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Frequently Asked Questions - Part 2 Signs

The following list of questions relates to the MUTCD Part 2 Signs:

1. Can street name signs be installed on the same post as a STOP sign?
2. I want to put "Buckle Up" safety message stickers/plaques on the back of STOP and YIELD signs in my City. Is this permissible under the MUTCD?
3. Is an engineering study required for posting speed limits?
4. Can a R1-5 YIELD HERE TO PEDESTRIANS sign be placed at a pedestrian crosswalk under the Pedestrian Crossing W11-2 warning sign?
5. Can the first letter of a cardinal direction (N, S, E, and W) be used on an Enhanced Reference Location sign (D10-5 and D10-6) rather than the full word for the cardinal direction?
6. Can flags or enhancement panels be used with regulatory signs to enhance their conspicuity in the driver's field of view? I cannot find anything on 'flagging' of regulatory signs in the MUTCD
7. I have seen applications of "doubled-up" warning signs. Is this permissible per the requirements of the MUTCD?
8. What happened to the "REDUCED SPEED ZONE AHEAD" sign in Chapter 2B?
9. How are guide sign destinations selected?
10. I would like to rename a highway in honor of a World War I Medal of Honor winner as a lasting memorial for his service to our country. How do I request this?

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Part 2 Signs: Frequently Asked Questions

1. Q: Can street name signs be installed on the same post as a STOP sign?

A: Yes, Section 2A.16 of the MUTCD states that "Signs should be individually installed on separate posts or mountings except where a) one sign supplements another, or b) route or directional signs are grouped to clarify information to motorists, or c) regulatory signs that do not conflict with each other are grouped, such as turn prohibition signs posted with one-way signs, street name signs posted with a stop or yield sign, or a parking regulation sign posted with a speed limit sign."

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2. Q: I want to put "Buckle Up" safety message stickers/plaques on the back of STOP and YIELD signs in my City. Is this permissible under the MUTCD?

A: Section 2B.06 of the MUTCD states that "Other than a DO NOT ENTER sign, no sign should be mounted back-to-back with a STOP sign in a manner that obscures the shape of the STOP sign." Although safety messages not in the form of a sticker are not specifically prohibited from being placed on the back of stop signs, this is not a practice that FHWA can support. The reason is that such messages detract from the motorist's recognition of the STOP sign as a stop sign.

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3. Q: Is an engineering study required for posting speed limits?

A: It depends. Maximum statewide speed limits are established by state legislatures according to road class (e.g., Interstate highways) and geographic area (e.g., rural vs. urban areas). The legislated maximum speed limit generally applies to all roads of a particular class throughout the State. This is referred to as a statutory maximum speed limit, which applies "unless otherwise posted" and above which a speed limit cannot be legally posted. For example, the statutory maximum speed limit for rural freeways in a given State might be 65 MPH. No engineering study would be needed to post a 65 MPH speed limit on a rural Interstate highway in that State, and even if an engineering study indicated that 75 MPH might be a more appropriate speed for the conditions, the statutory maximum would prohibit the State from posting any limit higher than 65 MPH. Similarly, statutory maximum limits are often legislated for urban streets within city limits, such as 30 MPH. However, State and local governments have the authority to change the limits by establishing speed zones, with posted speed limits lower than the statutory maximum, for highway or street sections where statutory limits do not fit specific road or traffic conditions. An engineering study is required for setting the limit for altered speed zones. The engineering study takes into consideration such factors as operating speeds of free-flowing traffic, crash experience, roadside development, roadway geometry, parking, and pedestrian traffic.

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4. Q: Can a R1-5 YIELD HERE TO PEDESTRIANS sign be placed at a pedestrian crosswalk under the Pedestrian Crossing W11-2 warning sign?

A: No, the R1-5 YIELD HERE TO PEDESTRIANS sign is for application in advance of an unsignalized midblock crosswalk with an advance yield line, to decrease the sight obstruction caused by vehicles in adjacent lanes. The R1-5 sign is not for use at the midblock crosswalk itself. The W11-2 Pedestrian Crossing warning sign with downward sloping arrow plaque (W16-7p) used at the crosswalk is a supplement to the advance placement of the Pedestrian Crossing warning sign. An R1-6 In-Street Pedestrian Crossing sign may be installed in the roadway on centerline of the road at such a crosswalk, whether it is at an intersection or midblock, but not out of the street.

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5. Q: Can the first letter of a cardinal direction (N, S, E, and W) be used on an Enhanced Reference Location sign (D10-5 and D10-6) rather than the full word for the cardinal direction?

A: No, the full word of the cardinal direction (NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, WEST) shall be used, per Section 2E.54 of the MUTCD.

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6. Q: Can flags or enhancement panels be used with regulatory signs to enhance their conspicuity in the driver's field of view? I cannot find anything on 'flagging' of regulatory signs in the MUTCD

A: Yes, flags or enhancement panels can be used with regulatory signs to call additional attention to new or critical signs. There is no prohibition in the MUTCD on these uses, and this is a common practice.

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7. Q: I have seen applications of "doubled-up" warning signs. Is this permissible per the requirements of the MUTCD?

A: Yes, there is no prohibition against "doubling-up" (posting a second, identical, sign on the left side of the road) of warning or regulatory signs in the MUTCD. Section 2A.16 states that the sign on the right is the primary application and that a sign on the left supplements the sign on the right. Also, per Section 2A.12 of the MUTCD, larger sizes of any standard sign can also be used to enhance road user safety and convenience.

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8. Q: What happened to the "REDUCED SPEED ZONE AHEAD" sign in Chapter 2B?

A: The black on white regulatory sign "REDUCED SPEED ZONE AHEAD" in Chapter 2B of the 2000 MUTCD was deleted in the 2003 edition of the MUTCD and replaced with a new black on yellow diamond Speed Reduction warning sign (W3-5 and W3-5a) in Chapter 2C. This change was made because the message is an advance warning message, warning of a change in the regulatory speed ahead.

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9. Q: How are guide sign destinations selected?

A: The selection of destinations shown on guide sign is determined by the each State and not by the FHWA or the MUTCD. There are two types of destinations: 1) major control cities and 2) supplemental destinations. Recommendations for major control cities are submitted to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and approved by AASHTO's Highway Subcommittee on Traffic Engineering. Supplemental destinations are cities other than control cities, or traffic generators. Each State develops selection policies for supplemental destinations. The policy is based on criteria such as interchange spacing, distance of the city or traffic generator from the interchange, population, and annual attendance of a traffic generator. AASHTO has issued guidelines for the selection of control cities and for supplemental guide signs. A copy of the guidelines can be obtained by visiting AASHTO's bookstore located online at https://bookstore.transportation.org.

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10. Q: I would like to rename a highway in honor of a World War I Medal of Honor winner as a lasting memorial for his service to our country. How do I request this?

A: The naming of a highway in memory of someone is a legislative decision that is made by the State or local government in cooperation with the State highway agency. The naming of a highway does not require approval or concurrence of the Federal Highway Administration. Once the decision is made to name the highway, then MUTCD Section 2E.08 provides standards and guidance for the proper placement of the memorial sign.

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