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Frequently Asked Questions - Part 7 - Traffic Control for School Areas

The following list of questions relates to the MUTCD Part 7 - Traffic Control for School Areas:

  1. Some school crossing signs in my area have crosswalk lines shown on the sign under the children's feet and some do not; which is correct?
  2. My child walks to school. Why are some locations signed with a pentagon shaped school crossing sign and others are not?
  3. Why can't my school put a stop sign out in the street at the crossing in front of the school when children are crossing to and from school?
  4. Have there been any changes in the MUTCD regarding the use of STOP paddles for school crossing personnel?
  5. The MUTCD specifies school speed zones should begin 200 feet from the crosswalk. State law in my State requires the zone to begin 300 feet from a marked crosswalk. Which would apply? If the MUTCD is in conflict with State law, which applies?
  6. Is a school crossing guard the same as a flagger?

Part 7 - Traffic Control for School Areas: Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Q: Some school crossing signs in my area have crosswalk lines shown on the sign under the children's feet and some do not; which is correct?

A: The current design of the School and School Crossing warning sign does not include the lines indicating crosswalk markings under the children's feet. The design with the lines under the children's feet (formerly S2-1) was deleted effective with the 2000 MUTCD. The S1-1 pentagon-shaped sign, without lines under the children's feet, is now used both for the advance warning (with an "AHEAD" W16-9p plaque) and at the crosswalk itself (with a downward sloping arrow W16-7 plaque). See Sections 7B.08 and 7B.09 for details. The 10-year compliance period for upgrading school warning signs to the new designs will end on January 17, 2011.

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  1. Q: My child walks to school. Why are some locations signed with a pentagon shaped school crossing sign and others are not?

A: School Walk Routes approved by the local jurisdiction identify the direction and which side of the street that children are to use in walking to and from school. Designated school crossings on these School Walk Routes identify those locations where special emphasis may be needed due to a combination of the number of crossing school children, geometry of the approaching roadways, approach speed, and traffic volume. Such locations, which are signed with the pentagon shaped School Crossing warning sign, might be a school crossing of a busy arterial street or the primary crossing in front of an elementary school. Where a crossing on a School Walk Route is across an approach controlled by a STOP sign, the School Crossing warning sign is not used, because the approach is stop controlled. Some pedestrian crossings in the neighborhood that are not on a School Walk Route may have diamond-shaped Pedestrian Crossing warning signs to warn that pedestrians in general (adults and children) may be crossing there.

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  1. Q: Why can't my school put a stop sign out in the street at the crossing in front of the school when children are crossing to and from school?

A: A portable STOP sign cannot be put out into the street in lieu of an adult school crossing guard for the times during a school day when children cross. Portable or part time STOP controls are specifically prohibited by the MUTCD. The underlying rationale for this prohibition is that unfamiliar drivers do not know when the stop regulations are in force and when they are not, and as such they pose a very real traffic crash danger.

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  1. Q: Have there been any changes in the MUTCD regarding the use of STOP paddles for school crossing personnel?

A: A standard was added in the 2000 MUTCD that calls for the STOP paddle to be a minimum of 18 inches or larger and to have the word "STOP" on both sides of the paddle. The 2003 MUTCD added an Option to incorporate red or white flashing lights within the paddle (in any one of 5 specific patterns) to improve conspicuity. There were no further changes in the 2009 MUTCD.

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  1. Q: The MUTCD specifies school speed zones should begin 200 feet from the crosswalk. State law in my State requires the zone to begin 300 feet from a marked crosswalk. Which would apply? If the MUTCD is in conflict with State law, which applies?

A: To address the issue of differing state laws on school zones and school speed limits, Part 7 of the MUTCD was revised in Section 7B.15 to not require a set distance that a school speed zone should begin before the crosswalk. Instead, the 2009 MUTCD provides guidance that the beginning point of a reduced school speed limit zone should be at least 200 feet in advance of the school grounds, a school crossing, or other school related activity and that this distance should be increased if the reduced school speed limit is 30 mph or higher. Since this statement is guidance or a recommendation ("should"), the State law, which exceeds the MUTCD recommendation, would take precedence in this case.

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  1. Q: Is a school crossing guard the same as a flagger?

A: No. Chapter 7D, Crossing Supervision, deals specifically with school crossing guard issues. Even though some of the text discussion, such as use of paddles and the retroreflective clothing issue, might be similar to those regarding a "flagger," flagger issues are covered separately and in more detail in Chapter 6E.

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