Issued: DEC 2003 BILINGUAL Revised: DEC 2006 Page 1 of 1 PART HIGHWAY SIGNS RECOMMENDED SECTION GENERAL PRACTICES SUB-SECTION

General The Infrastructure and Transportation (AIT) has jurisdiction over In , the Manual of Uniform the provincial highway network and has the Control Devices (MUTCDC) provides authority to establish policies regarding the general guidelines on the use of bilingual use of bilingual signs along a highway. signs. Jurisdictions have the authority to decide in which situations and how bilingual Policy on Use of Bilingual Signs in signs are installed. Alberta

Based on the MUTCDC, a authority Alberta Infrastructure and Transportation may: supports the exclusive use of the on all traffic signs except where 1) exclusively use English language on all permitted under the following clauses. signs using text-messages, or All traffic signs in Alberta: 2) adopt a policy of using bilingual signs where considered beneficial and safe to 1) shall except as permitted under clauses road users. The national standards in (2) and (3) exclusively use the English the MUTCDC support the Canadian language. multicultural policy, which recognizes English and French as the only two 2) may, upon receiving an approval from official languages for Canada. Alberta Infrastructure and Transportation, display bilingual Any major departure from this national messages (i.e., in English and French) standard (i.e., use of an unofficial language on Name signs. on any traffic signs) may have serious implications in terms of safety and traffic 3) may, if serving National and operations as well as legal implications. Historic Sites, display bilingual messages (i.e., in English and French) If motorists can not understand a message on guide and facility signs. provided on a traffic , they may become confused and may not respond adequately All text messages (i.e., in English or in to a traffic situation. As a result, a road English and French) used on any traffic authority that placed a non-conforming sign signs shall conform to the provincial may be held liable for failing to provide clear standards for the design of traffic signs or in and consistent messages. the absence of the provincial standards, to the MUTCDC standards. .