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

Refer to: HOTO-1
July 12, 2000

Mr. Greg Brinkmeyer
Engineer of Policy and Standards
Texas Department of Transportation
Dewitt C. Greer State Highway Building
125 East 11th Street
Austin, TX 78701-2483

Dear Mr. Brinkmeyer:

We have reviewed your June 12 letter requesting approval to experiment with raised pavement markers manufactured with fluorescent orange methyl methacrylate. Before we can approve your request to experiment with the fluorescent orange raised pavement markers in work zones, we need you to provide more detail of your proposed experiment per Section 1.A.6 of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). We are enclosing Section 1A.6.

In addition to the requirements found in section 1A.6 of the MUTCD, we request the following:

  1. An illustration of the proposed location for installation of the fluorescent orange raised pavement markers in work zones, and how the markers will be used (with edge lines, with solid lines, with passing zones, etc.).
  2. A clarification the starting and ending dates of the proposed experimentation. Your proposal should also include the length of the before, after, and acclimation time periods. The location site(s) should be restored to its original state immediately at the end of the experimentation.
  3. An indication how the field observation data will be collected, e.g., by observers, using video, etc.
  4. An indication when the field data will be collected (e.g., day, night, week, weekend, etc.).
  5. A statement agreeing to restore the experiment site to a State complying with the provisions of the MUTCD should at any time it be determined that significant safety hazards are directly or indirectly attributed to the experimentation.
  6. An agreement to submit semi-annual progress reports and a final report within 3 months of completion of the experiment to the FHWA, Office of Transportation Operations.

For evaluation comparison purposes, your experiment should include:

  1. The installation and evaluation of standard raised pavement markers at the same spacing as the proposed fluorescent orange raised pavement markers. This could be in the same work zone depending on the length of the work zone or in another similar work zone.
  2. The evaluation of your standard work zone pavement marking practices in the same work zone or in another similar word zone.

For reference purposes, we have assigned your request the following official experimentation number and title: "Vl-114(E)- Fluorescent Orange Raised Pavement Markers." Please refer to this number in future correspondence.

If you have any question while preparing your revised request to experiment, please call Mr. Charlie L. Sears at 202-366-1555.

Sincerely yours,

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