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MUTCD Revision 2

Introduction

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Section 2A.09 Maintaining Minimum Retroreflectivity—new section—from the effective date of the Final Rule for Revision 2 of the 2003 MUTCD:

• 4 years for implementation and continued use of an assessment or management method that is designed to maintain traffic sign retroreflectivity at or above the established minimum levels;
  
  
• 7 years for replacement of regulatory, warning, and ground-mounted guide (except street name) signs that are identified using the assessment or management method as failing to meet the established minimum levels; and
  
  
• 10 years for replacement of street name signs and overhead guide signs that are identified using the assessment or management method as failing to meet the established minimum levels.
  
  

Section 1A.11 Relation to Other Publications

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The publication entitled “Maintaining Traffic Sign Retroreflectivity” (2007 Edition) is available at www.fhwa.dot.gov/retro, or write to the FHWA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, HSA-1, Washington, DC 20590.

Section 2A.09 Maintaining Minimum Retroreflectivity

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Support:

Retroreflectivity is one of several factors associated with maintaining nighttime sign visibility (see Section 2A.22).

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 2A-3.

Support:

Compliance with the above Standard is achieved by having a method in place and using the method to maintain the minimum levels established in Table 2A-3. Provided that an assessment or management method is being used, an agency or official having jurisdiction would be in compliance with the above Standard even if there are some individual signs that do not meet the minimum retroreflectivity levels at a particular point in time.

Guidance:

Except for those signs specifically identified in the Option in this Section, one or more of the following assessment or management methods should be used to maintain sign retroreflectivity:

1. Visual Nighttime Inspection – The retroreflectivity of an existing sign is assessed by a trained sign inspector conducting a visual inspection from a moving vehicle during nighttime conditions. Signs that are visually identified by the inspector to have retroreflectivity below the minimum levels should be replaced.
2. Measured Sign Retroreflectivity – Sign retroreflectivity is measured using a retroreflectometer. Signs with retroreflectivity below the minimum levels should be replaced.
3. Expected Sign Life – When signs are installed, the installation date is labeled or recorded so that the age of a sign is known. The age of the sign is compared to the expected sign life. The expected sign life is based on the experience of sign retroreflectivity degradation in a geographic area compared to the minimum levels. Signs older than the expected life should be replaced.
4. Blanket Replacement – All signs in an area/corridor, or of a given type, should be replaced at specified intervals. This eliminates the need to assess retroreflectivity or track the life of individual signs. The replacement interval is based on the expected sign life, compared to the minimum levels, for the shortest-life material used on the affected signs.
5. Control Signs – Replacement of signs in the field is based on the performance of a sample of control signs. The control signs might be a small sample located in a maintenance yard or a sample of signs in the field. The control signs are monitored to determine the end of retroreflective life for the associated signs. All field signs represented by the control sample should be replaced before the retroreflectivity levels of the control sample reach the minimum levels.
6. Other Methods – Other methods developed based on engineering studies can be used.

Support:

Additional information about these methods is contained in the 2007 Edition of FHWA’s “Maintaining Traffic Sign Retroreflectivity” (see Section 1A.11).

Option:

Highway agencies may exclude the following signs from the retroreflectivity maintenance guidelines described in this Section:

1. Parking, Standing, and Stopping signs (R7 and R8 series)
   
   
2. Walking/Hitchhiking/Crossing signs (R9 series, R10-1 through R10-4b)
   
   
3. Adopt-A-Highway signs
   
   
4. All signs with blue or brown backgrounds
   
   
5. Bikeway signs that are intended for exclusive use by bicyclists or pedestrians

Table 2A-3 Minimum Maintained Retroreflectivity Levels

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Table 2A-3 Minimum Maintained Retroreflectivity Levels ¹

Sign Color	Sheeting Type (ASTM D4956-04)						Additional Criteria
	Beaded Sheeting				Prismatic Sheeting
	I	II		III	III, IV, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X
White on Green	W*; G ≥ 7	W*; G ≥ 15		W*; G ≥ 25	W ≥ 250; G ≥ 25		Overhead
	W*; G ≥ 7	W ≥ 120; G ≥ 15					Ground-mounted
Black on Yellow or Black on Orange	Y*; O*	Y ≥ 50; O ≥ 50					2
	Y*; O*	Y ≥ 75; O ≥ 75					3
White on Red	W ≥ 35; R ≥ 7						4
Black on White	W ≥ 50						—
The minimum maintained retroreflectivity levels shown in this table are in units of cd/lx/m2 measured at an observation angle of 0.2° and an entrance angle of -4.0°. For text and fine symbol signs measuringat least 1200 mm (48 in) and for all sizes of bold symbol signs For text and fine symbol signs measuring less than 1200 mm (48 in) Minimum Sign Contrast Ratio ≥ 3:1 (white retroreflectivity ÷ red retroreflectivity) * This sheeting type should not be used for this color for this application.
Bold Symbol Signs
W1-1, -2 – Turn and Curve W1-3, -4 – Reverse Turn and Curve W1-5 – Winding Road W1-6, -7 – Large Arrow W1-8 – Chevron W1-10 – Intersection in Curve W1-11 – Hairpin Curve W1-15 – 270 Degree Loop W2-1 – Cross Road W2-2, -3 – Side Road W2-4, -5 – T and Y Intersection W2-6 – Circular Intersection			W3-1 – Stop Ahead W3-2 – Yield Ahead W3-3 – Signal Ahead W4-1 – Merge W4-2 – Lane Ends W4-3 – Added Lane W4-5 – Entering Roadway Merge W4-6 – Entering Roadway Added Lane W6-1, -2 – Divided Highway Begins and Ends W6-3 – Two-Way Traffic W10-1, -2, -3, -4, -11, -12 – Highway-Railroad Advance Warning			W11-2 – Pedestrian Crossing W11-3 – Deer Crossing W11-4 – Cattle Crossing W11-5 – Farm Equipment W11-6 – Snowmobile Crossing W11-7 – Equestrian Crossing W11-8 – Fire Station W11-10 – Truck Crossing W12-1 – Double Arrow W16-5p, -6p, -7p – Pointing Arrow Plaques W20-7a – Flagger W21-1a – Worker
Fine Symbol Signs – Symbol signs not listed as Bold Symbol Signs.
Special Cases
W3-1 – Stop Ahead: Red retroreflectivity ≥ 7 W3-2 – Yield Ahead: Red retroreflectivity ≥ 7; White retroreflectivity ≥ 35 W3-3 – Signal Ahead: Red retroreflectivity ≥ 7; Green retroreflectivity ≥ 7 W3-5 – Speed Reduction: White retroreflectivity ≥ 50 For non-diamond shaped signs such W14-3 (No Passing Zone), W4-4p (Cross Traffic Does Not Stop), or W13-1, -2, -3, -5 (Speed Advisory Plaques), use largest sign dimension to determine proper minimum retroreflectivity level.

Section 2A.22 Maintenance

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Maintenance activities should consider proper position, cleanliness, legibility, and daytime and nighttime visibility (see Section 2A.09). Damaged or deteriorated signs should be replaced.