Signs

Flashing yellow arrow coming to I-10 interchange at 32nd Street

Flashing yellow arrow coming to I-10 interchange at 32nd Street

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Flashing yellow arrow coming to I-10 interchange at 32nd Street

Flashing yellow arrow coming to I-10 interchange at 32nd Street

May 15, 2012

A view of the sign drivers soon will see at the I-10/32nd Street intersection.

Red means stop and green means go, but what about a flashing yellow arrow?

It’s a traffic signal you might not encounter daily, however ADOT plans on adding one to the I-10 interchange at 32nd Street near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and drivers should be prepared for the change.

What are the rules?
A flashing yellow arrow means you can make your turn, but only when it is safe to do so. You must use caution and yield to pedestrians and oncoming traffic – those drivers will have a green light.

Why make the change?
Increased traffic and recent development have translated to big daily backups at this intersection during the peak of rush hour…

The installation of a flashing yellow arrow means more vehicles per signal cycle will be able to make a left turn onto the westbound I-10 freeway entrance ramp. Right now left turns for northbound 32nd Street traffic only are allowed on a solid green arrow signal.

What’s the big deal?
Flashing yellow arrows are used by some Arizona cities and are popular in other states, but this will be the first for ADOT.

ADOT engineers have been monitoring the intersection and will continue to do so after the flashing yellow arrow is in operation. They’ll be looking at how well it works for traffic in this spot and will evaluate whether or not it might work for other ADOT intersections, too.

What else is there to know?
The flashing yellow arrow will be installed overnight on May 19 and drivers should expect restrictions so ADOT can adjust the signal timing and phasing.

And, don’t forget to use caution the first time you encounter a flashing yellow arrow … keep a close eye out for pedestrians and oncoming traffic.

For more on ADOT and traffic signals, check out our previous blog posts on ramp meters and this one on how ADOT coordinates with municipalities to synch signals.

Editor's Note: This blog post has been edited to correct an earlier version that incorrectly stated the intersection would need to close for work to be completed.

ADOT adopts national road signage standards

ADOT adopts national road signage standards

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ADOT adopts national road signage standards

ADOT adopts national road signage standards

March 20, 2012

A sample of what the new sign standards look like at southbound I-17 near Thomas Road.

Bigger, easier-to-read signs are coming to a freeway near you!

That’s because at the beginning of the year, ADOT adopted the latest edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), along with the Arizona supplemental modifications, as a standard for traffic control devices for use on the streets and highways of the state of Arizona.

The MUTCD is the national standard for all traffic control measures, including traffic signs, pavement markings, signals and any other devices used to regulate, warn or guide traffic. Ensuring uniformity of traffic control devices across the nation – from their messages and placement to their sizes, shapes and colors – helps to reduce traffic congestion and crashes.

What you can expect to see on the road

  • Bigger, easier to read signs: replacing highway signs with brighter, larger and more legible ones that are easier to understand at freeway speeds.
  • Enhanced crosswalk safety: changing the formula used to calculate crosswalk times to give walkers more time and implementing pedestrian countdown signals that alert pedestrians how much time they have to cross the street safely.
  • New logos: new symbol signs alerting drivers about recreational and cultural interest area destinations will be added.

You won’t see the new signs overnight. ADOT intends to phase in the new signs as new roadways are constructed, when highways undergo major reconstruction or as existing signs wear out. This way no additional costs are incurred.

You can learn more about the new signs and safety standards– both the MUTCD and the Arizona supplemental modifications are online.

Why does ADOT replace perfectly good highway signs?

Why does ADOT replace perfectly good highway signs?

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Why does ADOT replace perfectly good highway signs?

Why does ADOT replace perfectly good highway signs?

June 9, 2011

ADOT's Interstate Signing Supervisor Dudley Heller shows an example of a worn out sign that was replaced.

We received a question on our Facebook page last week asking us why, in this time of tight state budgets, ADOT is spending money to swap out what appear to be perfectly good highway signs. We thought it was a great question, so here’s the answer…

The primary reason is simple: Safety!

All highway signs – from green guide signs, to white speed limit signs, to blue service signs - are coated with a special reflective material that helps drivers see them clearly at night. The official term is retroreflectivity: a material’s ability to return (retro) most of the light back to its originating light source, in this case, back to the vehicle.

Signs that are damaged, weathered, or worn, can still appear perfect during the daylight hours, but in reality, the reflective surfaces may have already begun to deteriorate, making it hard to read at night. And while only one-quarter of all travel occurs at night, approximately half of all traffic fatalities occur at this time.

ADOT maintains roughly 500,000 signs around the state, most of which have an average life span of 10-15 years. ADOT swaps out the old signs based on which section of highway needs it the most.
The current sign rehabilitation program, which includes replacing signs along I-8, I-10, I-17, I-40 and State Route 51, is funded primarily through federal funds specifically dedicated for highway signage. Over the next five years, $5 million will be spent on freeway sign replacement efforts.

In addition to replacing aged signs, ADOT will update sign legends and add new city names to meet the needs of Arizona’s changing and growing communities. ADOT crews also will replace sign posts and foundations that do not meet current structural standards for height or placement location.

Signs are also replaced during highway widening projects such as the Loop 101 HOV project in Phoenix.

Big sign offers huge welcome to Grand Canyon State

Big sign offers huge welcome to Grand Canyon State

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Big sign offers huge welcome to Grand Canyon State

Big sign offers huge welcome to Grand Canyon State

June 3, 2011

Most of the signs ADOT produces have to be pretty big so drivers can read them, but one of the newest is simply massive…

At 16x16 feet, a new sign welcoming motorists to Arizona is among the tallest in the state. It recently was installed on Interstate 8 near Yuma; however, it was made in Phoenix , and as you can imagine, moving a sign that size isn’t a simple task (see video above and photo slideshow below).

At roughly 1,000 pounds, the sign is so tall that it needed to be split in half for transport. Both halves were hoisted with a crane and put onto a trailer on moving day. After the nearly 200-mile journey, six ADOT crew members worked for about two hours to unload the sign and attach it three posts.

It was a big job, but the crew has plenty of experience installing signs around the state. Signs, markers and signals actually are a top priority for several organizational work groups, or orgs, within ADOT’s Traffic Engineering Group.

The ADOT employees in these groups paint stripes, keep an inventory of all sorts of highway traffic items and assemble and maintain traffic signal controllers. They also get to build, install and maintain the signs you see on your commute every day.

They built the huge welcome sign … it took just about four hours to assemble after all the components were fabricated because of their skill.

Welcome to Arizona

Besides its size, another thing drivers might notice is how reflective the new sign is at night. That’s because it was made using a reflective sign sheeting material that is cut out and directly applied to the aluminum background. Tiny, microscopic prisms are embedded into the material that allow more light to be reflected back to motorists and at greater angles than were possible in the past.

This type of sheeting has been in use for the past several years. It allows almost two seconds more notice for drivers traveling at highway speeds (about 150 feet at highway speeds) than the previous type of sheeting available on the market.

A few more facts about the new sign …

  • There are eight freeway-sized “welcome” signs in Arizona – one at each freeway entrance.

  • The old sign will be recycled …the sheeting will be removed and the panels can then be used as the background to make any sign. ADOT saves about $4 a square foot by doing this and has been recycling signs long before it became fashionable.

  • The sign being replaced is from the 1990s.

  • The enormous sign was secured to three I-beam posts. Over 96 post clips and 240 bolts were used to build the sign.

So be on the look out if you’re traveling to California and heading back on I-8. You’re in for a pretty impressive welcome to the Grand Canyon State!

Take a look: New signs easier to read

Take a look: New signs easier to read

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Take a look: New signs easier to read

Take a look: New signs easier to read

May 19, 2011

The highway sign on the left uses the new Clearview typeface. The sign on the right is printed with the old typeface Highway Gothic.

Drivers along eastbound Loop 202 might notice something’s different on their Monday morning commute – but it’s going to take a very perceptive eye to catch the change.

This weekend ADOT is installing signs with a brand new typeface on the Red Mountain Freeway between Loop 101 and Country Club Drive. Although the change is slight, the new signs should be a little easier to read!

Over the past half-century road signs have utilized a font type called Highway Gothic. In an effort to make highway signs more legible without increasing the actual size of the signs, the Federal Highway Administration approved the use of a new typeface called Clearview in 2004.

The new font uses modified letter forms to increase the distinctiveness of each letter. In fact, Clearview lettering is up to 16 percent more legible than its predecessor Highway Gothic.

Research shows that it helps older drivers recognize the sign's words without increasing the actual size of the sign. Many drivers perceive the letters to be noticeably crisper and clearer.

The glare a driver experiences is greatly reduced when viewing the text at night with headlights which is another important benefit. This is accomplished through allowing more green space between each letter.

Many Phoenix residents and travelers have already benefited from the new highway signs, with recent additions along I-17 from Camelback Road to Northern Road and from Thomas Road to the stack (I-10/I-17). 

ADOT began swapping out the old style signs in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area in 2005. As the useful life of the aging signs nears an end, ADOT replaces them with the easier-to-read signs.
 

Take note, Loop 202 will be closed between the Loop 101 and Country Club Drive beginning 10 p.m. Friday May 20 through 5 a.m. Monday, May 23 for the sign replacement. If you plan on traveling in the East Valley this weekend, you could consider exiting Loop 101 to eastbound McKellips Road to reach Country Club Drive and Loop 202 beyond the closure.