Proper Use of One Way signs

[talllguy]

Do any of you know when it is proper to use the one way typical black/white arrow sign, vs the one below?

Untitled by Elliott Plack, on Flickr

[mhh]

I can't find it in the current MUTCD but I seem to recall, maybe from a previous edition or a state edition, that the horizontal sign (R6-1) should be used unless there is limited horizontal space, in which case the vertical sign (R6-2, shown in your photo) should be used instead.

[1995hoo]

Section 2B.40 appears to address One Way signs. It does not appear to establish a preference for either style.

[getemngo]

One Great Lakes state (is it Wisconsin?) uses the R6-2 a lot on divided highways. It's weird to see.

[roadman]

Massachusetts design standard (as reflected in their MUTCD amendments) is to use the R6-1 sign where the connecting road is one way coming into an intersection, and to use the R6-2 sign where the connecting road is one way going away from the intersection.

But 1995hoo is correct, there is no design guidance in the Federal MUTCD regarding the use of either style of sign.

[1995hoo]

One Great Lakes state (is it Wisconsin?) uses the R6-2 a lot on divided highways. It's weird to see.

The R6-2 is the standard in the District of Columbia, at least on most of the roads I use (I know they do use the R6-1 as well, sometimes at the same intersections at which an R6-2 is posted on another corner). I kind of like its use at urban intersections because I think the larger sign stands out more amidst the visual clutter inherent in that sort of urban area.

In this Street View image, there's an R6-2 on the far left corner and an R6-1 on the far right. I find the former easier to see, although in this particular image there's a man standing in front of it. https://www.google.com/maps/@38.901198,-77.039459,3a,75y,19.91h,80.74t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sYqgwa3QOHXf4Pc4T_55GAw!2e0

Here's another with several R6-2s. I pass through this intersection all the time....on a trip last month, we were roughly where the Street View car was when an SUV driver two vehicles ahead tried to make a right turn. Guess some people just won't see any sign! https://www.google.com/maps/@38.900596,-77.028305,3a,75y,63.84h,84.88t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sfTsmt146P36sixqvHlDA_A!2e0

[Big John]

One Great Lakes state (is it Wisconsin?) uses the R6-2 a lot on divided highways. It's weird to see.

Yes, WI usually uses the R6-2 sign, but I have seen the R6-1 sign being used more often now but the R6-2 sign is still the preference here.

[Alps]

R6-2's, in this one engineer's opinion, should be avoided wherever possible. The one-way arrow is instantly recognizable. This sign looks like a bunch of other ones, just a white rectangle with some stuff inside.

[roadfro]

I agree with Steve, the R6-1 one way arrow sign is instantly recognizable with its meaning. The R6-2 just looks so bland and blends in with other regulatory signs.

It's also worth noting that, while the MUTCD doesn't state in text a preference for one version over the other, every example image I can find in the MUTCD uses the R6-1 arrow sign.


In Nevada, I have seen very few R6-2 signs (relatively speaking, we have few one way streets though). Most R6-2s I am familiar with are mostly older City of Reno installations in older downtown areas/neighborhoods--not a single new install that I'm aware of. I've never seen an R6-2 on an NDOT facility.

[Brian556]

I agree with Steve, also.

The City of Dallas prefers R1-2's. They look weird mounted above stop signs.

https://maps.google.com/?ll=33.00647,-96.843124&spn=0.000009,0.006196&t=h&z=18&layer=c&cbll=33.00647,-96.843124&panoid=9thVO-DiD-6qHG7kZpsX-w&cbp=12,293.32,,0,0

On the subject of one way signs, look at the custom ones that the City Of Fort worth uses on it's mast arms:

https://maps.google.com/?ll=32.75341,-97.328356&spn=0.000005,0.003098&t=m&z=19&layer=c&cbll=32.75341,-97.328356&panoid=6YyyrFuMV428ZE-CDY5jGA&cbp=12,167.58,,0,0

[mrsman]

I agree with Steve, also.

The City of Dallas prefers R1-2's. They look weird mounted above stop signs.

https://maps.google.com/?ll=33.00647,-96.843124&spn=0.000009,0.006196&t=h&z=18&layer=c&cbll=33.00647,-96.843124&panoid=9thVO-DiD-6qHG7kZpsX-w&cbp=12,293.32,,0,0

On the subject of one way signs, look at the custom ones that the City Of Fort worth uses on it's mast arms:

https://maps.google.com/?ll=32.75341,-97.328356&spn=0.000005,0.003098&t=m&z=19&layer=c&cbll=32.75341,-97.328356&panoid=6YyyrFuMV428ZE-CDY5jGA&cbp=12,167.58,,0,0

Slightly off topic, but can you comment on the tracks on the pavement in the last picture you posted.  It seems as though this street in Fort Worth used to have a train or possibly trolley tracks on it and now the old tracks are being unearthed.  But what I find very unusual is that the tracks are in the pedestrian crosswalk and not in the middle of the street.  Do you have any information about it?

[talllguy]

It looks like Maryland prefers the R6-1s. This is on a state maintained road. I'm going to bring it up to the powers that be.

The preferred design of ONE WAY signs in Maryland is the R6-1.
Standard:
ONE WAY (R6-1) signs shall be placed parallel to the particular flow of traffic to which they apply.
When used at skewed intersections, ONE WAY (R6-1) signs shall not be turned perpendicular to the intersecting roadway (See Figure 2B-14).
Guidance:
ONE WAY signs normally should be placed close to STOP or YIELD signs.
Option:
ONE WAY signs may be installed on the same support, an R6-1 above the STOP/YIELD sign or an R6-2 below the STOP/YIELD sign.

[txstateends]

On the subject of one way signs, look at the custom ones that the City Of Fort worth uses on it's mast arms:

https://maps.google.com/?ll=32.75341,-97.328356&spn=0.000005,0.003098&t=m&z=19&layer=c&cbll=32.75341,-97.328356&panoid=6YyyrFuMV428ZE-CDY5jGA&cbp=12,167.58,,0,0

Slightly off topic, but can you comment on the tracks on the pavement in the last picture you posted.  It seems as though this street in Fort Worth used to have a train or possibly trolley tracks on it and now the old tracks are being unearthed.  But what I find very unusual is that the tracks are in the pedestrian crosswalk and not in the middle of the street.  Do you have any information about it?

I don't know anything about them personally, but I clicked east on 7th for 2 blocks (to 7th/Grove, where the connecting ramp curves away and merges with the EB ramp from East 5th to form the EB lanes of Spur 280).  The rails end just before Grove, and even if they didn't, there's a dumpster/compactor in the way by the building on the SE corner of 7th/Grove (also, no RR warning signage at Calhoun or at Jones (the next street east, between Calhoun and Grove)).  The line probably served a now-long-gone warehouse in that stretch of East 7th; Fort Worth has many rail lines that historically came in and intersected from several different directions.  This spot is near where a few of them passed by/served the downtown area.  I'm not sure why the city hasn't done anything to either, pave over or rip up the rails, or come out and say they want to hold onto this stretch of rail for a possible future trolley line.

As for the topic, I've always thought Fort Worth's use of one-way (and sometimes, two-way) together with the mast-arm street signage was very clever.  It leaves no doubt as to the orientation of the cross-street, and there's no separate one-way sign to miss because it's smaller, separate, old/not reflective, or maybe even missing from the post or mast.