Page:Report of Joint Board on Interstate Highways.pdf/62



To Mr. Thos. H. MacDonald, Chairman, Joint Board on Interstate Highways.

At the meeting of the Joint Board on April 20, a committee consisting of Mr. James of the Bureau of Public Roads, Mr. Hinkle of Indiana, and Mr. Rogers of Michigan, was appointed to consider and recommend to the Joint Board detailed designs for a series of road markers, danger signs, etc., with the understanding that the work would be based on the action of the Joint Board as indicated in its resolution at the April meeting.

The action of the Joint Board in April was to adopt shapes and color combinations for signs of varying significance, and to submit tentatively a design for a highway marker to be used on the interstate highways, and this action constituted the starting point of the committee work.

A careful study and tabulation were then made of all available signs and markers used by the several States. This tabulation showed all the dimensions including size and stroke of letter, use of symbol, and other details necessary in deciding on dimensions to be recommended by the committee. From this tabulation a series of signs has been designed adhering as closely as possible to the prevailing dimensions, with the exceptions noted, and following as nearly as practicable existing and prevailing practices in the several States.

Your committee submits herewith a collection of full size drawings in color, for your consideration, and points out the following general characteristics, which have been developed as fully as practicable in the entire series of signs. Following the recommendations of this Body, of the American Association of State Highway Officials and numerous other agencies, which have been for many months considering the question of highway signs, your committee has attempted to develop in a series of signs, four different distinguishing characteristics having reference to the use of the sign, viz., shape, color scheme, wording and symbol.

In doing this we have adhered without deviation to the final report of the Sectional Committee on Color Code of the American Engineering Standards Committee, as well as to the resolution of this Joint Board. Your committee is not entirely agreed as to some details which will be pointed out later, but is agreed on the following general scheme which has been developed in the designs submitted to you, viz., the over-all dimensions, a set of signs of comparatively uniform size, details subject to standardization, such as width of margin and form of letter, and use of standardized symbols. Symbols