2009 Edition Chapter 2J. Specific Service Signs
Section 2J.01 Eligibility
Standard:
01 Specific Service signs shall be defined as guide signs that provide road users with business identification and directional information for services and for eligible attractions. Eligible service categories shall be limited to gas, food, lodging, camping, attractions, and 24-hour pharmacies.
Guidance:
02 The use of Specific Service signs should be limited to areas primarily rural in character or to areas where adequate sign spacing can be maintained.
Option:
03 Where an engineering study determines a need, Specific Service signs may be used on any class of highways.
Guidance:
04 Specific Service signs should not be installed at an interchange where the road user cannot conveniently reenter the freeway or expressway and continue in the same direction of travel.
Standard:
05 Eligible service facilities shall comply with laws concerning the provisions of public accommodations without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, or national origin, and laws concerning the licensing and approval of service facilities.
06 The attraction services shall include only facilities which have the primary purpose of providing amusement, historical, cultural, or leisure activities to the public.
07 Distances to eligible 24-hour pharmacies shall not exceed 3 miles in any direction of an interchange on the Federal-aid system.
Guidance:
08 Except as provided in Paragraph 9, distances to eligible services other than pharmacies should not exceed 3 miles in any direction.
Option:
09 If, within the 3-mile limit, facilities for the services being considered other than pharmacies are not available or choose not to participate in the program, the limit of eligibility may be extended in 3-mile increments until one or more facilities for the services being considered chooses to participate, or until 15 miles is reached, whichever comes first.
Guidance:
10 If State or local agencies elect to provide Specific Service signing, there should be a statewide policy for such signing and criteria for the availability of the various types of services. The criteria should consider the following:
- To qualify for a GAS logo sign panel, a business should have:
- Vehicle services including gas and/or alternative fuels, oil, and water;
- Continuous operation at least 16 hours per day, 7 days per week for freeways and expressways, and continuous operation at least 12 hours per day, 7 days per week for conventional roads;
- Modern sanitary facilities and drinking water; and
- Public telephone.
- To qualify for a FOOD logo sign panel, a business should have:
- Licensing or approval, where required;
- Continuous operations to serve at least two meals per day, at least 6 days per week;
- Modern sanitary facilities; and
- Public telephone.
- To qualify for a LODGING logo sign panel, a business should have:
- Licensing or approval, where required;
- Adequate sleeping accommodations;
- Modern sanitary facilities; and
- Public telephone.
- To qualify for a CAMPING logo sign panel, a business should have:
- Licensing or approval, where required;
- Adequate parking accommodations; and
- Modern sanitary facilities and drinking water.
- To qualify for an ATTRACTION logo sign panel, a facility should have:
- Regional significance, in compliance with the provisions of Paragraph 6; and
- Adequate parking accommodations.
Standard:
11 If State or local agencies elect to provide Specific Service signing for pharmacies, both of the following criteria shall be met for a pharmacy to qualify for signing:
- The pharmacy shall be continuously operated 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, and shall have a State-licensed pharmacist present and on duty at all times; and
- The pharmacy shall be located within 3 miles of an interchange on the Federal-aid system.
Support:
12 Section 2I.04 contains information regarding the Interstate Oasis program.
Section 2J.02 Application
Standard:
01 The number of Specific Service signs along an approach to an interchange or intersection, regardless of the number of service types displayed, shall be limited to a maximum of four. In the direction of traffic, successive Specific Service signs shall be for 24-hour pharmacy, attraction, camping, lodging, food, and gas services, in that order.
02 A Specific Service sign shall display the word message GAS, FOOD, LODGING, CAMPING, ATTRACTION, or 24-HOUR PHARMACY, an appropriate directional legend such as the word message EXIT XX, NEXT RIGHT, SECOND RIGHT, or directional arrows, and the related logo sign panels.
03 No more than three types of services shall be represented on any sign or sign assembly. If three types of services are displayed on one sign, then the logo sign panels shall be limited to two for each service type (for a total of six logo sign panels). If two types of services are displayed on one sign, then the logo sign panels shall be limited to either three for each service type (for a total of six logo sign panels) or four for one service type and two for the other service type (for a total of six logo sign panels). The legend and logo sign panels applicable to a service type shall be displayed such that the road user will not associate them with another service type on the same sign.
04 No service type shall appear on more than two signs (see Paragraph 6).
05 The signs shall have a blue background, a white border, and white legends of upper-case letters, numbers, and arrows.
Guidance:
06 Where a service type is displayed on two signs, the signs for that service should follow one another in succession.
07 The Specific Service signs should be located to take advantage of natural terrain, to have the least impact on the scenic environment, and to avoid visual conflict with other signs within the highway right-of-way.
Option:
08 General Service signs (see Sections 2I.02 and 2I.03) may be used in conjunction with Specific Service signs for eligible types of services that are not represented by a Specific Service sign.
Support:
09 Examples of Specific Service signs are shown in Figure 2J-1. Examples of sign locations are shown in Figure 2J-2.
Figure 2J-1 Examples of Specific Service Signs
Figure 2J-2 Examples of Specific Service Sign Locations
Section 2J.03 Logos and Logo sign Panels
Standard:
01 A logo shall be either an identification symbol/trademark or a word message. Each logo shall be placed on a separate logo sign panel that shall be attached to the Specific Service sign. Symbols or trademarks used alone for a logo shall be reproduced in the colors and general shape consistent with customary use, and any integral legend shall be in proportionate size. A logo that resembles an official traffic control device shall not be used.
Guidance:
02 A word message logo, not using a symbol or trademark, should have a blue background with white legend and border.
Support:
03 Section 2J.05 contains information regarding the minimum letter heights for logo sign panels.
Option:
04 Where business identification symbols or trademarks are used alone for a logo, the border may be omitted from the logo sign panel.
05 A portion of a logo sign panel may be used to display a supplemental message horizontally along the bottom of the logo sign panel, provided that the message displays essential motorist information (see Figure 2J-3).
Figure 2J-3 Examples of Supplemental Messages on Logo Sign Panels
Standard:
06 All supplemental messages shall be displayed within the logo sign panel and shall have letters and numerals that comply with the minimum height requirements shown in Table 2J-1.
| Type of Sign | Freeway or Expressway | Conventional Road or Ramp |
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| A. Specific Service Signs | ||
| Service Categories | 10 | 6 |
| Exit Number Words | 10 | — |
| Exit Number Numerals and Letters | 10 | — |
| Action Message Words | 10 | 6 |
| Distance Numerals | — | 6 |
| Distance Fraction Numerals | — | 4 |
|
||
| B. Logo Sign Panels | ||
| Logo Sign Panels | 60 x 36 | 30 x 18 |
| Words and Numerals (Non-Trademark/Graphic Logo) | 8 | 4 |
| Trademark/Graphic Logo | Proportional | Proportional |
| Supplemental Message Words and Numerals | 5 | 2.5 |
Note: Sizes are shown in inches and where applicable are shown as width x height
Guidance:
07 A logo sign panel should not display more than one supplemental message.
08 The supplemental message should be displayed in a color to contrast effectively with the background of the business sign or separated from the other legend or logo by a divider bar.
09 State or local agencies that elect to allow supplemental messages on logo sign panels should develop a statewide policy for such messages.
Support:
10 Typical supplemental messages might include DIESEL, 24 HOURS, CLOSED and the day of the week when the facility is closed, ALTERNATIVE FUELS (see Section 2I.03), and RV ACCESS.
Option:
11 The RV ACCESS supplemental message may be circular.
Standard:
12 If the RV ACCESS supplemental message is circular, it shall be the abbreviation RV in black letters inside a yellow circle with a black border and it shall be displayed within the logo sign panel near the lower right-hand corner (see Figure 2J-4).
Figure 2J-4 Examples of RV Access Supplemental Messages on Logo Sign Panels
Guidance:
13 If the circular RV ACCESS supplemental message is used, the circle should have a diameter of 10 inches and the letters should have a height of 6 inches.
14 If a State or local agency elects to display the designation of businesses as providing on-premise accommodations for recreational vehicles with the RV ACCESS supplemental message or the RV Access circular message, there should be a statewide policy for such designation and criteria for qualifying businesses. The criteria should include such site conditions as access between the public roadway and the site, on-premise geometry, and parking.
Option:
15 If a business designated as an Interstate Oasis (see Section 2I.04) has a business logo sign panel on the Food and/or Gas Specific Service signs, the word OASIS may be displayed on the bottom portion of the logo sign panel for that business.
Standard:
16 A logo sign panel shall not display the symbol/trademark or name of more than one business.
Section 2J.04 Number and Size of Signs and Logo Sign Panels
Guidance:
01 Sign sizes should be determined by the amount and height of legend and the number and size of logo sign panels attached to the sign. All logo sign panels on a sign should be the same size.
Standard:
02 Each Specific Service sign or sign assembly shall be limited to no more than six logo sign panels.
Option:
03 Where more than six businesses of a specific service type are eligible for logo sign panels at the same interchange, additional logo sign panels of that same specific service type may also be displayed in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph 4. The additional logo sign panels may be displayed either by placing more than one specific service type on the same sign (see Paragraph 3 of Section 2J.02) or by using a second Specific Service sign of that specific service type if the additional sign can be added without exceeding the limit of four Specific Service signs at an interchange or intersection approach (see Paragraph 6 of Section 2J.02).
Standard:
04 Where logo sign panels for more than six businesses of a specific service type are displayed at the same interchange or intersection approach, the following provisions shall apply:
- No more than 12 logo sign panels of a specific service type shall be displayed on no more than two Specific Service signs or sign assemblies;
- No more than six logo sign panels shall be displayed on a single Specific Service sign; and
- No more than four Specific Service signs shall be displayed on the approach.
Support:
05 Section 2J.08 contains information regarding Specific Service signs for double-exit interchanges.
Standard:
06 Each logo sign panel attached to a Specific Service sign shall have a rectangular shape with a width longer than the height. A logo sign panel on signs for freeways and expressways shall not exceed 60 inches in width and 36 inches in height. A logo sign panel on signs for conventional roads and freeway and expressway ramps shall not exceed 30 inches in width and 18 inches in height. The vertical and horizontal spacing between logo sign panels shall not exceed 8 inches and 12 inches, respectively.
Support:
07 Sections 2A.14, 2E.15, and 2E.16 contain information regarding borders, interline spacing, and edge spacing.
Section 2J.05 Size of Lettering
Standard:
01 All Specific Service signs and logo sign panels shall have letter and numeral sizes that comply with the minimum requirements of Table 2J-1.
Guidance:
02 Any legend on a symbol/trademark should be proportional to the size of the symbol/trademark.
Section 2J.06 Signs at Interchanges
Standard:
01 The Specific Service signs shall be installed between the preceding interchange and at least 800 feet in advance of the Exit Direction sign at the interchange from which the services are available (see Figure 2J-2).
Guidance:
02 There should be at least an 800-foot spacing between the Specific Service signs, except for Specific Service ramp signs. However, excessive spacing is not desirable. Specific Service ramp signs should be spaced at least 100 feet from the Exit Gore sign, from each other, and from the ramp terminal.
Section 2J.07 Single-Exit Interchanges
Standard:
01 At numbered single-exit interchanges, the name of the service type followed by the exit number shall be displayed on one line above the logo sign panels. At unnumbered interchanges, the directional legend NEXT RIGHT (LEFT) shall be used.
02 At single-exit interchanges, Specific Service ramp signs shall be installed along the ramp or at the ramp terminal for facilities that have logo sign panels displayed along the main roadway if the facilities are not readily visible from the ramp terminal. Directions to the service facilities shall be indicated by arrows on the ramp signs. Logo sign panels on Specific Service ramp signs shall be duplicates of those displayed on the Specific Service signs located in advance of the interchange, but shall be reduced in size (see Paragraph 6 of Section 2J.04).
Guidance:
03 Specific Service ramp signs should include distances to the service facilities.
Option:
04 An exit number plaque (see Section 2E.31) may be used instead of the exit number on the signs located in advance of an interchange.
Section 2J.08 Double-Exit Interchanges
Guidance:
01 At double-exit interchanges, the Specific Service signs should consist of two sections, one for each exit (see Figure 2J-1).
Standard:
02 At a double-exit interchange, the top section shall display the logo sign panels for the first exit and the bottom section shall display the logo sign panels for the second exit. At numbered interchanges, the name of the service type and the exit number shall be displayed above the logo sign panels in each section. At unnumbered interchanges, the word message NEXT RIGHT (LEFT) and SECOND RIGHT (LEFT) shall be used in place of the exit number. The number of logo sign panels on the sign (total of both sections) or the sign assembly shall be limited to six.
Guidance:
03 At a double-exit interchange, where a service type is displayed on two Specific Service signs in accordance with the provisions of Section 2J.04, one of the signs should display the logo sign panels for that service type for the businesses that are accessible from one of the two exits and the other sign should display the logo sign panels for that service type for the businesses that are accessible from the other exit.
Option:
04 At a double-exit interchange where there are four logo sign panels to be displayed for one of the exits and one or two logo sign panels to be displayed for the other exit, the logo sign panels may be arranged in three rows with two logo sign panels per row.
05 At a double-exit interchange, where a service is to be signed for only one exit, one section of the Specific Service sign may be omitted, or a single exit interchange sign may be used. Signs on ramps and crossroads as described in Section 2J.07 may be used at a double-exit interchange.
Section 2J.09 Specific Service Trailblazer Signs
Support:
01 Specific Service trailblazer signs (see Figure 2J-5) are guide signs with one to four logo sign panels that display business identification and directional information for services and for eligible attractions. Specific Service trailblazer signs are installed along crossroads for facilities that have logo sign panels displayed along the main roadway and ramp, and that require additional vehicle maneuvers.
Figure 2J-5 Examples of Specific Service Trailblazer Signs
Standard:
02 Specific Service trailblazer signs shall be installed along crossroads where the route to the business requires a direction change, where it is questionable as to which roadway to follow, or where additional guidance is needed. Where it is not feasible or practical to install Specific Service trailblazer signs to such businesses, those businesses shall not be considered eligible for signing from the ramp and main roadway. A Specific Service trailblazer sign shall not be required at the point where the business is visible from the roadway and its access is readily apparent.
Guidance:
03 If used, a Specific Service trailblazer sign should be located a maximum of 500 feet in advance of any required turn.
Standard:
04 The location of other traffic control devices shall take precedence over the location of a Specific Service trailblazer sign.
05 When used, each Specific Service trailblazer sign or sign assembly shall be limited to no more than four logo sign panels. The logo sign panels on Specific Service trailblazer signs shall be duplicates of those displayed on the Specific Service ramp signs.
06 Appropriate legends, such as directional arrows or the word message NEXT RIGHT or SECOND RIGHT, shall be displayed with the logo sign panel to provide proper guidance. The directional legend and border shall be white and shall be displayed on a blue background.
Option:
07 Specific Service trailblazer signs may contain various types of services on a single sign or on a sign assembly.
08 Specific Service trailblazer signs may be placed farther from the edge of the road than other traffic control signs.
Section 2J.10 Signs at Intersections
Standard:
01 Where both tourist-oriented information (see Chapter 2K) and specific service information would be needed at the same intersection, the design of the tourist-oriented directional signs shall be used, and the needed specific service information shall be incorporated.
Guidance:
02 If Specific Service signs are used on conventional roads or at intersections on expressways, they should be installed between the previous interchange or intersection and at least 300 feet in advance of the intersection from which the services are available.
03 The spacing between signs should be determined on the basis of an engineering study.
04 Logo sign panels should not be displayed for a type of service for which a qualified facility is readily visible.
Standard:
05 If Specific Service signs are used on conventional roads or at intersections on expressways, the name of each type of service shall be displayed above its logo sign panel(s), together with an appropriate legend, such as NEXT RIGHT (LEFT) or a directional arrow, either displayed on the same line as the name of the type of service or displayed below the logo sign panel(s).
Option:
06 Signs similar to Specific Service ramp signs as described in Section 2J.07 may be provided on the crossroad.
Section 2J.11 Signing Policy
Guidance:
01 Each highway agency that elects to use Specific Service signs should establish a signing policy that includes, as a minimum, the guidelines of Section 2J.01 and at least the following criteria:
- Selection of eligible businesses;
- Distances to eligible services;
- The use of logo sign panels, legends, and signs conforming with this Manual and State design requirements;
- Removal or covering of logo sign panels during off seasons for businesses that operate on a seasonal basis;
- The circumstances, if any, under which Specific Service signs are permitted to be used in non-rural areas; and
- Determination of the costs to businesses for initial permits, installations, annual maintenance, and removal of logo sign panels.
