Report on Highway Guide Sign Fonts

Prepared by:
U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
Office of Transportation Operations

Executive Summary

Purpose

This report was directed by the Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018, which was enacted on March 23, 2018. That direction was in response to the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) termination of Interim Approval No. 5 (IA-5) of the Clearview font on highway guide signs. The termination rescinded the provisional allowance of the use of a particular letter style other than FHWA Standard Alphabets on traffic control devices except as provided otherwise in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways (MUTCD) and within the IA-5 memorandum. Twenty-six States had been granted interim approval, but the termination affected only 13 States. The other 13 States either did not implement Clearview and, instead, retained the use of the Standard Alphabets, or had previously discontinued its use after a limited trial.¹ Thus, 38 State-level Departments of Transportation (DOT), including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, were not using Clearview under the Interim Approval and were using only the Standard Alphabets. This information is summarized in Table 2.4 of the report.

The FHWA noted in its termination that the presence and availability of two separate letter styles with differing criteria for use had resulted in significant confusion and inconsistency in sign design, fabrication processes, and application, with no overall practical improvement. After the publication of the termination, FHWA received comments from stakeholders suggesting that FHWA should have solicited public comment prior to the termination. Other comments suggested that FHWA did not consider all relevant research that was available in making its decision. As a result, FHWA published a Request for Information (RFI) in the Federal Register (81 FR 89889) to gather any information or research that FHWA might not have been aware of when the termination was prepared.

The purpose of the report is to:

• Document the results of FHWA's comprehensive review of the research on the Clearview alternative font
• Document the safety and cost implications of the decision to terminate Interim Approval IA-5 of the Clearview font on highway guide signs
• Address the comments submitted by affected States during the related December 13, 2016, request for information (FHWA Docket No. FHWA-2016-0036)

Overview

The following summarizes the findings in this report.

• Additional Research on Clearview: There were three reports and papers that were brought to the attention of FHWA as part of the RFI process. These reports were in addition to the ten reports that were already available and evaluated as part of the analysis that led to the termination of the Interim Approval. Each of the three documents was reviewed for both research approach and results validity. The three additional studies did not provide any evidence that refutes the analysis used in the justification for terminating the Interim Approval. In two of the research reports that were reviewed, there were several differences in the comparisons made between Clearview fonts and FHWA Standard Alphabet fonts (e.g. different intercharacter spacing, different letter heights, etc.) such that an objective comparison was not achieved. One report that has been cited as crediting Clearview with a 26-percent reduction in crashes clearly states that the font itself could not be attributed to any of this reduced crash experience because of the confounding of variables and other improvements that were made in the evaluation corridors. The available research is summarized in Table 3.1 of the report.
• Safety and Cost Implications of Terminating Clearview Font Interim Approval: There are no known negative safety implications related to the termination of the Clearview font. Clearview lettering had limited applicability due to its poorer performance in certain applications. Part of the basis for termination was to improve safety by streamlining and simplifying the sign design process, eliminating the various situations in which Clearview was being misused or misapplied.

  While cost was not a consideration in the decision to terminate the Interim Approval, cost implications were requested as part of the report and are provided herein. The termination results in a cost savings. When consistent criteria are employed in the design and fabrication of typical freeway guide signs using Clearview, the overall sign size is on the order of 10 percent larger due to the larger proportions of the font compared to the Standard Alphabet font. In addition, the Clearview font is an add-on to basic highway sign design software programs that already include the Standard Alphabets in their cost. This add-on software requires an additional license fee that would apply to highway agencies, transportation design consultants, and traffic sign fabricators alike. The termination required agencies who were using the Clearview font to instead use the Standard Alphabets only in future guide sign installations. As there was no directive with the termination to remove and replace any signs, existing signs could remain in place. Signs ordered or fabricated using Clearview could still be installed, and agencies had a degree of discretion in determining whether construction documents in progress would be revised, depending on the extent of their development. Cost impacts are summarized in Table 4.1 of the report.

• Comments submitted by affected States during the December 13, 2016, Request for Information: The FHWA received 24 unique comment letters from various stakeholders including State DOTs, local agencies, toll authorities, associations, consultants, and private citizens. Six commenters, or one-quarter, agreed with the termination; sixteen disagreed with the termination; and two commenters indicated that FHWA should conduct additional research and studies on font types. Three additional commenters submitted letters in late 2017 and early 2018 stating that the interim use of Clearview should not be reinstated noting Congressional intent to do so at that time. One State provided an extensive narrative of its experience and challenges in implementing Clearview over several years, ultimately concluding that the use of the Standard Alphabets "ensures consistency of type across an entire sign panel, including positive and negative-contrast text, route shields, and other legend items."

Actions Taken by FHWA since Enactment of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 On March 28, 2018, the FHWA reinstated the previously terminated Interim Approval No. 5 allowing the optional use of the Clearview letter style for positive-contrast legends on guide signs. This reinstatement allowed jurisdictions that had approval to use IA-5 prior to the January 25, 2016, termination to immediately start reusing Clearview per the provisions of the Interim Approval and the previously issued Design and Use Policy for Clearview Alphabet.² Per Section 1A.10 of the MUTCD, States and jurisdictions seeking permission to use the provisions of an Interim Approval for the first time must submit a written request to the FHWA and receive approval prior to use. The FHWA also posted responses to frequently asked questions related to the reinstatement and use of Interim Approval No. 5 on the MUTCD Web site.³ Finally, the FHWA prepared and submitted this report. A timeline of actions related to the Clearview Interim Approval is provided in Table 2.3 of the report.