CLOVERLEAF CORPORATION

July 30, 2004

Mr. Brian Blanchard
State Roadway Design Engineer
Office of Roadway Design
Florida Department of Transportation
605 Suwannee Street, MS-32
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0450

RE: Request for Clarification - Colored Roadway Surface

Dear Mr. Blanchard:

We provide a number of decorative roadway surfacing treatment products in Florida. These products emulate the look and color of brick pavers. Last week, we were approached by a municipality inquiring about the possibility of making one of these treatments retro-reflective. Their intent was to use a reflective decorative surfacing treatment in crosswalks to increase nighttime visibility.

Due to the composition of our products, we are physically unable to make them retro-reflective. I in turn informed the municipality that our treatments were not available with retro-reflective properties. Their inquiry sparked my interest in whether or not this would even be permissible and practical.

I have reviewed Section 3E.01 in the MUTCD 2003 edition which discusses colored pavements. No where does it mention whether or not these surfaces should be reflective. The Florida Green Book also addresses decorated pavements, and likewise, it does not make mention of decorative retroreflective surfaces.

During daylight hours, drivers can clearly distinguish between roadway surface features. At night, a driver approaching a crosswalk would pick up on the retro-reflective white crosswalk bars but then may be confused to see a "glowing" terra-cotta colored line (which would be the decorative surface within the crosswalk).

My opinion would be that making these decorative surfaces reflective would now classify them as traffic control devices. They would then be subject to meeting the requirements of the MUTCD (which does not address reflectively of these surfaces specifically as well as FDOT certification requirements.

Am I correct to then assume that the intent of the Florida Green Book and FDOT is that these decorative surfaces be non-reflective? Please respond to me in writing within 14 days.

Sincerely,

Matthew G. Schindler President

1916 South Tamiami Trail * Ruskin, FL 33570 * (813) 649-1336 * FAX (813) 645-5577