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Official MUTCD Interpretations
Issued by FHWA
What is an Official MUTCD Interpretation? Section
1A.10 of the 2003 edition of the MUTCD provides for official interpretations
of the MUTCD to be issued by FHWA when unique situations arise for device
applications that might require interpretation or clarification of the
Manual. An interpretation includes a consideration of the application
and operation of standard traffic control devices, official meanings
of standard traffic control devices, or the variations from standard
device designs.
Requesting an Official Interpretation: Any jurisdiction,
company, or individual that wishes to obtain an Official Interpretation
of an MUTCD provision from FHWA should submit a written request to the
FHWA, Director of the Office of Transportation Operations. The request should contain the following
information:
- A concise statement of the interpretation being sought;
- A description of the condition that provoked the need for an interpretation;
- Any illustration that would be helpful to understand the request;
and
- Any supporting research data that is pertinent to the item to be
interpreted.
The request should be sent electronically as an attachment (PDF or Word Document) to an e-mail to: MUTCDofficialrequest@dot.gov. [Note: if e-mail is not possible, the letter may be sent via postal mail or delivery service to the Federal Highway Administration at 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E., HOTO-1, Washington, DC 20590.
FHWA responds to each request for an interpretation with a formal written
reply. Interpretations and other FHWA MUTCD related correspondence for
the past two years may be viewed online via the Web site of the American
Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) at http://www.atssa.com/page.ww?section=Resources&name=Interpretation+Letters.
The Official Rulings Database on the
MUTCD Web site also contains information on older interpretations.
What Happens After an Official Interpretation is Issued?
After an Official Interpretation is issued, FHWA develops proposed text
modifications for inclusion in a future rulemaking action to revise
the MUTCD. The proposed revised MUTCD text revisions, if adopted via
rulemaking, would reflect the interpretation and would make the applicable
MUTCD text or figures more clear, thus avoiding further doubts about
the issue.
What Legal Status Do Interpretations Have? FHWA is
often asked about the legal status of Official Interpretations. For
example, do the interpretations officially modify what is in the current
edition of the MUTCD? Must all agencies change their design policies
and/or existing devices in the field to comply with provisions of an
Official Interpretation that was requested by one particular agency
or individual?
Until a formal rulemaking is completed (by Final Rule after public
comment) and the MUTCD is officially revised to reflect the content
of the interpretation, an Official Interpretation should be considered
as FHWA policy guidance or FHWA's recommendation of appropriate or best
practice. Thus, agencies are encouraged to follow guidance given in
an interpretation for any new designs or projects, but there is no legal
requirement to do so. Interpretations create no requirement to modify
or replace existing devices in the field. Compliance dates for such
revisions or replacements are established in conjunction with rulemakings
on MUTCD revisions.
Some interpretations clarify that a particular device design or application
meets the intent of the MUTCD or is in compliance with the MUTCD, even
though the MUTCD text does not specifically say so. An Official Interpretation
of this type provides agencies the ability to use or continue using
that particular device or application, at their option, but only in
the manner specified in the interpretation.
Most Recent Official Interpretations: As a convenience
to MUTCD users, the several most recent Official Interpretations issued
by FHWA for each Part of the MUTCD are listed below, with links for
each to the FHWA interpretation document and the request that generated
the interpretation.
Part 1 - General
- August 17, 2004 — 1-44(I) - Applicability of MUTCD to
Private Property (HTML,
DOC 24KB)
- April 9, 2004 — 1-41(I) - Clarification of Conformance with
the MUTCD (HTML,
PDF 559KB)
- October 16, 2003 — 1-40(I) - Status of Reference Documents
in the MUTCD (HTML,
DOC 30KB, HTML
Incoming, PDF
Incoming 1.3MB)
Part 2 - Signs
- August 22, 2008 — 2-646(I) - Pictograph Use on Guide Signs (HTML, PDF 197KB)
- January 31, 2008 — 2-638(I) - Color of Light Emitting Diodes (HTML, PDF 48KB)
- November 14, 2007 — 2-635(I) - When Pedestrians Are Present (HTML, PDF 64KB)
- June 13, 2007 — 2-621(Intr.) - Fasten Seat Belt Sign Located Beneath a STOP Sign (HTML, PDF 47KB)
- November 30, 2006 — 2-603(I) - Letter Size and Design of Street
Name Signs (HTML, DOC 206KB)
- October 2, 2006 — 2-599(I) - Commemorative Signs on Multi-Routes
(HTML, DOC 134KB)
- September 15, 2005 — 2-569(I) - Political Jurisdiction Logos on
Guide Signs (HTML,
PDF 500KB)
- July 27, 2005 — 2-566(I) - Combination Use of the W11-2 Pedestrian
Sign with the R1-5 and R1-6 Pedestrian Signs (HTML,
PDF 478KB)
- July 27, 2005 — 2-565(I) - Use of Pictographs on Interstate Guide
Signs (HTML, PDF
241KB)
- May 25, 2005 — 2-564(I) - Orientation of Airport Symbol (HTML,
PDF 314KB)
- April 27, 2005 — 2-563(I) - Pedestrian Flags for Crosswalks (Not
a TCD) (HTML, PDF
3MB)
- February 9, 2005 — 2-558(I) - Move Over Sign (HTML,
PDF 425KB)
- September 15, 2004 — 2-554(I) - No Parking-Limited Area or Zone
(HTML)
- May 17, 2004 — 2-551(I) - CMS Display of Travel Time (HTML,
PDF 1.3MB
- April 2, 2004 — 2-547(I) - Relationship Between Breakaway &
Crashworthy (HTML,
DOC 186KB)
- April 9, 2004 — 2-545(I) - Use of Folding Stop Signs for Traffic
Signal Outages (HTML,
PDF 294KB)
- March 1, 2004 — 2-540(I) - Use of Military Decals on Guide Signs
(HTML)
Part 3 - Markings
- August 25, 2008 — 3-223(I) - Channelizing Lines (HTML, PDF 128KB)
- February 22, 2008 — 3-218(I) - Color of Delineators vs. Object Markers (HTML, PDF 49KB)
- January 26, 2007 — 3-200(I) - Dilemma Zone Pavement Markings (HTML,
PDF 51KB))
- January 10, 2007 — 3-201(I) - Stop Lines for Yield Conditions
(HTML, DOC 200KB)
- July 19, 2006 — 3-196(I) - Splatter Markings (HTML, DOC 194KB)
- June 2, 2005 — 3-179(I) - Pavement Markings Alphabets (HTML,
PDF 543KB)
- April 27, 2005 — 3-178(I) - Retroreflective Colored Pavement - Additional
Clarification (HTML,
PDF 2.6MB)
- January 21, 2005 — 3-176(I) - Use of LED Devices as Raised Pavement
Markers (HTML)
- January 12, 2005 — 3-175(I) - Section 3B.17 Warning Signs for Nonintersection
Crosswalks (HTML,
PDF 4.2MB)
- December 23, 2004 — 3-174(I) - Continuous Line Segment Determination
(HTML, PDF 299KB)
Part 4 - Highway Traffic Signals
- August 18, 2008 — 4-346(I) - 70 Percent Factor for Warrants (HTML, PDF 94KB)
- January 26, 2007 — 4-320(I) - Steady Yellow Arrow After Flashing
Yellow Arrow (HTML, PDF 44KB)
- August 23, 2006 — 4-311(I) - Strobe Lights for Flashing Beacons
(HTML)
- February 3, 2006 — 4-303(I) - Overlaid Pedestrian Signal Symbols
(HTML, PDF
126KB)
- October 19, 2005 — 4-297(I) - Number of Signal Faces for Through
Movements (HTML,
DOC 46KB)
- September 30, 2005 — 4-294(I) - Ramp Metering Signals for Staggered
Release (HTML,
PDF 588KB)
- September 29, 2005 — 4-293(I) - APS Pushbutton Locations (HTML,
PDF 3.7MB)
- April 27, 2005 — 4-288(I) - Temporary Signal versus Seasonal Shutdown
(HTML, PDF
878KB)
- November 4, 2004 — 4-285(I) - Pedestrian Activation of Signal Operation
(HTML, PDF
769KB)
- June 3, 2004 — 4-269(I) - Pedestrian Activation of Warning Beacons
(HTML, PDF
592KB)
Part 5 - Low Volume Rural Roads
Part 6 - Temporary Traffic Control
- August 30, 2007 — 6-219(I) - Interim Approval List of Three Automated Flagger Assistance Devices (HTML, PDF 45KB)
- February 3, 2005 — 6-203(I) - Use and Design of Merging Tapers
for Lane Closures on Multi-Lane Non-Access Highways (HTML,
PDF 30KB)
- September 22, 2004 — 6-200(I) - Flagger Sign (W20-7, W20-7a) (HTML,
PDF 436KB)
- April 2, 2004 — 6-198(I) - Application of Downstream Tapers and
Termination Areas in TTC Zones (HTML,
PDF 936KB)
Part 7 - School Areas
- April 4, 2005 — 7-67(I) - Safety Apparel for Student Patrols (HTML,
PDF 670KB)
- September 6, 2004 — 7-65(I) - In-Street Pedestrian Sign Color &
Symbol (HTML, PDF
624KB)
- July 3, 2004 — 7-64(I) - In-Street Pedestrian Crossing Signs (R1-6,
R1-6a) and Yield Here for Pedestrians Signs (R1-5, R1-5a) Used at
School Crossings (HTML,
PDF 2.2MB)
Part 8 - Highway-Rail Grade Crossings
- October 27, 2004 — 8-69(I) - Traffic Gates for Busway Crossing
(HTML, PDF
357KB)
- August 29, 2003 — 8-66(I) - Traffic Gates on Public Streets (HTML,
DOC 24KB, PDF
Incoming Letter 10.9MB)
Part 9 - Bicycle Facilities
- May 25, 2004 — 9-75(I) - Bike Path Use Regulations (HTML,
PDF 1.2MB)
Part 10 - Highway-Light Rail Transit Grade Crossings
- October 6, 2006 — 10-66(I) - Light Rail Transit (LRT) Signals for
Bus Queue Jumper Lane (HTML, DOC 201KB)
- October 6, 2004 — 10-61(I) - Crossbuck at LRT Grade Crossings (HTML,
PDF 1.3MB)
- April 16, 2003 — 10-59(I) - Light Rail Transit Signals for Bus Rapid
Transit System Lanes (HTML,
DOC 23KB)
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