You’ve probably heard of the new retro-reflectivity standard that the FHWA has created that requires Cities and Counties to measure the reflectiveness of their signs and take steps to replace the ones that don’t meet the standard.  Here’s some background.  It probably won’t come as a surprise that the Feds have done some research and discovered that while only 25% of travel occurs at night, the night-time hours account for 50% of crashes. 

Night Travel & Crashes

In fact, the nighttime crash rate is nearly three times that of daytime crashes.  Both behavioral factors (fatigue, alcohol, etc.) and road engineering contributes to the nighttime/daytime disparity.  Improving visibility at night helps everyone. 

Signs give information to drivers about road conditions, and their nighttime visibility is generally adequate when they are installed.  However, sign retroreflectivity, the degree to which a light beam is reflected back to its source, degrades over time with exposure to sunlight, weather and other environmental factors. 

In 2008, the Feds established a standard for the retro-reflectivity of traffic signs.  The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) now states that “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 2A-3”

Minimum Maintained Retroreflectivity Standard

Whoa!  That looks confusing.  Don’t worry.  The rule provides a lot of versatility.  There are many methods by which to comply with the new standard, the best of which don’t even include measuring the retroreflectivity of your signs, which can be expensive and time consuming.  The best way to choose the appropriate method is to keep the goal in mind – To provide signs that meet drivers’ nighttime visibility needs. 

Section 2A.08 of the MUTCD helps to limit an agency’s liability and states: “Compliance… is achieved by having a method in place and using the method to maintain the minimum levels established in Table 2A-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.”

In 2012, the dates for having a method selected an in use was extended 2.5 years.  The new deadline for implementation and continued use of an assessment or management method is June 2014.

How can your city or county comply with the new rules?  In our experience, we think the management method of BLANKET REPLACEMENT is ultimately the cheapest way to comply and meet your goal of providing signs that meet drivers’ nighttime visibility needs.  Why?  Signs will degrade over time and will eventually need replacement regardless of what we do, and this method allows you to plan your budget needs over multiple years with some certainty.

There are three easy steps to implement the Blanket Replacement Management Method:

1. Inventory your signs
2. Create a multi-year replacement plan with the goal of replacing all of your signs in 7-years.  Prioritize replacement based on sign condition
3. Create a set of bid documents and bid out the work

It’s not as expensive or daunting a task as you may think.  It’s not as involved as inventorying your storm drain system, which many of you have done.  New technology can be employed to significantly lower the cost of these inventories and can then be leveraged to quickly create a multi-year replacement plan. 

Let’s look at an example.  Earlier this year, Clark Patterson Lee inventoried the City of Berkeley Lake’s signs, a city that is approximately 1.1 square miles and has a population of about 1,600.  Here’s what we found: There are 485 traffic signs in the city limits, not including the principal arterials like Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, for which the City is not responsible.   Due to intergovernmental agreements, Gwinnett County is responsible for 250 of those signs.  After the inventory process, we prioritized sign replacement based on condition and created a replacement map and spreadsheet for year 1.  The City also got a sign geodatabase for their GIS system that they can use for future projects.

Berkeley Lake Partial Sign Replacement Map

Berkeley Lake Sign Replacement Spreadsheet - Year 1

 

We are currently bidding the year 1 replacement project, and in seven years, the city will have replaced all of its sign inventory and met its goal to provide signs that meet driver’s nighttime visibility needs.  The City’s total cost to date for the inventory, management plan and bid documents has been about $5,500, a reasonable cost that is easily budgeted.  SPLOST funds will be used to replace the signs.

If you want to know more details, or if we can help you solve your problem, please call me at 770-831-9000.