Federal Highway Administration Ruling effects all roads open to public travel, including shopping and sports

Fifteen years ago the Congress of the United States acknowledged the importance of nighttime visibility of road signs and markings as important safety tools. The 1993 DOT Appropriations Act stated that the "Secretary of Transportation shall revise the MUTCD to include a standard for a minimum level of retroreflectivity that must be maintained for traffic signs and pavement markings which apply to all roads open to public travel." The Federal Highway Administration's Minimum Levels of Retroreflectivity Ruling for traffic signs went into effect on January 22, 2008.

Summary of MUTCD Revisions

From January 22, 2008 (the effective date of the ruling) agencies have:

• Four years to implement and continue using an assessment or management method to maintain traffic sign retroreflectivity at or above the established minimum levels.
• Seven years for replacement of regulatory, warning and ground-mounted signs (except street name signs) that fail to meet the established minimum levels.
• Ten years for replacement of street name signs and overhead guide signs that fail to meet the established minimum levels.