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The following list of questions relates to the Reinstatement of Interim Approval No. 5 – Clearview Font for Positive Contrast Legends on Guide Signs:
Answer:
IA-5 was terminated for a combination of reasons; the body of research conducted subsequent to the issuance of IA-5 did not demonstrate that Clearview provided a practical improvement over the established FHWA Standard and the limitations on the use of the Clearview style were causing significant confusion amongst sign professionals, especially at the local levels where its misuse more often occurred. Because of these considerations, and because the MUTCD generally does not consider equivalent alternatives due to their impact on uniformity, the FHWA discontinued the use of the Clearview letter style.
The Interim Approval is being reinstated in accordance with the statutory requirement that was included in the Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2018 (Sec. 125 of Division L), which required the reinstatement for the fiscal year.
Answer:
The research conducted comparing Clearview's performance to the FHWA Standard Alphabet does not support such claims. A predominant observation derived from the research studies is that substantial improvements in legibility are the result of new and enhanced retroreflective sheeting used for the signs. This topic is examined extensively in the FHWA's January 2016 Technical Brief.
Answer:
IA-5 is once again valid for those States that received FHWA approval prior to the January 2016 termination. The Statutory requirement is that IA-5 remain valid for Fiscal Year 2018.
Answer:
No. The approvals granted under IA-5 are reinstated along with the reinstatement of the Interim Approval.
Answer:
FHWA has no plans at this time to terminate the use of Clearview as allowed in IA-5 after September 30, 2018 when the appropriations language expires.
Answer:
Yes. Agencies that now wish to use this letter style may apply for approval. The request must indicate agreement to comply with the terms of the Interim Approval and the Design and Use Policy.
Answer:
The November 2011 Design and Use Policy is also available and is still valid for those States that choose to reinstate the use of the Clearview letter style. The information contained in the January 2016 Technical Brief synthesizing the research on this topic is available and is still valid.
Answer:
The MUTCD applies to all roads open to public travel regardless of funding source (see Paragraph 2 of the MUTCD Introduction). Interim approvals are administered under the provisions of the MUTCD. Therefore, the action applies to all roads open to public travel regardless of funding source.
Answer:
No. Any installation of signs using the Clearview letter style must comply with the terms and conditions of IA-5 and is expected to comply with the November 2011 Design and Use Policy. The design of the letter style—i.e., the letter forms and their spacing criteria—must be as published by the FHWA.
Answer:
No. The "B" series of Clearview (e.g., 1-B, 2-B, etc.), while commercially available, are not and have never been approved for use in traffic control device applications.
Answer:
Use of the Clearview letter style on typical Street Name signs is not supported by the research evaluations, which focused primarily on freeway-style guide signs. The November 2011 Design and Use Policy discusses the limitations of this letter style in greater detail.
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United States Department of Transportation - Federal Highway Administration |
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