MEANING AND APPLICATION OF COLOR AND ARROW INDICATIONS FOR TRAFFIC SIGNALS

IN THE CASE WHERE A LEFT TURNING MOVEMENT AT AN INTERSECTION IS TO BE TERMINATED WHILE THE STRAIGHT-THROUGH MOVEMENT CONTINUES, THE MANUAL ON UNIFORM TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES REQUIRES THAT A SEPARATE SIGNAL FACE BE PROVIDED TO CONTROL THE TURNING MOVEMENT. IN MANY INSTANCES THE PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS OF AN INTERSECTION OR FOR REASONS OF ECONOMY IT IS DIFFICULT TO COMPLY WITH THIS STANDARD. PRESENT PRACTICE AT SUCH LOCATIONS IS TO MOUNT A FOURTH LENS, DISPLAYING A TURN ARROW EITHER ON THE THROUGH FACE OR ADJACENT TO IT. INSTALLATIONS SUCH AS THIS RESULT IN A WIDE VARIETY OF CLEARANCE INTERVAL INDICATIONS. THIS RESEARCH PROJECT WAS DESIGNED TO DEVELOP A STANDARD FOR THIS SITUATION. A LITERATURE REVIEW AND MAILED QUESTIONNAIRE WERE EMPLOYED TO DETERMINE PRESENT PRACTICES. A CONTROLLED LABORATORY STUDY, UTILIZING BOTH COLOR MOVIES AND COLOR SLIDES, INVESTIGATED NINETEEN SIGNAL INDICATIONS FOR THEIR EFFECTIVENESS. FOUR OF THE INDICATIONS WERE FURTHER TESTED UNDER ACTUAL FIELD CONDITIONS. BASED UPON THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY, A SINGLE INDICATION WAS RECOMMENDED.

• Corporate Authors:

  West Virginia University, Morgantown

  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  Morgantown, WV  United States  26506-6103
• Authors:
  • King, L Ellis
  • Plummer, R W
• Publication Date: 1973-4

Media Info

• Pagination: 279 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Indicators (Instruments); Intersections; Standardization; Traffic control devices; Traffic signal indications; Traffic signals; Turning traffic
• Uncontrolled Terms: Turning movements
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00225070
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Federal Highway Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: Final
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Apr 20 1974 12:00AM