Your a better person than I. I have not read the MUTCD from cover to
cover and probably many of my co workers have not either and we use it
every day.  Maybe I just haven't had trouble falling asleep lately. 
-- 

"Go for a Metric America"
Howard Ressel
Project Design Engineer, Region 4
(585) 272-3372


>>> On 6/11/2010 at 2:49 PM, in message
<[email protected]>, "John M. Steele"
<[email protected]> wrote:
> I mostly use Google, and sort the wheat from the chaff the hard way..
 
> However, in this case I was familiar with the documents and just
needed links 
> to the latest edition.  I won't pretend I have memorized them, but I
have 
> read MUTCD and SHSM cover to cover (fairly dull and dry, if you want
to 
> know).  If I recall correctly, I started a thread previously on the
2009 
> MUTCD but it didn't draw much interest; perhaps I didn't spell out
the 
> significance well enough.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ________________________________
> From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
> To: U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]>
> Sent: Fri, June 11, 2010 12:28:55 PM
> Subject: [USMA:47713] RE: Are metric speed limit and/or distance
signs 
> permitted by US Federal law or regulation?
> 
> 
> John,
> 
> I continue to admire the thoroughness of your research on various
questions 
> related to metrication.
> 
> We can depend on you to dig out relevant, reliable, and often
official 
> sources.  What search engines do you use?
> 
> Gene.
> 
> ---- Original message ----
>>Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2010 03:28:00 -0700 (PDT)
>>From: "John M. Steele" <[email protected]>  
>>Subject: [USMA:47695] RE: Are metric speed limit and/or distance
signs 
> permitted by US Federal law or regulation?  
>>To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]>
>>Cc: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]>
>>
>>  I am not sure if that currently is or will continue
>>  to be true.  It has been true in the past.
>>    
>>  The Feds publish the Manual of Uniform Traffic
>>  Control Devices (MUTCD) and Standard Highway Signs &
>>  Markers (SHSM).  In many cases, a choice is offered,
>>  and the States may choose which of the allowable
>>  choices they will use, and usually have their own
>>  laws uniformly applying that choice to the State.
>>  (The above are available online as pdf files). 
>>  There is a process for the Feds to "bless" choices
>>  not in the book, but it is a PITA.  It is used
>>  mostly to test new sign ideas.  If they are good
>>  ideas, they make it into a later edition.
>>    
>>  Past editions came in metric and english versions
>>  (these refer to sign dimensions, both books allowed
>>  english or metric message content).  The States have
>>  generally opposed highway metrication and the metric
>>  book and metric sign content was not much used.  The
>>  2009 MUTCD was issued with ALL metric content moved
>>  to an appendix.  In my view, it would be VERY
>>  difficult to determine what in the appendix applies
>>  to what sign and to design metric highway marking
>>  from the poor direction given therein.  (Easiest way
>>  would be to work from a past edition and check for
>>  changes).  The companion SHSM is usually a year
>>  later and has not been issued yet.  I suspect the
>>  next edition of MUTCD will remove the metric
>>  appendix and we will never see a new sign with
>>  either metric dimensions or content unless we drive
>>  to Canada or Mexico.
>>    
>>  It appears to be unconditional surrender of the FHWA
>>  to the "forces of evil" re metrication.  Status of
>>  metric has gone from "fully approved by the Feds if
>>  the State chooses it", to "difficult and debatable",
>>  and will probably become "not a choice."  If it goes
>>  to the latter, a State could still appeal for
>>  "special approval" but I see that in the set
>>  {snowball, hell}.
>>...
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