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

October 2, 2001

Refer to: HOTO-1

Mr. Fred M. Greenberg
Director of Traffic Services – New England
BL Companies
355 Research Parkway
Meriden, CT 06450

Dear Mr. Greenberg:

Thank you for your September 13 letter to the Office of Transportation Operations requesting an interpretation of the traffic volume requirements with respect to Section 4C.02 Warrant 1, Eight Hour Vehicular Volume.

The intent of Section 4C.02 is that there is no 56 percent volume level permitted to satisfy warrant 1 for the combination of conditions A and B where the speed exceeds 40 mph. You are correct that, because the 2000 Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) contains no provision for a 56 percent warranting condition, there is no practical use of the combination of conditions A and B for locations where the speed is over 40 mph, because the volumes in the 70 percent columns are lower than in the 80 percent columns.

Thank you for writing on this subject. The Federal Highway Administration will consider making revisions to Section 4C.02 to address this issue in the next revision of the MUTCD.

If you have any questions, please call Mr. Scott Wainwright at 202?366?0857. Please note that we have assigned your request the following official interpretation number and title: "4-235(I)—Warrant 1 – 56% Volume Level." Please refer to this number in future correspondence.

Sincerely yours,

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

FHWA: HOTO?1:SWainwright:ds:60857:10-2-01
cc: HOTO-1 HOST-1 HOTO?1 (Huckaby/Schoene/Wainwright)
All Resources Centers HDA-CT(2) Mr. Bob Garrett, NCUTCD
Mr. Roger Wentz, ATSSA Chron 3408 Reader 3408