U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
400 Seventh St., S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20590

October 19,2004
Refer to: HOTO-1

Mr. Murray Bodin
101 Joyce Road
Hartsdale, NY 10530

Dear Mr. Bodin:Thank you for your three October 5 emails to Mr. Scott Wainwright of our staff requesting changes to Sections 3B.05 and 3B.06 of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). The changes you requested involve the color and pattern of lane line and edge line pavement markings at freeway exit and entrance ramps, specifically:

• For freeway lane drops at exits, as shown in Figure 3B-10, you request that the option in Section 3B.05 to use special wide white dotted lane drop markings (commonly known as "cat tracks") be changed to guidance (a "should" condition). You also request that the lane drop markings should extend all the way to the theoretical gore point, rather than changing to a wide solid white line prior to the theoretical gore point.
• Also, in Figure 3B-10, you request that the yellow left edge line along the exit ramp be extended upstream such that it starts at the theoretical gore point.
• In Figure 3B-9 and in the text of Section 3B.05, you request that the broken lane line separating the entrance ramp acceleration lane from the freeway mainline right lane be changed to the "lane drop" pattern of wide white dotted line markings and that this line should extend for the full length (rather than half the length) of the full-width acceleration lane.

Your request for these changes in the MUTCD has been assigned the number and title "3-173(C)--Lane Line and Edge Line Markings at Exits and Entrances." The Federal Highway Administration will give consideration to your request in developing our proposed rulemaking for the next edition of the MUTCD. At present, we expect that proposed rulemaking for the next MUTCD will occur in late 2006 or early 2007.

By copy of this letter, we are also forwarding your request and this reply to the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices so that organization may be aware of your issues and may consider developing comments and recommendations as appropriate.

Thank you for your interest in traffic safety and uniformity of traffic control devices. If we can be of further assistance on this matter, please contact Mr. Wainwright on 202-366-0857 or via email at scott.wainwright@fhwa.dot.gov.

Sincerely yours,

Regina S. McElroy
Director, Office of Transportation
Operations