Page:Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways, 1961 Edition.pdf/22

 with standards adopted by the American Association of State Highway Officials, approved by the State highway department, and concurred in by the Federal Highway Administrator.

On all streets and highways the need is great for high, uniform standards of traffic control to protect the public investment in the Nation’s roads and streets, and to foster safety, convenience, and economy of operation.

In many jurisdictions, particularly small counties and cities, the problem is not simple. Qualified engineers are needed to exercise the engineering judgment inherent in the selection of traffic control devices, just as they are needed to locate and design the roads and streets which the devices complement. Yet many small jurisdictions with responsibility for traffic control do not have qualified engineers on their staffs. Those jurisdictions should seek assistance on difficult problems from the State highway department, their county, a nearby large city, or a qualified traffic consultant.

Small cities and counties should find this Manual of great value in meeting their responsibilities for traffic control. The standards and principles enunciated here a r e just as applicable to their problems as they are to large metropolitan areas. These standards and principles can be of great value in finding solutions to traffic situations and weighing the merits of proposals advanced by various citizen groups.

Guiding Principles

This Manual sets forth the basic principles that govern the design and usage of traffic control devices. These principles appear throughout the text in discussions of the devices to which they apply, and it is important that they be given top consideration in the selection and application of each device.

The standards in this Manual apply to any and all streets and highways regardless of type or class or the governmental agency having jurisdiction. Where a device is intended for limited application only, or for a specific system, the text specifies the restrictions on its use.

Although this Manual, wherever practicable, includes detailed references to standards for the Interstate System of highways, the Manual for Signing and Pavement Marking of the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, published by the American Association of State Highway Officials, should be consulted in the planning of any signing or marking projects on the Interstate System. 5