Outreach and Partnering
A significant aspect of this rulemaking effort was the outreach and partnering with AASHTO. The AASHTO Standing Committee on Highways formed a Special Task Force on Retroreflectivity. The objective of the Task Force was to review the proposed minimum maintained levels for retroreflectivity and provide implementation recommendations to the FHWA. In 2000 the AASHTO Board of Directors approved the Task Force's resolution that included several recommendations, which have been accommodated by the FHWA. One of the key recommendations was that the minimum maintained retroreflectivity levels for traffic signs not be included in the MUTCD. Another key recommendation was that the proposed levels should be revised to be clear and unambiguous and consolidated so they can be easily and properly applied. AASHTO also recommended a six (6) year phase-in compliance period.
A significant activity to test the feasibility of the proposed minimum levels for traffic sign retroreflectivity and methods to implement them occurred in 2002. The FHWA conducted national workshops to complement previous outreach efforts to get feedback from transportation agencies on the minimum maintained retroreflectivity levels for traffic signs and the proposed changes to the MUTCD to adopt the minimum levels. Feedback from these workshops led to a table of minimum maintained retroreflectivity levels, defining methods for assessing and managing the retroreflectivity of signs, formulation of language for the MUTCD and development of implementation recommendations.
