U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
400 Seventh St., S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20590

June 27, 2003

Refer to: HOTO-1

Mr. Roger A. Wentz
Executive Director
American Traffic Safety Services Association
15 Riverside Parkway, Suite 100
Fredericksburg, VA 22406-1022

Dear Mr. Wentz:

Thank you for your May 13 letter to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) regarding the use of in-street delineators in school zone crosswalks.

It is our understanding that you requested two changes to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) in your letter. Your first request is to add in-street delineators to MUTCD Section 7B-09. The second one is to permit the use of in-street delineators in school zone crosswalks at both mid-block crosswalks and unsignalized intersections.

During the process of developing our next edition of the MUTCD, we have considered the in-street delineators in school zone crosswalks same as in-street pedestrian crossing signs. The in-street pedestrian crossing signs have been proposed to the Notice of Proposed Amendment (NPA) as Revision No. 2 of the Millennium edition of the MUTCD. We have received about ten comments in favor of including in-street pedestrian crossing signs to the MUTCD.

The use of in-street pedestrian crossing signs in school zones was originally proposed in the NPA for mid-block unsignalized crosswalks only. We have received several comments recommending the in-street pedestrian crossing signs be used at unsignalized crosswalks located at both mid-block and intersections in school zones.

The FHWA is currently completing the internal review process for the 2003 Edition of the MUTCD. The MUTCD Team is seriously reviewing the above comments during this review and decision-making process. The final rule is anticipated for publication in October 2003. We will inform you of the final decision concerning the in-street pedestrian crossing signs in school zones once the final rule is approved and published in the Federal Register.

For future reference purposes, we have assigned the following official ruling number and title to your request: 7-56 (C)-"In-Street School Zone Delineators/Signs." Please refer to this number in future correspondence.

If your need further assistance, please contact Ms. Guan Xu at 202-366-5892.

Sincerely yours,
/s/
Shelley J. Row, P.E.
Director, Office of Transportation Operations