k o o B 2 Ontario Traffic Manual March 2005 Sign Design, Fabrication & Patterns Book 2 • Sign Design, Fabrication and Patterns The Ontario Traffic Manual is directed to its primary users, traffic practitioners. Book 2 is an exception, Ontario being directed at sign designers and fabricators. The OTM incorporates current best practices in the Province of Ontario. The interpretations, Traffic Manual recommendations and guidelines in the Ontario Traffic Manual are intended to provide an understanding of traffic operations and they cover a broad range of traffic situations encountered in practice. They are based on many factors which may determine the specific design and operational effectiveness of traffic control systems. However, no manual can cover all contingencies or all cases encountered in the field. Therefore, field experience Foreword and knowledge of application are essential in deciding what to do in the absence of specific The purpose of the Ontario Traffic Manual (OTM) direction from the Manual itself and in overriding is to provide information and guidance for any recommendations in this Manual. transportation practitioners and to promote uniformity of treatment in the design, application The traffic practitioner’s fundamental responsibility and operation of traffic control devices and systems is to exercise engineering judgement and across Ontario. The objective is safe driving experience on technical matters in the best behaviour, achieved by a predictable roadway interests of the public and workers. Guidelines are environment through the consistent, appropriate provided in the OTM to assist in making those application of traffic control devices. Further judgements, but they should not be used as a purposes of the OTM are to provide a set of substitute for judgement. guidelines consistent with the intent of the Highway Traffic Act and to provide a basis for road Design, application and operational guidelines and authorities to generate or update their own procedures should be used with judicious care and guidelines and standards. proper consideration of the prevailing circumstances. In some designs, applications, or The OTM is made up of a number of Books, which operational features, the traffic practitioner’s are being generated over a period of time, and for judgement is to meet or exceed a guideline while in which a process of continuous updating is planned. others a guideline might not be met for sound Through the updating process, it is proposed that reasons, such as space availability, yet still produce the OTM will become more comprehensive and a design or operation which may be judged to be representative by including many traffic control safe. Every effort should be made to stay as close devices and applications appropriate for municipal to the guidelines as possible in situations like these, use, in addition to those for highway use. Some of to document reasons for departures from them, and the Books of the OTM are new, while others to maintain consistency of design so as not to incorporate updated material from the Ontario violate driver expectations. Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and the King’s Highway Guide Signing Policy The specific purpose of Book 2 is to provide Manual (KHGSPM). practical guidelines and sign patterns for the design and fabrication of traffic signs. Ontario Traffic Manual • March 2005 1 Book 2 • Sign Design, Fabrication and Patterns Custodial Office Design and Production Inquiries about amendments, suggestions or Suzanne Rodenkirchen, Green Leaf comments regarding the Ontario Traffic Manual Communications (Book 2 & Training may be directed to: Work Book) Kelli Carder, Harpar Management Corporation Ontario Traffic Manual Committee (Master Sign Library) Ministry of Transportation John Paul Atherton, Graphic Artist (Illustrations, Ontario Traffic Office Training Work Book) 301 St. Paul Street, 2nd Floor St. Catharines, ON L2R 7R4 tel: (905) 704-2960 Stakeholder Advisory Committee fax: (905) 704-2888 Robert Barr, Ontario Traffic Conference (OTC), e-mail: [email protected] City of Guelph A user response form is provided at the end of OTM Chris Blackwood, Transportation Association of Book 1. Inquiries regarding the purchase and Canada (TAC) distribution of this Manual may be directed to the Tim Burns, Ministry of Transportation Ontario custodial office, or to: (SW Region Traffic) Gerry Chaput, Ministry of Transportation Ontario Publications Ontario (Traffic Office) 880 Bay Street Anthony Ching, Municipal Engineers Association Toronto, ON M7A 1N8 (MEA), City of Vaughan tel: (416) 326-5300 or Joe Colafranceschi, City of Toronto 1-800-668-9938 Sandy De Lorenzi, Ministry of Transportation TTY: 1-800-268-7095 Ontario (Central Region Traffic) Fax: (613) 566-2234 Tracey Difede, Ministry of Transportation Ontario web: www.publications.gov.on.ca (Traffic Office) Harold Doyle, Ministry of Transportation Ontario Book 2 (Sign Design, Fabrication and Patterns) and (Traffic Office) its associated Book 2 Training Work Book for sign Yoassry Elzohairy, Ministry of Transportation Ontario designers and manufacturers were developed with (Traffic Office) the assistance of a Stakeholder Advisory Ron Haslam, Scugog Signs Committee organized by the Ministry of Mazda Hodiwala, Ministry of Transportation Ontario Transportation. (Traffic Office) George Karlos, Ministry of Transportation Ontario (Traffic Office) Project Consultant Team John Kerfoot, Ontario Good Roads Association Milton Harmelink, Dillon Consulting Limited (OGRA), Region of Waterloo Rodney Edwards, Harpar Management Corporation Cathy Robertson, Institute of Transportation Claudio Covelli, Dillon Consulting Limited Engineers (ITE), Town of Oakville Rick Glenn, JR Consulting Kevin Smith, Owl-lite MaryAnn Lovicsek, IBI Group Richard Sturge, Ministry of Transportation Ontario Alison Smiley, Human Factors North (Provincial Sign Shop) Betty Scott, Betty Scott & Associates Ontario Traffic Manual • March 2005 1 Book 2 • Sign Design, Fabrication and Patterns Table of Contents 1. Introduction . 11 1.1 Purpose, Scope and Content . 11 1.2 Sign Numbering System . 12 1.3 Revisions . 14 1.4 Metrication. 14 1.5 Bilingual and French Language Sign Patterns . 15 2. Guidelines for Sign Design . 15 2.1 Standardization of Design . 16 2.2 Approaches to Sign Design . 16 2.3 Driver Requirements . 17 2.4 Shape and Colour Codes . 18 2.5 Text Legends . 20 2.5.1 Fonts . 20 2.5.2 Letter Height. 21 2.5.3 Upper and Mixed Case . 21 2.5.4 Horizontal Reduction . 21 2.6 Symbolic Legends . 22 2.6.1 Arrow Type and Size . 22 2.6.2 Interdictory and Permissive Symbols . 22 2.6.3 Logo Design . 24 2.7 Calculating Letter Height and Symbol Size . 24 2.7.1 Reading Time . 25 2.7.2 Decision Time . 26 2.7.3 Manoeuvre Time . 26 2.7.4 Required Legibility Distance . 27 2.7.5 Minimum Letter Height . 28 2.7.6 Symbol Legibility . 28 2.7.7 Example . 28 Ontario Traffic Manual • March 2005 3 Book 2 • Sign Design, Fabrication and Patterns 2.8 Sign Design Elements and Arrangement . 29 2.8.1 Message Length . 30 2.8.2 Interline Spacing . 30 2.8.3 Border Space . 30 2.9 Reflectorization and Illumination . 31 2.9.1 Retroreflective Sheeting . 31 2.9.2 Illumination . 31 2.10 Contrast . 32 2.10.1 Positive Contrast Signs . 32 2.10.2 Negative Contrast Signs . 33 2.11 Selecting the Sign Size . 34 2.12 Bilingual Sign Design . 35 2.13 Process for Assessing and Revising Sign Designs . 35 2.13.1 Comprehension Testing. 36 2.14 Sign Design Rules . 37 2.14.1 Standard Signs . 37 2.14.2 Customized Standard Signs . 39 Style of Lettering and Legend Spacing . 39 Letter Size: Metric to Imperial Correlation . 43 Limits on Destination Legends . 44 Abbreviations . 44 Symbols, Crowns, Shields, Markers . 45 Arrows . 47 Centring and Justification Guidelines . 52 Sign Border Sizing and Cornering.