Maintenance of traffic

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Maintenance of traffic (MOT), also known as temporary traffic control or temporary traffic management [1] , is a process of establishing of a work zone, providing related transportation management and temporary traffic control on streets and highways right-of-way. This process does not apply to law enforcement officers.

The establishment of a work zone and management of temporary traffic control is conducted by traffic controllers, also known as flaggers, traffic observers, or spotters. Standards of operations are established by the department of transportation of each state, and may vary from state to state.

Temporary Traffic Control or Temporary Traffic Management is critical to maintaining safety and minimizing disruption during temporary work zones, events, and other short-term traffic disruptions. [2]

In the United States, traffic control devices are set up according to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, sometimes along with state supplements. [3]

Maintenance of traffic training in the United States is provided by the American Traffic Safety Services Association. [4]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Variable-message sign</span> Electronic traffic sign with changeable messages

A variable-message sign or message board, often abbreviated VMS, VMB, CMS, or DMS, and in the UK known as a matrix sign, is an electronic traffic sign often used on roadways to give travelers information about special events. Such signs warn of traffic congestion, accidents, incidents such as terrorist attacks, AMBER/Silver/Blue Alerts, roadwork zones, or speed limits on a specific highway segment. In urban areas, VMS are used within parking guidance and information systems to guide drivers to available car parking spaces. They may also ask vehicles to take alternative routes, limit travel speed, warn of duration and location of the incidents, inform of the traffic conditions, or display general public safety messages.

National Highways, formerly the Highways Agency and later Highways England, is a government-owned company charged with operating, maintaining and improving motorways and major A roads in England. It also sets highways standards used by all four UK administrations, through the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges. Within England, it operates information services through the provision of on-road signage and its Traffic England website, provides traffic officers to deal with incidents on its network, and manages the delivery of improvement schemes to the network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roadworks</span> Construction of surfacing/building road with asphalt or concrete

Roadworks occur when part of the road, or in rare cases, the entire road, has to be occupied for work relating to the road, most often in the case of road surface repairs. In the United States road work could also mean any work conducted in close proximity of travel way (thoroughfare) such as utility work or work on power lines. The general term of road work is known as work zone.

<i>Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices</i> National traffic control manual of the Federal Highway Administration

The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways is a document issued by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) of the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) to specify the standards by which traffic signs, road surface markings, and signals are designed, installed, and used. In the United States, all traffic control devices must legally conform to these standards. The manual is used by state and local agencies as well as private construction firms to ensure that the traffic control devices they use conform to the national standard. While some state agencies have developed their own sets of standards, including their own MUTCDs, these must substantially conform to the federal MUTCD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Highway Administration</span> United States highway transportation agency

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two programs, the Federal-aid Highway Program and the Federal Lands Highway Program. Its role had previously been performed by the Office of Road Inquiry, Office of Public Roads and the Bureau of Public Roads.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Logbook</span> Book for recording activities

A logbook is a record used to record states, events, or conditions applicable to complex machines or the personnel who operate them. Logbooks are commonly associated with the operation of aircraft, nuclear plants, particle accelerators, and ships. The term logbook originated with the ship's log—a maritime record of important events in the management, operation, and navigation of a ship. Originally, the term "Log Book" came about in early maritime navigation. The Captain was responsible for keeping a 'Log', as a minimum, of navigational wind, speed, direction and position. The speed was determined by ejecting a 'log' from the bow of the boat and measuring the time it took to reach the stern, thereby determining the speed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gravel road</span> Type of unpaved road surfaced with gravel

A gravel road is a type of unpaved road surfaced with gravel that has been brought to the site from a quarry or stream bed. They are common in less-developed nations, and also in the rural areas of developed nations such as Canada and the United States. In New Zealand, and other Commonwealth countries, they may be known as metal roads. They may be referred to as "dirt roads" in common speech, but that term is used more for unimproved roads with no surface material added. If well constructed and maintained, a gravel road is an all-weather road.

For driving in the United States, each state and territory has its own traffic code or rules of the road, although most of the rules of the road are similar for the purpose of uniformity, given that all states grant reciprocal driving privileges to each other's licensed drivers. There is also a "Uniform Vehicle Code" which was proposed by a private, non-profit group, based upon input by its members. The UVC was not adopted in its entirety by any state. As with uniform acts in general, some states adopted selected sections as written or with modifications, while others created their own sui generis statutes touching upon the same subject matter. As required by the federal Highway Safety Act of 1966, all states and territories have adopted substantially similar standards for the vast majority of signs, signals, and road surface markings, based upon the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Many of the standard rules of the road involve consistent interpretation of the standard signs, signals, and markings such as what to do when approaching a stop sign, or the driving requirements imposed by a double yellow line on the street or highway. In order to implement their own traffic laws on the property of their own facilities, several federal agencies have also developed their own traffic laws.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maryland State Highway Administration</span> Government highway agency of the State of Maryland

The Maryland State Highway Administration is the state transportation business unit responsible for maintaining Maryland's numbered highways outside Baltimore. Formed originally under authority of the General Assembly of Maryland in 1908 as the State Roads Commission (SRC), under the direction of the executive branch of state government headed by the governor of Maryland, it is tasked with maintaining non-tolled/free bridges throughout the state, removing snow from the state's major thoroughfares, administering the state's "adopt-a-highway" program, and both developing and maintaining the state's freeway/expressway system. Since the reorganization of the several commissions, bureaus, boards, and assorted minor agencies with departments of the executive branch and establishment of the governor's cabinet in the early 1970s following the adoption of several individual reorganization recommendations after the rejection by the voters in a November 1968 referendum of the 1968 proposed overall new state constitution prepared by the 1967–1968 Constitutional Convention. It is now a division of the larger establishment of the Maryland Department of Transportation and is currently overseen by an administrator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Road traffic control</span>

Traffic Control can be achieved using variety of temporary solutions & systems, such as Temporary traffic management** Road Closures with diversions, partial Lane Closures or temporary traffic signals. Once A scheme is agreed, an installation of that scheme is implemented to safely control traffic, allowing for emergency vehicles/works, roadworks, maintenance or infrastructure improvements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Municipal Signal Association</span> Traffic standards organization

The International Municipal Signal Association (IMSA) is one of the two main professional organizations contributing input to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in revising and developing highway standards concerning traffic signals and control devices.

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is a state agency in charge of state-maintained public roadways of the U.S. state of Illinois. In addition, IDOT provides funding for rail, public transit and airport projects and administers fuel tax and federal funding to local jurisdictions in the state. The Secretary of Transportation reports to the Governor of Illinois. IDOT is headquartered in unincorporated Sangamon County, located near the state capital, Springfield. In addition, the IDOT Division of Highways has offices in nine locations throughout the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development</span>

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) is a state government organization in the United States, in charge of maintaining public transportation, roadways, bridges, canals, select levees, floodplain management, port facilities, commercial vehicles, and aviation which includes 69 airports, in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The agency has approximately five thousand personnel on staff and an operating budget of $2.3 billion. DOTD operations are run through nine district offices across the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radar speed sign</span> Interactive traffic sign

A radar speed sign is an interactive sign, generally constructed of a series of LEDs, that displays vehicle speed as motorists approach. The purpose of radar speed signs is to slow cars down by making drivers aware when they are driving at speeds above the posted limits. They are used as a traffic calming device in addition to or instead of physical devices such as speed bumps and rumble strips.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Road signs in the United States</span> Road and traffic signs utilized in the United States

In the United States, road signs are, for the most part, standardized by federal regulations, most notably in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and its companion volume the Standard Highway Signs (SHS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Traffic guard</span> Person who directs traffic through a construction site or other temporary traffic control zone

Traffic guards, also known as traffic controllers and flaggers, are trained to set up warning signs and barricades to slow down the speed of traffic in a temporary traffic control zone. When they are on scene they will set up equipment to warn approaching traffic about the incident.

Technical Integrity Engineering is a term applied to the engineering disciplines associated with the design, assurance, and verification functions that ensure a product, process, or system meets its appropriate and intended requirements under stated operating conditions. Application of these disciplines minimizes the cost, schedule, technical, and legal risks of a program and improves the overall life cycle cost.

Road traffic control devices are markers, signs and signal devices used to inform, guide and control traffic, including pedestrians, motor vehicle drivers and bicyclists. These devices are usually placed adjacent, over or along the highways, roads, traffic facilities and other public areas that require traffic control.

<i>Ohio Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices</i>

The Ohio Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices is the standard for traffic signs, road surface markings, and traffic signals in the U.S. state of Ohio. It is developed by the Ohio Department of Transportation's Office of Roadway Engineering "in substantial conformance to" the national Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices developed by the Federal Highway Administration. The first edition of the OMUTCD was published in 1924; the most recent edition was published in 2012. Ohio is one of ten states that publish their own editions of the MUTCD.

<i>California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices</i> State traffic control manual of California Department of Transportation

The California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices is the standard for traffic signs, road surface markings, and traffic signals in the U.S. state of California. It is developed by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Division of Safety Programs "in substantial conformance to" the national Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices developed by the Federal Highway Administration. The first edition of the CA MUTCD was published in 2006, replacing an earlier supplement to the national MUTCD. The most recent edition was published in 2014, incorporating the 2009 edition of the national MUTCD. California is one of ten states that publish their own editions of the MUTCD. The CA MUTCD defines the content and placement of traffic signs. Design specifications are detailed on a section of the Caltrans website that is based on the national Standard Highway Signs and Markings (SHSM) document.

References

  1. "Traffic Management Design Services | Traffic Plans LTD". https://www.trafficplans.ie/ . Retrieved 2023-05-08.{{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)
  2. "What is Temporary Traffic Management? | Traffic Plans LTD". https://www.trafficplans.ie/ . Retrieved 2023-05-08.{{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)
  3. MUTCDs & Traffic Control Devices Information by State. Federal Highway Administration (US DOT).
  4. STATE TRAINING REQUIREMENTS. American Traffic Safety Services Association website.