Traffic Control Device Research Program Summary

Details

• Creators:
  Hawkins Jr, H Gene
• Corporate Creators:
  Texas Transportation Institute. Texas A&M University
• Corporate Contributors:
  Texas Department of Transportation ; United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Highway Administration
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Evaluation Field Tests Guidelines No Passing Zones Pedestrian Safety Performance Retroreflection Signals Traffic Control Traffic Control Devices Work Zones

  More +
• Publication/ Report Number:
  0-4701
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States ; Texas
• Corporate Publisher:
  Texas Transportation Institute. Texas A&M University
• Abstract:
  Traffic control devices provide one of the primary means of communicating vital information to road users. Traffic control devices notify road users of regulations and provide warning and guidance needed for the safe, uniform, and efficient operation of all elements of the traffic stream. Unlike many other elements of the surface transportation system (such as construction activities, structures, geometric alignment, and pavement structures), the service life of traffic control devices is relatively short (typically anywhere from 2 to 12 years). This shorter life increases the relative turnover of devices and presents increased opportunity for implementing research findings. The shorter life creates the opportunity for incorporating material and technology improvements at more frequent intervals. Also, the capital cost of traffic control devices is usually less than that of these other elements. Research on traffic control devices can be (but is not always) less expensive than research on other infrastructure elements of the system because of the lower capital costs of the devices. The traditional Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) research program planning cycle requires about a year to plan a research project and at least a year to conduct and report the results (often two or more years). With respect to traffic control devices, this type of program is best suited to addressing longer-range traffic control device issues where an implementation decision can wait two or more years for the research results. As a result of these factors (smaller scope, shorter service life, lower capital costs, and the typical research program planning cycle), some traffic control device research needs are not addressed in a traditional research program because they do not justify being addressed in a stand-alone project that addresses only one issue. This research project was created to address shorter-term, lower-cost traffic control device research needs that would not be addressed as part of a larger research project.
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  0-4701-P1
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:c6ccef481dcae53961211eb4d76c7d4b9bbb7bd18b74377e0478c7445e1b98322d8fd13d8872ee07a596bc8866dd826fd5d7bcef1c93c3820c7d6db6dd692841
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/86677/dot_86677_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 75.01 KB ]