Draft:Road signs in Texas



Road signs in Texas are regulated in the Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (TMUTCD), the standard for traffic signs, road surface markings, and traffic signals in the U.S. state of Texas. It is developed by the Texas Department of Transportation "in substantial conformance to" the national Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) developed by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

Adoption and compliance
The 11th edition of the MUTCD was released on December 19, 2023 with an effective date of January 18, 2024. Texas has two years from the effective date to adopt the new TMUTCD.

The first edition of the Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices was published in 1980. This manual was most recently updated in 2014, after the revision 2 of the 2011 edition was released. Texas is among the ten states to have adopted its own MUTCD "in substantial conformance to" an edition of the national MUTCD, annotated throughout with state-specific modifications and clarifications.

Regulatory signs
Regulatory signs give instructions to motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists. Signs including Stop, Yield, No Turns, No Trucks, No Parking, No Stopping, Minimum Speed, Right Turn Only, Do Not Enter, Weight Limit, and Speed Limit are considered regulatory signs. Some have special shapes, such as the octagon for the Stop sign and the crossbuck for railroad crossings. These signs are in the R series of signs in the MUTCD and typically in the R series in most state supplements or state MUTCDs.

R1 series: Stop and yield
The MUTCD's R1 series is for Stop and Yield. The 4-WAY and 3-WAY plaques (R1-3) were deprecated in the 2009 Edition of the MUTCD in favor of the ALL WAY plaque (R1-3P).

R2 series: Speed limit
The MUTCD's R2 series is for speed limit signs. Some state supplements and state MUTCDs place various speed limit signs in other series. Speed limits in the United States are always in miles per hour.

R3 series: Lane usage and turns
The MUTCD's R3 series of signs is for lane usage and turn signs.

R4 series: Regulation of movement
The MUTCD's R4 series of signs is for the regulation of movement signs. As all situations are not covered, several states have their own standards in addition to the MUTCD.

R5 series: Exclusionary
The MUTCD's R5 series of signs is for exclusionary signs. The most common of these signs is the do not enter sign.

R6 series: One way and divided highway
The MUTCD's R6 series of signs is for one way and divided highway signs. The most common of these signs is the One Way sign.

R7 series: Parking
The MUTCD allows for three types of parking signs: permissive, No Parking, and No Standing. However, in most states, there is an additional more restrictive one, No Stopping. These signs are found in the R7 series of signs in the MUTCD. Permissive parking signs allow for parking for either an unlimited or varied amount of time. They are often used in conjunction with parking meters and parking permits. They are specified by the MUTCD to be green on white. Local variations occur with additional information and slightly different designs. No Parking signs indicate that loading or unloading while temporarily stopped is permitted, but the driver must not leave the vicinity of the vehicle. Some No Parking signs display time restrictions, while others are permanent restrictions. There are also temporary versions of the signs, often of similar design to the permanent ones. These signs are specified by the MUTCD to be red on white, although local variations occur. No Standing signs indicate that stopping temporarily to load or unload passengers is allowed, but vehicles cannot be stopped at the location for longer periods of time, even if the driver remains with the vehicle. As with no parking signs, some restrictions displayed on the signs are permanent, and some are time-based.

R8 series: Parking and emergency restrictions
The MUTCD's R8 series of signs is for parking restriction and emergency restriction signs.

R9 series: Bicycles and pedestrians
The MUTCD's R9 series of signs is for bicycle and pedestrian signs.

R10 series: Traffic signal
The MUTCD's R10 series of signs is for traffic signal related signs.

R11 series: Road closed
The MUTCD's R11 series of signs is for road closure-related signs.

R12 series: Weight limits
The MUTCD's R12 series of signs is for weight limit-related signs.

R13 series: Weigh stations
The MUTCD's R13 series of signs is for weigh station related signs.

R14 series: Truck routes
The MUTCD's R14 series of signs is for truck route-related signs.

R15 series: Rail and light rail
The MUTCD's R15 series of signs is for rail- and light rail-related signs.

Warning signs
Warning signs are found in the W series of the national MUTCD. They highlight existing conditions, such as a curve, school, dead end street, or traffic signal. They can also warn of possible danger such as bumps, bicycles, low flying aircraft, or emergency vehicles. They are either yellow or fluorescent yellow in color and, with a few exceptions, are usually diamond-shaped and sometimes have square or rectangular smaller signs or plaques associated with them. Most W series signs can also be found with orange backgrounds for temporary use in situations such as construction zones. Some of the temporary-use signs are for use only in temporary situations.

W1 series: Horizontal alignment
The MUTCD's W1 series of signs is for warning signs relating to horizontal alignment.

W2 series: Intersections
The MUTCD's W2 series of signs is for warning signs relating to intersections.

W3 series: Advance traffic control
The MUTCD's W3 series of signs is for warning signs relating to advance traffic controls. The MUTCD provides options for graphic and text signs.

W4 series: Lanes and merges
The MUTCD's W4 series of signs is for warning signs relating to lane merges and added lanes, as well as lane endings.

W5 series: Road width restrictions
The MUTCD's W5 series of signs is for warning signs relating to road width restrictions. The MUTCD provides options for graphic and text signs.

W6 series: Divided highway
The MUTCD's W6 series of signs is for warning signs relating to divided highways. The MUTCD provides options for graphic and text signs.

W7 series: Hills
The MUTCD's W7 series of signs is for warning signs relating to hills.

W8 series: Pavement and roadway conditions
The MUTCD's W8 series of signs is for warning signs relating to pavement and roadway conditions.

W9 series: Lane transitions
The MUTCD's W9 series of signs is for warning signs relating to lane transitions.

W10 series: Railroad crossings
The MUTCD's W10 series of signs is for warning signs relating to railroad crossings.

W11 series: Advance warnings
The MUTCD's W11 series of signs is for warning signs relating to advance warnings. The MUTCD allows use of a fluorescent yellow-green background color for signs relating to non-motorized vehicles crossing the road.

W12 series: Low Clearance Warnings
The MUTCD's W12 series of signs is for warning signs relating to low clearance.

W13 series: Advisory speeds
The MUTCD's W13 series of signs is for warning signs relating to advisory speeds. Speed limits in the United States are always in miles per hour.

W14 series: Dead end streets and no passing zones
The MUTCD's W14 series of signs is for warning signs relating to dead-end streets and no-passing zones. As all situations are not covered, several states and local governments have additional signs for other types of situations not covered by the MUTCD.

W15 series: Playgrounds
The MUTCD's W15 series of signs is for warning signs relating to playgrounds.

W16 series: Supplemental plaques
The MUTCD's W16 series of signs is for supplemental plaques for warning signs.

W17 series: Speed humps
The MUTCD's W17 series of signs is for warnings relating to speed humps.

W18 series: No traffic signs
The MUTCD's W18 series of signs is for warnings relating to no further traffic signs.

W19 series: Freeway or expressway end signs
The MUTCD's W19 series of signs is for warning signs relating to the end of a freeway or expressway.

W20 series: Work zones
The MUTCD's W20 series of signs is for warning signs relating to work zones. These signs are typically orange background ones used for temporary situations.

W21 series: Road work
The MUTCD's W21 series of signs is for warning signs relating to road work. They typically have orange backgrounds and are used for temporary situations. As all situations are not covered, several states have their own standards in addition to the MUTCD.

W22 series: Blasting zones
The MUTCD's W22 series of signs is for warning signs relating to blasting zones. They typically have orange backgrounds and are used for temporary situations.

W23 series: Slow traffic
The MUTCD's W23 series of signs is for warning signs relating to slow traffic. They typically have orange backgrounds and are used for temporary situations.

W24 series: Lane shifts
The MUTCD's W24 series of signs is for warning signs relating to lane shifts, where traffic is diverted slightly toward the left or right of the roadway, but the route is otherwise unchanged. These signs typically have orange background and are used for temporary situations.

W25 series: Oncoming traffic has extended green
The MUTCD's W25 series of signs is for signs warning that oncoming traffic has an extended green signal at a traffic light.

School zone signs
The S series of signs are specially designated by the MUTCD for use around schools. Some states have additional school warning-related signs in the S series, the W series of warning signs, and/or the R series of regulatory signs of the state supplement or state MUTCD. The adoption of the 2009 MUTCD required school warning signs to have fluorescent yellow-green backgrounds.