TOOLBOX ON INTERSECTION SAFETY AND DESIGN: TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES

Traffic control devices include signs, roadway markings, traffic signals and beacons. These various types of devices, in combination with other roadway features, help users of the roadway system to safely coexist with other roadway users. This chapter on traffic control devices is from a set of conference proceedings on Intersection Safety: Achieving Solutions Through Partnerships (held in March 2004, Irvine, California). The intent of a traffic control device is to regulate, warn, and guide users in the safe and effective use of the transportation system; thus the proper use of traffic control devices is a very critical aspect of intersection safety. The author introduces the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), and then discusses the guidelines in the MUTCD in the following areas: the purpose of traffic control devices; types of traffic control devices, including traffic signs, pavement markings, and traffic signals; special event and emergency traffic control; the design and placement of traffic control devices; and special applications. The author concludes by emphasizing that traffic control devices are how the traffic engineer or roadway designer communicates with the roadway user. The devices are an important element of intersection safety and design, and are used to complement and supplement the geometric design features of the roadway.