FHWA Ruling on Incident Bypass Route/emergency detour signage

[Revive 755]

Html or pdf versions are available.

I think not allowing the colored detours with a letter (such as the last two examples on Page 6/9 of the pdf version) is a little much.

[jemacedo9]

Well...how much will PennDOT have to pay to replace ALL of their Emergency Detour signs? 

[odditude]

Well...how much will PennDOT have to pay to replace ALL of their Emergency Detour signs?

don't worry, the money will come from the PTC anyway. /s

[MNHighwayMan]

Well...how much will PennDOT have to pay to replace ALL of their Emergency Detour signs?

I would assume zero since I don't think this applies retroactively. Only new or replacement installations would have to follow these new guidelines.

Speaking of which, I generally agree with this ruling, except for the prohibition on the use of fluorescent pink. To me, I think the FHWA is being too narrow in what it defines as "incident management." (I have never seen a fluorescent pink sign.) To me, having permanently signed emergency detours still counts as incident management even if there is currently nothing wrong, which IMO makes it an appropriate use of the color.

[Pink Jazz]

Well...how much will PennDOT have to pay to replace ALL of their Emergency Detour signs?

I would assume zero since I don't think this applies retroactively. Only new or replacement installations would have to follow these new guidelines.

Speaking of which, I generally agree with this ruling, except for the prohibition on the use of fluorescent pink. To me, I think the FHWA is being too narrow in what it defines as "incident management." (I have never seen a fluorescent pink sign.) To me, having permanently signed emergency detours still counts as incident management even if there is currently nothing wrong, which IMO makes it an appropriate use of the color.

I have seen a few fluorescent pink signs here in the Phoenix area, although they always seem to be roll-up vinyl signs.

[PurdueBill]

The only pink signs in Ohio that I've seen are roll-up ones, usually property of ODOT but I've seen a couple EMERGENCY TRUCK REPAIR ones with a company logo at the top or bottom corner of the diamond....seems overkill but it does help alert to vacate the lane adjacent for the safety of the people on the scene.

What's with only green or yellow plates reading EMERGENCY ROUTE?  Indiana has blue ones that seem to look OK.  FHWA's problem seems to be that a blue one suggests it's some official permanent alternative route for general use to have a blue supplemental plate, but wouldn't the EMERGENCY DETOUR or ROUTE wording make it clear what it's about?

[TXtoNJ]

Well...how much will PennDOT have to pay to replace ALL of their Emergency Detour signs?

I would assume zero since I don't think this applies retroactively. Only new or replacement installations would have to follow these new guidelines.

Speaking of which, I generally agree with this ruling, except for the prohibition on the use of fluorescent pink. To me, I think the FHWA is being too narrow in what it defines as "incident management." (I have never seen a fluorescent pink sign.) To me, having permanently signed emergency detours still counts as incident management even if there is currently nothing wrong, which IMO makes it an appropriate use of the color.

I get the impression that "incidents" in this case are something massively disruptive like a chemical or radiological disaster, so they want to reserve the fluorescent pink color as a way of indicating to the public that whatever is going on is really, really bad.

[Scott5114]

My understanding is that pink is meant for super-short duration things like traffic control during an accident, etc. Think of things you'd use orange construction signs for, but on an even shorter time scale.