best practices for management of traffic signs: town of clifton park as a case study
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
Best Practices for
Management of Traffic Signs
Wednesday January 18, 2012
Speakers:
John Scavo, Director of Planning Town of Clifton Park
Timothy Stroth, Project Manager Greenman-Pedersen, Inc.
Clifton Park as a Case Study
Agenda
Introduction
The Town
Sign Inventory and GTSC Grant
Traffic Sign Inventory Survey
Sign Management Solution
Sign Retroreflectivity
Meeting FHWA Requirements
Summary and Questions
Town of Clifton Park
Mid-southern portion of Saratoga County
Approximately 47 square miles
2009 population estimate 36,469
School districts
Schenendehowa
Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake
Niskayuna
Highway Safety Committee
Planning Department
• Oversee long term planning
• Coordinate review process for pending applications
• Assist applicants and consultants
• Advise Planning Board, Town Board, Zoning Board of Appeals
• Support Planning Board and Supervisor's Office in development review processes
• Provide status for current applications
• Overall project administration
• Assist with comprehensive plan implementation
• Implement the Open Space Program
Traffic Signs
Approximately 5,000 town signs
No comprehensive sign inventory
Signs maintained by Highway Department
Maintenance budgets based on historical needs
Need to implement comprehensive approach to meet new sign requirements
GTSC Grant
Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee
Funding source to develop solution for minimum sign retroreflectivity requirements
Grant application prepared
Program established to serve as model for other municipalities
Project results to be made available to other localities and Cornell Local Roads Program
Problem
The aging of our population
Approximately half of the fatal crashes on
the nation's highways occur at night
Must meet minimum retroreflectivity
standards established by FHWA
Compliance dates are approaching fast
No current inventory of town signs
Problem
What do we need to do?
Select method(s) to manage signs
Budget for the necessary effort
Implement selected method(s)
Budget for the future
Replace signs as required
Proposed Solution
Create a traffic sign inventory and a process to measure the retroreflectivity of the more than 5,000 traffic signs located in the town
Create a process to meet federal retroreflectivity requirements
Bring the Town’s signs into compliance with the new National Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and the NYS Supplement
Goals
Complete a prototype deployment of a traffic sign inventory
Implement a system to maintain signs in conformance with minimum retroreflectivity requirements
Decrease nighttime crashes in the Town of Clifton Park
Two Phase Approach
Phase 1 Confirm needs
Review available software applications
Select hardware
Integrate GIS and GPS
Field test system in a pilot area
Phase 2 Complete townwide sign inventory
Implement method to maintain minimum sign retroreflectivity
Operational Plan
Conduct interviews with Town Highway Department to establish existing practices
Identify key town technical personnel available
Identify required upgrades for Town GIS
Coordinate with Cornell Local Roads Program
Review currently available software products
Interview vendors
Purchase a commercial-off-the-shelf software package or enlist the services of a vendor.
Develop and integrate a sign inventory database with the Town’s existing GIS
Milestones
Literature review
Survey of Jurisdictions
Interviews with Town Highway Personnel
Develop concept
Develop user and system requirements
Select available hardware and software
Integrate equipment and software
Test system using sample data
Sign Management Practices
Highway Safety Committee conducted fact finding initiatives
Limited current technical literature was available
Several commercially available software packages identified
Additional information sought
Survey of Sign Management Practices
Supplement research
Determine current practices
Web-based survey tool – Survey Monkey
Over 100 responses, 24 states, 4 international responses
Towns 45%
Counties 21%
Aware of FHWA requirements – 91%
Results of Note
Field inventory of signs – 59%
Sign locations mapped – 47%
Inventory System
Commercial-off-the-shelf 16%
Locally Developed 37%
Paper based 26%
No system 21%
Photolog of Streets – 20%
Unique identifier for signs – 32%
General Conclusions
Sign Management and Agency Capabilities
Expertise above average
Resources limited
Help is needed
Clifton Park as Case Study
NCHRP Project: Practices to Manage Traffic Sign Retroreflectivity
Provide examples of successful practices
Illustrate different methods to meet requirements
Assist with development and implementation of sign assessment or management method
National Cooperative Highway Research Program
Synthesis Topic 42-12
Clifton Park Solution
Needs Assessment
Existing and desired sign management methods
Town owned equipment and software
Staff capabilities
Current workflows for sign operations
Recommendations for method(s) to be implemented based on key building blocks
Clifton Park Solution
Key Building Blocks
ESRI GIS software – desktop and mobile
Rugged Trimble tablet computer
Office and field staff capabilities
Staff enthusiasm
Field Equipment
Trimble Yuma Rugged Tablet Computer
Software Application
Custom ESRI ArcPad Forms
Clifton Park Solution
Inventory Program Development
Software upgrades to current versions
Sign data requirements
Workflow and data management
Daily planning efforts
Data check-in/check-out
Training and support
Clifton Park Solution
GPI Approach
Streamlined and simple – inventory based
Systematic inventory program
Recommendations for management of sign assets using a combination of acceptable methods
Blanket replacements
Expected sign life-cycle
Clifton Park Solution
Next Steps
Complete sign inventory
Long range planning and budgeting
Establish sign review process for conformity to MUTCD and NYS Supplement requirements
Implement sign replacement schedule
Ongoing process fine tuning
Collection Technology Trends
Mobile Data Collection
MUTCD
Retroreflectivity Defined
“A property of a surface that allows a large portion of the light coming from a point source to be returned directly back to a point near its
origin.”
Source: MUTCD, 2009 Edition, Section 1A.13 Definitions of Headings, Words, and Phrases in this Manual
Minimum Retroreflectivity
Standard (i.e. mandatory practice):
“Public agencies or officials having jurisdiction shall
use an assessment or management method that is
designed to maintain sign retroreflectivity at or above
the minimum levels in Table 2A-3.”
Source: MUTCD, 2009 Edition, Section 2A.08 Maintaining
Minimum Retroreflectivity
Minimum Retroreflectivity
Assessment and Management Methods to maintain minimum levels
A. Visual Nighttime Inspection
B. Measured Sign Retroreflectivity
C. Expected Sign Life
D. Blanket Replacement
E. Control Signs
F. Other Methods
Source: MUTCD, 2009 Edition, Section 2A.08
Minimum Retroreflectivity
Current Milestones for maintaining minimum levels
Jan. 22, 2012: Implement Methodology to maintain minimum levels
Jan. 22, 2015: Regulatory, Warning, Ground Mounted Guide Signs
Jan. 22, 2018: Street Name Signs, Overhead Guide Signs
Source: MUTCD, 2009 Edition, Table I-2
Proposed Revisions
Extend Compliance Date for implementing an assessment or management method to maintain sign retroreflectivity at or above the established minimum levels
New date to be 2 years after effective date of Final Rule for this revision
Limit to regulatory and warning signs only
Eliminate other milestones
Source: Federal Register, August 31, 2011
Minimum Retroreflectivity
What does this mean?
Jurisdictions are expected to upgrade signs over
time to meet new requirements utilizing a systematic
upgrading program
Agencies can prioritize and schedule based on
relative safety needs, resources, etc
Agencies can decide to wait until non-compliant
signs reach serviceable life and replace with
compliant signs
Minimum Retroreflectivity
Twofold Requirement
Systematic approach to maintain minimum
retroreflectivity
Compliance with other standards in both the
National MUTCD and NYS Supplement
New sign sizes
Advance posting distances
Signs no longer in use
Meeting MUTCD Requirements
Meeting MUTCD Requirements
Meeting MUTCD Requirements
Meeting MUTCD Requirements
Meeting MUTCD Requirements
Is a sign inventory required?
A comprehensive sign inventory is not required
Sign inventory is recommended
Conformance to overall sign requirements
Budgeting considerations
Long range planning
Meeting MUTCD Requirements
Is measuring retroreflectivity required?
No – minimum retroreflectivity levels can be
maintained without establishing measured values
Typically achieved using combination of acceptable
management methods
Expected Sign Life
Blanket Replacement
Control Signs
Meeting MUTCD Requirements
Sign Sheeting and Life Cycle
Sheeting Types
Engineering Grade – 7 year warranty
High Intensity Prismatic – 10 year warranty
Diamond Grade (DG3) – 12 year warranty
Source: 3M
Resource for selection:
NYSDOT Standard Specifications, Section 645 - Signs
Use of Control Signs
Summary
Two Phase Approach
Phase 1: Confirm needs
Review available software applications
Select hardware
Integrate GIS and GPS
Field test system in a pilot area
Phase 2: Complete townwide sign inventory
Implement method to maintain minimum sign retroreflectivity
Summary
Why did Clifton Park choose this solution?
Findings from our research
Availability of equipment and software
Staff capabilities
Operational needs
Budgetary considerations
Schedule for implementation
Summary
How we will manage our sign assets
Confirm our intended approach
Establish budget requirements
Complete Phase 2
Implement systematic sign replacement program
Maintain sign data
Summary
Resources
Cornell Local Roads Program www.clrp.cornell.edu
NYSDOT Funding issues – Regional offices Technical issues – Main office, Sally Olsen
Federal Highway Administration www.fhwa.dot.gov/retro
Trade organizations American Traffic Safety Services Assoc.
www.atssa.com
Summary
Thank You!
Summary
Questions?
Summary
Speakers
John Scavo, Director of Planning
Town of Clifton Park, NY
Timothy Stroth, Project Manager
Greenman-Pedersen, Inc.