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National Boards => General Highway Talk => Traffic Control => Topic started by: cpzilliacus on July 24, 2012, 11:50:41 PM

Title: Were SLOW and REDUCED SPEED ever in the MUTCD?
Post by: cpzilliacus on July 24, 2012, 11:50:41 PM
Anyone recall the word SLOW (in a yellow diamond sign) and REDUCED SPEED (in a regulatory rectangle)?

Have not seen either for a long time.  Last time I saw a REDUCED SPEED sign might have been on I-95 approaching the Delaware Turnpike tolls before the barrier was reconstructed to allow for high-speed open-road tolling down the middle.
Title: Re: Were SLOW and REDUCED SPEED ever in the MUTCD?
Post by: agentsteel53 on July 25, 2012, 11:51:58 AM
both are commonly found in Massachusetts.  lots of SLOW signs in Boston. 

a brief glance at the 1935 MUTCD shows that SLOW is absent. 
Title: Re: Were SLOW and REDUCED SPEED ever in the MUTCD?
Post by: bugo on July 25, 2012, 05:01:16 PM
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm3.staticflickr.com%2F2703%2F4278851587_452c1df396.jpg&hash=09d941f300ec9ed6c8256e686841f0abd795955b)
Title: Re: Were SLOW and REDUCED SPEED ever in the MUTCD?
Post by: Alps on July 25, 2012, 11:59:33 PM
REDUCED SPEED AHEAD is in the regulatory rectangle. I seem to recall REDUCED SPEED in a warning diamond. "SLOW" is covered by the MUTCD language that allows you to use any text on a warning sign.
Title: Re: Were SLOW and REDUCED SPEED ever in the MUTCD?
Post by: roadfro on July 26, 2012, 02:31:08 AM
I took a cursory look yesterday at all old MUTCDs from present version back through the 1971 edition, and could not find any images of either sign.

The use of "SLOW" on a warning sign never made any sense to me. What exactly is the "slow" I should be looking out for...?


EDIT: Clarified that I looked through the more recent versions, not the pre-1971 manuals.
Title: Re: Were SLOW and REDUCED SPEED ever in the MUTCD?
Post by: cpzilliacus on July 26, 2012, 11:59:39 AM
Quote from: Steve on July 25, 2012, 11:59:33 PM
REDUCED SPEED AHEAD is in the regulatory rectangle. I seem to recall REDUCED SPEED in a warning diamond. "SLOW" is covered by the MUTCD language that allows you to use any text on a warning sign.

I definitely recall seeing REDUCED SPEED in a rectangle.  Used to be found in Maryland, but were gone by the 1980's.  As I suggested above, the last time I saw them was on the Delaware Turnpike, approaching the mainline barrier, but that was a few years ago.

Agreed regarding SLOW. The ones I recall had nothing else - just SLOW (might make sense to post a lower speed limit instead of a SLOW sign).
Title: Re: Were SLOW and REDUCED SPEED ever in the MUTCD?
Post by: cpzilliacus on July 26, 2012, 12:02:15 PM
Quote from: roadfro on July 26, 2012, 02:31:08 AM
I took a cursory look yesterday at all old MUTCDs through the 1971 edition, and could not find any images of either sign.

Never saw it in any (recent) MUTCD.

Quote from: roadfro on July 26, 2012, 02:31:08 AMThe use of "SLOW" on a warning sign never made any sense to me. What exactly is the "slow" I should be looking out for...?

Slow-moving traffic, perhaps?  "Congested Area" might make sense.

Pedestrians?

Bikes?

I agree with your point. 

I am not especially in favor of either of them, but at one time they were rather common in some states.
Title: Re: Were SLOW and REDUCED SPEED ever in the MUTCD?
Post by: mjb2002 on July 31, 2012, 05:24:26 PM
Quote from: cpzilliacus on July 26, 2012, 11:59:39 AM
Quote from: Steve on July 25, 2012, 11:59:33 PM
REDUCED SPEED AHEAD is in the regulatory rectangle. I seem to recall REDUCED SPEED in a warning diamond. "SLOW" is covered by the MUTCD language that allows you to use any text on a warning sign.

I definitely recall seeing REDUCED SPEED in a rectangle.  Used to be found in Maryland, but were gone by the 1980's.  As I suggested above, the last time I saw them was on the Delaware Turnpike, approaching the mainline barrier, but that was a few years ago.

Agreed regarding SLOW. The ones I recall had nothing else - just SLOW (might make sense to post a lower speed limit instead of a SLOW sign).

You are right. REDUCED SPEED AHEAD was a white rectangle, though whether the sign was part of the Regulatory Series or Warning Series was debatable prior to December 16, 2009.
Title: Re: Were SLOW and REDUCED SPEED ever in the MUTCD?
Post by: US71 on July 31, 2012, 05:56:02 PM
Mississippi uses these a lot
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm4.staticflickr.com%2F3122%2F2558631830_62ced81432_z_d.jpg&hash=1fff79e8d787771a5f79cc9c32c5656e9edcddf9)
Title: Re: Were SLOW and REDUCED SPEED ever in the MUTCD?
Post by: DRMan on July 31, 2012, 09:34:46 PM
Massachusetts used to have a lot of these (in warning diamonds):

     GO
CHILDREN
   SLOW

Often with CHILDREN in a larger font.
Title: Re: Were SLOW and REDUCED SPEED ever in the MUTCD?
Post by: deathtopumpkins on July 31, 2012, 11:00:18 PM
Quote from: DRMan on July 31, 2012, 09:34:46 PM
Massachusetts used to have a lot of these (in warning diamonds):

     GO
CHILDREN
   SLOW

Often with CHILDREN in a larger font.

Still has a lot of those. In fact there's a particularly ancient one on a side street adjacent to the bridge project I'm working on.
Title: Re: Were SLOW and REDUCED SPEED ever in the MUTCD?
Post by: roadman on August 01, 2012, 01:46:42 PM
Reduced Speed Ahead as a regulatory sign (black on white rectangle) appeared in the MUTCD (R2-5a) from the 1971 edition until the 2003 edition.  Beginning with the 2003 edition, the R2-5a regulatory sign has been replaced with the Advance Speed Zone warning sign (W3-5 series).
Title: Re: Were SLOW and REDUCED SPEED ever in the MUTCD?
Post by: cpzilliacus on August 02, 2012, 10:25:41 AM
Quote from: roadman on August 01, 2012, 01:46:42 PM
Reduced Speed Ahead as a regulatory sign (black on white rectangle) appeared in the MUTCD (R2-5a) from the 1971 edition until the 2003 edition.  Beginning with the 2003 edition, the R2-5a regulatory sign has been replaced with the Advacne Speed Zone warning sign (W3-5 series).

Thanks!