Maine Local Roads Center

Street Name Signs on Private property for E-911

Street Name Signs and E-911
New Standards call for larger signs

Most towns throughout Maine are finished with their E-911 process. Most towns and cities have erected new street name signs. What about the color and size? Do you need to call Dig-Safe before you install every post in the ground?

Consider the following factors:

The driving population is getting older

Older drivers have only 65 % to 77% of the legibility distance of younger drivers at night

Drivers of ambulances, fire trucks & police cars dpend on highly visible signs especially when it's foggy or snowy.

Tourists rely on signs for guidance to hotels, homes, etc.

other drivers, including UPS and Federal Express drivers depend on good street signs

The MUTCD states that the legend and background shall be of contrasting color and should have a white message and border on a green background. The signs must also be retroreflectorized for maximum visibility to emergency vehicles in the worst rain, snow, or fog conditions.

Recent changes (2003) to the national Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) recommends a new size for lettering on road name signs. The MUTCD recommends six (6) inch high capital letters, or an initial six inch capital letter followed by 4 ½ inch lower case letters. Supplemental lettering (e.g. ST, AV, RD, etc.) or a section of city (e.g. NW, SE)should be at least 3 inches high. However, for local roads with speed limits of 25 mph or less, the letters should be at least 4 inches high and the ST or AVE supplementary lettering should be at least 3 inches high.

If six (6) inch letters are used, then a nine (9) inch high blade in lengths of 24, 30, 36, or 42 inches are available. If four (4) inch letters are used, then a six (6) inch high blade in similar lengths are available.

NOTE: If your town's road signs are all four inch high letters or if you have just signed for E-911, do not go and change all your signs to the larger letters. The MUTCD standards state that the compliance date for using six inch letters (on 30 mph+ roads) is the year 2012 OR whenever an existing sign is replaced within the next 15 years. Each community must decide if and when it adopts the new recommended standards for letter size.

Height of the bottom of the sign at the side of a road in rural areas shall be at least 5 feet. In business, commercial, and residential areas where parking, and/or pedestrians, and/or obstructions interfere with viewing, the bottom of the sign shall be at least 7 feet high.

Calling Dig-Safe is also a MUST before you install posts in new locations. In fact, it is a State Law. Driving posts is technically "excavation", with the possibility of damaging underground cables or utility lines. It may seem like overkill, but calling a free 888-number with the exact locations of all your posts is really not a difficult task. Damaging a fiber optic cable which "I knew wasn't there" can create major headaches for everyone and cost you a lot of money. Call the Center for further information at 624-3270.

last updated: April 6, 2009