For the first time since 2009, the U.S.
Department of Transportation (DoT) has proposed revisions to the Manual
on Uniform Traffic Control devices (MUTCD). The MUTCD is a compilation
of national standards for all traffic control devices, including road
markings, highway signs, and traffic signals. The MUTCD defines the
standards used by road managers nationwide to install and maintain
traffic control devices on all public streets, highways, bikeways, and
private roads open to public travel. The MUTCD is published by the
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) under 23 Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR), Part 655, Subpart F.
ASLA, along with numerous
other organizations nationwide, have many concerns with the proposed
revision. Chief among ASLA’s concerns is a provision to exclude
landscape architects from interpreting or applying the provisions in the
manual, which conflicts with state licensure laws. Landscape architects
are competent to use, interpret, and apply the MUTCD, and frequently do
so to prepare and implement project designs while protecting the
health, safety, and welfare of the public. Therefore, ASLA in
conjunction with CLARB, submitted formal comments
requesting the harmful language be removed or revised to allow the
manual to be interpreted and applied by a qualified licensed
professional, and not only engineers.
In addition to the ASLA/CLARB letter, ASLA submitted a petition
to U.S. DoT with 1,060 signatures supporting the request to remove the
harmful language limiting the scope of landscape architecture practice
and expressing concern over the proposed documents lack of needed
flexibility to plan and design urban, suburban, and rural streets that
put the safe mobility of people first, rather than the movement of
vehicles.
Please join ASLA’s iAdvocate Grassroots Network and use your voice to help advance policies important to the profession.