MOTORIST SERVICES SIGNING EXPERIMENT IN VIRGINIA ON ROUTE 95 BETWEEN RICHMOND AND WASHINGTON, D.C.

THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC ROADS REQUESTED THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAYS TO ASSIST IN AN EXPERIMENT INTENDED TO PRODUCE INFORMATION UPON WHICH THE BUREAU AND THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION COULD BE GUIDED IN DEVELOPING STANDARDS AND CRITERIAS FOR OFFICIAL SIGNS ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS. A 70-MILE SECTION OF INTERSTATE 95 BETWEEN RICHMOND AND WASHINGTON WAS SELECTED FOR THE TEST. THE SECTION INCLUDED 15 INTERCHANGES AND 3 REST AREAS. ALL TRAVEL SERVICE ESTABLISHMENTS WITHIN A THREE-MILE RADIUS OF EACH INTERCHANGE WERE SURVEYED, AND THE EXACT DISTANCE OF EACH FROM THE INTERCHANGE WAS RECORDED. THE DRAFT STANDARDS PERMITTED THE DESIGNATION OF SIX SERVICE STATIONS, FOUR RESTAURANTS AND FOUR MOTELS FOR EACH DIRECTION OF TRAVEL AT EACH INTERCHANGE. THE EVALUATION OF THE TEST SIGNS WAS CONDUCTED BY THE BUREAU AND THE RESULTS ARE REPORTED. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF GASOLINE SIGNS INDICATED BY THE STUDY SHOWED THAT: (1) 87% OF THE MOTORISTS INTERVIEWED SAW THE SIGN, (2) 67% STOPPED FOR A SPECIFIC BRAND, (3) 28% ALREADY KNEW THE STATION LOCATION, SINCE THEY HAD VISITED IT PREVIOUSLY, AND (4) 97% INDICATED THAT THE INFORMATION ON THE SIGNS MET THEIR NEEDS. THE STUDY CONCLUDED THAT THREE BASIC CONCEPTS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED: (1) PROVIDE ORIENTATION THROUGH THE CONSISTENT APPLICATION OF A SERIES OF SIGN ELEMENTS WHICH WILL PROVIDE SEQUENTIAL AND CONFIRMATORY INFORMATION FOR THE MOTORISTS, (2) ESTABLISH ROUTE NUMBERS AND ROUTE NAMES AS THE PRIMARY ELEMENTS OF INTERCHANGE GUIDE SIGNS AND RESERVE THE USE OF PLACE NAMES FOR SELECTED LOCATIONS WHERE THEY GIVE THE MOTORIST DIRECTIONAL ORIENTATION WHICH COULD NOT BE OTHERWISE PROVIDED, AND (3) AT THE INTERCHANGE OF A RADIAL ROUTE WITH A BELTWAY, LIMIT SIGNING DESTINATIONS TO ROUTE INTERSECTIONS, REGIONAL AREAS AND IDENTIFIABLE PHYSICAL FEATURES ON THE BELTWAY ROUTE, AND EXCLUDE DESTINATION NAMES EXCEPT AS A SUPPLEMENTAL GUIDE NOT NORMALLY REPEATED IN THE INTERCHANGE SIGNING SEQUENCE.

  • Authors:
    • Harwood, J E
  • Publication Date: 1967-11

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  • Accession Number: 00225479
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Report/Paper Numbers: pp 24-27
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Aug 4 1994 12:00AM