06-08-2015 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

1 Item No: 9 Exhibit: A Ex City of Orono, Minnesota Sign Retroreflectivity Policy 1. Purpose and Goal. The purpose of this policy is to establish how the city will implement an assessment or management method, or combination of methods, to meet the minimum sign retroreflectivity requirements in the Minnesota Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MN MUTCD). Substantial conformance with the MN MUTCD is achieved by having a method in place to maintain minimum retroreflectivity levels. Conformance does not require or guarantee that every individual sign in the city will meet or exceed the minimum retroreflective levels at every point in time. The goal of this policy is to improve public safety on the city’s streets and roads and prioritize the city’s limited resources to replace signs. 2. Applicable Signs. This policy applies to all regulatory, warning, and guide signs as set forth in the MN MUTCD. Pursuant to Section 2A.8 of the MN MUTCD the city excludes the following signs from the retroreflectivity maintenance guidelines: A. Parking, Standing, and Stopping signs (R7 and R8 series) B. Walking/Hitchhiking/Crossing signs (R9 series, R10-1 through R10-4b) C. Acknowledgment signs, including Memorial signs D. All signs with blue or brown backgrounds E. Bikeway signs that are intended for exclusive use by bicyclists or pedestrians 3. Resource Materials. The city has reviewed and relied on numerous resources in adopting this policy. These resource materials include: A. Methods for Maintaining Traffic Sign Retroreflectivity, Publication No. FHWA-HRT-08-026, U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration (November 2007). B. Sign Retroreflectivity Guidebook, Publication No. FHWA-CFL/TD-09-005, U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration (September 2009). C. Sign Retroreflectivity: A Minnesota Toolkit, Minnesota Department of Transportation, Local Road Research Board (June 2010). D. Traffic Sign Maintenance/Management Handbook, Report No. 2010RIC10, Version 1.1, Minnesota Department of Transportation (October 2010). E. LMCIT Sign Retroreflectivity Memo and Model Policy, League of Minnesota Cities (Final Edition, March 2014). 4. Sign Inventory. To meet the city’s goal of maintaining sign retroreflectivity above certain levels, the city will maintain a sign inventory of all new or replacement signs installed after the effective date of this policy. The inventory shall indicate the type of sign, the location of the sign, the date of installation or replacement, the type of sheeting material used on the sign face, the expected life of the sign, and any maintenance performed on the sign. As to existing signs, the city will perform an inventory of all signs covered by this policy. The city recognizes this process will occur over time subject to the city’s monetary and human resources. The city shall record the above information related to new signs to the extent that such information is known and shall also include a statement on the general condition of the sign. 5. Removal of Signs. In recognition of the fact that excess road signs have been shown to reduce the effectiveness of signage, as well as impose an unnecessary financial burden on road authorities, it is the city’s policy to remove signs determined to be unnecessary for safety purposes and which are not required to comply with an applicable state or federal statute or regulation. The removal of signs shall be based on an engineering study and the MN MUTCD. Item #09 - CC Agenda - 06/08/2015 City Sign Retroflectivity Policy [Page 2 of 3]