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2016 SNPA - Proposed Pavement Marking Retroreflectivity MUTCD Text

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Add a row to Table I-2 Target Compliance Dates Established by the FHWA:

2009 MUTCD Section Number(s) 2009 MUTCD Section Title Specific Provision Compliance Date
3A.03 Maintaining Minimum Retroreflectivity Implementation and continued use of a method that is designed to maintain retroreflectivity of longitudinal pavement markings (see Paragraph 1) 4 years from the effective date of this revision of the MUTCD

 

Add new reference document to Section 1A.11 Relation to Other Publications:

Section 1A.11

"Methods for Maintaining Pavement Marking Retroreflectivity," Report No. FHWA-SA-14-017 (FHWA)

Revise Section 3A.03 as follows:

Section 3A.03 Maintaining Minimum Pavement Marking Retroreflectivity

(This Section is reserved for fugure text based on FHWA rulemaking.)

Standard:

01 Except as provided in Paragraph 5, a method designed to maintain retroreflectivity at or above 50 mcd/m2/l× shall be used for longitudinal markings on roadways with statutory or posted speed limits of 35 mph or greater.

Guidance:

02 Except as provided in Paragraph 5, a method designed to maintain retroreflectivity at or above 100 mcd/m2/l× should be used for longitudinal markings on roadways with statutory or posted speed limits of 70 mph or greater.

03 The method used to maintain retroreflectivity should be one or more of those described in "Methods for Maintaining Pavement Marking Retroreflectivity" (see Section 1A.11) or developed from an engineering study based on the values in Paragraphs 1 and 2.

Support:

04 Retroreflectivity levels for pavement markings are measured with an entrance angle of 88.76 degrees and an observation angle of 1.05 degrees. This geometry is also referred to as 30-meter geometry. The units of pavement marking retroreflectivity are reported in mcd/m2/l×, which means millicandelas per square meter per lux.

Option:

05 The following markings may be excluded from the provisions established in Paragraphs 1 and 2:

  1. Markings where ambient illumination assures that the markings are adequately visible;
  2. Markings on roadways that have an ADT of less than 6,000 vehicles per day;
  3. Dotted extension lines that extend a longitudinal line through an intersection, major driveway, or interchange area (see Section 3B.08);
  4. Curb markings;
  5. Parking space markings; and
  6. Shared-use path markings.

Support:

06 The provisions of this Section do not apply to non-longitudinal pavement markings including, but not limited to, the following:

  1. Transverse markings;
  2. Word, symbol, and arrow markings;
  3. Crosswalk markings; and
  4. Chevron, diagonal, and crosshatch markings.

07 Special circumstances will periodically cause pavement marking retroreflectivity to be below the minimum levels. These circumstances include, but are not limited to, the following:

  1. Isolated locations of abnormal degradation;
  2. Periods preceding imminent resurfacing or reconstruction;
  3. Unanticipated events such as equipment breakdowns, material shortages, contracting problems, and other similar conditions; and
  4. Loss of retroreflectivity resulting from snow maintenance operations.

When such circumstances occur, compliance with Paragraphs 1 and 2 is still considered to be achieved if a reasonable course of action is taken to restore such markings in a timely manner.

Page last modified on May 16, 2022
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