has been on guide signs. As a result of some early studies,\1\
FHWA issued an Interim Approval allowing provisional use of an
alternative lettering style known as ClearviewTM for signs
in positive contrast color orientations (lighter legend on darker
background).\2\ Although the research supported only one series of this
lettering style, the Interim Approval was written in a way that would
authorize narrower letter forms, to correspond to the system of the
FHWA Standard Alphabets, in anticipation of successful future research
evaluations. However, subsequent evaluations showed no benefit to the
narrower letter forms and degraded sign legibility when compared to the
corresponding FHWA Standard Alphabet series.\3\ Additionally, tests of
alternative lettering in negative contrast color orientations (dark
legend on lighter background, such as for regulatory and warning signs)
showed no improvement and significantly degraded legibility of the
sign.\4\
[[Page 4084]]
Ultimately, the consistent finding among all the research evaluations
is that the brightness of the retroreflective sheeting is the primary
factor in nighttime legibility.
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\1\ Carlson, P.J., Evaluation of Clearview Alphabet with
Microprismatic Retroreflective Sheetings, Report No. FHWA/TX-02/
4049-1. Texas Transportation Institute, August 2001, resubmitted
October 2001.
\2\ Interim Approval 5 can be accessed at the following Web
address: http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/res-ia_clearview_font.htm.
\3\ Chrysler, S.T., P.J. Carlson, and H.G. Hawkins. Nighttime
Legibility of Ground-Mounted Traffic Signs as a Function of Font,
Color, and Retroreflective Sheeting Type, Report No. FHWA/TX-03/
1796-2. Texas Transportation Institute, September 2002.
\4\ Holick, A., S.T. Chrysler, E. Park, and P.J. Carlson.
Evaluation of the ClearviewTM Font for Negative Contrast
Traffic Signs, Report No. FHWA/TX-06/0-4984-1. Texas Transportation
Institute, January 2006, resubmitted April 2006.
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The presence and availability of two separate letter styles with
differing criteria have resulted in significant confusion and
inconsistency in highway sign design, fabrication processes, and
application. Although the terms of FHWA's 2004 Interim Approval are
explicit, misunderstandings and misapplications of the provisional
letter style have resulted. Inconsistent sign design practices are
becoming more common and may have coincided with the provisional
allowance of an alternative lettering style due to a lack of consistent
implementation and inaccurate presumptions that lesser sign design
criteria, such as reduced interline and edge spacing, are broadly
acceptable. Additionally, many agencies believed that the alternative
lettering style should be used in all applications and that all
lettering should be displayed in upper and lowercase lettering,
regardless of the type of message. There is also considerable confusion
that the requirement of the MUTCD to display destination and street
names in upper and lowercase lettering equates to the use of the
provisional lettering style rather than the Standard Alphabets. In
actuality, there is no interdependency between letter style and case.
Purpose of This Notification
Uniformity in the display of traffic control devices is central to
the underlying foundation of the MUTCD. As such, FHWA establishes the
criteria therein with uniformity in mind. This uniformity extends not
only to the content of the message displayed, but also to the format
and appearance of the display itself. Although seldom specifically
identifiable by the motorist, non-uniformity of a sign display or
sequence of signs might exhibit itself in less direct ways, such as
diminished legibility requiring additional glance time directed toward
a sign or group of signs instead of toward the traffic on the road.
The FHWA is committed to exploring solutions that can significantly
contribute to enhanced road user safety and are readily and feasibly
implemented. In this particular case, there is no benefit of the
alternative method that cannot be similarly achieved within the
established practice. In many cases, the established practice actually
demonstrated benefits that the alternative could not achieve. The FHWA
believes that devoting further resources to the development of an
alternative will not yield dramatically different results that would
warrant an institutional change.
Conclusion
Based on these findings, FHWA does not intend to pursue further
consideration, development, or support of an alternative letter style.
Accordingly, FHWA discontinues further implementation of an alternative
letter style and terminates and rescinds the Interim Approval for new
signing installations, except as otherwise provided in the MUTCD.
Existing signs that use the provisional letter style and comply with
the Interim Approval are unaffected by this action and may remain as
long as they are in serviceable condition. This action does not create
a mandate for the removal or installation of any sign. This action does
not amend any provision of the MUTCD.
Authority: 23 U.S.C. 101(a), 104, 109(d), 114(a), 217, 315, and
402(a); 23 CFR 1.32; and, 49 CFR 1.85.
Issued on: January 15, 2016.
Gregory G. Nadeau,
Administrator, Federal Highway Administration.
[FR Doc. 2016-01383 Filed 1-22-16; 8:45 am]
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