Citation

Messer CJ, McNees RW. Transp. Res. Rec. 1981; 811: 33-35.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1981, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences USA, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The results and findings of a physical inventory of selected attributes of freeway guide signing found in 10 major cities in the United States are described. Four of these cities were located in the state of Texas and six were outside the state. Data were collected on numerous physical design features, including number of sign panels, number of concurrent routes, and bits of information. The results of the study include tabular comparisons of a number of attributes together with comparisons between Texas and out-of-state signing systems. Information load was defined as the total number of bits of information presented on all overhead sign panels on the main lanes of the freeway. The 50th percentile information load level was found to be 10 bits, the 85th percentile level was found to be 15 bits, and the 95th percentile level was determined to be 18 bits. Most of the high-bit-level signs (those having bit rates in excess of 16 bits) were located in Texas. Another signing variable for which comparisons were made between Texas and non-Texas signing systems was concurrent signing. A dramatic finding of this evaluation was the tremendously large number of concurrently marked interstate and U.S. routes basically found only in the Texas cities.