Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices
The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, or MUTCD defines the standards used by road managers nationwide to install and maintain traffic control devices on all streets and highways. The MUTCD is published by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) under 23 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 655, Subpart F.
The electronic version of the MUTCD 2003 Edition with Revisions 1 and 2 incorporated is the most current edition on the MUTCD Web site and is the official FHWA publication. FHWA is not printing copies of the MUTCD because of the prohibitive costs involved. The web site version is also more efficient and reliable when revising the MUTCD. National organizations have partnered and printed hard copies of the MUTCD. These hard copies are available for sale. Go to ATSSA, ITE, or AASHTO to get sales information.
What's New
Proposed Amendments for Next Edition of the MUTCD
A Notice of Proposed Amendments (NPA) to the MUTCD has been published in the Federal Register on January 2, 2008 for public review and comments. This NPA contains comprehensive revisions that are proposed for incorporation into the next edition of the MUTCD. A 7-month period is being provided for comments to the docket, which will close on July 31, 2008. The proposed MUTCD text, figures, and tables are also available for public review and comment.
Slide presentations illustrating the proposed amendments are also available to enhance understanding.
Revision Number 2 to the 2003 Edition of MUTCD
A Final Rule on Sign Retroreflectivity has been published in the Federal Register on December 21, 2007. This Final Rule adopts revisions to the current 2003 edition of the MUTCD. The revisions affect the MUTCD Introduction, Part 1, and Chapter 2A, plus minor editorial changes to cross-references in Chapters 2B and 6F. This set of revisions is Revision No. 2 to the 2003 edition of the MUTCD. The most current edition of the MUTCD is now the 2003 Edition with Revisions 1 and 2 incorporated.
The Federal Register notice of the Final Rule for Revision Number (No. 2) can be viewed at: http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/res-notices.htm
A document showing the specific changes to the MUTCD that are included in Revision No. 2 can be viewed at: (HTML, PDF 70KB
For more information and background on Revision No. 2, please visit FHWA's Sign Retroreflectivity Web site at http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/roadway_dept/retro/sign/
sign_retro.htm.
Additional What's New Items
- Status of States Adopting the MUTCD (Updated September 27, 2007)
- List of Authorized Requests for Interim Approval - In an effort to enhance the utility of the Interim Approval web page, the MUTCD Web site now includes a list of State and local highway agencies that have been granted an Interim Approval.
- The FHWA has terminated all experimentations with the use of yellow-green colored pavement markings for crosswalks. A comprehensive evaluation of the City of Chicago's experimentation at over 100 school crosswalks for a period of several years found that yellow-green markings had no significant effect on speeds, crashes, or any other objective measures. The Chicago study also evaluated subjective responses from school principals, crossing guards, parents, and others and found that the vast majority of these stakeholders believed the yellow-green markings did not help to increase driver awareness, reduce speeds, improve yielding behaviors, or make the crosswalks feel safer to pedestrians. The FHWA has concluded from the Chicago study that yellow-green crosswalk markings do not merit further experimentation. Any jurisdiction that has installed yellow-green pavement markings should discontinue such use and replace the markings with standard colored markings at the next scheduled maintenance refurbishment.
