Memorandum of Understanding Between FHWA and National Park Service Regarding Traffic Control Devices on Roads in National Parks

Canceled on January 18, 2024; Superseded by the MUTCD, 11th Edition

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Office of the Administrator

400 Seventh St., S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20590

Refer To: HFL-1

Ms. Frances P. Mainella
Director, National Park Service
1849 C Street NW

Washington, DC 20240

Dear Ms. Mainella

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Office of Federal Lands Highway is requesting your signature and approval to this correspondence amending the existing 1973 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between FHWA and the National Park Service (NPS) concerning traffic control devices on roads in national parks.

Under this agreement as amended herein, and due to the circumstances with ownership of some parkways in 1973, the NPS UniGuide is considered to be in substantial conformance with the national Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).

The 1973 MOU is amended and modified as follows:

1. All NPS roads open to public travel will be in full-compliance with the MUTCD unless otherwise stated below.
2. All references to the NPS Sign System Specifications (NPSSS) are amended to refer to the NPS UniGuide Sign Standards, 2004.
3. Paragraphs 1c, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7 are deleted.
4. Paragraph 1d is amended to require that all new signs installed subsequent to December 31, 2006, will be in accordance with this agreement. The conversion of all existing signs on NPS roadways in accordance with this agreement will be completed by December 31, 2015.
5. Paragraph 3 is amended to provide that NPS roadway and clearview fonts will be the official fonts used on NPS informational, directional, guide, and service sign legends. We further agree that these fonts shall be made public including providing all applicable kerning spacing.
6. Add paragraph 8 as follows: We agree that park entrance and facility identification signs may be alternate colors and sign materials as specified in the UniGuide Sign Standards manuals.
7. Add paragraph 9 as follows: We agree that along campground roadways and other similar low-speed, low-volume class roadways that informational, warning and regulatory signs may be of alternate colors, and panel size as specified in the UniGuide Sign Standards manuals providing that the NPS submits these signs under the experimental rules set forth in the MUTCD and obtains FHWA approval prior to their initial use.
8. Add paragraph 10 as follows: We agree that the colors used on signs installed on all NPS roadways open to public vehicular traffic shall meet the requirements of 23 CFR 655.603(c). We agree that special attention will be given to the proper selection of sheeting materials and maintenance of traffic signs with respect to nighttime visibility.
9. Add paragraph 11 as follows: We agree that the alternate parking control signs specified in section 6.2 of the UniGuide Sign Standards manuals may be used.

APPROVING:

/s/ J. Richard Capka___________           3/10/06_____
J. Richard Capka                                       DATE
Acting Administrator
Federal Highway Administration

/s/ Stacy Martin for___________           5/4/06_____
Frances P. Mainella                                   DATE
Director, National Park Service
National Park Service

Please return this letter signed showing your approval to the amended agreement to my office. Once approved and signed, a copy will be returned to the NPS for their records and inclusion into the UniGuide sign manual as an appendix. This signed and approved amended MOU letter shall also serve to acknowledge FHWA's recognition and approval of the NPS UniGuide Sign Standards, 2004, and the UniGuide sign manual is in substantial conformance with the MUTCD 2003 Edition.

Sincerely,

/s/ J. Richard Capka

J. Richard Capka
Acting Administrator

Enclosure
Memorandum of Understanding Between The National Park Service And The Federal Highway Administration, 1973

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AUG 29 1973

FHWA/NPS Agreement on Traffic Control Devices

HTO-20

Acting Director
Office of Traffic Operations
Washington, D.C. 20590
Regional Federal Highway Administrators (1-10)
Division Engineers

Attached for your information is a copy of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Federal Highway Administration and the National Park Service concerning traffic control devices on roads in National Parks.

Under this agreement, all traffic control devices used on roads traversing and within National Parks will be in substantial conformance with the national standards applicable to all other public highways.

To preserve the basic park atmosphere, exceptions are permitted for informational, directional and service signs on highways owned and operated by the National Park Service. These exceptions include the use of the modified clarendon alphabet currently used by the Park Service and a white legend on a brown background. In addition, a series of recreational symbols has been approved as legend components for use on selected Park Service roads and trails.

The agreement provides that all new signs installed after December 31, 1973, will be in accord with the agreement and conversion of all existing signs on National Park roads will be completed by December 31, 1978.

All regulatory and warning signs are to be in full compliance with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). In addition, Part VI, MUTCD, shall govern the design, application, installation and maintenance of traffic control devices required for road construction and maintenance operations.

All pavement markings shall comply with the MUTCD by December 31, 1974, and traffic signals, where used, shall comply by December 31, 1976.

Copies of this agreement and necessary implementing policies are being distributed to their field organizations by the National Park Service.

Original Signed by
Robert E. Conner

David M. Baldwin

Attachment

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE AND THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION

This Memorandum of Understanding between the National Park Service (hereinafter called NPS) and the Federal Highway Administration (hereinafter called FHWA) will serve to conform all discrepancies between the "Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices" (hereinafter called MUTCD) and the NPS Sign System Specifications (hereinafter called NPS SSS) until such time as the NPS SSS is revised to reflect necessary changes, and official rulings on requests for interpretation, changes, and experimentations have been published for the MUTCD.

Specific agreements between the NPS and the FHWA are:

1. We agree that brown as presently specified in the NPS SSS shall be the official background color and white the legend color for all NPS informational, directional, guide, and service signs except as noted below:
   1. On State-owned and operated highways, such as Interstate 40 traversing Petrified Forest National Park, all signs, pavement markings, and other traffic control devices required for display of regulations, information, warning and guidance shall be in conformance with standards contained in the MUTCD. Where four-lane parkways, operated by the NPS, interchange with Interstate System highways, one advance guide sign and one exit direction sign in each direction, having a white legend on a green background and otherwise conforming to requirements of the MUTCD, Section 2-F, shall be displayed. Such signs are considered to be an integral part of signing for the Interstate System and, therefore, eligible for Federal-Aid Interstate (FAI) fund participation through the respective State Highway Department.
   2. On highways owned, constructed and operated by the NPS, such as the East Side Highway in Grand Teton National Park and most other such roads, necessary informational, directional, guide and service signs shall meet the requirements of the NPS SSS.
   3. All information and guide signs on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and on the Suitland Parkway shall have a white legend on a green background in conformance with the MUTCD.
   4. All new signs installed subsequent to December 31, 1973, shall be in accordance with this agreement. The conversion of all existing signs on NPS roads, in accordance with this agreement, shall be completed by December 31, 1978.

2. We agree that all warning and regulatory signs installed on all NPS roads open to public vehicular travel shall be as specified in the latest edition of the MUTCD.

3. We agree that NPS modified Clarendon shall be the official alphabet for all NPS informational, directional, guide and service sign legends.

4. We agree that NPS SSS symbols shall be used as below:
   1. The symbol sizes and usage category prescribed for use on NPS roads shall be as shown on the attached chart, which will be integrated into Chapter 9 and Appendix B of the NPSS SSS. These recreation symbols shall be used with care to avoid confusion with prescribed symbol use on warning and regulatory signs. The symbols and other legend shall be white on brown background and shall be used on all NPS informational, directional, guide and service signs as a legend component, or used singly or in groups of two or three on all individual post.
   2. We agree that the FHWA will carefully study the entire group of recreation symbols for additions to, or corrections of, graphics of symbols presently used in the warning and regulatory series of the MUTCD.
   3. We agree that elements of the NPS SSS in conflict with current standards, such as the Federal recreation symbols, will be considered, as appropriate, by the FHWA and their National Advisory Committee as a possible supplement to, or the basis for, an official ruling on the MUTCD for appropriate use by other recreational agencies on a National basis.
   4. We agree that NPS should republish the symbols in the Federal Register, thereby making these legal for their use on NPS lands.

5. We agree that, when used, and on the recommendation of the NPS Regional Director, roadways will be marked, that markings shall comply with the MUTCD as stated in Mr. Lawrence C. Hadley's December 22, 1972, memorandum to all Field Directors. Under no circumstances shall there be more than two centerline stripes as provided in the latest edition of the MUTCD. Specific policies and regulations governing specific use of pavement markings, in conformance with the principles contained in the MUTCD, will be developed by the NPS. Conformance date shall be December 31, 1974.

6. We agree that, when used, traffic control signals shall conform with the MUTCD. Specific policies or regulations may be developed by the NPS covering traffic signal use. Traffic signals shall be used only on the recommendation of the NPS Regional Director and conformance, where used, shall be by December 31, 1976.

7. We agree that PART VI of the MUTCD, "Traffic Controls for Street and Highway Construction and Maintenance Operations," shall govern the design, application, installation, and maintenance of traffic control devices required for road construction and maintenance operations.

RECOMMENDING:

Joint Chairmen,
Interagency Task Force                                                _Signed BY___________________________________
                                                                                    Assistant Director, Service Center
                                                                                    Operations
                                                                                    National Park Service

 

___8/3/73___                                                               _Signed BY___________________________________
                                                                                    Executive Director
                                                                                    Federal Highway Administration

 

APPROVING:

                                                                                  _Signed BY___________________________________
                                                                                    Director
                                                                                    National Park Service

 

8 – 3 – 73___                                                             _Signed BY___________________________________
                                                                                    Administrator
                                                                                    Federal Highway Administration