Requests for Experimentation for New Incident Management Sign
Ohio Department of Transportation
June 26, 2003
Contact: Howard P. Wood, ITS Program Manager, (614) 466-2255.

Requests to experiment include consideration of testing or evaluating a new traffic control device, its application or manner of use, or a provision not specifically described in this Manual.

A request for permission to experiment will be considered only when submitted by the public agency or private toll facility responsible for the operation of the road or street on which the experiment is to take place.

The request for permission to experiment should contain the following:

1. A statement indicating the nature of the problem.
   Freeway safety and congestion, especially in regards to incident management. Most motorists are unaware that they are not required to wait for police to arrive, when involved in a minor (property damage only, non-injury, vehicles mobile) crash. Instead, they leave vehicles in travel lanes, causing extreme safety hazard and congestion.
   Regulatory signs have been used on a trial basis in Columbus, Ohio, stating, "Move Accident Vehicles From Travel Lanes." These convey neither the precise message (which is as above: property damage only, non-injury, vehicles mobile), nor do they carry any psychological impact on the motorist’s conscience to establish and reinforce the message.
2. A description of the proposed change to the traffic control device or application of the traffic control device, how it was developed, the manner in which it deviates from the standard, and how it is expected to be an improvement over existing standards.
   See attached. The design was developed based on designs seen in other states, on freeway facilities.
   It will be an improvement over the existing, as it remedies the deficiencies noted in "A" above.
3. Any illustration that would be helpful to understand the traffic control device or use of the traffic control device.
   See attached.
4. Any supporting data explaining how the traffic control device was developed, if it has been tried, in what ways it was found to be adequate or inadequate, and how this choice of device or application was derived.
   This sign design is used in Washington State, Florida, Maryland and Virginia.
5. A legally binding statement certifying that the traffic control device is not protected by a patent or copyright.
   No patent or copyright exists for this design.
6. The time period and location(s) of the experiment.
   One-year trial, in Columbus and Cleveland metropolitan areas of Ohio.
7. A detailed research or evaluation plan that must provide for close monitoring of the experimentation, especially in the early stages of its field implementation. The evaluation plan should include before and after studies as well as quantitative data describing the performance of the experimental device.
   Will be provided.
8. An agreement to restore the site of the experiment to a condition that complies with the provisions of this Manual within 3 months following the end of the time period of the experiment. This agreement must also provide that the agency sponsoring the experimentation will terminate the experimentation at any time that it determines significant safety concerns are directly or indirectly attributable to the experimentation. The FHWA’s Office of Transportation Operations has the right to terminate approval of the experimentation at any time if there is an indication of safety concerns. If, as a result of the experimentation, a request is made that this Manual be changed to include the device or application being experimented with, the device or application will be permitted to remain in place until an official rulemaking action has occurred.
   Agreed.
9. An agreement to provide semiannual progress reports for the duration of the experimentation, and an agreement to provide a copy of the final results of the experimentation to the FHWA’s Office of Transportation Operations within 3 months following completion of the experimentation. The FHWA’s Office of Transportation Operations has the right to terminate approval of the experimentation if reports are not provided in accordance with this schedule.
   Agreed.