Simulation-Based Evaluation of Traffic Sign Retroreflectivity Maintenance Practices
Publication: Journal of Transportation Engineering
Volume 139, Issue 6
Abstract
A new highway sign minimum retroreflectivity standard issued by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is compelling agencies to evaluate how to comply while remaining within their budgets. This paper presents the results from a unique microscopic sign system simulation developed to quantitatively evaluate the effectiveness of various sign management practices. The analysis focused on three management methods—nighttime visual inspection, blanket replacement, and expected sign life—and two key sign maintenance functions, sign damage and replacement. The analysis found that sign managers should make prompt replacement of damaged signs a priority. The blanket replacement method was less cost-effective than the nighttime visual inspection method. The expected sign life method was competitive on costs with the visual inspection method while maintaining similar sign conditions. Training inspectors to be more accurate can realize further savings. Skipping inspection or replacement one year, or having an insufficient sign budget, can lead to degraded sign condition levels. The authors offer five best practices that agencies can consider when making sign management decisions.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
Arena [Computer software]. (2012). Arena simulation software, Basic Ed., Rockwell Automation Inc., Wexford, PA.
Bischoff, A., and Bullock, D. (2002). “Sign retroreflectivity study.”, Indiana Dept. of Transportation, Indianapolis.
Black, K. L., McGee, H. W., and Hussain, S. F. (1992). “Implementation strategies for sign retroreflectivity standards.”, National Cooperative Highway Research Program, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC.
Carlson, P. J., and Picha, D. (2009). “Sign retroreflectivity manual: How to meet the new national standard for small agencies, federal land management agencies, and tribal governments.”, Federal Highway Administration, McLean, VA.
Ellison, J. W. (2008). “Tapping into the power of a traffic sign inventory to meet the new retroreflectivity requirements.” Institute of Transportation Engineers Annual Meeting and Exhibit, Institute of Transportation Engineers, Anaheim, CA, 1–13.
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). (2007). “Highway statistics.” 〈http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics/2007/hm50.cfm〉 (Oct. 3, 2010).
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). (2009). Manual on uniform traffic control devices for streets and highways, 2009 Edition, U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Washington, DC.
Harris, E. A., Rasdorf, W., and Hummer, J. E. (2007). “Analysis of traffic sign asset management scenarios.”, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC.
Harris, E. A., Rasdorf, W., and Hummer, J. E. (2012). “Development of a microscopic simulation to model traffic sign management and performance.” J. Comput. Civil Eng., 26(2), 172–182.
Immaneni, V. P., Rasdorf, W., Hummer, J. E., and Yeom, C. (2007). “Field investigation of sign damage rates and inspection accuracy.” Public Works Manage. Policy, 11(4), 266–278.
Kilgour, M. D., White, J. D., and Bullock, D. (2007). “Sign retroreflectivity: Fiscal impact of proposed minimum retroreflectivity values on local governments in Indiana and investigation of the accuracy of nighttime inspections.”, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC.
McGee, H. W., and Taori, S. (1998). “Impacts on state and local agencies for maintaining traffic signs within minimum retroreflectivity guidelines.”, U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Washington, DC.
Opiela, K. S., and Andersen, C. K. (2007). “Maintaining traffic sign retroreflectivity: Impacts on state and local agencies.”, Federal Highway Administration, McLean, VA.
Rasdorf, W., Hummer, J. E., Harris, E. A., Yeom, C., and Immaneni, V. P. (2006). “Designing an efficient nighttime sign inspection procedure to ensure motorist safety.”, North Carolina Dept. of Transportation, Raleigh, NC.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Transportation Engineering
Volume 139 • Issue 6 • June 2013
Pages: 556 - 564
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 26, 2011
Accepted: Nov 21, 2012
Published online: May 15, 2013
Published in print: Jun 1, 2013
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.