Memorandum from the Sign Committee dated 01/2/08Page 1

MEMORANDUM

TO:Mayor and Commissioners

FROM:Town Manager

DATE:January 2, 2008

REF:Sign Committee recommendations – request for consideration for the establishment of a “Street Signage” Administrative Policy and amendments to the Town’s Traffic Control Map

As a follow-up to a Sign Committee Report submitted to the Board of Commissioners at your December 5, 2007 meeting, the following recommendations are forwarded for your consideration.

  1. Recommendation to Amend the Town’s Traffic Control Map.

The Sign Committee, working with Town staff, and while conducting the Committee’s charge identified four (4) “No Parking-Tow-Away” zones in the northern part of the Town that are no longer needed or necessary. Those four (4) “No Parking-Tow-Away” zones are identified as follows:

  1. Ario Street – on both the north and south sides of the street extending from Wrightsville Avenue to Memorial Avenue.
  1. Atlas Street – on both the north and south sides of the street extending from Wrightsville Avenue to Memorial Avenue.
  1. Albatross Street – on both the north and south sides of the street extending from Wrightsville Avenue to Memorial Avenue.
  1. South Croatan Highway (U.S. 158 Bypass) on both the east and west sides of the highway extending south from the intersection with Eighth Street to intersection with Carolinian Circle.

With respect to Ario, Atlas and Albatross Streets, it is recommended that the Town’s Traffic Control Map be amended eliminating the present “No Parking – Tow-Away” zones on both the north and south sides of these streets.

The Sign Committee and Town staff jointly recommend that the “No Parking-Tow-Away” zone on both the east and west side of South Croatan Highway (U.S. 158 Bypass) extending from Eighth Street to Carolinian Circle be eliminated by amending the Town’s Traffic Control Map.

This “No Parking-Tow-Away” zone was enacted to help ensure the public’s safety when certain A.B.C. licensed establishments were in business in this area. The nature of those businesses witnessed excess capacity parking, which created both traffic “sight-angle” and pedestrian safety problems.

  1. Authorization for the establishment of a “Street Signage” Administrative Policy

Administrative Policy

“Street Signage”

This document contains the Administrative Policy for the Town of Nags Head as it relates to “Street Signage” within the Town’s Incorporated / Jurisdictional boundaries.

Uniform standards for the design, location, and application of traffic control signs on expressways, freeways, and conventional roads are established by the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, MUTCD, is published by the United States Department of Transportation. The manual prescribes standards for design and application of traffic control devices and was used as a major resource in the development of this Administrative Policy. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NC DOT), Division of Highways, provided additional information.

General Classification of Signs by Function

  • REGULATORY - Red, black, green on white.

Regulatory signs give notice of traffic laws or regulation. They advise motorists of traffic right-of-way, speed, movement and parking. Examples include stop, yield, speed limit, no left turn, no parking.

  • WARNING - Black on yellow.

Warning signs give advance notice to changes in road design or conditions that require a driver to use extra caution. Examples include signs for curves, intersections, pedestrian crossing, fire station ahead.

  • GUIDE

Guide signs show route designations, directions, distances, points of interest, and other geographical, recreational, or cultural information. This classification of sign has a wide application and offers the greatest variety. There are five groups in this class:

Route and Street Identification Signs - Black on white.

This group includes numbered route markers, such as U.S. 158, or NC 12 and typical street signs [White on green].

Destination Signs - White on green.

This group is generally white on green and guide motorists along streets and highways giving direction and distance to towns and important destinations. Where recreational and cultural interest areas are a significant destination, white on brown directional guide signs may be posted.

General Service Signs - White on blue.

There is not much need for this group of signs in populated areas where services are within sight of the motorist. Service signing is usually reserved for hospitals, police assistance, tourist information, and camping. (Signing for the Outer Banks Hospital by NCDOT is an example for this category.)

General Information Signs - White on green.

These signs are used to convey information of interest though not directly necessary for guidance. They are usually found to identify landmarks, political boundaries, bridges, and bodies of water. They should not be grouped with guide signs or located at critical locations. (Community Watch, Bird Sanctuary, Town ''WELCOME'' sign.)

Recreational and Cultural Interest Area Signs - White on Brown.

These signs may be used to inform the motorists of certain rules; to direct persons to facilities, structures and places and to identify various services available to the general public. Regulatory and warning signs within recreational and cultural interest areas must conform to their respective requirements.

  1. Board of Commissioner Authorization – will be required, by ordinance adoption and/or amendment to the Town’s Traffic Control Map for all street signage whereby enforcement is authorized in Section 1-6. (General penalty; enforcement of ordinances; continuing violations) of the Town Code of Ordinances. Examples: No Parking; No Parking – Tow-Away; No Parking – Here-To-Corner.

“NO PARKING” SIGN PLACEMENT POLICY

All “No Parking” signs erected by the Town of Nags Head shall conform to the following guidelines:

  1. The accepted standard for distance between signs is 200 feet. “No Parking” signs shall be placed at each end of a designated no parking zone and at intervals of 200 feet, unless special needs dictate that they be positioned at a closer distance.
  1. All “No Parking” signs shall be “double-faced” so that they may be seen by motorists traveling in both directions unless special needs dictate that the double-faced signs are impracticable or are not needed.
  1. On all Town streets, roads, and highways where “No Parking” zones have been established, by Ordinance, the last “No Parking” zone pole, shall have affixed two signs: (1) “No Parking”; and (2) “No Parking – Here to Corner”.

B. Town Manager Authority – Under this policy the Town Manager is authorized to erect or remove such educational / advisory street signage that he shall deem necessary.

  1. Emergency Situation and Special Event Signage – The Town Manager, or his designee(s), is authorized to put in place, such temporary street signage, to include computerized sign boards, to ensure the safety of the public during emergency situations, and authorized special events. Examples: Natural disasters (hurricanes and storms); police and fire emergencies; special events (OBX Marathon; St. Patrick’s Day Parade; July 4th fireworks, etc.).

The Town Manager, or his designee, as a part of the monthly report to the Board of Commissioners, shall include a listing of all signs, along with an explanation, that have been added or deleted as street signage in the Town.

Further, the Town Manager, as a part of the Town’s Annual Report, shall include a section that reflects that results of the annual street signage survey/inspection of all street signage within the Town’s incorporated / jurisdictional boundaries.

Town staff, following the recommended “Street Signage” Administrative Policy recommended in this report, will continue to monitor street signage throughout the Town. In that effort, we will endeavor to ensure that street signage is both sufficient to both educate and protect the public, while at the same time being mindful of the negative impact caused by excessive signage.