[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 23, Volume 1]
[Revised as of April 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 23CFR655.607]

[Page 244-245]
 
                           TITLE 23--HIGHWAYS
 
 CHAPTER I--FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
 
PART 655--TRAFFIC OPERATIONS--Table of Contents
 
Subpart F--Traffic Control Devices on Federal-Aid and Other Streets and 
                                Highways
 
Sec. 655.607  Funding.

    (a) Federal-aid highways. (1) Funds apportioned or allocated under 
23 U.S.C. 104(b) are eligible to participate in projects to install 
traffic control devices in accordance with the MUTCD on newly 
constructed, reconstructed, resurfaced, restored, or rehabilitated 
highways, or on existing highways when this work is classified as 
construction in accordance with 23 U.S.C. 101(a). Federal-aid highway 
funds for eligible pavement markings and traffic control signalization 
may amount to 100 percent of the construction cost. Federal-aid highway 
funds apportioned or allocated under other sections of 23 U.S.C. are 
eligible for participation in improvements conforming to the MUTCD in 
accordance with the provisions of applicable program regulations and 
directives.
    (2) Traffic control devices are eligible, in keeping with paragraph 
(a)(1) of this section, provided that the work is classified as 
construction in accordance with 23 U.S.C. 101(a) and the State or local 
agency has a policy acceptable to the FHWA Division Administrator for 
selecting traffic control devices material or equipment based on items 
such as cost, traffic volumes, safety, and expected service life. The 
State's policy should provide for cost-effective selection of materials 
which will provide for substantial service life taking into account 
expected and necessary routine maintenance. For these purposes, 
effectiveness would normally be measured in terms of durability, service 
life and/or performance of the material. Specific projects including 
material or equipment selection shall be developed in accordance with 
this policy. Proposed work may be approved on a project-by-project basis 
when the work is (i) clearly warranted, (ii) on a Federal-aid system, 
(iii) clearly identified by site, (iv) substantial in nature, and (v) of 
sufficient magnitude at any given location to warrant Federal-aid 
participation as a construction item.
    (3) The method of accomplishing the work will be in accordance with 
23 CFR part 635, subpart A, Contract Procedures.
    (b) Off-system highways. Certain Federal-aid highway funds are 
eligible to participate in traffic control device improvement projects 
on off-system highways. In addition, Federal-aid highway funds 
apportioned or allocated in 23 U.S.C. are eligible for the installation 
of traffic control devices on any public road not on the Federal-aid 
system when the installation is directly related to a traffic 
improvement project on a Federal-aid system route.

 Appendix to Subpart F of Part 655--Alternate Method of Determining the 
                 Color of Retroreflective Sign Materials

    1. The FHWA Color Tolerance Charts provide that conventional color 
measuring instruments such as spectrophotometers and tristimulus 
photoelectric colorimeters should not be used for measurement of 
retroreflective material colors and that such materials should be 
evaluated visually using the Color Tolerance Charts and paying strict 
attention to prescribed illumination and viewing conditions.
    2. As an alternate to visual testing, the diffuse day color of 
retroreflective sign material may be determined in accordance with ASTM 
E 97, ``Standard Method of Test for 45-Degree, 0-Degree Directional 
Reflectance of Opaque Specimens by Filter Photometry.'' Geometric 
characteristics must be confined to illumination incident within 10 
degrees of, and centered about, a direction of 45 degrees from the 
perpendicular to the test surface; viewing is within 15 degrees of, and 
centered about, the perpendicular to the test surface. Conditions of 
illumination and observation must not be interchanged.
    3. Standards to be used for reference are the Munsell Papers 
designated in Table 1 or Table II, attached. The papers must be recently 
calibrated on a spectrophotometer. Acceptable test instruments are:
    a. Gardner Multipurpose Reflectometer or Model XL 20 Color 
Difference Meter,
    b. Gardner Model Ac-2a or XL 30 Color Difference Meter,
    c. Meeco Model V Colormaster,
    d. Hunter lab D25 Color Difference Meter, or
    e. Approved equal.
    4. Average performance sheeting is identified as Types I and II 
sheeting and high performance sheeting is identified as Types III

[[Page 245]]

and IV sheeting in Standard Specifications for Construction of Roads and 
Bridges on Federal Highway Projects \3\ (FP-79, Section 633).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ This document is available for inspection and copying as 
prescribed in 49 CFR part 7, appendix D.

                                  Table I--Color Specification Limits and Reference Standards, Types I and II Sheeting
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                    Chromaticity coordinates \1\ (corner points)             Reflectance
                                          ---------------------------------------------------------------- limits (percent
                  Color                           1               2               3               4              Y) Y          Reference \3\ standard
                                          ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------       (munsell papers)
                                              x       y       x       y       x       y       x       y    Minium  Maximum
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
White \2\................................    .305    .290    .350    .342    .321    .361    .276    .308      35       --  6.3Gy 6.77/0.8.
Red......................................    .602    .317    .664    .336    .644    .356    .575    .356       8       12  8.2R 3.78/14.0.
Orange...................................    .535    .375    .607    .393    .582    .417    .535    .399      18       30  2.5YR 5.5/14.0
Brown....................................    .445    .353    .604    .396    .556    .443    .445    .386       4        9  5.OYR 3/6.
Yellow...................................    .482    .450    .532    .465    .505    .494    .475    .485      29       45  1.25Y 6/12.
Green....................................    .130    .369    .180    .391    .155    .460    .107    .439     3.5        9  0.65BG 2.84/8.45.
Blue.....................................    .147    .075    .176    .091    .176    .151    .106    .113     1.0        4  5 8PB 1.32/6.8.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The four pairs of chromaticity coordinates determine the acceptable color in terms of the CIE 1931 standard colorimetric system measured with
  standard illumination source C.
\2\ Silver white is an acceptable color designation.
\3\ Available from Munsell Color Company. 2441 Calvert Street, Baltimore. Maryland 21218.


                                 Table II--Color Specification Limits and Reference Standards, Types III and IV Sheeting
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Chromaticity Coordinates \1\ (corner points)             Reflectance
                                           ----------------------------------------------------------------     limits
                   Color                           1               2               3               4         (percent Y) Y     Reference \3\ standard
                                           --------------------------------------------------------------------------------       (munsell papers)
                                               x       y       x       y       x       y       x       y     Min.    Max.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
White \2\.................................    .303     287    .368    .353    .340    .380    .274    .316      27  ......  5.0PB 7/1.
Red.......................................    .613    .297    .708    .292    .636    .364    .558    .352     2.5      11  7.5R 3/12.
Orange....................................    .550    .360    .630    .370    .581    .418    .516    .394      14      30  2.5YR 5.5/14.
Yellow....................................    .498    .412    .557    .442    .479    .520    .438    .472      15      40  1.25Y 6/12.
Green.....................................    .030    .380    .166    .346    .286    .428    .201    .776       3       8  10G 3/8
Blue......................................    .144    .030    .244    .202    .190    .247    .066    .208       1      10  5.8PB 1.32/6.8.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The four pairs of chromaticity coordinates determine the acceptable color in terms of the CIE 1931 standard colorimetric system measured with
  standard illumination source C.
\2\ Silver white is an acceptable color designation.
\3\ Available from Munsell Color Company, 2441 Calvert Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218.

Subpart G [Reserved]