ATSSA thanks FHWA for extending feedback time for proposed MUTCD changes

Association joins other industry leaders in opposing rewrite of MUTCD

ATSSA President & CEO Stacy Tetschner sent a letter thanking Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Acting Administrator Stephanie Pollack for extending the comment period for the Notice of Proposed Amendment (NPA) on the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).

He noted the decade-old MUTCD needs an update, expressed ATSSA’s backing of the process and rejected the recent call by some to rewrite the MUTCD.

“ATSSA supports the ongoing process and we are confident that USDOT will obtain great feedback on how to improve this important manual,” Tetschner wrote. “We understand that some want to start over with the manual and we do not support this idea. We do, however, support a reexamination of the structure, process and content of the MUTCD at a later date. We also want to make it clear that this reexamination should not delay a new edition that our industry desperately needs.”

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) and the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (NCUTCD) also sent a letter to FHWA urging it to “stay the course in obtaining public comment on the NPA [Notice of Proposed Amendment] and expediting the issuance of a new MUTCD.”

Tetschner noted the importance of the MUTCD for roadway safety.

“The MUTCD is a vital tool for our industry that helps keep everyone safe on our roadways. With the MUTCD being 10 years old, the document needs an update to incorporate the many advancements in transportation research, practice and technology during that time that offer the potential to save lives and prevent injuries,” he wrote.

FHWA published the proposed changes to the MUTCD in the Federal Register on Dec. 11 to give the public an opportunity to provide comments. The deadline for submitting comments was extended from March 15 to May 14 following requests from industry stakeholders including ATSSA. Public comments are considered in making a Final Rule for an updated edition of the MUTCD.