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

Refer to: HOTO-1
December 5, 2000

Mr. Gary L. Ries
State Signal Engineer
Minnesota Department of Transportation
Office of Traffic Engineering
395 John Ireland Boulevard
St. Paul, MN 55155-1899

Dear Mr. Ries:

Thank you for your October 25 letter to the Office of Transportation Operations, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). In your letter, you requested approval to experiment with pedestrian countdown timers. You indicated that you have installed these indicators at six intersections, and that preliminary studies have been conducted. You enclosed a report entitled "Countdown Pedestrian Indication Market Research" dated June 1999 in support of your request.

As you may be aware, Requests to Experiment must be submitted in accordance with Section 1A-6 of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). Please be advised that the MUTCD does not allow for the use of patented devices without a waiver, signed by the manufacturer.

If the waiver is signed, we require the following additional information to evaluate your Request to Experiment. You may fax the information to Mr. Harold Lunenfeld at 202-366-3225:

1. An illustration to help understand the experimental traffic control device and its use.
2. A detailed research plan including where the devices will be installed, and the time period of the experiment. The plan must also provide for close monitoring of the experimentation, especially in the early stages of its field implementation. Will the data, and data collection methodology reported in the "Countdown Pedestrian Indication Market Research" form the basis of your evaluation?
3. An agreement to restore the experimental site to a state complying with the provisions of the MUTCD within 3 months following the end of the time period of the experiment. This agreement must also provide that your agency will terminate the experimentation at any time that it determines significant safety hazards are directly or indirectly attributable to the experimentation. The FHWA Office of Transportation Operations may also terminate approval of the experimentation at any time if there is an indication of hazards. If, as a result of the experimentation, a request is made that the MUTCD be changed to include the device being experimented with, it may remain in place until an official rulemaking action has occurred.
4. An agreement to provide semiannual progress reports for the duration of the experimentation and to provide a copy of the final results of the experimentation to The FHWA Office of Transportation Operations (HOTO-1) within 3 months. Transportation Operations may terminate approval of the experimentation if reports are not provided in accordance with the schedule.

For reference purposes, we have assigned your request the following official experimentation number and title: "IV-183 (E)–Pedestrian Countdown Signals."

If you require additional information to prepare your Request to Experiment, please contact Mr. Harold Lunenfeld at 202-366-6598.

Sincerely yours,

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