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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1972-02-01; City Council; 649; New Look in Traffic Control DevicesT' It' E C I T Y O F C A R L S B A D, C A L X F' O R N X A Agenda Bill No. Date: February 1, 1972 -Referred To: ' Subject: Submitted By:, :y The Mew Look in Traffic Control Devices City Engineer i Statement of the :tatter The Department of Transportation has recently revised the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices which provides guide lines for traffic control*striping and'signing within the United States. This Manual is i the result of several years work by -Traffic Engineers throughout the • United States. t The attached article provides a birdseye view of the major changes which are incorporated in the Manual. You will begin to see a number,of these, signs within the City as existing signs are replaced and new signs are installed. ' f a Exhibit • k f 1) The New Look in Traffic Control Devices - Excerpt from, "Highway Users," January`1972. i 1 t Syaff P.ecommenda Lions t Information only. Ate' NO. � Data: February 1, 1972 city Manager's Recommendation Council•Action ,•2-1-72 Council acknowledged article•regarding*new traffic control' devices. • • -2- THE NEW LOOK IN TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES DRIVERS in the United States can L begin to see a "new look" in high- way signs, Signals and markings. In fact, some parts of the `new look" are already in use. This new look in traffic control is not as revolutionary as the miniskirt, but highway and traffic en- glnecrs hope it will be as eye-catching. Easier To See. The changes are designed to make even more effective these devices so important to the mo• torises safety and ease of driving. Signs with new shapes, colors and legends will be easier to see and understand. Pavement markings with a coore � ated color system will provide drivers more positive information on traffic regula- tions. Signals will have increased visi- bility and new types of signal indica- tions will give essential information for turns and other special movements. Although these changes may sound revolutionary, they are not as sweep* ing as they seem, and they will be introduced gradually into the highway scene. Many of the devices now in general use, such as the stop sign, are not being changed. The changes that are being made are a logical evo• lotion from concepts and principles that drivers understand and are famil- iar with. Symbols. On many signs a symbol will replace a word message. The use of symbols on signs is usually associ- ated with European or international sign systems, but symbol signs arc not etairely new in the United States. Sym- Lois have been used on curve and crossroad signs, for example, since be- fore the first national standard for You are beginning to see them al- ready —new signs and symbols which will direct traffic in the future over our streets and highways. by Woodrow W. Rankin SOME OF THE NEW SIGN SYMBOLS NoUTHM FARM MACNINERY • PED RING TWo WAY TRAFFIC NoLeftTurn It is planned to drop the word legends eventually. Woodrow IV. Rankin is a tragic re- search engineer with the Technical Services Division o/ the Highway Users Federation. Highway User / January, 1972 Page a rural signs was prepared in 1927 by the American Association of State Highway Officials. For many traffic situations, a sym- bol can provide the best communica- tion with drivers. It can often be seen and understood easier than a word message. Symbols, because of their simplicity, can have excellent lcgibil- ity and can be recognized at a glance. Their expanded use on U. S. road signs will facilitate driver communication, and recognition. In addition, familinr- ity with symbol signs will help U. S. drivers travelling in other countries as well as foreign visitors in this country. New "No." An important change that will be seen as symbols replace some words will be the use of the in- ternational "red circle and slash" as the symbol for "no." This symbol, a circ,;Jar red band with a diagonal red slash, when superimposed over a sym- bol for a traffic movement or type of vehicle will indicate "no" for that movement or vehicle. For example, no left turn, or no trucks. The new "no left tam" sign, at right is typical of this group of signs, and illustrates their basic color/symbol configura- tion. The red circle and slash is super- imposed clearly on the black left turn symbol, all on a white background. As in ail the signs of this type, the combination of color and symbols is both eye-catching and legible. These new prohibitive signs are probably the most important of all. If you don't understand and obey them, you could have an accident, get a ticket, or both. So the Highway Users Federation has produced and distrib- uted a 30.second color television spot announcement to help the tube -witch- ing public understand that the red circle and slash means don't do some- thing. These spots are in the hands of every commercial TV station in the country and will be telecast as a pub- lic service. Symbols will also be replacing word messages on many warning signs, Some of the ones most likely to be seen are illustrated here. Here again, ,the change is not revolutionary. The familiar diamond -shaped, yellow sign panel will still give the motorist a general warning of a hazardous condi- tion. However, in the new signs a sym- bol tells him what the specific hazard is. All these symbols have the advan- tage of good legibility, and many, be- cause of their inherent simplicity, are visually much more legible than their comparable word message. For exam- ple, the word messages "Slippery When Wet, "Pedestrian Crossing." or "Low THE OLD DQ ENTER NQ LEFT TURN SCHOOL CROSSING 'HILL THE NEW Highway User / January, 1972 Page 9 All , 1-he phasing in na",c Clearance," are not as easy to, recog- nize as their replacement symbols. Shope. Shape (silhouette) has al- ways been an important part of the total message of traffic signs in the U. S. The octagon for a stop sign, the diamond for a warning sign, the equi- lateral triangle for a yield sign, and the rectangle for an information sign are shapes that all drivers know and understand. In the "new look" for signs, specific meanings have been as- signed to three additional shapes, The pentagon, (little red school- house style —not military) is the new shape of the signs drivers will see at school zones and school crossings. The symbol of two children is a clear, easily understood message telling driv- ers that they are approaching a school -area or crossing where more than nor- mal driving care and alertness are es- sential. The unique shape of these signs will give added emphasis to their very important message, and make these signs easier to be seen, recog- nized, and understood. New Sign. A pennant shaped sign will be used as an auxiliary indication of the start of no passing zones. This new sign will be placed on the left- hand side of the road. In that location 'this distinctly shaped sign can be read- ily seen by drivers as they start a passing maneuver, It will provide an additional visual reference at the end of passing areas. NO PASSING ZONE The trapezoid is the third new sign shape. It will be used for recreational area guide signs. It is expected that several variations will be used. Color. The consistent application of assigned meanings to sign colors has been an element important to the ef- fectivencss of tratTic signs in the U. S. The "new look" makes even greater use of this tool. Iced, as always, means stop or prohibitions, and it will be used in more sigma with this type of message. Yellow, the color of warning, will continue to mean caution. Green, as now, will be used on direction and route information signs, and blim will continue as the background color on service information signs. Orange, a new color in official traffic. signs, will be used as the background color for all signs that identify con- struction and maintenance hazards. For example, a "construction ahead" sign will have a black legend on an orange background. Orange will also be used on construction barricades, traffic cones, and other devices used to mark the traffic hazards that are inherent in hi&hway construction and, maintenance work. Drown is the other new traffic sign color introduced in the "new look." It will be used as the background color. for the trapezoidal recreation area and scenic guidance siglls. Red will be used in more signs. The stop or prohibitory meaning of this color is almost universally understood. One new use of red will be in "Yield" signs. The predominant red color gives added emphasis to the potential stop requirement of the "Yield" sign and test installations have shown the new IN f' Page 10 Highway flier / januarq, 1972 design increases their safety and effec- tiveness. The "Do Not Enter" sign, also has a stop -type message that must be highly visible and easily understood. In the ..new look," this sign has been com- plctely redesigned. The large red cir- cle, which is the p edominant clement of the sign, gives the essential stop emphasis to the "Do Not Enter" mes- sage. The "Wrong Way" sign is a companion to the "Do Not Enter;' particularly at the exit end of one-way ramps on freeways. This sign is placed along the wrong way travel paths be- yond the "Do Not Enter" sign. Again, the predominant red color tells the driver to stop while the word message "Wrong Way" tells him why. On the Pavement. In the "new look" in traffic control devices the color of pavement markings also will give drivers essential traffic control information. When all roads and streets are marked in accordance with the coordinated color system of the new standards, yellow will be the only color used for the centerline markings on two-way roads and streets. A dashed yellow center line will be used where passing is permitted. Two yellow lines, one broken and one dashed, will be used to mark the cen- terline of sections where passing is permitted in one direction. (The solid yellow line will be on the side of driven who may not pass.) Two solid yellow lines will be used whcrc pass- ing is prohibited in both directions. With yellow as the only centerline color on two-way roads and streets, driven will have a continuing color reminder that they should expect traf- fic in the opposite direction. With the "new look." traffic signals will have three, rather than one, turn arrows. In addition to the green arrow now used to indicate when a turn is allowed, yellow and_ red turn arrow signals may also be used to show other conditions for turn movements. A yellow arrow may be used following the green arrow to indicate the end of an allowed movement. A red arrow may be used after that to indicate when the turn may not be made. The Manual, All these changes in signs, signals and markings are part of the latest revision of the Manual On Uni/ornt Ttaffr Control Devkes.t The standards of the Afanual were devel- t The Alanual of Uniform Trafc Con- trol Devices for Streets and lligfnvuys, 1971 Edition, is available from Government Priming Office, Washington, D.C. 20402, Stock Number 5001.0021. aped by a national committee made up of highway and traffic cnginctrs and officials from all levels of govern- mcnt and from national organizations with a direct interest in traffic opera tions and control. Under the provisions of the Hig'1- way Safety Act of 1966, the Afarmal serves as the national standard for traffic control devices, and its provi- sions are applicable to all roads and streets in the United States. However, instant change -over to the standards of the Afanual is not practical, nor is it expected. Conversion schedules should allow for an effective utiliza- tion of the remaining service life of devices now in use, and the schedules should be set up to provide for an orderly transition from the old to the new with minimal loss of visible uni- formity. Transition. Programs on that basis have been developed. They call for pavcment markings, which generally have a service life of a year. to be changed over to the new standards by the end of 1972. As signs usually require replacement after five years, the target date for completion of their change -over is the end of 1974. The suggested completion date for the changes in traffic signals is the end of 1976. since signals often require capital expenditures that must be pro- grammed some years in advance. Drivers can expect to see immediate major changes in pavcment markings, some sign changes very soon, and per- haps a few changes in traffic signals in 1972. The uniform application of all the provisions of the Afattttal revision, both unchanged "old look" and the changes of the "new look' will pro- vide street and highway agencies in the United States a means to commu- nicate better with the highway user through traffic control devices. This latest version of the Manual is a key step towards international traffic con- trol device uniformity, particularly for North and South America. Hopefully, in the not too distant future the high- way user will be able to drive from Alaska to Chile over highways utiliz- ing a uniform system of tra0lc control devices. • WHITE ON BLUE INDICATES MOTORIST. SERVICES i i/ `\ � ---- --•--- - 1rNEN WET Ct L YELLOW C WHITE ON GREEN GIVES DIAMOND DIRECTION OR GUIDANCE IS A WARNING 111shivay. User / January, 1972 Page II