[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 122 (Monday, June 27, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-15517]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: June 27, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
[FHWA Docket No. 93-26]

 

Options for Coordinating the Metric Conversion of Traffic Control 
Signs

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) DOT.

ACTION: Notice of agency decision.

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SUMMARY: In this notice, the FHWA summarizes the responses to an FHWA 
notice titled ``Options for Coordinating the Metric Conversion of 
Traffic Control Signs,'' and announces the agency's decision to delay 
implementation of any national metric sign conversion until after 1996, 
or until further indication of the intention of Congress on this 
subject is received.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Charles W. Craig, Office of 
Highway Safety, (202) 366-2187, or Mr. Wilbert Baccus, Office of the 
Chief Counsel, (202) 366-0780, Federal Highway Administration, 400 
Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 31, 1993, the FHWA published a 
notice in the Federal Register in which the agency requested comments 
on the three options it is considering for coordinating an orderly 
transition of distance, weight, and speed traffic control sign legends 
from English to metric units consistent with the Federal Highway 
Administration's five-year plan to convert its activities and business 
operations to the metric system, as required under the Omnibus Trade 
and Competitiveness Act of 1988. 58 FR 46036.
    Option 1 involved making the conversion over an extended period of 
time (a maximum of 4 to 7 years) through routine maintenance 
replacement.
    Option 2 recommended a quick conversion of all signs over a short 
period (6 months to 1 year) through a concentrated effort.
    Option 3 encouraged a two-phase conversion process using dual 
posting of both metric and English messages for speed, weight, and 
distance signs in the first phase (complete by September 30, 1996). The 
second phase would involve the removal of all of the English units with 
metric units remaining.
    All comments were to be received by November 1, 1993. Comments 
continue to be received sporadically. As of January 12, 1994, the FHWA 
received 2,736 comments to this docket divided as follows:


Received from the general public...............................    2,592
  Opposed......................................................    2,228
  In favor.....................................................      364
    Option 1 (routine maintenance).............................       23
    Option 2 (quick change)....................................      224
    Option 3 (dual units)......................................      117
Received from various professional organizations...............       12
  Opposed......................................................        1
  In favor (mostly Option 2)...................................       11
Received from Cities/Counties..................................       82
  Opposed......................................................       51
  In favor.....................................................       31
    Option 1...................................................        3
    Option 2...................................................       25
    Option 3 & combination of options..........................        3
Received from States (3 States sent 2 responses = 48 total)....       45
  Opposed......................................................        8
  In favor in some form........................................       37
    Option 1...................................................        3
    Option 2 (including various versions & combination of               
     options)..................................................       37
    Option 3...................................................        1
                                                                        

Two Congressional responses were received with both opposing any 
change.

Responses From the General Public

    Eighty-six percent of the comments received opposed converting 
English measurement signs to metric. A majority of the negative 
responses stated the funds to convert the signs could be better used 
for repair of roads and bridges or for charitable purposes. A number of 
comments advised that the conversion to metric was unnecessary and 
discussed personal objections.
    The responses in favor of the metric change were split between 
Options 2 and 3, with Option 2 receiving about twice the number of 
favorable comments as Option 3. In general, those that strongly 
supported converting to metric favored ``the quicker the better'' 
Option 2, and many commented that the United States was behind most of 
the other nations in adopting the metric system.
    Where nearly every negative response mentioned the cost involved 
with converting and the need to do other things with that money, almost 
none of the responses in favor of change mentioned costs. Also, quite a 
few of the positive responses stated that a public education program 
was needed before the change was made.

Responses From Organizations and Other Federal Agencies

    These responses included the American Public Works Association, The 
Department of Commerce, the Institute of Transportation Engineers, U.S. 
Metric Association, and several others. There was one negative response 
with the others mostly favoring Option 2 (quick change). The U.S. 
Department of Commerce (the lead Federal agency in the change to 
metric) recommended ``that metric conversion of highway signs be 
delayed until after successful completion of FHWA's current conversion 
plan.''

Responses From Cities/Counties

    Nearly all responses, both positive and negative, identified the 
need for special funding and a public education program if the decision 
is made to change signs to metric units. Most of the negative responses 
especially emphasized the cost of this proposal. Several commented that 
this was another Federal mandate without thought of how it would be 
locally financed. Most of the positive responses favored Option 2.

Responses From States

    Forty-five States responded. Eight States expressed opposition to 
the metrication of highway signs and all of the eight questioned the 
need to make the change. A ninth State expressed opposition but stated 
that if the sign legends must be converted to metric it would recommend 
a modified Option 2. The remaining 36 States supported the switch to 
metric. Most of these expressed support for Option 2 or some 
combination of two or all three of the Options. One State recommended 
implementation of the change using a method different from all of the 
three Options. Most of the State responses, both positive and negative, 
requested special funding and an education/public information program 
before implementation. Several States included an estimate of the cost 
to convert signs on the State highway systems and also estimated that 
the conversion costs of the signs on the non-State highway system, 
because of the much larger mileage, would cost a great deal more than 
the State system conversion.

Agency Decision

    Subsequent to the August 31, 1993, notice, Congress passed the 
Department of Transportation and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 
1994. Public Law 103-122, 107 Stat. 1198. Section 331 of this Act 
prohibits the use of Department of Transportation Fiscal Year 1994 
funds for implementing metric signing. Currently, there are several 
proposed bills in both the Senate and House of Representatives placing 
future restriction on the changing of highway signs from the English 
system to the metric system.
    In consideration of the docket responses, the current statutory 
prohibition, and a possible future Congressional restriction on using 
Federal funds for metric signs, the FHWA will not require the 
implementation of metric sign legends until at least after 1996. Before 
any nationally directed conversion to metric highway signs is 
implemented, the agency will conduct a strong public education program 
and will consider other appropriate measures to assure that such a 
conversion would be as smooth as possible.

    Authority: 23 U.S.C. 315; 49 CFR 1.48.

    Issued on: June 21, 1994.
Rodney E. Slater,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 94-15517 Filed 6-24-94; 8:45 am]
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