Millennium Edition Part 4: Traffic Signals

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MUTCD Part 4 Traffic Signals
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Changes in General

• Defined all terms in text 71 definitions versus
  4 previously
• deleted definitions no longer appearing in text
• Changes to some existing criteria
• New technology items added
• Symbols required for all new pedestrian signals

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Part 4 is Reorganized for Clarity

• New technology items added in new chapter 4F
  through 4L
• old 4E now 6 individual chapters
• new 4E is..
• reason
• Symbols required for all new pedestrian signals

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Important Notes

• RED ARROWs are allowed in the 2000 manual
• 11 warrants consolidated into 8 warrants

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Important Notes (contd)

• WARRANT 10 (peak hour delay) and WARRANT 11
  (peak hour volume) are now consolidated into
  WARRANT 3

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Important Notes (contd)

• Traffic control signal needs studies warrant 1,
  eight-hour vehicular volume
• elimination of the 56 rule
• values for 80 and 70 are added to table 4C-1

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Table 4C-1 Warrants
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Change in Standards

• Meaning of vehicular signal indications
• STANDARD new language added to allow turns on
  CIRCULAR RED from a ONE-WAY street onto a ONE-WAY
  street
• STANDARD new language added to prohibit turns on
  RED ARROW, except when a sign is used to indicate
  turns are allowed on red after stopping

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Change in Standards (contd)

• Temporary traffic control signals (4D.20)
• STANDARD defines temporary versus portable
  traffic control signals
• Section greatly expanded with standards,
  guidance, and support information

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Change in Standards (contd)

• Size, Design, and Illumination of Pedestrian
  Signal Indications (4E.04)
• STANDARD All new pedestrian signals shall
  consist of symbolized messages

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Change in Standards (contd)

• Traffic control signals for one-lane, two-way
  facilities (chapter 4G)
• revised and expanded to include provisions for
  the application, design, and operation of these
  type of facilities

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Change in Standards (contd)

• Design of freeway entrance ramp control signals
  (4H.02)
• Eliminates 8 in diameter lens requirement
• Eliminates the requirement to place a signal face
  on the left and right side of entrance ramps
• GUIDANCE changed to OPTION that the mounting
  height may be between 4.5 and 6 feet

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Change in Standards (contd)

• Design of emergency vehicle traffic control
  signals (4F.02)
• an EMERGENCY SIGNAL (R10-13) sign SHALL be
  mounted adjacent to the signal on each major
  street approach

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Change in Standards (contd)

• Meaning of lane-use control signal indications
  (4J.02)
• STANDARD provides definitions for lane-use
  signal indications specifically
• WHITE TWO-WAY LEFT-TURN ARROW
• WHITE ONE-WAY LEFT-TURN ARROW

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Change in Standards (contd)

• Design of lane-use control signals (4J.03)
• STANDARD the nominal minimum height and width of
  each
• STANDARD downward green arrow, yellow X and red
  X shall be 18 inches instead of 12 inches
• OPTION allows for use of 300 mm (12 inches)
  signal faces in areas with minimal visual clutter
  and speeds equal to or less than 70 km/h (45 mph)

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Change in Standards (contd)

• Speed limit sign beacon (4K.04)
• STANDARD shall consist of one or more signal
  sections with a flashing CIRCULAR YELLOW signal
  indication that has a nominal diameter of not
  less than 200 mm (8 inches)

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New Standards

• Application of steady signal indications for left
  turns
• STANDARD added to allow shared left turn signal
  face for protected / permissive mode (also known
  as Dallas left turn phasing)

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Maximum Mounting Height of Signal Faces
Based on a 20 degree viewing angle
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New Standards (contd)

• In-roadway lights (chapter 4L)
• added a new chapter to provide standards,
  guidance, options, and support for the design and
  operation of in-roadway lights installations.
• STANDARD
• installation only at uncontrolled, marked
  crosswalks with applicable warning signs
• parallel to the edge of the crosswalk
• operation to be initiated based on pedestrian
  actuation
• operations to cease at predetermined time
• height of the lights not to exceed 20mm (3/4
  inch)

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In-Roadway Warning Lights
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Temporary Portable Traffic Control Signals

• Temporary
• Portable

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Accessible Pedestrian Signals and Detectors
New Accessible Pedestrian Signal Detector
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WARNING BEACON

• Section 4K.03
• the warning beacon SHALL NOT be included within
  the sign border except for SCHOOL SPEED LIMIT
  sign beacons

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New Guidance

• Size, number and location on signal faces by
  approach, section 4D.15
• the following new GUIDANCE is provided for when
  to consider installing 12 inch signals
• at locations where there is a significant
  percentage of elderly drivers.

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New Guidance (contd)

• Provisions for pedestrians (4D.03)
• added guidance for safety considerations to
  include the installation of accessible pedestrian
  signals, where appropriate
• reflects the intent in TEA-21

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New Guidance (contd)

• Size, number, and location of signal faces by
  approach (4D.15)
• added new guidance to recommend using 300mm (12
  inches) signal lenses under four conditions,
  specifically, where there is a significant
  percentage of elderly drivers

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Changes in Guidance

• Pedestrian intervals and signal phases (4E.09)
• guidance changed from 4 to 7 seconds to at least
  7 seconds
• option added to keep the 4 second timing if
  pedestrian volumes and characteristics do not
  require a 7 second walk interval

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New Option

• Application of steady signal indications for left
  turns (4D.06)
• in areas having a high percentage of elderly
  drivers, consideration may be given to use the
  protected only mode for left turn phasing

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New Option (contd)

• Pedestrian intervals and signal phases (4E.09)
• OPTION added to use passive pedestrian detection
  equipment in crosswalks to extend the length of
  the pedestrian clearance time for a particular
  cycle when a pedestrian needs more time to cross
  the street

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Questions?