The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has released the 11th Edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), which defines the Standards, Guidance, and Options used by road managers for traffic control devices on all public roadways, bikeways, and private roads open to public travel nationwide. The latest edition incorporates more than 15 years of research and experimentation, offering users comprehensive provisions to make certain that traffic control devices across the country meet the needs of all road users, including the most vulnerable, in a consistent, safe, and efficient manner.
The recent updates to the MUTCD promote safety, uniformity, and incorporate technological advances in traffic control devices and applications. The modifications will also assist transportation agencies with recommendations for additional traffic control features to help vulnerable roadway users such as pedestrians and cyclists. The MUTCD also equips road managers with contemporary options to address safety and operational issues, while maintaining uniformity, in selecting the traffic control devices that will convey the intended operation of their facilities to users.
VHB worked alongside the FHWA, as members of the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (NCUTCD). Our team included Bill DeSantis, NCUTCD Bicycle Technical Committee Chair; Mike Tantillo, NCUTCD G/MI Technical Committee Member and Secretary of the Research Committee; Drew Gingras, NCUTCD Bicycle Technical Committee Member; Rick Plenge, NCUTCD Regulatory/Warning Signs Technical Committee, and Skye Levin, NCUTCD Markings Technical Committee. This group is recognized in the industry for their leadership in transportation organizations and their successful delivery of complex projects. Collectively, the NCUTCD submitted more than 230 recommendations to the FHWA for changes to the MUTCD and provided substantive comments on the Notice of Proposed Amendments (NPA).
“As transportation professionals, we are pleased that the FHWA moved forward with updates to the MUTCD,” said Don Cooke, Regional Service Lead for Transportation. “The research and experiments that were conducted, including Interim Approvals since 2009, impacted the standards for all traffic control devices used on U.S. roads and highways. We were excited to contribute to the conversations and strengthen the standards that will help the USDOT, FHWA, as well as state and local transportation agencies enhance safety on our transportation networks.”
How VHB Can Help
VHB team members have reviewed each chapter of the MUTCD and identified changes to the 2009 Edition, as well as the potential impacts to agency guidelines, budgets, and user practices. This firsthand understanding of the 11th Edition makes us uniquely qualified to support our agency partners in understanding and applying the new guidance throughout our communities. We can also assist state departments of transportation in their adoption of the MUTCD through development of state MUTCD Supplements and related publications, updating standard drawings and specifications for traffic control devices, and assisting in navigating required regulatory processes at the state level.
We welcome the opportunity to discuss the MUTCD to help you navigate and keep your projects and programs in conformance. Please connect with the VHB Team.
- Bill DeSantis, PE, Corporate Director Bicycle Transportation
- Mike Tantillo, Senior Transportation Manager
The 11th Edition of the MUTCD, published in December 2023, can be downloaded from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration.
