Agenda Packets - 2012/01/23 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Item No: 7F Meeting Date: January 23, 2012 Type of Business: Council Business Administrator Review: ____ City of Mounds View Staff Report To: Honorable Mayor and City Council From: Nick DeBar, Public Works Director Item Title/Subject: Resolution 7891, Approving Maintenance Method for Traffic Sign Retroreflectivity Standards Background: The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) is the national standard for traffic signs and pavement marking on any street, highway, or bicycle trail open to the public (23 CFR Part 655.603). Minnesota has a state-wide version of the MUTCD that is required to be used on all public and private roadways in Minnesota. MS 169.06 empowers local road authorities to place and maintain traffic control devices on roadways under their jurisdiction. The MUTCD was recently updated in 2009 and mandates (requires) that agencies maintain traffic signs to meet retroreflectivity standards. All regulatory and warning traffic signs have a compliance date of January 2015, and all guide signs and street name signs need compliance by January 2018. To facilitate compliance, agencies need to have a maintenance method chosen from standardized assessment and management methods by January 2012. A description of these methods is attached for reference. Discussion: City staff is recommending a combination of methods to comply with the retroreflectivity standards. The two methods recommended are expected sign life and blanket replacement. The blanket replacement method is being performed with the Street and Utility Improvement Program with all traffic signs being replaced in each project area. Traffic signs on streets not included in the Program will be maintained by the expected sign life method, which compare the age of individual signs to the expected sign life. A map of these areas is attached for reference. To complicate matters with the traffic sign retroreflectivity mandate, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is considering proposed changes related to the mandate. The changes include eliminating, extending, and revising most of the compliance dates. A 60-day public comment period ended October 31, 2011 and a final ruling has not taken place. Upon a final ruling, engineering staff will progress with a more detailed traffic sign management plan and policy. Adopting the maintenance method will meet the January 2012 compliance requirement. Recommendation: City staff recommends that the City Council adopt the attached resolution approving the maintenance method for complying with new traffic sign retroreflectivity standards. A more developed traffic sign management plan and policy will be considered by the Council in the future upon a final ruling by the FHWA on proposed changes to the retroreflectivity compliance dates. Respectfully submitted, Nick DeBar - Public Works Director Attachments: • Resolution 7891 • Maintenance Methods for Traffic Sign Retroreflectivity Standards • Traffic Sign Maintenance Program Map