Category: Articles
Making Sense of Rulemaking for the MUTCD’s 11th edition
The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) is the national standard for all traffic control devices used in the United States on roads open to public travel.[i] There are two groups of target road users: 1) vehicle operators, including cyclists, and 2) pedestrians. The MUTCD has been owned and administered by the Federal Highway […]
Tips for installing advance pedestrian warning signs and RRFBs
As a pedestrian safety countermeasure, the benefits of rectangular rapid-flashing beacons (RRFBs) are well-documented. Commonly installed with crosswalk signage at midblock and other unsignalized crossings like roundabouts, they can increase driver yield rates to 98% and decrease crashes involving pedestrians by up to 47%, according to the FHWA. But they are not a silver bullet […]
RRFBs: Thriving Through Regulatory Challenges to MUTCD Inclusion
RRFB has faced numerous challenges but has emerged stronger than ever This article explores the journey of rectangular rapid flashing beacon, or RRFB, highlighting their origins, the impact of interim approvals, and their current status as officially recognized enhancements in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), 11th Edition. Origins R.D. Jones of […]
What the MUTCD says about RRFBs
MUTCD 11th Edition Update: Looking forward If you have so much as a passing interest in traffic safety, you’ve no doubt come across the MUTCD, the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, often described as the bible of American road design. Issued by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), it essentially dictates what’s acceptable—and what isn’t—when […]
Funding rural road safety projects
Rural areas routinely get short shrift when it comes to transportation funding in the U.S. Between 2009 and 2015, they received about 37% of federal highway funds—even though 71% of public roads are in rural areas. While the justification for this makes sense (fewer people live in rural areas, and rural roads see less traffic), […]
Rural Road Safety: Problems and Solutions
Picture yourself driving on a rural road. Maybe you’re winding your way through rolling fields of corn or cattle. Maybe you’re high in the mountains, maneuvering curves like a pro. Maybe you’re cruising through the desert in a pink plastic convertible, singing along to Indigo Girls. Wherever you are, chances are you feel relaxed—at least […]
Understanding accessibility guidelines and standards for pedestrian safety infrastructure
>>>Want to learn about recent changes to accessibility standards in the US? Our partners at Polara have you covered on all things PROWAG ADAAG. PROWAG. MUTCD. It might seem like we’re bashing on our keyboards, but in fact these seemingly random characters represent some of the most important sources when it comes to accessible transportation […]
The Safe System Approach: Rethinking roadway safety
Pedestrian deaths have hit another historic high in the U.S., with at least 7,508 people struck and killed while walking in 2022. Overall traffic fatalities are even worse: 12.9% Americans per 100,000 died in motor vehicle crashes in 2021–the highest in the industrialized world. It doesn’t have to be this way. Other countries–Sweden, France, Japan–have […]
LED Enhanced Signs: Frequently Asked Questions
Here’s a sobering thought: Every time we leave the house, whether by car, bus, bicycle or on foot, our lives depend on people seeing and obeying traffic signs. We count on drivers to stop at stop signs, slow down in school zones, and turn left (and right) at intersections where it is legal and safe […]