2(09)-78(I) Long Description - Signing for Priced Managed Lanes without Transponder Requirement—Colorado

Long Description of the Figure

The title of the figure is "Figure 2G-XX. Example of Signing for the Entrance to an Access-Restricted Priced Managed Lane on which Registration in a Toll Account Program is not Required". The figure shows a four-lane freeway section with an exit ramp to the left to a managed lane. A word message pavement marking that says "EXPRESS" is shown on the exit ramp just past the exit gore.

A series of eight cantilevered overhead signs are shown over the left-hand lane of the freeway prior to the exit ramp. At two miles, one mile, and a half mile from the beginning of the exit ramp are signs that say "EXPRESS LANE ENTRANCE (with distance to ramp)" in white letters on a green background. At the top of each of these three signs is the word "TOLL" in black letters on a yellow background, and above the left-hand top corner of the sign is a "LEFT" plaque in black letters on a yellow background. A similar sign without a distance and showing an arrow pointing diagonally upward to the left is shown at the beginning of the exit ramp. At one and a half miles from the beginning of the exit ramp is a sign showing the comparative travel times between the express lanes and the local lanes, with changeable message digits for the times. At one and a fourth miles and at one-fourth mile from the beginning of the exit ramp are signs that display the tolls to two of the exits from the express lane with changeable message digits for the toll amounts. At three-fourths of a mile from the beginning of the exit ramp is a sign listing the distances to the first three exits from the express lanes.

A post-mounted sign on the left-hand side of the freeway is shown at 800 feet past the overhead sign that is two miles from the beginning of the exit ramp. This sign says "EXPRESS LANE" in white letters on a green background at the top of the sign and "TOLL BILLED BY MAIL OR (electronic toll system logo)" in black letters on a white background at the bottom of the sign. An optional post-mounted sign on the left-hand side of the freeway is shown at 800 feet past the first post-mounted sign. This optional sign says "EXPRESS LANE" in white letters on a green background at the top of the sign and "HOV 2+ NO TOLL WITH (electronic toll system logo)" in black letters on a white background at the bottom of the sign. These same two signs are shown for optional use of one sign or the other at 800 feet past the overhead sign that is one mile from the beginning of the exit ramp and at 800 feet past the overhead sign that is one half mile from the beginning of the exit ramp.

The following notes are included on the figure:

1. For access to a managed lane on the right-hand side, the same signing sequence would be used with adjustments made to sign messages
2. Geometry is for illustrative purposes only; use locally applied geometric criteria
3. The minimum vehicle occupancy requirement and hours of operation on the sign may vary for each facility
4. Vehicles need not have a registered ETC account. Tolls to non-registered vehicles are billed by mail to vehicle owners through license plate character recognition. Toll discounts or exemptions through a registration program might be applicable for certain vehicles.
5. The basic toll rate for passenger vehicles is displayed. Reduced tolls might be available for registered ETC accounts or for high-occupancy vehicles.
6. See Chapter 3D for pavement markings

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