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5/15/2012

Summary of the revisions by the FHWA
The following is opinion based on the change:
1) Eliminating the compliance dates for replacement of signs. This change is a major change. This means that signs will be replaced when they have lost reflectivity or have deteriated to the point that they no longer command attention of the driver. Government Agencies must still follow the minimum established reflectivity standards established Jan. 2008 when replacing a sign after its useful life. Signs installed or replaced after Jan 2015 will be High Intensity or higher reflectivity.
2) Government Agencies still need to establish an implementation and assessment method for all regulatory and warning signs. Inventory Signs, Mark signs with (estimated) date of installation, inspect and replace as needed, begining Jan 2012.
3) Street name signs were eliminated from the compliance date. This change is a major change. 
3b) Upper and lowercase letters use on street name plates: It is not clear if the use of upper and lowercase letters has been changed as of this ruling. It is my opinion that this will be changed, as the use of upper and lowercase letters on low speed roadways (less than 45 mph) would produce a sign that was not as readable at distance as compaired to signs with uppercase letters. 

Please see the information provided by the FHWA below.....

Engineering Judgment (Rev. 1) Restores certain language from the 2003 MUTCD regarding the use of engineering judgment and modifies the definition of “Standard.”  Official Ruling No. 1(09)-1 (I) issued October 1, 2010 clarifying the modification of MUTCD  Standards to address site-specific conditions remains in effect, in conjunction with the revised MUTCD language.
Compliance Dates (Rev. 2)

46 of the 58 compliance dates listed in Table I-2 of the 2009 MUTCD have been eliminated.  Any date that has expired, but is no longer shown in the table, is no longer applicable.   Thus, conformance is achieved through systematic upgrading for those particular provisions.  Dates that have already expired, but are still listed in the table, are still in effect.  Additionally, Section 2D.45 has a new provision allowing the option for existing historic Street Name signs in locally identified historic districts to be exempt from other provisions.
U.S. Department of Transportation Reduces Burden on Local Governments.

A copy of the ruling FHWA 22-12, Thursday, May 10, 2012 is published below.

U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Public Affairs, Washington, D.C., www.dot.gov/affairs/briefing.htm - News

FHWA 22-12
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Contact: Cathy St. Denis
Tel: 202-366-0660

U.S. Department of Transportation Reduces Burden on Local Governments

Final Rule Eliminates Dozens of Deadlines for Replacing Traffic Signs, Simplifies Requirements

WASHINGTON - U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced the Obama Administration is eliminating 46 regulations on traffic signs to provide more flexibility for state and local governments, including allowing communities to replace traffic signs when they are worn out rather than requiring signs to be replaced by a specific date.

"Some of these burdensome deadlines would have cost communities millions of dollars at a time when they can't afford that," said Secretary LaHood. "We spoke to state and local officials across the country, and we heard them loud and clear."

Earlier this year, President Obama called for a government-wide review of regulations in order to identify those that needed to be changed or removed because they were unnecessary, out-of-date, excessively burdensome or overly costly.

"Officials at the state and local levels are in the best position to make decisions related to sign replacement and other issues related to traffic management," said Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez. "These changes will give them the flexibility they need to make the best use of taxpayer dollars."

The regulations establishing deadlines for street sign replacement came from the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), which is a compilation of national standards for all pavement markings, street signs and traffic signals. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), which has published the manual since 1971, updates it periodically to accommodate changing transportation needs and address new safety technologies, traffic control tools, and traffic management techniques.

Last August, FHWA issued a Notice of Proposed Amendments to eliminate the 46 deadlines, and a final rule has been sent to the Federal Register for publication. The final rule is available in the docket, FHWA-2010-0159, available at http://www.regulations.gov.

The deadlines requiring that certain street name signs be replaced by 2018 to meet minimum retroreflectivity standards and requiring larger lettering on those street name signs are among the deadlines that will be eliminated. The final rule also eliminates deadlines for increasing the size of various traffic signs, such as 'Pass With Care' and 'Low Clearance.' Instead, communities will be able to replace and upgrade these signs when they reach the end of their useful life.

In addition to eliminating the deadlines, FHWA will allow communities to retain historic street-name signs in historic districts.

The DOT has retained 12 deadlines for sign upgrades that are critical to public safety. These safety-critical sign upgrades include installing ONE WAY signs at intersections with divided highways or one-way streets and requiring STOP or YIELD signs to be added at all railroad crossings that don't have train-activated automatic gates or flashing lights.

 

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