U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced the Obama Administration is eliminating 46 deadline regulations on traffic signs to give state and local governments better flexibility on when they need to replace signs.
The elimination of the regulations means communities can now replace traffic signs when they are worn out instead of having to replace them by a specific date. The sings in question range from street name signs to various traffic signs such as “Pass With Care” and “Low Clearance.”
The DOT retained 12 deadlines for sign upgrades critical to public safety.
This action stems from a government-wide review conducted earlier this year of rules that needed to be changed or removed because they were unnecessary, out of date, excessively burdensome or overly costly.
“These changes will give them the flexibility they need to make the best use of taxpayer dollars,” said Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez.
The regulations come from the Federal Highway Administration’s Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, a compilation of national standards for all pavement markings, street signs and traffic signals it has published since 1971. The FHA periodically updates the manual to reflect changing transportation needs.
Last August, FHWA issued a Notice of Proposed Amendments to eliminate the 46 deadlines. A final rule, available in the docket FHWA-2010-0159, was sent to the Federal Register for publication.
