4(09)-8 (E) - Circular Rapid Flashing Beacons — Santa Monica, CA

FHWA's Response Letter Approving the Request to Experiment

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U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE.
Washington, D.C. 20590

March 11, 2011

In Reply Refer To: HOTO-1

Sam Morrissey, P.E., T.E,
Principal Transportation Engineer
Planning & Community Development Department
City of Santa Monica
1685 Main Street, Room 115
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Dear Mr. Morrissey:

Thank you for your letter of February 22, requesting approval to experiment with circular-shaped rapid flashing beacons at an uncontrolled crosswalk at the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and Princeton Street in the city of Santa Monica. Your experiment is intended to compare the performance of a circular-shaped rapid flashing beacon with the performance of rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFB), which are currently under Interim Approval status.

We have reviewed your experimentation request and concur with it, except for the following:

It is necessary to evaluate the same six measures of driver behavior that were collected in the RRFB experiments that led to their Interim Approval. The information on those measures can be found on pages 12-13 of the report at http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/interim_approval/ia11/stpetersburgrpt/stpetersburgrpt.pdf.
It is necessary to collect the same data one year after the experimental circular RFB is installed, to ascertain whether it maintains long-term effects comparable to the published data on long-term effectiveness of RRFB.

In your March 6 email to Mr. Scott Wainwright of our staff, you indicated agreement with these additional conditions. Therefore, your request to experiment is approved. Your specific approval has been numbered "4(09)-8 (E) Circular Rapid Flashing Beacons — Santa Monica, CA." Please reference this number in any future correspondence. Also, please be aware of any State laws and/or directives covering the application of MUTCD provisions that may exist in California.

Thank you for your interest in improving pedestrian safety. If we can be of further assistance on this matter, please feel free to contact Mr. Wainwright by e-mail at scott.wainwright@dot.gov or by telephone at 202-366-0857.

Sincerely yours,

Original signed by:

Mark R. Kehrli
Director, Office of Transportation Operations