Federal Highway Administration
U.S. Department of Transportation
400 Seventh St. SW
Washington, DC 20590

April 16, 2002

Refer to: HOTO-1

Mr. Lynn E. Allsbrook
Traffic Engineering and Operations Manager
City of Hampton
419 North Armistead Avenue
Hampton, VA 23669

Dear Mr. Allsbrook:

Thank you for your March 1 letter submitting the field survey data for the fourth and final 6-month period of the 2-year extension of the approved experimentation (4-136 (Ex)) with a pedestrian signal countdown display.

We appreciate your submission of the data. However, for your experimentation evaluation to be considered complete, it is necessary that you submit a final report that summarizes all of the data you have collected over the full length of your experimentation and presents your final conclusions. We would appreciate receiving such a report at your earliest convenience.

As a result of experimentation in a variety of jurisdictions and a recommendation from the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) that pedestrian signal countdown displays be made uniform in design and application, we are strongly considering adding the pedestrian signal countdown display to the MUTCD for optional use, as a part of the Notice of Proposed Amendments to the MUTCD that is expected to be published in the Federal Register this spring. As such, in accordance with Section 1A.10 of the MUTCD, we have no objection to the city of Hampton continuing to operate the pedestrian signal countdown displays until such time as a final ruling is made, at which time the city of Hampton may be required to modify or remove the displays depending on the details of the final rule.

We look forward to receiving your final report as requested above, and we do appreciate your interest in improving conditions for pedestrians. Meanwhile, if we can be of further assistance, please contact Mr. Scott Wainwright at 202-366-0857.

Sincerely yours,

Shelley J. Row, P.E.
Director, Office of Transportation Operations

FHWA:HOTO?1:SWainwright:ds:60857:4-16-02

cc: HOTO?1 HOST?1 HOTO?1(EHuckaby/SWainwright)
All Resources Centers HDA-VA(2) Mr. Bob Garrett, NCUTCD
Mr. Roger Wentz, ATSSA Mr. Jim Barron, ATSSA
Chron 3408 Reader 3408

DF(4-136 (Ex)--Hampton Ped Countdown)
M:\MUTCD\EXPERIME\4-136 (Ex) Hampton ped countdown.doc