Workshop on Field Inspection and Rehabilitation of Traffic Control Devices - Proceedings

Russell, Phillip O.; Paniati, Jeffrey F.; Olson, Paul L.; McGee, Hugh; Black, Kent L.; Casner, Donald; Moseley, Robert W.; Lagergren, Edwin A.; Roberts, Calvin; J., Young Jr. Richard; Lumia, John J.; Antle, Charles E.; Attaway, Robert W.; Schwab, Richard N.; McCoola, Brian A.; Eilts, Leonard G.; Cunard, Richard A.; Hofstetter, Dwayne; Liebe, Victor H.; Hearn, Steven H.; Small, Fred F.; McComb, Dan W.; Butula, Richard J.; Pickford, Thomas M.; Baker, William; Lerch, Guenther W. · 1990 · ROSA P / United States. Federal Highway Administration. Office of Implementation

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Summary

This document presents the proceedings of two regional workshops convened by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in February 1990 to address the deterioration of traffic control devices (TCDs) and the resulting safety risks. The research motivation stems from the observation that the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) lacks minimum in-service retroreflectivity requirements, leading to poor nighttime visibility. This deficiency is critical given that nighttime fatality rates are more than three times higher than daytime rates, with poor sign visibility exacerbating the danger for drivers, particularly older motorists. The workshops aimed to gather data from state and local officials to guide the development of national policies for minimum retroreflectivity standards, improve maintenance procedures, and enhance inventory systems. The methodology involved two multi-day workshops held in Reston, Virginia, and Salt Lake City, Utah, featuring 22 presentations, panel discussions, and breakout sessions. The content covered seven key areas: issues and needs, development of minimum requirements, materials selection, field assessment techniques, maintenance procedures, inventory techniques, and future research. Presentations included reviews of the FHWA Retroreflectivity Research Program, which utilized the Computer Analysis of Retroreflective Traffic Signs (CARTS) model to determine visibility levels. Discussions also covered economic analyses of replacement standards, material durability predictors, and the evaluation of various measurement tools, including portable retroreflectometers and mobile laser systems. Key findings indicated that legend-to-background contrast is the most significant variable affecting nighttime legibility, followed by background luminance. Research suggested that sign specific intensity increases by nearly 10 percent after washing, though variability in new sheeting and inventory errors complicate modeling. Field assessment studies revealed that trained human observers remain the most suitable method for large-scale sign reviews, while mobile systems using charge-coupled device cameras and xenon flashes were deemed feasible for daytime evaluation of nighttime visibility. Pavement marking evaluations showed thermoplastic materials to be durable, whereas tape markings performed poorly. Additionally, computerized inventory systems were identified as essential for managing replacement schedules and budgets effectively. The significance of this work lies in its role in shaping national policy for TCD maintenance. The workshops facilitated consensus on the need for performance standards that balance visibility needs with economic and liability concerns. Industry representatives supported tight standards to reduce tort liability, while state agencies emphasized the need for flexible implementation strategies, such as phasing standards in on freeways first. The proceedings highlight the transition toward systematic, data-driven management of traffic control devices, utilizing improved inventory technologies and standardized measurement tools to ensure timely replacement and enhanced roadway safety.

Key finding

The workshops served as a forum for disseminating research and gathering stakeholder feedback to develop national policy on minimum in-service retroreflectivity requirements for traffic control devices.

Methodology

review

Provenance

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Cite this paper

BibTeX, RIS, and CSL-JSON. The whole catalog is also exported in bulk: .bib · .ris · .csl.json

BibTeX

@article{russell-1990-workshop_on_field_inspection_a,
  title = {Workshop on Field Inspection and Rehabilitation of Traffic Control Devices - Proceedings},
  author = {Russell, Phillip O. and Paniati, Jeffrey F. and Olson, Paul L. and McGee, Hugh and Black, Kent L. and Casner, Donald and Moseley, Robert W. and Lagergren, Edwin A. and Roberts, Calvin and J., Young Jr. Richard and Lumia, John J. and Antle, Charles E. and Attaway, Robert W. and Schwab, Richard N. and McCoola, Brian A. and Eilts, Leonard G. and Cunard, Richard A. and Hofstetter, Dwayne and Liebe, Victor H. and Hearn, Steven H. and Small, Fred F. and McComb, Dan W. and Butula, Richard J. and Pickford, Thomas M. and Baker, William and Lerch, Guenther W.},
  year = {1990},
  journal = {ROSA P / United States. Federal Highway Administration. Office of Implementation},
  url = {https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/67997}
}

RIS

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Workshop on Field Inspection and Rehabilitation of Traffic Control Devices - Proceedings
AU  - Russell, Phillip O.
AU  - Paniati, Jeffrey F.
AU  - Olson, Paul L.
AU  - McGee, Hugh
AU  - Black, Kent L.
AU  - Casner, Donald
AU  - Moseley, Robert W.
AU  - Lagergren, Edwin A.
AU  - Roberts, Calvin
AU  - J., Young Jr. Richard
AU  - Lumia, John J.
AU  - Antle, Charles E.
AU  - Attaway, Robert W.
AU  - Schwab, Richard N.
AU  - McCoola, Brian A.
AU  - Eilts, Leonard G.
AU  - Cunard, Richard A.
AU  - Hofstetter, Dwayne
AU  - Liebe, Victor H.
AU  - Hearn, Steven H.
AU  - Small, Fred F.
AU  - McComb, Dan W.
AU  - Butula, Richard J.
AU  - Pickford, Thomas M.
AU  - Baker, William
AU  - Lerch, Guenther W.
PY  - 1990
JO  - ROSA P / United States. Federal Highway Administration. Office of Implementation
UR  - https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/67997
ER  -

CSL-JSON

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    {
      "family": "Cunard",
      "given": "Richard A."
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    {
      "family": "Hofstetter",
      "given": "Dwayne"
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    {
      "family": "Liebe",
      "given": "Victor H."
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      "family": "Hearn",
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        1990
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Relevant standards

Normative references this paper relates to, by embedding similarity.

CIE 074-1988 — Road signs · CIE · 0.75
UN ECE R150 — Uniform provisions concerning the approval of retro-reflective devices and markings for power-driven vehicles and their trailers · UNECE · 0.67
UN ECE R104 — Uniform provisions concerning the approval of retro-reflective markings for vehicles of categories M, N and O · UNECE · 0.66
UN ECE R70 — Uniform provisions concerning the approval of rear marking plates for heavy and long vehicles · UNECE · 0.64
SAE J1757/1 — Standard Metrology for Vehicular Displays · SAE · 0.62
UN ECE R148 — Uniform provisions concerning the approval of light-signalling devices (lamps) for power-driven vehicles and their trailers · UNECE · 0.61
UN ECE R69 — Uniform provisions concerning the approval of rear marking plates for slow-moving vehicles (by construction) and their trailers · UNECE · 0.61
CMVSS 108 — Lighting Systems and Reflective Devices · CMVSS · 0.59
UN ECE R23 — Uniform provisions concerning the approval of reversing lamps and manoeuvring lamps for power-driven vehicles and their trailers · UNECE · 0.58
ADR 19/02 — Australian Design Rule 19/02 – Installation of Lighting and Light Signalling Devices on L-Group Vehicles · ADR · 0.51