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| Date(s): |
October 15, 2009 |
| Location: |
Audio/Web Broadcast |
| Cost: |
Members: $175.00
Non Members: $225.00 |
| Description: |
SIGN RETROREFLECTIVITY - WHAT IS IT AND WHY SHOULD I CARE?
Retroreflectivity is a measure of a sign’s ability to be read by sensitive driving populations during nighttime and other non-optimal conditions.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) enacted changes to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) that require new retroreflectivity maintenance standards for signs. By January 2012, local jurisdictions must establish and implement a sign assessment or management method and all regulatory, warning, and ground-mounted signs must be in compliance by January 2015.
Local and state governments must begin preparing for compliance within their jurisdictions.
Developing a plan for compliance begins with an understanding that retroreflectivity (where light is reflected directly back to the source) is not the same thing as reflectivity (where light bounces off at an angle, as in a mirror) and this webinar will be demystifying this cumbersome word. Nighttime visibility challenges will also be examined.
Will both legitimate and illegitimate civil cases be brought against local governments when someone has an accident and could this expose those agencies to considerable judgments? Based on past experience, this seems very likely.
Hence, a local government should establish policies, procedures, and documentation of effective implementation that will provide an affirmative defense, should it be needed.
This program will help you understand the requirements, legal implications and importance of having a plan. There is a second session on retroreflectivity on November 5th that will show how other agencies have implemented their plan and focuses on best management practices.
After viewing this program, participants will be better able to:
* Explain the difference between retroreflectivity and reflectivity
* Discuss the origins and reasons for the new retroreflectivity standards in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices
* Facilitate planning processes within their agencies that will result in effective policies and procedures for compliance with the new MUTCD retroreflectivity standards
This program has been approved for .2 CEUs or 2 PDHs. The form to request these credits is included in the handouts for this program. Please note there is a $5 fee per individual requesting CEUs.
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| Speaker: |
 Matheu J. Carter, P.E.
T2 Engineer and Municipal Circuit Rider
Delaware Center for Transportation’s T2 Center
University of Delaware
Newark, DE
Matt Carter is a civil and environmental engineer, licensed in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Georgia. He received his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at The George Washington University in Washington, DC. His 20+ year professional background includes transportation, stormwater, water/wastewater, solid waste, hazardous waste, and fleet management in the arenas of heavy construction, design consulting, litigation support, regulatory oversight, and public and private sector administration. In addition to his prior work in construction and private consulting, Matt was Director of Public Works and Capital Facilities Administrator for Cecil County, Maryland. He is currently the T2 Engineer and Municipal Circuit Rider for the Delaware Center for Transportation’s T2 Center at the University of Delaware.
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| Speaker: |
 Dr. Ron Eck, P.E.
Senior Advisor
West Virginia LTAP
West Virginia University
Morgantown, WV
Ron is Professor Emeritus of Civil Engineering at West Virginia University where he currently serves as Senior Advisor with the West Virginia Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP).
He has B.S.C.E. and Ph.D. degrees from Clemson University and is a registered professional engineer. His experience and interests are in the areas of traffic engineering, traffic safety and forensic engineering.
He teaches Tort Liability/Risk Management and Traffic Sign Retroreflectivity courses for LTAP centers across the country. He is active in the technical committees of the Transportation Research Board and the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE). He is past chair of the Expert Witness Council of ITE and authored the text Handbook of Accident Reconstruction. He has testified as an expert witness in roadway-related matters in over twenty states.
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| Speaker: |
 MODERATOR: Paul Plotas, P.E., PTOE
Senior Traffic Engineer
Wilson & Company, Inc., Engineers & Architects
Kansas City, MO
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| Content Questions: |
Christina Davis
800 848 2792
education@apwa.net |
| Technology Questions: |
Christina Davis
800 848 2792
education@apwa.net |
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National Conference
Continuing Education Units (CEUs)