FHWA Safety Program

Countermeasure 

Service Life Guide 

http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

FOREWORD

Many agencies use benefit-cost analysis to conduct economic appraisal of various alternatives or 

to prioritize projects for implementation. A thorough understanding of the time period for 

which a countermeasure may have a measurable impact is critical to establishing the cost 

effectiveness of the countermeasure relative to the installation and ongoing maintenance and 

operational costs. This time period is the countermeasure service life.

The Countermeasure Service Life Guide builds upon the Synthesis of Countermeasure Service 

Life and Crash Severity Costs User Guide and presents typical service life values for a wide 

range of countermeasures. The Guide also provides background information on factors that can 

impact countermeasure service life and analytical considerations when conducting benefit-cost 

analysis for multiple countermeasures or alternatives with differing service life. Further, this 

Guide discusses the benefits to standardizing countermeasure service life application 

throughout an agency.

Transportation practitioners use typical countermeasure service lives to make consistent, datadriven decisions for analyzing and prioritizing safety countermeasures. The results of this 

analysis allow agencies to target investments with more confidence and reduce fatalities and 

serious injuries on our nation’s roadways.

Dana Gigliotti, Director 

Office of Safety Programs

Notice

This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of 

Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The U.S. Government assumes no 

liability for the use of the information contained in this document.

The U.S. Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trademarks or 

manufacturers’ names appear in this report only because they are considered essential to the 

objective of the document.

Quality Assurance Statement

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provides high-quality information to serve 

Government, industry, and the public in a manner that promotes public understanding. 

Standards and policies are used to ensure and maximize the quality, objectivity, utility, and 

integrity of its information. FHWA periodically reviews quality issues and adjusts its programs 

and processes to ensure continuous quality improvement.

Cover Photos: FHWA
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

Non-Binding Contents

The contents of this document do not have the force and effect of law and are not meant to 

bind the public in any way. This document is intended only to provide clarity to the public 

regarding existing requirements under the law or agency policies. While this is non-binding 

guidance, you must comply with the applicable statutes or regulations. 

Source of Tables and Figures

All tables and figures in the document were created by FHWA. 
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION PAGE

1. Report No.

FHWA-SA-21-026

2. Government Accession 

No.

3. Recipient's Catalog No.

 

4. Title and Subtitle

Countermeasure Service Life Guide

5. Report Date

March 2021 

6. Performing Organization Code

7.Author(s) 

Scott Himes, Jeff Gooch, Dylan Coley, and Kristina Heggedal 

8. Performing Organization Report No.

9. Performing Organization Name and Address

ICF Incorporated, L.L.C. VHB

9300 Lee Highway 8300 Boone Blvd., Suite 700

Fairfax, VA 22031 Vienna, VA 22182-2686

10. Work Unit No.

11. Contract or Grant No.

DTFH6116D00052L

12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address

Federal Highway Administration Office of Safety 

1200 New Jersey Ave., SE

Washington, DC 20590

13. Type of Report and Period

Draft Report, July 2020 – March 2021 

14. Sponsoring Agency Code

FHWA

15. Supplementary Notes

The contract manager for this report was Karen Scurry, FHWA. The task was led by VHB. 

16. Abstract

The purpose of the Countermeasure Service Life Guide is to provide transportation practitioners with the necessary 

information to make consistent, data-driven decisions for evaluating and prioritizing safety countermeasures using

prescribed countermeasure service lives. The target audience includes transportation professionals implementing safety 

strategies or countermeasures for safety projects or programs. This Guide provides typical service lives for a wide range of 

safety countermeasures. Further, this guide demonstrates the benefits to standardizing countermeasure service life 

application throughout an agency. This Guide provides background information on factors that can impact countermeasure 

service life and analytical considerations when conducting benefit-cost analysis for multiple countermeasures or 

alternatives with differing service life. Examples demonstrate the application of service life and analytical considerations in 

various scenarios. A thorough understanding of the time period for which a countermeasure may have a measurable impact 

is critical to establishing the cost effectiveness of the countermeasure relative to the installation and ongoing maintenance

and operational costs. Reliable and consistent approaches are key to inform decisions and improve safety investments. 

17. Key Words: 

Safety, countermeasure service life, benefit-cost 

analysis

18. Distribution Statement

No restrictions.

19. Security Classif. (of this report)

Unclassified

20. Security Classif. (of this 

page) Unclassified

21. No. of Pages

 124

22. Price

Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed pages authorized

COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

The Countermeasure Service Life Guide was sponsored by the Transportation Pooled Fund 

Study TPF-5(255), Highway Safety Manual Implementation.

The authors would like to thank the expert panel members for providing input and 

recommendations on the organization and content of this guide. Their feedback has been 

invaluable in identifying areas of need and for identifying typical countermeasure service lives 

and factors impacting overall service life. The expert panel is comprised of individuals 

representing State transportation agencies throughout the United States. 

COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1—OVERVIEW OF GUIDE ..................................................... 1

1.1INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE....................................................................... 1

1.2TARGET AUDIENCE.............................................................................................. 1

1.3STRUCTURE OF THE GUIDE............................................................................... 2

CHAPTER 2—OVERVIEW OF SERVICE LIFE......................................... 3

2.1WHAT IS SERVICE LIFE?....................................................................................... 3

2.2HOW IS SERVICE LIFE DETERMINED?.............................................................. 4

2.3SERVICE LIFE AND BENEFIT-COST ANALYSIS (BCA).................................. 7

2.4STANDARDIZING SERVICE LIFE FOR EVALUATIONS ................................. 9

2.5FACTORS IMPACTING SERVICE LIFE.............................................................10

2.6MAINTENANCE AND REHABILITATION ACTIVITIES................................12

2.7DEVELOPING AN AGENCYWIDE SERVICE LIFE LIST ................................14

2.8CHAPTER SUMMARY ..........................................................................................18

CHAPTER 3—SERVICE LIFE SELECTION AND CONSIDERATIONS

19

3.1SELECTION OF SERVICE LIVES FOR COUNTERMEASURES .....................19

3.2ANALYSIS CONSIDERATIONS .........................................................................20

3.3RELATED RESOURCES .......................................................................................30

3.4CHAPTER SUMMARY ..........................................................................................31

CHAPTER 4—TYPICAL SERVICE LIVES............................................... 33

4.1COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE REVIEW PROCESS..............................33

4.2COUNTERMEASURE CATEGORIES................................................................. 35

4.3TYPICAL SERVICE LIVES....................................................................................36

CHAPTER 5—PROJECT APPLICATIONS ............................................. 59
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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5.1SINGLE COUNTERMEASURE WITH KNOWN SERVICE LIFE EXAMPLE 59

5.2SINGLE COUNTERMEASURE WITH UNKNOWN SERVICE LIFE 

EXAMPLE ....................................................................................................................62

5.3COUNTERMEASURE DEPLOYMENT USING A SYSTEMIC APPROACH 

EXAMPLE ....................................................................................................................66

CHAPTER 6—SUMMARY ......................................................................... 71

REFERENCES.............................................................................................. 73

APPENDIX A—LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................. 75
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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List of Tables

Table 1. Sample Tracking Spreadsheet. ......................................................................... 5

Table 2. Example warranties for signs based on sheeting type.(3) ..............................11

Table 3. Comparison of Life Cycle Costs and Service Life for Example 

Countermeasure..............................................................................................................13

Table 4. Arizona HSIP Manual project service life list.(10) ...........................................14

Table 5. Work codes for Texas HSIP Guidelines.(11)....................................................15

Table 6. North Carolina CRF sheet.(12)..........................................................................17

Table 7. Example application of crash costs by severity. ............................................23

Table 8. Annualized benefits and costs. ........................................................................24

Table 9. Project costs for alternatives analysis example.............................................27

Table 10. Annualized benefits and costs for alternatives analysis example..............28

Table 11. Typical Service Lives for Access Management Countermeasures. ..........37

Table 12. Typical Service Lives for Advanced Technology and ITS 

Countermeasures. ...........................................................................................................38

Table 13. Typical Service Lives for Alignment Countermeasures.............................39

Table 14. Typical Service Lives for Bicycle Countermeasures...................................40

Table 15. Typical Service Lives for Delineation Countermeasures...........................41

Table 16. Typical Service Lives for Highway Lighting Countermeasures.................42

Table 17. Typical Service Lives for Interchange Design Countermeasures. ............43

Table 18. Typical Service Lives for Intersection Geometry Countermeasures. ......44

Table 19. Typical Service Lives for Intersection Traffic Control Countermeasures.

...........................................................................................................................................46

Table 20. Typical Service Lives for Pedestrian Countermeasures. ...........................48
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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Table 21. Typical Service Lives for Railroad Grade Crossing Countermeasures.....49

Table 22. Typical Service Lives for Resurfacing Countermeasures...........................50

Table 23. Typical Service Lives for Roadside Countermeasures. ..............................51

Table 24. Typical Service Lives for Roadway Countermeasures. ..............................52

Table 25. Typical Service Lives for Shoulder Treatment Countermeasures. ..........53

Table 26. Typical Service Lives for Sign Countermeasures........................................54

Table 27. Typical Service Lives for Structure Countermeasures. .............................56

Table 28. Typical Service Lives for Work Zone Countermeasures...........................57

Table 29. Typical Service Lives for Other Countermeasures. ...................................58

Table 30. Project overview for single countermeasure example...............................60

Table 31. Amortization table for project costs and benefits for single 

countermeasure example...............................................................................................61

Table 32. BCA results for single countermeasure example. ......................................62

Table 33. Project overview for unknown service life example...................................63

Table 34. Amortization table for project costs and benefits for unknown service life 

example. ...........................................................................................................................63

Table 35. BCA results for unknown service life example. ..........................................64

Table 36. Amortization table for project costs and benefits for unknown service life 

10-year example...............................................................................................................65

Table 37. BCA results for unknown service life 10-year example..............................65

Table 38. Summary of curves for systemic package....................................................67

Table 39. Example amortization for systemic package. .............................................68

Table 40. BCA results for systemic package. ...............................................................69

Table 41. Summary of State resources.........................................................................76
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Table 42. Summary of supplemental literature. ..........................................................79

Table 43.Access management countermeasure summary.........................................85

Table 44. Advanced technology and ITS countermeasure summary........................86

Table 45. Alignment countermeasure summary.........................................................87

Table 46. Bicycle countermeasure summary. ..............................................................87

Table 47. Delineation countermeasure summary. ......................................................88

Table 48. Highway lighting countermeasure summary. .............................................89

Table 49. Interchange design countermeasure summary...........................................89

Table 50. Intersection geometry countermeasure summary. ...................................90

Table 51. Intersection traffic control countermeasure summary..............................92

Table 52. Pedestrian countermeasure summary.........................................................94

Table 53. Railroad grade crossings countermeasure summary. ................................96

Table 54. Resurfacing countermeasure summary. ......................................................97

Table 55. Roadside countermeasure summary............................................................98

Table 56. Roadway countermeasure summary..........................................................100

Table 57. Shoulder treatments countermeasure summary. ....................................101

Table 58. Signs countermeasure summary. ...............................................................102

Table 59. Structures countermeasure summary.......................................................104

Table 60. Work zone countermeasure summary......................................................104

Table 61. Other countermeasure summary...............................................................105

COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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List of Figures

Figure 1. Equation. Standard Deviation Calculation......................................................5

Figure 2. Graph. Probability Distributions for In-Service Performance Lif.................6

Figure 3. Equation. Benefit-cost ratio. ............................................................................ 8

Figure 4. Equation. Formula for discounting benefits and costs. ................................. 8

Figure 5. Equation. Example conversion of annual safety benefit to present value 

for year 1...........................................................................................................................25

Figure 6. Equation. Example conversion of rehabilitation cost to present value for 

year 11...............................................................................................................................25

Figure 7. Equation. Example BCR calculation for maximum service life/least 

common multiple of service lives analysis period........................................................25

Figure 8. Equation. Example BCR calculation for horizon year analysis period. .....25

Figure 9. Equation. Example conversion of annual safety benefit to present value 

for year 15.........................................................................................................................27

Figure 10. Equation. Example conversion of rehabilitation cost to present value for 

year 11...............................................................................................................................29

Figure 11. Equation. Example BCR for alternative A..................................................29

Figure 12. Equation. Example BCR calculation for alternative B. .............................29

COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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ACRONYMS

BCA Benefit-cost analysis

BCR Benefit-cost ratio

CMF Crash modification factor

CRF Crash reduction factor

DOT Department of Transportation

FHWA Federal Highway Administration

HSIP Highway Safety Improvement Program

HSM Highway Safety Manual

ICWS Intersection Conflict Warning System

ITS Intelligent transportation systems

MaineDOT Maine Department of Transportation

MoDOT Missouri Department of Transportation

NCHRP National Cooperative Highway Research Program

PVB Present value benefits 

PVC Present value costs

COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Countermeasure Service Life Guide (Guide) provides transportation practitioners with the 

necessary information to make consistent, data-driven decisions for evaluating and prioritizing

safety countermeasures using prescribed countermeasure service lives. This Guide focuses on 

safety strategies and countermeasures for which an agency may apply for safety funding. This 

Guide does not cover general maintenance concerns for which safety funding would not be 

eligible (e.g., a service life for improving sight distance by trimming vegetation). 

This Guide also provides practitioners with definitions and methods or factors to consider for 

determining service life, relationships between service life and maintenance/rehabilitation 

activities, reasons for agencies to consider adopting standardized service life values, factors that 

influence countermeasure service life, and analytical considerations when using service life as 

part of a benefit-cost analysis (BCA). Further, this guide provides examples of applications 

throughout, including situations where service life for a countermeasure may be unknown. 

There are several benefits to developing a typical service life list and using standardized service 

life values in BCA:

• Standardized values improve consistent application throughout an agency regarding 

BCA on proposed projects. 

• The standardized list may draw from agencywide experience with regard to common 

countermeasures or may draw from other agency experiences when considering new 

countermeasures. Since there are several factors that can impact service life, a

standardized list compiles known information about each countermeasure for which 

individual practitioners may not be aware.

• Along with crash modification factors (CMFs), the standardized service life list can help 

practitioners communicate to decisionmakers the reasons for selecting a preferred 

countermeasure, especially if the countermeasure has not been commonly applied 

throughout the agency or within a specific region.

In summary, countermeasure service life is an integral part of the BCA process. A thorough 

understanding of the time period for which a countermeasure may have a measurable impact is 

critical to establishing the cost effectiveness of the countermeasure relative to the installation 

and ongoing maintenance and operational costs. The analysis methodology for countermeasures 

with differing service life impacts the outcome of the BCA and it is important for practitioners 

to use a consistent approach for comparing and prioritizing potential projects. Reliable and 

consistent approaches are key to inform decisions and improve safety investments. 

COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

1

CHAPTER 1—OVERVIEW OF GUIDE

1.1 INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE

The Countermeasure Service Life Guide (Guide) provides transportation practitioners with the 

necessary information to make consistent, data-driven decisions for evaluating and prioritizing 

safety countermeasures through the use of prescribed countermeasure service lives. This Guide 

provides typical service lives for countermeasures grouped into the following categories:

• Access Management

• Advanced Technology and Intelligent 

Transportation Systems (ITS)

• Alignment

• Bicycle

• Delineation

• Highway Lighting

• Interchange Design

• Intersection Geometry

• Intersection Traffic Control

• Pedestrian 

• Railroad Grade Crossings

• Resurfacing 

• Roadside 

• Roadway

• Shoulder Treatment

• Signs

• Structures

• Work Zone

• Other

This Guide focuses on safety strategies and countermeasures for which an agency may apply for 

safety funding. This Guide does not cover general maintenance concerns for which safety 

funding would not be eligible (e.g., service life for improving sight distance by trimming 

vegetation). 

This Guide also provides practitioners with definitions and methods or factors to consider for 

determining service life, relationships between service life and maintenance/rehabilitation 

activities, reasons for agencies to consider adopting standardized service life values, factors that 

influence countermeasure service life, and analytical considerations when using service life as 

part of a benefit-cost analysis (BCA). Further, this guide provides examples using service life as 

part of a BCA, including situations where service life for a countermeasure may be unknown.

1.2 TARGET AUDIENCE

The target audience for this Guide is transportation professionals implementing safety strategies 

or countermeasures for safety projects or programs, including traffic and safety engineers, 

designers, planners, and maintenance staff. This Guide assumes that these practitioners do not 
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

2

have formal expertise in economic evaluation or detailed knowledge on the expected service 

life of safety strategies and countermeasures. 

1.3 STRUCTURE OF THE GUIDE

This Guide is organized into six chapters and one appendix. Chapter 2 provides an overview of 

service life, including the definition and methods or factors to consider for determining service 

life, as well as differentiates countermeasure service life from countermeasure maintenance and 

rehabilitation cycles. Chapter 2 introduces the need to standardize service life for BCA and 

provides examples of agencies that have developed standardized service life lists for BCA. 

Chapter 3 provides instructions on selecting countermeasure service life for BCA including 

analytical considerations and related resources. Chapter 4 introduces the organization, process 

for identifying, and typical service lives for countermeasures for BCA grouped by functional 

area. Chapter 5 presents BCA examples for single countermeasures where the service life is 

known and is unknown, and a project with multiple countermeasures and multiple sites. 

Chapter 6 presents a summary of this Guide with key takeaways. Appendix A details the review 

process for countermeasure service life values. 
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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CHAPTER 2—OVERVIEW OF SERVICE LIFE

Service life is a key component of an economic analysis for determining the cost effectiveness of 

a safety strategy or countermeasure and for comparing the cost effectiveness of multiple 

alternatives. Transportation agencies should have reasonable and consistent agencywide 

estimates of service life for each countermeasure for uniform economic analysis that results in 

fair comparisons and project prioritization. This chapter introduces the fundamental concepts 

of service life, provides an overview of service life’s role in BCA, discusses the need for 

standardized service life values, and identifies factors that agencies may consider when 

establishing or changing typical service lives. 

Chapter 2 At-A-Glance

Chapter 2 is divided into eight sections: 

• Section 2.1 defines service life.

• Section 2.2 provides background information to practitioners on how service life is 

determined.

• Section 2.3 introduces the role of service life in BCA.

• Section 2.4 characterizes the importance of standardizing service life for evaluations 

throughout an agency. 

• Section 2.5 identifies factors that impact countermeasure service life.

• Section 2.6 differentiates service life from periodic maintenance and rehabilitation.

• Section 2.7 provides an overview of developing an agencywide service life list and 

presents several examples from State agencies.

• Section 2.8 provides a summary of the chapter. 

2.1 WHAT IS SERVICE LIFE?

The Highway Safety Manual (HSM) defines countermeasure service life as “the number of years 

in which the countermeasure is expected to have a noticeable and quantifiable effect on the 

crash occurrence at the site.”(1) Often, the service life is based on the physical presence and

performance of the countermeasure; however, in other cases, changes in the surrounding land 

use or traffic operations will impact the long-term crash frequency at the site. The Missouri 

Department of Transportation’s (MoDOT) Manual on Identification, Analysis, and Correction 

of High-Crash Locations defines service life as “the number of years during which the 
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

4

components of a project or the entire project can be expected to satisfactorily perform an 

intended function.”(2) While the MoDOT definition focuses more on the asset management 

aspect of service life, both definitions of service life reflect the length of time roadway and 

traffic characteristics are expected to be consistent. If traffic flow changes over time, it is 

possible the countermeasure will not perform its intended function (e.g., traffic signal timing is 

periodically reassessed due to changing traffic flow characteristics over time).

Agencies have used several terms interchangeably with service life, including project life and 

expected life. Practitioners should be clear, however, when considering service life not to 

mistake service life with the analysis period if the service life is not directly used as the analysis 

period. As this Guide discusses in Section 3.2 Analytical Considerations, the analysis period may 

not coincide with the service life if a practitioner uses a horizon year analysis or if alternatives 

have differing service lives. Understanding the service life for each countermeasure allows the 

practitioner to account for appropriate costs and benefits if the practitioner uses an analysis 

period that is different from the service life. 

2.2 HOW IS SERVICE LIFE DETERMINED?

There are many sources for countermeasure service lives, including Chapter 4 of this Guide.

Additionally, several agencies have published service life lists as part of their Highway Safety 

Improvement Program (HSIP) Manual or as part of an economic evaluation tool. Section 2.7 

provides several example State-agency countermeasure service life lists with varying levels of 

detail provided. Appendix A further summarizes agency service life lists identified through a 

review of agency-specific resources. Agencies use various methods and consider different 

factors for determining the service life values for these lists.

Most commonly, agencies rely on manufacturer warranties and in-service performance to 

assess the service life for a given countermeasure. Manufacturers may provide a warranty for 

specific components of a countermeasure, for example sign sheeting. In this case, every sign of 

that type is expected to last for the duration of the warranty. Several agencies have found 

through evaluation of in-service performance, that a service life longer than the warranty can be 

expected.(3) However, it is possible the environmental factors may contribute to a decrease in 

life expectancy in certain instances. More details can be found in Section 2.5 Factors Impacting 

Standard Service Life. 

For existing countermeasures, agencies often use in-service performance evaluation to measure

service life. In order to do so, agencies develop performance measures for a countermeasure 

based on a percentage of sites that have met the end-of-life criteria. Commonly, the median 

time to replacement is used to determine the service life (the duration at which 50 percent of 

sites have been replaced or considered to be at the end-of-life). More conservative estimates 
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

5

can be used if the agency is looking to achieve a service life prior to failure in the field. For 

example, the 5th or 10th percentile may be used as a conservative estimate of service life. 

Table 1 provides an example of how an agency may track replacement age for an in-service 

countermeasure to determine average age at replacement. In this case, the average age is 15.57 

years. For large samples, the agency may determine average service life by district to determine 

if differences exist. 

Table 1. Sample Tracking Spreadsheet.

Countermeasure 

Identifier District Replacement Age (Years)

Deviation 

from 

Average

Square of 

Deviation

173254 1 17 1.43 2.05

283723 1 15 -0.57 0.33

029383 3 22 6.43 41.33

228769 2 15 -0.57 0.33

469278 3 8 -7.57 57.33

162533 3 17 1.43 2.04

263883 2 15 -0.57 0.33

The agency may be further interested in looking at the variability of in-service performance. To 

do so, Figure 1 shows the calculation for the standard deviation, a measure of variability. 

Figure 1. Equation. Standard Deviation Calculation. 

Where: 

ss = standard deviation. 

NN = sample size 

aa ii = replacement age for observation i. 

� = average replacement age. 

 
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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Assuming the distribution of service life for the countermeasure is normal, Figure 2 provides a 

graphical representation of the probability of replacement at any age (annual probability) and 

cumulative probability for replacement by year. The graphic shows the probability of 

replacement for any one year is highest between 15 and 16 years and, which is where the 

cumulative probability indicates 50 percent need replacement. Figure 2 also shows that 

approximately 10 percent of sites with the countermeasure need replacement at 10 years if the 

agency wants to use a conservative service life. Regression models may be used to determine 

more precise estimates, and to incorporate factors that may be associated with an increase or 

decrease in the in-service performance (for example annual average snowfall may be associated 

with a decrease in the in-service performance of pavement markings and markers). 

In addition to evaluating the in-service performance of safety countermeasures, National 

Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 713: Estimating Life Expectancies of 

Highway Assets, Volume 1: Guidebook, provides a methodology for estimating the life 

expectancies of major types of highway assets, including several safety countermeasures.(4)

NCHRP Report 713 shows that service life is influenced by the end-of-life definition, material 

properties, temperature and precipitation, intervention possibilities (including no maintenance, 

local climate, repair and correction actions, and rehabilitation actions), timing of interventions 

(for example restoring or replacing an asset while already onsite for other work), inspection 

schedule and tracking data, and availability of deterioration models. NCHRP Report 713 

provides further details on methods for determining countermeasure survivability and life 

Figure 2. Graph. Probability Distributions for In-Service Performance Life. 

Source: FHWA
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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expectancy for estimating countermeasure service life. This includes developing and applying life 

expectancy models, including regression and survival probability models for different types of 

assets. 

Once the agency selects the appropriate measure for the end of life criteria (for example it is 

generally accepted that end of life occurs when 50 percent of signs would not meet 

retroreflectivity standards), expected service life may be further impacted by the agency’s 

method for managing the countermeasure. In many cases, the agency may manage the 

countermeasure by expecting replacement at the end of service life. An alternative is that the 

agency may choose to provide blanket replacement for all countermeasures of a certain type 

and/or within a certain geographic area. When replacing individual countermeasures at the end 

of the service life, the age of the countermeasure must be known. When conducting blanket 

replacement, the age of individual countermeasures is not important, since they are all being 

replaced together (for example, all pavement markings may be replaced on a one-year cycle or 

all signs may be replaced on a 20-year cycle). The agency may further choose to stagger 

replacement based on available funding (for example an agency may replace five percent of all 

signs on an annual basis such that all signs are replaced by 20 years). 

Agencies may choose to be precise with countermeasure service life, rounding to the nearest 

year. However, in doing so, there are potential drawbacks. The MoDOT High Crash Location 

Manual notes that the service life for an improvement project can be difficult to forecast for 

several reasons, for example quality of maintenance can be difficult to predict. Therefore, there 

may not be a benefit to estimating service life in an unusual number of years because it can 

complicate economic analysis. In some cases, it may be beneficial to round service life to fiveyear increments for ease of comparison. Except for standard paint marking and work zone 

countermeasures, this Guide groups countermeasure service lives into five-year groupings for 

nationwide estimates. However, if agencies have data supporting more specific values of service 

life, rounding service life may introduce error by over- or under-estimating the life of a given 

countermeasure. In these cases, using the more precise values can lead to more fair and 

realistic comparisons. 

2.3 SERVICE LIFE AND BENEFIT-COST ANALYSIS (BCA)

A BCA is a systematic process for calculating and comparing the benefits and costs of project 

alternatives.(5) The BCA identifies all project benefits and compares those to the costs to 

achieve them, regardless to whom realizes the benefits or costs.(6) Practitioners compare the 

present value costs and benefits for an analysis period to identify economically-efficient 

alternatives. Figure 3 shows that the benefit-cost ratio (BCR) is the ratio of present value 

benefits (PVB) to present value costs (PVC). A BCR greater than 1.0 indicates the benefits 

exceed the costs, and the project is economically justified. The Federal Highway Administration 
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

8

(FHWA) Highway Safety Benefit-Cost Analysis Guide provides more details on computing the 

BCR to compare the cost effectiveness of alternatives.(6) 

Figure 3. Equation. Benefit-cost ratio.

Project benefits can include both direct and indirect safety benefits. Direct safety benefits 

include reductions in crash frequency and severity while indirect safety benefits include 

reductions in travel time, vehicle operating cost, and emissions. Practitioners may quantify 

direct safety benefits through application of crash modification factors (CMFs) or predictive 

modeling, such as the HSM Part C. The practitioner can then use locally derived, or national, 

comprehensive crash costs to monetize the value of the benefits. Refer to the FHWA guide, 

Crash Costs for Highway Safety Analysis, for further details.(7) The preferred approach to 

estimate net safety benefits is to apply CMFs and crash costs by individual severity level and 

aggregate the results. The FHWA Highway Safety Benefit-Cost Analysis Guide provides further 

details on monetizing indirect safety benefits.(6) 

Project costs include those for initial capital cost and those for maintaining and/or operating the 

project alternative.(6) Initial capital costs include planning, design, construction/installation, and 

equipment costs. Maintenance and operational costs include any additional utility costs (such as 

power or communications) and routine maintenance costs. Rehabilitation costs include repairs 

and improvements beyond those that are routine maintenance. 

The next step is to determine the present value for future benefits and costs. This includes 

applying a discount rate for objective comparison. Figure 4 provides the formula for discounting 

a benefit or cost. This formula can be applied for one year for a one-time cost, or each year for 

an annual benefit or cost.

Figure 4. Equation. Formula for discounting benefits and costs. 

where: 

PV = present value in the base year.

r = discount rate.

t = time (years).

At = Benefit or cost in year t. 
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

9

The service life for the countermeasure(s) under evaluation determines the time t in Figure 4. 

Since the benefits are typically estimated in terms of annual future values and costs are present 

value for both initial construction cost and annual values for operational and maintenance costs, 

the service life is imperative for determining the time/period over which to capture the benefits 

and costs. If service life differs among countermeasures, the practitioner may choose an 

appropriate value for t based on the analysis methodology selected in Section 3.2.2 Alternatives 

Analysis for Multiple Countermeasures. Once the practitioner determines the analysis period, 

the practitioner can calculate PVB, PVC, and the BCR. Chapter 5 presents several example 

applications of BCA through the selection and application of service life for countermeasure 

selection and alternatives analysis under different scenarios. 

2.4 STANDARDIZING SERVICE LIFE FOR EVALUATIONS

Agencies may consider developing a standardized service life list for countermeasures for use 

on all safety projects considered for safety funding. Similar to an agency-specific CMF list, it can 

be a short list for the most commonly used countermeasures, or it can be a more 

comprehensive list, providing a consistent service life for all countermeasures installed by the 

agency.(8) The standardized service life list, like the CMF list provides the following benefits: 

• Consistent application.(8) Standardized values improve consistent application within an 

agency regarding BCA on proposed projects. A practitioner from one district may 

decide to use a rounded service life value for a proposed countermeasure while a 

practitioner from another district may choose to go with a more specific value, based 

on his or her experience with the proposed countermeasure. 

• Leveraging experience.(8) The standardized list may draw from agencywide experience 

with regard to common countermeasures or may draw from other agency experiences 

when new countermeasures are considered. As indicated in Section 2.5, there are 

several factors that can impact service life. The standardized list compiles known 

information about each countermeasure for which individual practitioners may not be 

aware.

• Improved documentation and justification.

(8) Along with CMFs, the standardized service 

life list can help practitioners communicate to decisionmakers the reasons for selecting 

a preferred countermeasure, especially if the countermeasure has not been commonly 

applied throughout the agency or within a specific region.

As an example, practitioners in two districts may both consider installing oversized chevron 

signs as a horizontal curve countermeasure to correct an issue with nighttime crashes on 

similar curves with similar crash histories. The practitioner in district 1 may choose to use a 

CMF of 0.731 (CMF ID 8980 from FHWA’s CMF Clearinghouse) and a service life of 10 years 
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

10

to estimate the expected safety benefits. The practitioner in district 2 may choose to use a 

CMF of 0.56 (CMF ID 8982 from FHWA’s CMF Clearinghouse) and a service life of 15 years to 

estimate the expected safety benefits. The BCA for the district 2 application would indicate a 

better BCR than the BCA for the district 1 application, even though the conditions and 

countermeasures are the same. Standardized values would allow the practitioners to conduct 

similar BCAs for a fairer comparison of the proposed projects. 

2.5 FACTORS IMPACTING SERVICE LIFE

While Chapter 4 of this guide provides values that represent typical, nationwide service lives 

for countermeasures by category, agencies should consider countermeasure service lives that 

are appropriate for their jurisdiction when possible. There are many reasons why an agency 

may choose to use a different service life for a countermeasure, and it is possible that different 

jurisdictions/regions within a State could adopt different service lives based on in-service 

performance or if the expected service life differs based on factors provided in this section. 

However, it is important for agencies to understand the implications and to document the 

reasons for adopting jurisdiction-specific values. 

There are several factors that influence countermeasure service life. While this list is not meant 

to be exhaustive, several factors known to influence countermeasure service life include the 

following:

• Environment. It is generally accepted that the effects of plowing and salting operations 

can shorten the service life of countermeasures in regions that receive snowfall. Regions 

with more snowfall are likely to have a greater impact. However, other environmental 

factors, such as the duration and intensity of sunshine may impact service life, 

particularly for signs. While the research has not converged on whether south facing 

signs degrade at a faster rate, south-facing red signs have a higher variation in 

retroreflectivity, meaning they may be more susceptible to degradation than other sign 

colors.(9) Additionally, north facing signs may be more susceptible for the need for 

cleaning (adding annual maintenance costs).

• Maintenance and rehabilitation activities. Maintenance and rehabilitation activities

can help to extend the service life of a countermeasure, while a lack of maintenance can 

shorten the service life. Section 2.6 provides several examples of routine maintenance, 

repair or corrective actions, and rehabilitation activities that can impact service life. 

Agencies can document maintenance activities and estimate their impact on service life 

through summary spreadsheets or deterioration models such as those highlighted in 

Section 2.2 and detailed in NCHRP Report 713.

(4)
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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• Replacement cycles. If the agency has a routine schedule for countermeasure 

replacement, such as restriping longitudinal markings on a two-year basis, the schedule 

may dictate the service life. Another example includes traffic sign replacement. If using 

the blanket replacement method, the service life for the sign should align with the 

blanket replacement schedule. 

• Operational and design context. The HSM notes that changes to surrounding land 

use occurring over time may influence safety performance for sites designed for 

operations that no longer exist.(1) The service life for the countermeasure should reflect 

a reasonable period for which the roadway characteristics and traffic patterns are 

expected to remain relatively consistent. The service life for traffic signals are generally 

based on the average length of time for which timing changes are needed rather than 

based on the average lifespan of system components. Based on changing demographics, 

values for certain countermeasures may need to be reconsidered across an agency or 

within specific jurisdictions of any agency.

• Manufacturer specifications and warranties. Manufacturers may provide a 

warranty identifying an expected service life for countermeasures or components. The 

warranty is based on the materials and components used and may vary from 

manufacturer to manufacturer. Table 2 provides an example of common warranties for 

signs based on sheeting type.(3) As sheeting type increases, the warranty number of years 

generally increases. 

Table 2. Example warranties for signs based on sheeting type.(3)

ASTM D4956 Type Years of Warranty*

I and II 7 

III and IV 10 

VII, VIII, IX, X 12 

* May be different for fluorescent sheeting materials

While these factors all may impact the selected service life for an agency, it is important for 

agencies to take an active role in asset management and determine if adjustments to the service 

lives are necessary. For example, studies have shown that expected life for signs is greater than 

the warranty provided, with an expected life of 12 to 20 years for beaded sheeting and 15 to 30 

years for prismatic sheeting.(9) Agencies can track their asset life cycle to develop a data driven 

method for estimating service life, such as those presented in Section 2.2 (i.e., in-service 

performance evaluation). 
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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2.6 MAINTENANCE AND REHABILITATION ACTIVITIES

Maintenance and rehabilitation activities are designed to extend the service life of a 

countermeasure. Maintenance and rehabilitation activities are a necessary consideration in a 

BCA but can sometimes be difficult to separate from the service life for an individual 

countermeasure. In general, the service life is defined by the replacement of the 

countermeasure itself; however, complex systems, such as traffic signals, may have component 

replacements that may influence the service life but typically do not justify the end of the 

service life for the countermeasure. 

In general, there are three activities that agencies conduct to extend service life, which would 

be considered within a BCA, but would not bound the service life of the countermeasure.(4)

These include the following:

• Routine maintenance activities. These activities are conducted often and are often 

considered to be preventive. Examples include washing signs, painting structures, and 

sealing cracks in roadway surfaces. Street cleaning in urban areas is used to improve 

the visibility of pavement markings. 

• Repair and corrective actions. These actions are often completed after an inspection 

or in response to damage. Examples include replacing corroded components, loose 

connections, non-functioning components, damaged wiring and insulation, or removing 

accumulated debris in traffic signals. 

• Rehabilitation actions. These actions replace degraded materials or restore a 

countermeasure to full functionality (or to stop damage progression). An example 

includes a complete replacement of a wearing surface for shoulder pavement. 

Agencies should include the cost of each of these corrective actions in the BCA. Some may be 

annual or reoccurring costs while others may be larger, one-time expenditures. However, since 

the purpose of the maintenance, repair, or rehabilitation action is to extend the service life of 

the countermeasure, the cost of the actions should continue to provide an expected benefit 

greater than the cost. 

Table 3 provides a comparison of life cycle costs for a countermeasure based on no corrective 

action or varying levels of corrective action. Based on the actions taken, the overall service life 

for the countermeasure can vary. However, the costs associated with each 

maintenance/rehabilitation alternative is a consideration in the BCA. Since the objective of 

these activities is to extend the life of the countermeasure, each alternative does that. Note 

that this serves only as an example for consideration; the optimal approach may differ based on 

the specific circumstances of a contemplated countermeasure. Additionally, as an agency has 

maintenance and rehabilitation policies in place, in general, only one alternative would be 
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

13

considered for the countermeasure. The agency would use the service life associated with the 

appropriate maintenance and rehabilitation schedule (along with associated costs) in the BCA.

For the countermeasure in Table 3, the expected service life is 5 years. There are no costs in 

addition to the initial installation cost of $50,000. If conducting annual maintenance, the annual 

cost is $500 per year. This approach is expected to extend the service life by two years (note 

that the annual cost is discounted assuming a discount rate of 3.0 percent and present values 

are shown in each row. The present value cost for extending the service life by 2 years through 

routine annual maintenance is $3,510. Additionally, $10,000 repair and corrective actions taken 

in year 5 may extend the life of the countermeasure to 10 years. The present value cost for this 

approach adds $12,891 to the original installation cost. Alternatively, the agency may choose to 

conduct a $15,000 rehabilitation in year 5 only (no annual maintenance), extending the service 

life to 10 years. The rehabilitation action adds $12,939 in present value cost to the original 

installation cost. However, extending the service life through maintenance and rehabilitation 

actions appears to be more cost effective than simply replacing the countermeasure at the end 

of the original service life. 

Table 3. Comparison of Life Cycle Costs and Service Life for Example 

Countermeasure.

Years After 

Construction

No 

Activities

Annual 

Maintenance

Corrective 

Actions

Rehabilitation 

Actions

Initial Cost (0) $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000

1 $0 $485 $485 $0

2 $0 $471 $471 $0

3 $0 $458 $458 $0

4 $0 $444 $444 $0

5 $0 $431 $9,057 $12,939

6 -- $419 $419 $0

7 -- $407 $407 $0

8 -- -- $395 $0

9 -- -- $383 $0

10 -- -- 372 $0

Total $50,000 $53,510 $62,891 $62,939
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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2.7 DEVELOPING AN AGENCYWIDE SERVICE LIFE LIST

As indicated in Section 2.4 Standardizing Service Life for Evaluations, there are several benefits 

to standardizing service lives for countermeasures throughout an agency. Having considered the 

Factors Impacting Service Life in Section 2.5, agencies can make specific recommendations for 

each countermeasure in an agencywide service life list, ensuring consistent application. Agencies 

have taken several approaches for adopting typical service lives, including the following:

• Providing a specific countermeasure list focused only on service life.

• Adding the typical service life into an agencywide CMF list. These lists often include 

additional information, such as estimated initial project costs and ongoing maintenance 

and operational costs. 

• Including typical service life into an agency-specific BCA tool. 

In each of these cases, the countermeasures are often grouped in categories based on similar 

applicability. For example, intersection countermeasures are often grouped together. 

Table 4 provides an example service life list from the Arizona HSIP Manual.(10) In this case, the 

list is a separate appendix to the manual providing service life for each listed countermeasure. 

Table 4. Arizona HSIP Manual project service life list.(10)

Project Category Project Description Service Life (Years) 

INTERSECTION 

PROJECTS

Channelization, left-turn bay 10

Traffic signals 10

Combination of 10 and 11 10

Sight distance improvement 10

Other intersection improvements, except structures 10

CROSS SECTION 

PROJECTS

Pavement widening, no lanes added 20

Lanes added without new median 20

Highway divided, new median added 20

Shoulder widening or improvement 20

Combination of 20 – 23 20

Skid treatment – grooving 10

Skid treatment – overlay 10

Flattening, clearing side slopes 20

STRUCTURES

Widening bridge or major structure 20

Replace bridge or major structure 30

New bridge or major structure (except 34 and 51) 30

Minor structure 20

Pedestrian over- or under-crossing 30
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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Table 5 provides an example service life list for improvements from the Texas HSIP 

Guidelines.(11) The service life list in this case provides further definition of each improvement, 

the associated crash reduction factor (CRF), service life, annual maintenance cost, and codes for 

improvement target crash types. In this case, the CRF is applicable to the crash types listed 

under preventable crashes. The work codes provided under preventable crashes directly link to 

the Texas crash data for target crash identification. 

Table 5. Work codes for Texas HSIP Guidelines.(11)

Work 

Code

Measure Detail

101: Install 

Warning/ 

Guide Signs

Definition: Provide advance signing for unusual or unexpected 

roadway features where no signing existed previously.

Reduction Factor (%): 20

Service Life (Years): 6 

Maintenance Cost: N/A

Preventable Crash: (Vehicle Movements/Manner of Collision = 20 – 22 or 30) 

OR (Roadway Related = 2, 3 or 4)

105: Install 

Intersection 

Flashing 

Beacon 

Definition: Provide a flashing beacon at an intersection where a 

beacon did not exist previously.

Reduction Factor (%): 35

Service Life (Years): 10

Maintenance Cost: $2,100 (overhead)

$1,300 (roadside mounted)

Preventable Crash: Intersection Related = 1 or 2

106: 

Modernize 

Intersection 

Flashing 

Beacon 

Definition:

Improve an existing overhead flashing beacon, located at 

an intersection, to current design standards. Refer to 

W.C. 104 for non-intersection flashing beacon. 

Reduction Factor (%): 10

Service Life (Years): 10

Maintenance Cost: N/A

Preventable Crash: Intersection Related = 1 or 2

107: Install 

Traffic Signal

Definition: Provide a traffic signal where none existed previously.

Reduction Factor (%): 35

Service Life (Years): 10

Maintenance Cost:

$3,400 (Isolated)

$3,900 (Interconnected)

$5,400 (Diamond Interchange)

Preventable Crash:

[(Intersection Related = 1 or 2) AND (Vehicle 

Movements/Manner of Collision = 10-39)] OR (First 

Harmful Event = 1 or 5)
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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Table 6 presents an example CRF list, including service life, from the North Carolina 

Department of Transportation.(12) This worksheet provides comprehensive details necessary to 

conduct a BCA for proposed countermeasures. This worksheet provides details on the target 

crash type(s) for each countermeasure, details on specific CRFs by crash outcomes impacted, 

and a notation on which CRFs can be considered together. 

The remaining columns include additional details necessary to complete the BCA other than 

the initial project cost. This includes the service life, annual maintenance cost, and annual 

operating cost. Moreover, the CRF spreadsheet includes the crash costs for use in determining 

the project benefits, separately for fatal and serious injury, moderate and minor injury, and 

property damage only crashes. 

Table 41 in Appendix A provides additional examples of State service life lists. 
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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Table 6. North Carolina CRF sheet.(12)

Countermeasure Site Type 

Specification 

Crash Pattern 

Affected CRF 

Service 

Life 

(Years) 

Annual 

Maintenance 

Cost 

Utility 

Cost 

Crash 

Costs 

K+A

Crash 

Costs 

B+C

Crash 

Costs 

PDO 

1.1 New Traffic Signal

3-leg Urban Angle Injury 34 10 $2,700 $475 $3,403,000 $161,000 $12,400

3-leg Urban Rear End Injury -50 10 $2,700 $475 $2,571,000 $139,000 $12,400

4-leg Urban Angle Injury 67 10 $2,700 $475 $3,403,000 $161,000 $12,400

4-leg Urban Rear End Injury -38 10 $2,700 $475 $2,571,000 $139,000 $12,400

1.2 Upgrade Traffic 

Signal All Total 14 10 -- -- $3,121,000 $139,000 $12,400

1.3 Change to 

Protected Left Turn

Urban Left Turn 99 10 -- -- $3,403,000 $161,000 $12,400

Not Specified Left Turn 70 10 -- -- $3,403,000 $161,000 $12,400

1.4 Convert Signal to 

Mast Arm All Angle 5 50 $400 -- $3,403,000 $161,000 $12,400

1.5 Install Near Side 

Signal Head All Target Frontal 

Impact 30 10 -- -- $3,403,000 $161,000 $12,400

1.6 Pretimed to 

Actuated Signal Not Specified Angle 10 10 -- -- $3,403,000 $161,000 $12,400

1.7 Closed Loop Signal 

System Not Specified Total 15 10 $1,000 per Signal $480 $3,121,000 $139,000 $12,400

1.8 Improve Signal 

Timing Not Specified Total 15 10 -- -- $3,121,000 $139,000 $12,400

1.9 Replace 8-in. to 

12-in. Signal Head Urban Angle 42 10 -- -- $3,403,000 $161,000 $12,400

1.10 Add Long Vehicle 

Detection All Total 10 10 $250 -- $3,121,000 $139,000 $12,400
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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2.8 CHAPTER SUMMARY

Chapter 2 introduces the fundamental concepts of service life, provides details on how service 

life can be determined, and how annual maintenance and rehabilitation impact service life. 

Further, Chapter 2 provides an overview of service life’s role in BCA, discusses the need for 

standardized service life, and identifies factors that agencies may consider when establishing or 

changing typical service lives. 

Key Takeaways from Chapter 2:

• Service life is the number of years in which a countermeasure is expected to have a 

noticeable and quantifiable effect on the crash occurrence at a site.

• There are many sources of service life including manufacturer warranties, published 

research, in-service performance evaluations, and survival analysis. 

• Annual maintenance and rehabilitation activities can extend the service life for safety 

countermeasures and should be accounted for in BCA.

• Since countermeasure benefits and ongoing maintenance and operational costs are 

typically estimated in terms of annual future values, the service life is imperative for 

determining the time/period over which to capture the benefits and costs.

• Using standardized values of service life provides consistent application across agency 

BCA, leverages agency experiences, and provides improved documentation and 

justification. 

• Many factors can impact countermeasure service life including environmental conditions, 

maintenance and rehabilitation activities, replacement cycles, operational and design 

context, and manufacturer specifications and warranties. 

• Agency-specific service life lists may be combined with CMF, project cost, and project 

benefit values to provide consistent agencywide application in BCA.
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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CHAPTER 3—SERVICE LIFE SELECTION AND CONSIDERATIONS

Chapter 3 provides an overview of countermeasure service life selection and analysis 

considerations. 

Chapter 3 At-A-Glance

Chapter 3 is divided into three sections: 

• Section 3.1 provides instructions on selecting countermeasure service life for BCA. 

• Section 3.2 provides specific details to practitioners on considerations when using 

countermeasure service life as part of a BCA. This includes estimating countermeasure 

service life when there is no documented service life available. 

• Section 3.3 presents related resources and documentation helpful for using service life 

as part of a BCA.

• Section 3.4 provides a summary of the chapter.

3.1 SELECTION OF SERVICE LIVES FOR COUNTERMEASURES

This Guide provides typical service lives for individual countermeasures. Often, multiple 

countermeasures are implemented together, for example adding shoulder rumble strips while 

widening shoulders. Section 3.2.1 addresses service life considerations for BCA of multiple 

countermeasures. However, there can still be difficulty in determining the appropriate service 

life for individual countermeasures when the following scenarios occur:

• Project elements are part of routine maintenance. For example, while 

improving intersection sight distance would be a safety countermeasure, doing so 

through clearing vegetation would not necessarily impact service life. Vegetation 

clearing would fall under periodic maintenance and can be addressed through 

maintenance cost, not service life. Changes to intersection sight distance would impact 

service life if the agency applied for and used safety funds to make physical changes to 

the roadway or roadside environment (such as removing objects, moving side slopes, 

or through pavement widening). 

• A countermeasure impacts other features associated with safety. An 

example would be restriping existing paint markings as part of a roadway widening 

project. In this case, the cost of the markings could be included in the initial project 

cost only. Since the pavement markings are restriped on an ongoing basis, future 

restriping efforts would have been conducted anyway. Therefore, restriping markings
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

20

would not need to be considered as a maintenance expense and service life would not 

need to be considered as part of the BCA.

• The function of a countermeasure may differ from the physical properties 

defining the countermeasure. For example, agencies may use standard 

waterborne paint markings to create a median. The practitioner may have to choose 

the service life for installing a median (in this Guide this would be a 20-year service 

life) versus installing standard paint markings in this Guide this would be a 1-year 

service life). Since the pavement markings used to define the median are not a part of 

the standard longitudinal markings, the service life in this case would be defined by the 

replacement of the median paint markings. When possible, this Guide provides this 

distinction in Chapter 4 (this includes installing a median through standard paint 

markings, as well as installing right-turn channelization through standard paint 

markings); however, not all scenarios are covered in this Guide. The practitioner 

should exercise judgment when selecting the service life in these cases.

3.2 ANALYSIS CONSIDERATIONS

The section provides details to practitioners on considerations that can be made when using 

countermeasure service life as part of BCA. Section 3.2.1 provides details on selecting service 

life for countermeasure packages, Section 3.2.2 provides details on alternatives analysis for 

multiple options including countermeasure packages, and Section 3.2.3 provides options for 

practitioners when no service life is available for a countermeasure of interest. 

3.2.1 Service Life for Countermeasure Packages

While this Guide provides service lives for individual countermeasures, there are many 

instances where multiple countermeasures may be installed at the same time for the following 

reasons: 

• The combined safety effect of multiple countermeasures justifies implementing more 

than one at a location. The different countermeasures may target different crash types 

and severities or may both target the same crash type and severity, depending on the 

nature of the problems at the site.

• There is a reduced cost to implementing a specific countermeasure when an 

improvement is already under construction at a location. For example, rumble strips are 

commonly installed when widening shoulders on rural, two-lane highways. 

If the countermeasures target different crash types and severities, the safety effects of each may 

be assessed independently from each other using the Additive method when quantifying project 
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

21

benefits. If the countermeasures target the same crash types and severities, there are several 

approaches to estimating the combined safety effect, including the following:

• The Dominant Effect method, which applies when both countermeasures completely 

overlap targeting the same crash types and severities.

• The Dominant Common Residuals method, which applies when there is some overlap in 

countermeasure effects.

• The Multiplicative method, which applies when both countermeasures result in an 

increase in a target crash type or severity, or when there is a counteractive effect.

The FHWA Highway Safety Benefit Cost Analysis Guide provides more details on each of these 

methods for combining safety effects for multiple countermeasures.(6) Additionally, NCHRP 

Report 17-63, Guidance for the Development and Application of Crash Modification Factors, provides 

a more reliable approach for estimating the benefits of multiple countermeasures.(13)

Additionally, the CMF Clearinghouse contains instances of CMFs for combined 

countermeasures. Practitioners should prioritize CMFs specific to the countermeasure package

when assessing combined safety effectiveness. When evaluating the methods for combining 

CMFs for safety effects, the analyst can evaluate if the methodology will have an impact on the 

combined service life. 

In many instances, multiple countermeasures, when applied together, have the same service life. 

In this case, the combined service life determination is straightforward and is the same as the 

service life for each of the individual countermeasures. For example, the typical service life for 

both pavement resurfacing and installing center line rumble strips is 10 years. While the 

calculation of the combined safety effect may take consideration of target crash type, target 

crash severities, and estimated safety effectiveness of each individual countermeasure, the 

service life is readily assessed to be 10 years. 

When the service life among countermeasures differ, there are several methods for normalizing

the service life for BCA (or identifying the appropriate analysis period), including the following:

• Least common multiple of service lives. For example, if countermeasure 1 has a 

service life of 5 years and countermeasure 2 has a service life of 10 years, then the 

least common multiple is a service life of 10 years. In this case, the practitioner would 

estimate the initial cost for the both countermeasures and assume one replacement 

for countermeasure 1 at the end of the fifth year. 

When considering maintenance and rehabilitation, the least common multiple still 

applies. For example, the hardware for countermeasure A has an estimated 10-year 

service life, which requires maintenance every 2 years. Countermeasure B has an 
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

22

estimated 25-year service life, requiring repairs every 5 years. Using the least common 

multiple of service lives, the analysis period is 50 years. For the first countermeasure, 

this would include the initial cost and replacements at 10, 20, 30, and 40 years. For the 

second countermeasure this would include the initial cost and replacement at year 25. 

The service life for countermeasure A includes 24 maintenance activities and for 

countermeasure B includes 9 repairs. 

• Maximum service life. In this case, the maximum service life from any of the 

multiple countermeasures is used as the service life for BCA. If the individual service 

lives are multiples of each other, then this is the same approach as the least common 

multiple method. When the service lives are not multiples of each other, this method 

fails to yield full benefit of one countermeasure’s replacement. If the service life for 

countermeasure A is 10 years and the service life for countermeasure B is 25 years, 

then the combined service life, in this case, is 25 years. For the first countermeasure, 

this would include the initial cost and replacement at years 10 and 20. Note that the 

benefit of the replacement at year 20 is not fully realized. For the second 

countermeasure, this would include only the initial cost. 

• Horizon year. In this case, a standard analysis period is used for all evaluations. For 

example, a horizon year analysis may consider a 10-year analysis period for all BCA 

evaluations. Agencies may select this approach for one or more of several reasons, 

including the following:

o Constrained budgets. Agencies may use the horizon year approach for BCA to 

identify projects with short-term benefits. 

o Providing a common ground for comparing and prioritizing projects. 

o Supporting zero fatality program goals. For example, if the agency goal is zero 

fatalities by 2050, 2050 provides a common analysis period for comparison. 

o Service life for one or more countermeasures may not be known. Historically 

agencies have used this approach because no service lives have been available 

for individual countermeasures. This approach provides some standardization 

and agencies may consider separate horizon years for countermeasures by 

groupings. For example, Maine DOT (MaineDOT) uses present worth costs for 

either 10 or 20 years. MaineDOT uses 10 years for all projects except for 

construction projects resulting in a change in facility type (for example installing 

a roundabout). In this approach, MaineDOT uses project costs to help account 

for maintenance and replacement costs if the service life is known to be less 

than 10 years. The Wisconsin DOT uses 10 years for all resurfacing, 

restoration, and rehabilitation projects as well as for HSIP projects. 
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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Example

An agency is considering installing two countermeasures on a 20-mile section of rural two-lane 

roadway, including paved shoulder widening and shoulder rumble strips. The service life for 

shoulder rumble strips is 10 years and the service life for widening the paved shoulder is 20 years. 

The CMF for the combined countermeasure application is 0.608 (CMF ID 6665) for total crashes. 

Table 7 provides estimated annual crashes for base conditions by crash severity, average crash 

cost by severity, and estimated annual monetary benefit from installing the combined 

countermeasures. 

 Table 7. Example application of crash costs by severity.

Crash 

Severity

Estimated 

Annual Crashes 

for Base 

Conditions

Applicable 

CMF

Estimated 

Annual 

Reduction 

in Crashes

Average 

Crash Cost 

by Severity

Estimated 

Annual 

Monetary 

Benefit

K 0.4 0.608 0.157 $11,637,900 $1,824,823

A 2.4 0.608 0.94 $674,400 $634,476

B 4.2 0.608 1.65 $204,100 $336,030

C 7.5 0.608 2.94 $129,000 $379,260

O 15.0 0.608 5.88 $12,100 $71,148

Total 29.5 -- 11.56 -- $3,245,736

For identifying the service life-based analysis period for BCA, the least common multiple and 

maximum service life methods are the same value in this case (20 years). This example further 

compares the 20-year analysis period to a horizon year analysis of 10 years. 

Table 8 provides the annualized benefits and costs for both analysis periods. The analysis includes 

a 3 percent discount rate, $100,000 per mile initial construction cost for shoulder widening, 

$3,000 per mile initial construction cost for shoulder rumble strips, and a rehabilitation cost of 

$25,000 per mile for the pavement resurfacing at the end of year 10. The initial construction cost 

is $100,000 × 20 miles + $3,000 × 20 miles = $2,060,000 for shoulder widening and rumble strip 

installation. 
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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Table 8. Annualized benefits and costs. 

Years After 

Construction

Maximum 

Service Life 

Safety Benefit

Maximum 

Service Life 

Project Cost

Horizon Year 

Safety Benefit

Horizon Year 

Project Cost

Initial (0) -- 2,060,000 -- 2,060,000

1 $3,151,200 $0 $3,151,200 $0 

2 $3,059,418 $0 $3,059,418 $0

3 $2,970,308 $0 $2,970,308 $0

4 $2,883,794 $0 $2,883,794 $0

5 $2,799,800 $0 $2,799,800 $0

6 $2,718,253 $0 $2,718,253 $0

7 $2,639,080 $0 $2,639,080 $0

8 $2,562,214 $0 $2,562,214 $0

9 $2,487,586 $0 $2,487,586 $0

10 $2,415,132 $0 $2,415,132 $0

11 $2,344,789 $404,556 -- --

12 $2,276,494 $0 -- --

13 $2,210,188 $0 -- --

14 $2,145,814 $0 -- --

15 $2,083,314 $0 -- --

16 $2,022,635 $0 -- --

17 $1,963,724 $0 -- --

18 $1,906,528 $0 -- --

19 $1,850,998 $0 -- --

20 $1,797,085 $0 -- --

Present Value $48,288,356 $2,464,556 $27,686,786 $2,060,000 
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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Figure 5 shows the equation to convert the annual safety benefit for a given year to a present 

value. In this case, the equation shows the conversion of annual safety benefits for year 1 [Note 

this is the first year after the one-year construction period.] 

Figure 5. Equation. Example conversion of annual safety benefit to present value for 

year 1.

Figure 6 shows the equation to convert the rehabilitation cost in year 11 to a present value. [Note 

this is the pavement resurfacing cost and rumble strip installation cost in year 10 after the oneyear construction period.] 

Figure 6. Equation. Example conversion of rehabilitation cost to present value for 

year 11.

Figure 7 provides the equation for BCR calculation for the maximum service life/least common 

multiple of service lives analysis and Figure 8 provides the equation for BCR calculation for the 

horizon year analysis. 

Figure 7. Equation. Example BCR calculation for maximum service life/least common 

multiple of service lives analysis period.

Figure 8. Equation. Example BCR calculation for horizon year analysis period.

The results of the maximum service life/least common multiple of service lives analysis indicates a 

BCR of 19.6 while the horizon year analysis indicates a BCR 13.4. As expected, the BCR is higher 

when considering at least the maximum service life, even with the rehabilitation cost. The horizon 

year analysis shows that a benefit is found even when the complete service life is not evaluated.
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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3.2.2 Alternatives Analysis for Multiple Countermeasures

Service life is also an important consideration when conducting BCA for alternatives analysis. 

When the service life is the same between two alternatives (or the only alternative is a no-build 

option), the service life can be used directly for the analysis period. However, if the service life 

differs between the alternatives, one of the approaches from Section 3.2.1 may be used to 

establish a common analysis period. The analysis period should include the initial construction 

and at least one subsequent rehabilitation action for each alternative.(14)

For comparing alternatives using BCA, the practitioner should calculate the present value costs 

and benefits for each alternative over the same analysis period. As indicated in Section 3.2.1, 

the analysis period includes the initial construction and all maintenance and rehabilitation costs 

associated with each countermeasure for each alternative. The practitioner may compute the 

results separately for each alternative and then summarize the results for each alternative in a 

single summary table. The summary table can include the PVC, PVB, analysis period, service 

lives for countermeasures, and BCR. 
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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Example

An agency is considering improvements for a midblock pedestrian crossing. Alternative A includes 

installing a thermoplastic crosswalk, two advance pedestrian crossing signs, and two pedestrian 

signs with a diagonal downward point arrow plaque at the crossing. Alternative B includes the 

crosswalk and signage from Alternative A along with installing rectangular rapid flashing beacons 

(RRFBs). Table 9 provides a summary of project costs and service lives for each alternative 

countermeasure. Upon analysis of existing crash data, expected reductions in crash frequency, and 

associated crash costs, the analyst determined the project benefits for alternative A to be 

approximately $5,000 per year and for alternative B to be approximately $15,000 per year. The 

discount rate is 3 percent. 

 Table 9. Project costs for alternatives analysis example.

Project Costs

Crosswalk

(Alternative A

and B)

Signage

(Alternative A 

and B)

RRFBs

(Alternative B)

Service Life (Years) 5 15 10

Initial Cost $1,000 $1,500 $10,000

Annual Maintenance Cost 0 $500 $2,000

The initial project cost for alternative A includes both the crosswalk and signage ($1,000 + $1,500 

= $2,500). The initial project cost for alternative B includes the crosswalk, signage, and RRFB 

($2,500 + $10,000 = $12,500).

Table 10 provides the annualized benefits and costs for each of the alternatives using the 

maximum service life analysis period. Table 10 includes reinstalling the crosswalks in years 6 and 

11 and reinstalling the RRFB in year 11. All future costs and benefits are converted to present 

value. 

Figure 9 shows the equation to convert the annual safety benefit for alternative A for a given year 

to a present value. In this case, the equation shows the conversion of annual safety benefits for 

year 15 [Note this is the benefit in year 15 after the one-year construction period.] 

Figure 9. Equation. Example conversion of annual safety benefit to present value for 

year 15.

  
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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 Table 10. Annualized benefits and costs for alternatives analysis example.

Years After 

Construction

Alternative A 

Safety Benefit 

Alternative A 

Project Cost 

Alternative B 

Safety Benefit 

Alternative B 

Project Cost

Initial (0) -- $2,500 -- $12,500

1 $4,854 $485 $14,563 $1,942

2 $4,713 $471 $14,139 $1,885

3 $4,576 $458 $13,727 $1,830

4 $4,442 $444 $13,327 $1,777

5 $4,313 $431 $12,939 $1,725

6 $4,187 $1,256 $12,562 $2,512

7 $4,065 $407 $12,196 $1,626

8 $3,947 $395 $11,841 $1,579

9 $3,832 $383 $11,496 $1,533

10 $3,720 $372 $11,161 $1,488

11 $3,612 $1,083 $10,836 $9,391

12 $3,507 $351 $10,521 $1,403

13 $3,405 $341 $10,214 $1,362

14 $3,306 $331 $9,917 $1,322

15 $3,209 $321 $9,628 $1,284

Present Value $59,690 $10,028 $179,069 $45,159 
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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Figure 10 shows the equation to convert the reinstallation cost for the crosswalk and RRFB plus 

maintenance cost in year 11 to a present value. [Note this is cost in year 11 after the one-year 

construction period.] This calculation approach is used for reinstallation and maintenance costs in 

alternatives A and B.

Figure 10. Equation. Example conversion of rehabilitation cost to present value for 

year 11.

Figure 11 provides the equation for BCR calculation for alternative A and Figure 12 provides the 

equation for BCR calculation for alternative B. 

Figure 11. Equation. Example BCR for alternative A.

Figure 12. Equation. Example BCR calculation for alternative B.

The BCR for alternative A is 6.0 while the BCR for alternative B is 4.0. The BCR for alternative A 

is greater than alternative B. While alternative A provides a more cost-effective improvement, the 

agency can continue to monitor the safety performance of this location after installation of the 

crosswalk and pedestrian crossing signs to determine if these improvements achieved the desired 

result. If not, the agency could consider installing the RRFBs at a later date. 

 

  

 
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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3.2.3 Estimating Unknown Service Life

There are some instances where agencies may implement countermeasures for which no 

service life is available. The countermeasure may be new as a safety countermeasure or may be 

new to the agency conducting the BCA. If no service life is available, there are several options 

available to estimate service life for a fair BCA. Approaches for estimating unknown service life 

include the following:

1. Identify a similar countermeasure with a known service life and use that service life for 

the countermeasure of interest. If for some reason, the service life is expected to differ 

slightly, an adjustment can be made, but the reasoning should be documented. 

2. Establish the useful life for components of the countermeasure and base the service life 

on the component with the shortest useful life, unless it is considered to be routine 

maintenance or an interim rehabilitation. 

3. Use the expected life of benefits from the countermeasure. If the countermeasure is 

expected to provide short-term benefits (drivers may adapt to the countermeasure), 

then the period for which the countermeasure provides benefits should be used. 

4. Perform horizon year analysis, as indicated in section 3.2.1. 

Regardless of the approach taken for estimating unknown service life, it is important to carefully 

document and share these decisions for consistency and future reference. 

3.3 RELATED RESOURCES

There are several resources available providing further details on analysis considerations for 

countermeasure service life and for highway safety BCA. This includes the following:

• The HSM. The HSM provides methods for conducting economic evaluation in Part B, 

predicting the safety performance of geometric alternatives in Part C, and methods for 

identifying and combining applicable CMFs in Part D. 

• FHWA’s CMF Clearinghouse. The CMF Clearinghouse provides a living repository for 

countermeasure CMFs as they are published and evaluated for quality. 

• FHWA’s Highway Safety Benefit Cost Analysis Guide and Tool. This guide, and associated 

tool, provide a framework for agencies conducting highway safety BCA for projects and 

programs. This framework includes quantifying costs as well as direct and indirect safety 

benefits for project alternatives. The accompanying spreadsheet tool implements the 

methods described in the guide to help users conduct BCA for safety investments. 

• FHWA’s Crash Costs for Highway Safety Analysis Guide and Tool. This guide describes the 

sources of crash costs, current practices and crash costs used by States, and 

considerations for modifying and applying crash costs. Additionally, this guide provides 
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

31

national crash costs for highway safety BCA as well as procedures to update and adjust 

crash costs over time as well as to specific jurisdictions. The accompanying spreadsheet 

tool helps practitioners to translate, convert, weight, adjust, or update existing crash 

costs. 

• FHWA HSIP Manual. This manual provides practitioners with tools necessary to 

improve highway safety through data analysis, countermeasure identification, project 

prioritization, and safety effectiveness evaluation. 

3.4 CHAPTER SUMMARY

Chapter 3 provides an overview of countermeasure service life selection and analysis 

considerations regarding countermeasure service life. 

Key Takeaways from Chapter 3: 

• Several scenarios may impact service life for individual countermeasures including when 

project elements are part of routine maintenance, a countermeasure impacts other 

features associated with safety, and a countermeasure may differ from the physical 

properties defining the countermeasure. 

• There are several analysis considerations and methods for identifying the appropriate

analysis period when a countermeasure package includes multiple countermeasures with 

differing service lives. An agency may select the method based on constraints and 

prioritization methods. 

• When service life for a countermeasure is unavailable, there are several methods for 

estimation, including identifying a similar countermeasure with a known service life, 

basing service life off of the shortest useful lifespan for individual components, using the 

expected life of benefits, or performing a horizon year analysis. Regardless of the 

approach taken for estimating unknown service life, it is important to carefully 

document and share these decisions for consistency and future reference. 

COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

33

CHAPTER 4—TYPICAL SERVICE LIVES

Chapter 4 provides an overview of the process used to identify service lives and presents the

typical service life for each countermeasure. This chapter presents one service life for each 

countermeasure for use in a Highway Safety BCA. Agencies may consider changes to the typical 

service life to fit their needs (as described in Chapter 2). 

Chapter 4 At-A-Glance

Chapter 4 is divided into three sections: 

• Section 4.1 provides an overview of the countermeasure service life review process. It 

provides an example review conducted for a countermeasure, along with applicable 

considerations for arriving at a typical service life. 

• Section 4.2 describes the need for countermeasure categories and the selection of

functional groupings for this Guide. 

• Section 4.3 presents the typical service lives for each countermeasure grouped by 

functional area.

4.1 COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE REVIEW PROCESS

The development of this Guide focused on a review of existing resources containing service 

lives for countermeasures. The review included a search for State-agency HSIP manual 

documentation, countermeasure service life lists State agencies developed outside of HSIP 

resources, economic evaluation tools State agencies have developed for BCA, and a general 

review of literature including service lives specific to individual countermeasures. Appendix A 

contains a detailed summary of the literature review, including resources reviewed. 

The literature review includes a spreadsheet detailing the service life used in each resource for 

every countermeasure included. The review began by exporting the available countermeasures 

included in FHWA’s CMF Clearinghouse (www.cmfclearinghouse.org).(15) Rather than present 

each countermeasure included in the clearinghouse, this Guide narrowed the potential 

countermeasures to a broad, encompassing version (unless there was a specific need to use 

separate countermeasures). For example, there were several countermeasures related to 

horizontal curve radius, including the following:

• Change horizontal alignment. 

• Change from horizontal tangent to a flat horizontal curve.

• Change from a horizontal tangent to a sharp horizontal curve. 
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

34

• Change horizontal curve radius from X to Y (feet). 

• Flatten horizontal curve. 

• Increase degree of curve on freeways from 0 to 10 (curvature in degrees).

• Increase degree of curve on freeways from 0 to 15 (curvature in degrees).

• Increase in horizontal curvature by one degree.

• Increase in horizontal curvature from X to Y degrees. 

This Guide combines these countermeasures into a simple “Change horizontal alignment”. 

Further, this Guide provides service lives for single countermeasures, not combined 

countermeasures. Therefore, this Guide provides separate service lives for each individual 

countermeasure for the combined countermeasure “Change horizontal curve radius, posted 

speed, and superelevation.” This Guide provides details in Section 3.2 Analysis Considerations 

for conducting BCA when countermeasures with different service lives are considered 

together. 

The shortened list of countermeasures provided in Appendix A provides service lives by 

resource for each countermeasure. The Appendix A documentation summarizes the minimum, 

maximum, median, and mode values for each countermeasure. 

A technical expert panel reviewed the findings 

from the literature review and provided 

suggestions for countermeasure service lives. The 

objectives of the panel included the following:

• Utilize professional judgment for each 

panel member’s technical expertise. Some 

panel members’ expertise focused more 

on application of the BCA methods while 

others had expertise in determining 

service life for individual 

countermeasures. 

• Provide practical experience for countermeasures where the review provided little 

supporting detail or for countermeasures where recent research has shown that service 

life needs to be updated from the review, even if several resources were available. 

• Maintain consistency among similar countermeasures. For example, the panel suggested 

a one-year service life for standard paint-based pavement markings and a five-year 

service life for more durable markings. 

The technical panel included representatives 

from the following agencies:

Alaska DOT Missouri DOT

Arizona DOT North Carolina DOT

Idaho DOT Pennsylvania DOT

Michigan DOT Wisconsin DOT
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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Part of the review process included identifying functional categories for grouping similar 

countermeasures. Section 4.2 provides more details on functional categories for 

countermeasures. 

4.2 COUNTERMEASURE CATEGORIES

Countermeasure organization is a key aspect of typical service life presentation. Due to the 

number of countermeasures for which this Guide contains typical service lives, it is necessary 

to organize countermeasures into functional categories for quick identification. This Guide 

organizes the functional categories consistent with the categories provided in the CMF 

Clearinghouse. Therefore, the countermeasures are grouped into the following categories:

• Access Management

• Advanced Technology and Intelligent 

Transportation Systems (ITS)

• Alignment

• Bicycle

• Delineation

• Highway Lighting

• Interchange Design

• Intersection Geometry

• Intersection Traffic Control

• Pedestrian 

• Railroad Grade Crossings

• Resurfacing 

• Roadside 

• Roadway

• Shoulder Treatment

• Signs

• Structures

• Work Zone

• Other
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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While some countermeasures could logically be included in multiple categories, they are only 

included in one category, which was defaulted to be the same as the CMF Clearinghouse 

category. For example, “Install pedestrian countdown timers” could fall into both pedestrian 

treatments and intersection traffic control. Since the CMF for this countermeasure falls within 

the intersection traffic control category on the CMF Clearinghouse, this Guide provides the 

service life for this countermeasure in the same category. 

4.3 TYPICAL SERVICE LIVES

This section provides the typical service life for each countermeasure by category. This Guide 

provides one service life value for each countermeasure based on the results of the literature 

review and input from the expert panel. This Guide also presents countermeasures individually. 

For more information on determining the service life for combined countermeasures, refer to 

Section 3.2. Also refer to Section 3.2 for more details on addressing service life for 

countermeasures not included in the following sections. 

4.4.1 Access Management

Table 11 provides service lives for access management countermeasures. The typical service life 

for all countermeasures in this category is 20 years. Agencies may consider these values, along 

with the other factors described in Section 2.5, when selecting a final service life value. 
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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Table 11. Typical Service Lives for Access Management Countermeasures. 

Access Management Countermeasures

Service 

Life 

(Years)

Adjust Driveways Near Intersection 20

Change Driveway Density 20

Change Intersection Density 20

Change Median Width 20

Close Median Opening 20

Convert Driveway Entrance to Regular Intersection 20

Convert to Right-In-Right-Out Operations 20

Convert Two-Way to One-Way Operation 20

Create Directional Median Openings 20

Flatten Entrance Slopes 20

Increase Separation Distance Between Driveway and Downstream 

U-Turn 20

Install Flush/Depressed/Raised Median 20

Relocate Existing Driveway 20

Replace Two-Way Left-Turn Lane with Raised Median 20
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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4.4.2 Advanced Technology and ITS

Table 12 provides service lives for advanced technology and ITS countermeasures. The typical 

service life for all countermeasures in this category is 10 years. Agencies may consider these 

values, along with the other factors described in Section 2.5, when selecting a final service life 

value. 

Table 12. Typical Service Lives for Advanced Technology and ITS 

Countermeasures. 

Advanced Technology and ITS Countermeasures

Service 

Life

(Years)

Implement Active Traffic Management Strategies 10

Implement Incident Management to Reduce Incident Duration 10

Install Changeable “Queue Ahead” Warning Signs 10

Install Changeable Message Signs 10

Install Changeable Speed or Crash Ahead Warning Signs 10

Install Long Vehicle Detection 10

Install Ramp Meters 10

Install Red Light Cameras 10

Install Speed Enforcement Camera/System 10

Install Toll Collection System 10

Install Wrong Way Driver Advanced Technology 10
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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4.4.3 Alignment

Table 13 provides service lives for alignment countermeasures. The typical service life for all 

countermeasures in this category is 20 years. Agencies may consider these values, along with 

the other factors described in Section 2.5, when selecting a final service life value. 

Table 13. Typical Service Lives for Alignment Countermeasures. 

Alignment Countermeasures

Service 

Life 

(Years)

Change Horizontal Alignment 20

Change Vertical Alignment 20

Improve Superelevation 20

Increase Stopping Sight Distance on Crest Vertical Curve 20

Make Geometric Improvements 20

Relocate Frontage Road 20
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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4.4.4 Bicycle 

Table 14 provides service lives for bicycle countermeasures. The typical service life for 

countermeasures in this category range from 1 to 25 years. Agencies may consider these 

values, along with the other factors described in Section 2.5, when selecting a final service life 

value. 

Table 14. Typical Service Lives for Bicycle Countermeasures. 

Bicycle Countermeasures

Service 

Life 

(Years)

Install Standard Paint Bicycle Box 1 

Install Standard Paint Bicycle Lane 1 

Install Durable Marking Bicycle Box 5 

Install Durable Marking Bicycle Lane 5 

Install Bicycle Signal 10

Change Sidewalk Width 20

Install Bicycle Lane 20

Install Dedicated Bicycle Facility 20

Install Dedicated Bicycle Facility at Intersection 20

Install Raised Bicycle Crossings 20

Install Sidewalk Barrier 25
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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4.4.5 Delineation

Table 15 provides service lives for delineation countermeasures. The typical service life for 

countermeasures in this category range from 1 to 5 years. Agencies may consider these values, 

along with the other factors described in Section 2.5, when selecting a final service life value.

Table 15. Typical Service Lives for Delineation Countermeasures. 

Delineation Countermeasures

Service 

Life 

(Years)

Install, Apply, or Restripe with Paint Markings 1 

Improve Pavement Marking Retroreflectivity 1 

Provide Standard Paint “STOP Ahead” Pavement Markings 1 

Install, Apply, or Restripe with Tape or Thermoplastic Markings 5 

Improvement Pavement Marking to Wet-Reflective Markings 5 

Install Delineators 5 

Install Profile Center Line Markings 5 

Install Profile Edge Line Markings 5 

Install Raised Reflective Pavement Markers 5 

Provide Durable “STOP Ahead” Pavement Markings 5 

Restripe with Epoxy 5 
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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4.4.6 Highway Lighting

Table 16 provides service lives for highway lighting countermeasures. The typical service life 

for all countermeasures in this category are 15 years. Agencies may consider these values, along 

with the other factors described in Section 2.5, when selecting a final service life value.

Table 16. Typical Service Lives for Highway Lighting Countermeasures. 

Highway Lighting Countermeasures

Service 

Life

(Years)

Modify/Improve Lighting 15

Provide Intersection Lighting 15

Providing Segment Lighting 15
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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4.4.7 Interchange Design

Table 17 provides service lives for interchange design countermeasures. The typical service life 

for all countermeasures in this category are 20 years. Agencies may consider these values, along 

with the other factors described in Section 2.5, when selecting a final service life value. 

Table 17. Typical Service Lives for Interchange Design Countermeasures. 

Interchange Design Countermeasures

Service 

Life 

(Years)

Add Acceleration or Deceleration Lane 20

Change Ramp Type 20

Convert Interchange Configuration 20

Modify Number of Lane Changes at Merge/Diverge Area 20

Modify Speed Change Lane Design 20

Provide Auxiliary Lane Between Entrance and Exit Ramp 20

Install Grade Separation 30
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4.4.8 Intersection Geometry

Table 18 provides service lives for intersection geometry countermeasures. The typical service 

life for countermeasures in this category range from 1 to 20. Agencies may consider these 

values, along with the other factors described in Section 2.5, when selecting a final service life 

value.

Table 18. Typical Service Lives for Intersection Geometry Countermeasures. 

Intersection Geometry Countermeasures

Service 

Life 

(Years)

Provide Standard Painted Channelized Left-Turn Lane 1 

Provide Durable Marking Channelized Left-Turn Lane 5 

Add Left- or Right-Turn By-Pass Lanes 20

Add Quadrant Roadway to Intersection 20

Change Intersection Angle 20

Change Number of Lanes on Intersection Approach 20

Convert 4-Leg Intersection to Two 3-Leg Intersections 20

Convert Intersection RCUT/J-Turn 20

Convert Intersection to Continuous Flow Intersection 20

Convert Intersection to Median U-Turn 20

Convert Intersection to Superstreet 20

Convert T-Intersection to Continuous Green-T Intersection 20

Convert Traffic Signal to Roundabout 20

Convert Two-Way Stop Intersection to Roundabout 20

Improve Intersection Sight Distance (non-vegetation based) 20

Improve Left-Turn Lane Offset to Create Positive Offset 20

Increase Turn Lane Length 20

Install Channelization 20

Install Curb Extensions/Bulb Outs 20
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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Table 18. Typical Service Lives for Intersection Geometry Countermeasures 

(continued). 

Intersection Geometry Countermeasures

Service 

Life 

(Years)

Install Median Acceleration Lane 20

Install Reduced Left-Turn Conflict Intersection 20

Install Splitter Island 20

Install Turn Arounds 20

Modify Intersection Geometry 20

Provide Channelized Left-Turn Lane 20

Provide Channelized Right-Turn Lane 20

Provide Left-Turn Acceleration Lane 20

Provide Left-Turn Lane 20

Provide One-Way Couple 20

Provide Right-Turn Acceleration Lane 20

Provide Right-Turn Lane 20

Remove Intersection Leg 20
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4.4.9 Intersection Traffic Control

Table 19 provides service lives for intersection traffic control countermeasures. The typical 

service life for countermeasures in this category range from 1 to 15. Agencies may consider 

these values, along with the other factors described in Section 2.5, when selecting a final service 

life value. 

Table 19. Typical Service Lives for Intersection Traffic Control Countermeasures. 

Intersection Traffic Control Countermeasures

Service 

Life 

(Years)

Install Standard Paint Temporary Traffic Circle 1 

Add Retroreflective Tape to Backplate 5 

Install Durable Marking Temporary Traffic Circle 5 

Add Retroreflective Backplate 10

Change Signal Left-Turn Phasing 10

Change Signal Mount Type 10

Change Signal Permissions/Protections 10

Change Signal/Phase Interval 10

Convert Two-Way Stop Control to All-Way Stop Control 10

Convert Unsignalized Superstreet to Signalized Superstreet 10

Implement Flashing Yellow Arrow 10

Improve Signal Head/Lens Visibility 10

Install Closed Loop Signal System 10

Install Dynamic Signal Warning Flashers 10

Install Emergency Vehicle Pre-Emption Systems 10

Install Leading Pedestrian Interval 10

Install Left-Turn Yield Blank Out Sign 10

Install Optically Programmed Signal 10

Install Pedestrian Countdown Timer 10
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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Table 19. Typical Service Lives for Intersection Traffic Control Countermeasures 

(continued). 

Intersection Traffic Control Countermeasures

Service 

Life 

(Years)

Install Pedestrian Signal 10

Install Traffic Signal 10

Permit or Prohibit Right-Turn-On-Red 10

Change Unrestricted Left-Turn Hours 10

Prohibit Left-Turns and/or U-Turns 10

Provide Advance Dilemma Zone Protection 10

Provide Intersection Flashing Beacon 10

Provide Signal Coordination 10

Provide Traffic Signal Actuation 10

Provide Traffic Signal Optical Programming 10

Provide Traffic Signal Time Lane Control 10

Relocate Signal Supports 10

Remove Unwarranted Traffic Signal 10

Replace Night-Time Flash with Steady Operation 10

Upgrade Traffic Signals 10

Implement Systemic Signing and Marking Improvements at SignalControl Intersection 15

Implement Systemic Signing and Marking Improvements at STOPControl Intersection 

15
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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4.4.10 Pedestrian

Table 20 provides service lives for pedestrian countermeasures. The typical service life for

countermeasures in this category range from 1 to 30. Agencies may consider these values, 

along with the other factors described in Section 2.5, when selecting a final service life value.

Table 20. Typical Service Lives for Pedestrian Countermeasures. 

Pedestrian Countermeasures Service Life 

(Years)

Install Standard Paint Advanced Yield or Stop Markings at 

Pedestrian Crossing 1 

Install Standard Paint Crosswalk 1 

Provide Improvements to Standard Paint Crosswalks 1 

Install Durable Advanced Yield or Stop Markings at Pedestrian 

Crossing 5 

Install Durable Marking Crosswalk 5 

Install High-Visibility Yellow Crosswalks at School 5 

Provide Improvements to Durable Marking Crosswalks 5 

Implement Barnes Dance 10 

Improve Pedestrian Signal 10 

Install Actuated Overhead Flasher for a Pedestrian Location 10 

Install Fencing 10 

Install Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon 10 

Install Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons 10 

Install Advanced Yield or Stop Signs at Pedestrian Crossing 15 

Install Fluorescent Yellow-Green Pedestrian Crossing Sign 15 

Install Pedestrian Crossing with New Signs 15 

Install Bus Shelter 20 

Install Pedestrian Refuge Island 20 

Install Raised Intersection 20 

Install Sidewalk 20 

Separate Pedestrians from Vehicle Traffic on Bridge 20 

Construct Pedestrian and/or Bicycle Overpass or Underpass 30 
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4.4.11 Railroad Grade Crossings

Table 21 provides service lives for railroad grade crossing countermeasures. The typical service 

life for countermeasures in this category range from 1 to 25. Agencies may consider these 

values, along with the other factors described in Section 2.5, when selecting a final service life 

value.

Table 21. Typical Service Lives for Railroad Grade Crossing Countermeasures. 

Railroad Grade Crossing Countermeasures

Service 

Life 

(Years)

Install Standard Paint Pavement Markings 1 

Install Delineators 5 

Install Durable Pavement Markings 5 

Change Traffic Control at Railroad Grade Crossing 10

Install Flashing Beacons 10

Modify Railroad Grade Crossing Electronics 10

Install Automatic Railroad Gates 15

Install Flashing Lights 15

Install Safety Lighting 15

Install Signs and Crossbucks 15

Install Warning Bells 15

Install Warning Signs 15

Modify Railroad Crossing Alignment and Surface 20

Install Median Barrier 25

Close, Eliminate, or Separate Railroad Grade Crossing 30
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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4.4.12 Resurfacing

Table 22 provides service lives for resurfacing countermeasures. The typical service life for

countermeasures in this category range from 5 to 10. Agencies may consider these values, 

along with the other factors described in Section 2.5, when selecting a final service life value.

Table 22. Typical Service Lives for Resurfacing Countermeasures. 

Resurfacing Countermeasures

Service 

Life 

(Years)

Apply Chip Seal 5 

Apply Open Graded Friction Course 5 

Apply Slurry Seal 5 

Apply Thin Layer of Hot Mix Asphalt 5 

Apply Ultrathin Bonded Wearing Course 5 

Apply Grooved Pavement Skid Treatment 10

Apply Skid Treatment and Seal Coat 10

Conduct Diamond Grinding 10

Install High Friction Surface Treatment 10

Pave Roadway Surface 10

Resurface Pavement 10
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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4.4.13 Roadside

Table 23 provides service lives for roadside countermeasures. The typical service life for

countermeasures in this category range from 10 to 25. Agencies may consider these values, 

along with the other factors described in Section 2.5, when selecting a final service life value.

Table 23. Typical Service Lives for Roadside Countermeasures. 

Roadside Countermeasures

Service 

Life 

(Years)

Change Clear Zone Width 10

Install End Treatment 10

Install Impact Attenuation System 10

Install Snow Fencing 10

Protect Culvert with Guardrail or Grate 15

Change Median Width 20

Change Roadside Hazard Rating 20

Change the Longitudinal Density of Utility Poles 20

Flatten Side Slope 20

Improve Horizontal Sightline Offset (non-vegetation based) 20

Install Rest Areas 20

Install Traversable Median 20

Install Truck Escape Ramp 20

Install Turnouts 20

Lengthen Culvert 20

Remove Culvert Headwall and Delineate 20

Remove or Relocate Fixed Object 20

Change Barrier Type 25

Construct Gateway Monument 25

Cushion Fixed Object 25

Install Cable Median Barrier 25

Install Concrete Median Barrier 25

Install Motorcycle Rub Rail under Existing W-Beam 25

Install Outside Guardrail/Barrier 25

Install Steel Median Barrier 25

Upgrade Median Barrier 25
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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4.4.14 Roadway

Table 24 provides service lives for roadway countermeasures. The typical service life for

countermeasures in this category range from 1 to 20. Agencies may consider these values, 

along with the other factors described in Section 2.5, when selecting a final service life value.

Table 24. Typical Service Lives for Roadway Countermeasures. 

Roadway Countermeasures

Service 

Life 

(Years)

Install Standard Paint Median 1 

Install Durable Marking Median 5 

Install Raised Pavement Markers on Median 5 

Install Wildlife Detection Systems 10

Lane Restrictions – High Occupancy 10

Lane Restrictions – Trucks 10

Provide Milled Center Line Rumble Strips 10

Provide Milled Edge Line Rumble Stripes 10

Provide Transverse Rumble Strips 10

Install Glare Shields 15

Add Two-Way Left-Turn Lane 20

Change Lane Width 20

Change Pavement Width 20

Close Crossover 20

Convert Two-Lane Roadway to Four-Lane Divided Roadway 20

Implement Road Diet 20

Improve Drainage 20

Increase Number of Lanes 20

Install Passing or Climbing Lane 20

Reallocate Pavement Width 20

Widen Managed Lane Envelope 20
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4.4.15 Shoulder Treatment

Table 25 provides service lives for shoulder treatment countermeasures. The typical service life

for countermeasures in this category range from 5 to 20. Agencies may consider these values, 

along with the other factors described in Section 2.5, when selecting a final service life value.

Table 25. Typical Service Lives for Shoulder Treatment Countermeasures. 

Shoulder Treatment Countermeasures

Service 

Life 

(Years)

Install Raised Shoulder Rumble Strips 5 

Install Safety Edge Treatment 10

Provide Milled Shoulder Rumble Strips 10

Change Shoulder Type 20

Change Shoulder Width 20
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4.4.16 Signs

Table 26 provides service lives for sign countermeasures. The typical service life for

countermeasures in this category range from 5 to 20. Agencies may consider these values, 

along with the other factors described in Section 2.5, when selecting a final service life value.

Table 26. Typical Service Lives for Sign Countermeasures. 

Sign Countermeasures

Service 

Life 

(Years)

Install Solar Power Flasher on Sign 5 

Install Solar Power Flashing LED STOP Sign 5 

Upgrade to Solar Power LED Sign 5 

Install a Detection Warning System with CCTVs 10

Install Intersection Conflict Warning System 10

Install Sequential Dynamic Chevrons 10

Install Static Signs and Flashers “Truck Speed too Fast when 

Flashing” 10

Install Wired Flasher on Sign 10

Install Wired Flashing LED STOP Sign 10

Provide Actuated Advanced Flasher at Official Use Crossover 10

Provide Actuated “Prepare to Stop When Flashing Signs” 10

Updated to Wired LED Sign 10

Improve Sign Visibility (non-vegetation based) 15

Increase Sign Retroreflectivity 15

Install Advance Curve Speed/Warning Sign 15

Install Advance Signal Warning Sign 15

Install Advance Street Name Sign 15

Install Chevron Sign 15

Install Guide Sign 15
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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Table 26. Typical Service Lives for Sign Countermeasures (continued). 

Sign Countermeasures

Service 

Life 

(Years)

Install Lane Use Sign 15

Install Sign 15

Install Speed Signing 15

Install STOP Sign, Oversize STOP Sign, or Double STOP Signs 15

Install Yield Sign 15

Provide a Mandatory Motorcycle Pull Off Area with Roadway 

Informational Signing 20
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4.4.17 Structures

Table 27 provides service lives for structure countermeasures. The typical service life for

countermeasures in this category range from 10 to 30. Agencies may consider these values, 

along with the other factors described in Section 2.5, when selecting a final service life value.

Table 27. Typical Service Lives for Structure Countermeasures. 

Structure Countermeasures Service Life (Years)

Improve Bridge Pavement Friction 10

Grooving Bridge Pavement 10

Install Frost/Ice Detectors on Bridge 10

Install Breakaway Sign Supports 15

Install Breakaway Utility/Light Poles 15 

Install Overhead Sign Truss 15

Install Barrier on Bridge 25

Replace Bridge Guardrail 25

Upgrade Bridge Rail 25

Build Structure 30

Improve Drainage Structure 30

Remove Existing Bridge 30

Widen Bridge 30
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4.4.18 Work Zone

Table 28 provides service lives for work zone countermeasures. The typical service life for all 

countermeasures in this category is one year. Agencies may consider these values, along with 

the other factors described in Section 2.5, when selecting a final service life value.

Table 28. Typical Service Lives for Work Zone Countermeasures. 

Work Zone Countermeasures

Service 

Life 

(Years)

Modify Work Zone Duration 1 

Modify Work Zone Length 1 
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4.4.19 Other

Table 29 provides service lives for other countermeasures. The typical service life for 

countermeasures in this category range from 10 to 50 years. Agencies may consider these 

values, along with the other factors described in Section 2.5, when selecting a final service life 

value.

Table 29. Typical Service Lives for Other Countermeasures. 

Other Countermeasures Service Life (Years)

Install Speed Humps 10

Install Transit Lane Priority 10

Install Transit Signal Priority 10

Change Posted Speed Limit 15

Implement Area-Wide Traffic Calming 15

Implement Time-Limited Parking Restrictions 15

Prohibit On-Street Parking 15

Remove Curb Parking 20

Change Transit Stop Presence/Location 20

Change Right of Way 30
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CHAPTER 5—PROJECT APPLICATIONS

Chapter 5 provides example project applications for the methodologies described in this Guide. 

Each of the examples focuses on the selection and application of service life through BCA for 

safety projects. The first example focuses on the entire process of a BCA including the 

selection and application of countermeasure service life. The remaining examples focus on 

countermeasure service life issues and do not go into full details on the entire BCA. Readers 

with further interest on BCA processes and techniques can refer to Chapter 7 of FHWA’s 

Highway Safety Benefit Cost Analysis Guide for further project applications.(6) The examples in 

this chapter use mostly hypothetical numbers; therefore, references to external resources are 

not provided for individual countermeasures. 

Chapter 5 At-A-Glance

Chapter 5 provides examples for the following scenarios:

• Section 5.1 provides an example service life application in BCA for a single 

countermeasure comparing two project alternatives.

• Section 5.2 provides an example service life application in BCA for a new single 

countermeasure where service life is unknown.

• Section 5.3 provides an example service life and BCA for a countermeasure package for

multiple sites within a project (e.g., a systemic safety improvement project).

5.1 SINGLE COUNTERMEASURE WITH KNOWN SERVICE LIFE EXAMPLE

For this example, an agency is considering improving the safety at a rural four-leg intersection 

of two-lane highways with stop control on the minor approaches. The intersection has a history 

of right-angle crashes and the agency has observed speeding on approaches to the intersection. 

The agency is considering two alternatives, with the first alternative consisting of installing 

advance intersection warning signs on each of the major approaches and the second alternative 

consisting of installing an intersection conflict warning system (ICWS). The base condition 

represents no change in existing conditions (i.e., maintaining the rural, two-lane, two-way stopcontrolled intersection). 

Table 30 presents the service life, initial project cost, annual maintenance and operational costs, 

and annual project benefits for each alternative. The service life for both countermeasures is 

found in Table 26. While Table 26 directly provides service life for ICWS, the service life for 

the advance intersection signs is drawn from being similar to installing an advance curve warning 

or signal warning sign. Since the service lives differ for the two alternatives, the analyst selects 

an analysis period of 30 years as the lowest common multiple of the service lives. The 
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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installation period is entered in whole years and it is assumed each alternative would be 

installed within one year. Alternative A would require reinstallation after the service life, which 

would occur in year 16 (15 years after installation). Alternative B would require reinstallation in 

year 11 (10 years after installation) and year 21 (another 10 years after reinstallation). The 

reinstallation cost and annual maintenance and operational costs are converted to present 

values, using a discount rate of 3.0 percent and the analysis period of the project. 

Table 30. Project overview for single countermeasure example. 

Project Measures

Alternative A 

Advance 

Intersection Signs 

Alternative B 

ICWS

Service Life 15 10

Initial project cost $500 $40,000

Annual maintenance and operational costs $10 $1,000

Annual expected project benefits $18,800 $112,310

Table 31 provides an amortization table to illustrate the calculation of present value costs and 

benefits from the annual maintenance costs and benefits for both alternatives. Reinstallation 

costs are included for each alternative at the end of the useful service life. 
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Table 31. Amortization table for project costs and benefits for single 

countermeasure example. 

Years after 

Installation

Alternative 

A Costs

Alternative 

A Benefits

Alternative B 

Costs

Alternative B 

Benefits

1 $10 $18,252 $971 $109,039 

2 $9 $17,721 $943 $105,863 

3 $9 $17,205 $915 $102,780 

4 $9 $16,704 $888 $99,786 

5 $9 $16,217 $863 $96,880 

6 $8 $15,745 $837 $94,058 

7 $8 $15,286 $813 $91,318 

8 $8 $14,841 $789 $88,659 

9 $8 $14,409 $766 $86,076 

10 $7 $13,989 $744 $83,569 

11 $7 $13,582 $29,619 $81,135 

12 $7 $13,186 $701 $78,772 

13 $7 $12,802 $681 $76,478 

14 $7 $12,429 $661 $74,250 

15 $6 $12,067 $642 $72,088 

16 $318 $11,716 $623 $69,988 

17 $6 $11,374 $605 $67,949 

18 $6 $11,043 $587 $65,970 

19 $6 $10,721 $570 $64,049 

20 $6 $10,409 $554 $62,183 

21 $5 $10,106 $22,040 $60,372 

22 $5 $9,812 $522 $58,614 

23 $5 $9,526 $507 $56,907 

24 $5 $9,248 $492 $55,249 

25 $5 $8,979 $478 $53,640 

26 $5 $8,717 $464 $52,078 

27 $5 $8,464 $450 $50,561 

28 $4 $8,217 $437 $49,088 

29 $4 $7,978 $424 $47,658 

30 $4 $7,745 $412 $46,270 

Present Value $508 $368,488 $69,999 $2,201,326
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Table 32 presents the results of the BCA. In this example, the benefits exceed the costs for

both alternatives. Both alternatives provide a BCR greater than 1.0 for the analysis period 

(which includes multiple service lives for both alternatives). The BCR for alternative A is 

greater than the BCR for alternative B, indicating alternative A may be more economically 

efficient. While the agency may choose to implement alternative A based on the BCA, they can 

continue to monitor the safety performance of the intersection after installing the advance 

intersection warning signs to determine if this achieved the desired result. If alternative A does 

not achieve the desired results, alternative B (ICWS) could serve as a logical next step to 

improve safety at the intersection. 

Table 32. BCA results for single countermeasure example. 

Project Measures

Alternative A 

Advance 

Intersection Signs

Alternative B 

ICWS

Initial project cost $500 $40,000

Present value of reinstallation, 

maintenance, and operating costs $508 $69,999

Present value of costs $1,008 $109,999

Present value of safety benefits $368,488 $2,201,326

BCR 365.6 20.0

5.2 SINGLE COUNTERMEASURE WITH UNKNOWN SERVICE LIFE 

EXAMPLE 

For this example, an agency is focusing on reducing crashes at an existing signalized intersection 

on an urban multilane arterial. This intersection has a history of crashes involving drivers 

running red lights. The agency is considering installing a red-light camera as alternative A. 

Alternative B is under consideration as a demonstration project and involves a new, and 

cheaper, technology focused on providing direct feedback to drivers violating the red phase 

(without direct enforcement). The agency has evidence that the safety effectiveness of the new 

technology results in a significant reduction in the number of fatal and injury crashes (without 

an associated increase in property-damage only crashes); however, it is unclear if the new 

technology will continue to provide long term benefits or if drivers will adapt to the new 

technology. 

While alternative A has an expected 10-year service life (as found in Table 12), the agency 

chose to conduct a 5-year horizon analysis assuming, conservatively, that alternative B loses 

safety effectiveness over the 5-year period (i.e., no safety benefits are expected beyond 5 
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years). However, the agency would like to determine if this project can be justified under the 

conservative assumption of reduced effectiveness. The agency chose a 5-year horizon analysis in 

this case because there may be no presumable additional safety impact through a re-installation 

in year 6 for alternative B. Further, while conducting the demonstration project, the agency 

would evaluate if alternative B loses effectiveness over time. 

Table 33 provides a project overview for the alternative A red light camera and alternative B 

feedback technology. The service life for alternative A is 10 years while the service life for 

alternative B is presumed to be 5 years. While the horizon-year 5-year analysis period 

shortchanges the overall safety benefits for alternative A, the BCA provides details on if 

alternative B is expected to provide similar economic efficiency in the short term. This analysis 

includes the initial, larger safety benefit for alternative B as well as the 20 percent reduction in 

project benefits per year for alternative B. Alternative A is expected to provide the same annual 

benefits for the duration of the analysis. Table 34 provides an amortization table illustrating the

project costs and benefits for each alternative. 

Table 33. Project overview for unknown service life example. 

Project Measures Alternative A RedLight Camera

Alternative B New 

Feedback Technology

Service life in years 10 5 

Initial project cost $75,000 $25,000

Annual maintenance and operational costs $2,000 $1,000

Annual expected project benefits $499,200 $927,200

Table 34. Amortization table for project costs and benefits for unknown service life 

example.

Years after 

Installation

Alternative 

A Costs

Alternative 

A Benefits

Alternative B 

Costs

Alternative B 

Benefits

1 $1,942 $484,660 $971 $900,194 

2 $1,885 $470,544 $943 $699,180 

3 $1,830 $456,839 $915 $509,112 

4 $1,777 $443,533 $888 $329,522 

5 $1,725 $430,614 $863 $159,962 

Present Value $9,159 $2,286,190 $4,580 $2,597,970
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Table 35 presents the results of the BCA. In this example, the benefits exceed the costs for 

both alternatives. Both alternatives provide a BCR greater than 1.0 for the assumed service life. 

The BCR for alternative B is greater than the BCR for alternative A, indicating alternative B may 

be more economically efficient during the expected service life. 

Table 35. BCA results for unknown service life example. 

Project Measures Alternative A Alternative B 

Initial project cost $75,000 $25,000

Present value of reinstallation, 

maintenance, and operating costs $9,159 $4,580

Present value of costs $84,159 $29,580

Present value of safety benefits $2,286,190 $2,597,970

BCR 30.8 87.8

However, this analysis ignores the additional benefits for alternative A since there would still be 

useful life for the red-light camera. While this analysis focused on the project short-term 

efficiency of the demonstration project, a complete analysis to determine the economic 

efficiency of the red-light camera would include a 10-year analysis period. Table 36 provides the 

amortization for project costs and benefits assuming a 10-year maximum service life analysis 

period. In this case, alternative B is not reinstalled in year 6, as the technology still works, but 

no safety benefit is expected (the ongoing annual maintenance cost is included in the analysis). 

Alternative A provides continued benefit as shown. 
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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Table 36. Amortization table for project costs and benefits for unknown service life 

10-year example.

Years after 

Installation

Alternative 

A Costs

Alternative 

A Benefits

Alternative B 

Costs

Alternative B 

Benefits

1 $1,942 $484,660 $971 $900,194 

2 $1,885 $470,544 $943 $699,180 

3 $1,830 $456,839 $915 $509,112 

4 $1,777 $443,533 $888 $329,522 

5 $1,725 $430,614 $863 $159,962 

6 $1,675 $418,072 $837 $0

7 $1,626 $405,895 $813 $0

8 $1,579 $394,073 $789 $0

9 $1,533 $382,595 $766 $0

10 $1,488 $371,452 $744 $0

Present Value $17,060 $4,258,277 $8,530 $2,597,970

Table 37 presents the results of the BCA for the 10-year maximum service life analysis period. 

Again, the benefits continue to exceed the costs for both alternatives. Both alternatives provide 

a BCR greater than 1.0 for the assumed service life. The BCR for alternative B is greater than 

the BCR for alternative A, indicating alternative B may still be more economically efficient 

during 10-year service life. The results suggest the demonstration project for the new 

technology is economically justifiable. 

Table 37. BCA results for unknown service life 10-year example. 

Project Measures Alternative A Alternative B 

Initial project cost $75,000 $25,000

Present value of reinstallation, 

maintenance, and operating costs $17,060 $8,530

Present value of costs $92,060 $33,530

Present value of safety benefits $4,258,277 $2,597,970

BCR 46.3 77.5
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5.3 COUNTERMEASURE DEPLOYMENT USING A SYSTEMIC APPROACH 

EXAMPLE 

For this example, an agency is considering a systemic approach to address curve-related crashes 

along rural, two-lane highways. The agency identified curve-related fatal and injury crashes as a 

target crash type on rural, two-lane facilities with 500 to 2,000 vehicles per day. Further analysis 

indicated curves with a radius between 250 feet and 750 feet and no paved shoulders were 

primary risk factors. Based on this analysis, the agency selected a package of low-cost 

improvements to help drivers identify and navigate horizontal curves. This package includes a 

combination of advanced curve warning signs and post mounted delineators. 

The service life for advance curve warning signs is 15 years, while the service life for post 

mounted delineators is 5 years. Using either the least common multiple or maximum service 

life method, the analysis period is 15 years. The post mounted delineators are expected to be 

reinstalled in years 6 and 11. The installation cost for the advance warning signs is $500 per 

curve and the installation cost for post mounted delineators is an additional $500 per curve. 

The agency has sufficient funding to address 5 curves and would like to identify the most 

effective use of funds. To select the optimal list of curves, the agency can estimate the BCR for 

each curve and then rank the sites from high to low. 
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Table 38 provides a summary of the horizontal curves under consideration. The estimated

annual safety benefit includes the empirical Bayes (EB) expected crash frequency (combination 

of predicted and observed crash frequency), the CMF for combined application of the systemic 

safety package and estimated crash cost by severity. Incorporating the EB approach is 

particularly important for the systemic safety approach because the EB approach allows the 

analyst to account for the potential safety benefits for sites with no historical crashes. The EB 

process acknowledges that sites with zero crashes are at risk for future crashes. The prediction 

component of the EB adjustment serves to indicate the level of risk for future crashes. 

Table 38. Summary of curves for systemic package.

Curve AADT Radius (feet) Estimated Annual 

Safety Benefit

1 500 350 $1,678 

2 700 500 $1,965 

3 2,000 750 $5,947 

4 1,500 700 $3,963 

5 2,000 300 $9,588 

6 900 250 $4,022 

7 1,200 750 $3,003 

8 1,000 275 $4,195 

9 650 550 $2,728 

10 850 300 $3,313 

11 1,700 550 $5,095 

12 1,100 750 $2,729 

13 1,000 625 $2,661 

14 1,500 350 $5,647 

15 800 400 $2,624 
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Table 39 provides an example amortization for the 15-year analysis period for the project costs 

and for the safety benefits for curves 1 through 3. The project costs for each curve is assumed 

to be the same. The discount rate is 3.0 percent.

As compared to example 2 (Section 5.2), this example highlights the importance of including the 

benefits for the entire service life for the maximum service life countermeasure. 

Table 39. Example amortization for systemic package.

Year Package Cost Curve 1 

Benefits

Curve 2 

Benefits

Curve 3 

Benefits

1 $0 $1,629 $1,908 $5,774

2 $0 $1,582 $1,852 $5,606

3 $0 $1,536 $1,798 $5,442

4 $0 $1,491 $1,746 $5,284

5 $0 $1,447 $1,695 $5,130

6 $419 $1,405 $1,646 $4,981

7 $0 $1,364 $1,598 $4,835

8 $0 $1,325 $1,551 $4,695

9 $0 $1,286 $1,506 $4,558

10 $0 $1,249 $1,462 $4,425

11 $361 $1,212 $1,420 $4,296

12 $0 $1,177 $1,378 $4,171

13 $0 $1,143 $1,338 $4,050

14 $0 $1,109 $1,299 $3,932

15 $0 $1,077 $1,261 $3,817

Present Value $780 $20,032 $23,458 $70,995 
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Table 40 presents the results of the BCA for each curve, indicating the present value cost for

each installation over the study period, the present value safety benefits, and the BCR. In this 

example, the benefits exceed the costs for each curve (based on expected crash frequency) as 

indicated by the BCR greater than 1.0. This means the systemic package is economically justified 

for each curve; however, the most economically efficient curves include 5, 3, 14, 11, and 8. 

Notably, the first four of these curves (5, 3, 14, and 11) have the highest AADT. Based on the 

agency’s available funding for five curves, 5, 3, 14, 11, and 8 would be prioritized for systemic 

installation. 

Table 40. BCA results for systemic package.

Curve Present Value 

Cost 

Present Value 

Benefit 

BCR 

1 $1,780 $20,032 11.3

2 $1,780 $23,458 13.2

3 $1,780 $70,995 39.9

4 $1,780 $47,310 26.6

5 $1,780 $114,461 64.3

6 $1,780 $48,014 27.0

7 $1,780 $35,850 20.1

8 $1,780 $50,080 28.1

9 $1,780 $32,567 18.3

10 $1,780 $39,550 22.2

11 $1,780 $60,824 34.2

12 $1,780 $32,579 18.3

13 $1,780 $31,767 17.8

14 $1,780 $67,414 37.9

15 $1,780 $31,325 17.6

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CHAPTER 6—SUMMARY

The purpose of this Guide is to provide transportation practitioners with the necessary 

information to make consistent, data-driven decisions for evaluating and prioritizing safety 

countermeasures using prescribed countermeasure service lives. This Guide focuses on safety 

strategies and countermeasures for which an agency may apply for safety funding. This Guide 

does not cover general maintenance concerns for which safety funding would not be sought 

(e.g., service life for improving sight distance by trimming vegetation). 

This Guide also provides practitioners with definitions and methods or factors to consider for 

determining service life, relationships between service life and maintenance/rehabilitation 

activities, reasons for agencies to consider adopting standardized service life values, factors that 

influence countermeasure service life, and analytical considerations when using service life as 

part of a BCA. Further, this guide provides examples using service life as part of a BCA, 

including situations where service life for a countermeasure may be unknown. 

This Guide provides typical service lives for countermeasures grouped into the following 

categories:

• Access Management

• Advanced Technology and Intelligent 

Transportation Systems (ITS)

• Alignment

• Bicycle

• Delineation

• Highway Lighting

• Interchange Design

• Intersection Geometry

• Intersection Traffic Control

• Pedestrian 

• Railroad Grade Crossings

• Resurfacing 

• Roadside 

• Roadway

• Shoulder Treatment

• Signs

• Structures

• Work Zone

• Other
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There are several benefits to developing a service life list and using standardized service life 

values in BCA, including the following:

• Standardized values improve consistent application throughout an agency regarding 

BCA on proposed projects. 

• The standardized list may draw from agencywide experience with regard to common 

countermeasures or may draw from other agency experiences when considering new 

countermeasures. Since there are several factors that can impact service life, a

standardized list compiles known information about each countermeasure for which 

individual practitioners may not be aware.

• Along with CMFs, the standardized service life list can help practitioners communicate 

to decisionmakers the reasons for selecting a preferred countermeasure, especially if 

the countermeasure has not been commonly applied throughout the agency or within a 

specific region.

In summary, countermeasure service life is an integral part of the BCA process. A thorough 

understanding of the time period for which a countermeasure has a measurable impact is 

critical to establishing the cost effectiveness of the countermeasure relative to the installation 

and ongoing maintenance and operational costs. The analysis methodology for countermeasures 

with differing service life impacts the outcome of the BCA and it is important for practitioners 

to select a consistent and appropriate approach for comparing and prioritizing potential 

projects. Reliable and consistent approaches are key to inform decisions and improve safety 

investments. 
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REFERENCES 

1. American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), 

Highway Safety Manual, 1st Edition, 2010.

2. Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), Manual on Identification, Analysis and 

Correction of High-Crash Locations (the HAL Manual), Third Edition, Technology Transfer 

Assistance Program, Missouri Department of Transportation, 1999. 

3. Carlson, P. and Matt Lupes, Methods for Maintaining Traffic Sign Retroreflectivity. Report 

No. FHWA-HRT-08-026, Office of Safety Research and Development, McLean, VA, 

2007. 

4. Thompson, P., K. Ford, M. Arman, S. Labi, K. Sinha, and A. Shirole, NCHRP Report 713: 

Estimating Life Expectancies of Highway Assets, Volume 1: Guidebook. Transportation 

Research Board, Washington, D.C., 2012.

5. Sallman, D., E. Flanigan, K. Jeannotte, C. Hedden, and D. Morallos, Operations 

Benefit/Cost Analysis Desk Reference, FHWA-HOP-12-028, Federal Highway 

Administration, Washington, D.C., 2012.

6. Lawrence, M., A. Hachey, G. Bahar, and F. Gross, Highway Safety Benefit-Cost Analysis 

Guide, FHWA-SA-18-001, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C., 2018.

7. Harmon, T., G. Bahar, and F. Gross, Crash Costs for Highway Safety Analysis, FHWA-SA17-071, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C., 2018.

8. FHWA, Ensuring Consistency in Decision Making: Why and How Your State Should Develop a 

State CMF List, FHWA-SA-17-023, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C., 

2018. 

9. Preston, H., K. Atkins, M. Lebens, and M. Jensen, Traffic Sign Life Expectancy, Report No. 

MN/RC 2014-20. MnDOT, St. Paul, MN, June 2014. 

10. Arizona Department of Transportation, Arizona Highway Safety Improvement Program 

Manual, Transportation Systems Management & Operations Group, Phoenix, AZ, 2018.

11. Texas Department of Transportation, Highway Safety Improvement Program Guidelines, 

Traffic Safety Division, Austin, TX, 2020.

12. North Carolina Department of Transportation, North Carolina Project Development Crash 

Reduction Factor Information, Traffic Safety Unit, Raleigh, NC, 2020.
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

 74

13. Carter, D., R. Srinivasan, B. Persaud, C. Lyon, F. Gross, S. Himes, T. Le, J. Bonneson, and 

E. Hauer. NCHRP Project 17-63: Guidance for the Development and Application of Crash 

Modification Factors, Final Report, Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C., 

2017. 

14. US Department of Transportation, Economic Analysis Primer, FHWA-IF-03-032, Federal 

Highway Administration, Washington, D.C., 2003.

15. FHWA, Crash Modification Factor Clearinghouse, Federal Highway Administration, 

Washington D.C., 
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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APPENDIX A—LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction

This memo summarizes a literature review to support identification of typical service lives for 

the Countermeasure Service Life Guide. This memo begins with a discussion of the sources of 

information VHB identified and collected during the review. This is followed by a discussion of 

the review process, including how VHB processed countermeasures and assigned service life 

information. The third section is a brief description of the service life summary table. Finally, the 

memo includes a discussion of next steps for the project.

Information Sources

VHB reviewed numerous sources to aggregate service life data from around the country. The 

following sections describe these sources.

CMF Clearinghouse

VHB downloaded the current library of countermeasures from FHWA’s CMF Clearinghouse1

. 

The database is current as of August 10, 2020. VHB used this library of countermeasures to 

structure the service life data, using the Countermeasure Category, Countermeasure 

Subcategory, and Countermeasure Name to group similar countermeasures. When structuring 

the data, VHB was careful to maintain a tie between the “CMF ID” field and the ultimate service 

life values to easily import service life into the CMF Clearinghouse in the future.

State Documentation and Tools

FHWA tasked VHB with reviewing agency policies and literature to identify service life data 

used throughout the country. To complete this task, VHB researched each State Department of 

Transportation to identify any potential lists. This review included searches for service life lists, 

countermeasure lists, HSIP manuals, HSIP reports, and implementation tools (including benefitcost analysis tools and guides). 

VHB found some agencies possessed standalone lists of crash modification factors and/or 

countermeasure service lives, while others included the relevant information in HSIP 

handbooks or benefit-cost analysis tools. VHB identified and collected potentially relevant 

documentation from a total of 21 states. Of these, 15 states provided sufficient information in 

1 http://www.cmfclearinghouse.org/
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

 76

the documentation as to be usable in research efforts. Table 41 summarizes this list of 

references.

Table 41. Summary of State resources.

State Citation Source 

Used? 

Reason Not Used

AL Alabama Department of 

Transportation (2015). Highway 

Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) 

Program Management Manual. 

N Document includes a few example 

benefit-cost calculations based on 

assumed countermeasure service 

lives, but no complete list of Stateaccepted service life values is 

included 

AK Alaska Department of 

Transportation and Public Facilities 

(2020). Alaska Highway Safety 

Improvement Program Handbook (19th

Edition). 

Y 

AZ Arizona Department of 

Transportation (2015). Arizona 

Highway Safety Improvement Program, 

Appendix C.

Y 

CA California Department of 

Transportation (2020). Local Roadway 

Safety: A Manual for California’s Local 

Road Owners (v1.5)

Y 

CO Colorado Department of 

Transportation (n.d.a.). 

Countermeasure Service Life Values 

(Excel Spreadsheet) 

Y 

FL Florida Department of 

Transportation (2019). Highway 

Safety Improvement Program – 

Implementation Manual.

N Document does not provide a list 

of service life values

IL Illinois Department of 

Transportation (2006). Safety 

Engineering Policy Memorandum, Table 

1.

Y 

IN Indiana Department of 

Transportation (2011). Indiana Design 

Y 
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

 77

State Citation Source 

Used? 

Reason Not Used

Manual – Appendix C: Service Life of 

Safety Improvements.

IA Iowa Department of Transportation 

(n.d.a.). Approximate Improvement 

Service Life (Excel Spreadsheet)

Y 

MN Minnesota Department of 

Transportation (2019). Local 

Solicitation for HSIP Funding, Appendix 

C.

Y 

MO Technology Transfer Assistance 

Program (1999). Manual on 

Identification, Analysis and Correction of 

High-Crash Locations (the HAL 

Manual), Appendix F (Third Edition).

Y 

NC North Carolina Department of 

Transportation (2018). North Carolina 

Project Development Crash Reduction 

Factor Information.

Y 

NV Nevada Department of 

Transportation (2019). State Highway 

Preservation Report.

N Document only discusses 

pavement and bridge preservation 

efforts, without any reference to 

specific countermeasure service 

lives 

NH New Hampshire Department of 

Transportation (2013). Highway 

Safety Improvement Program: Manual 

and Guidance.

N Document does not provide a list 

of service life values

NJ New Jersey Department of 

Transportation (2016). New Jersey 

Highway Safety Improvement Program 

Manual.

N Document does not provide a list 

of service life values

OH Ohio Department of Transportation 

(2020). Economic Crash Analysis 

Tool (ECAT).

Y 

OR Oregon Department of 

Transportation (n.d.a). CRF List (Excel 

Spreadsheet). 

Y 
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

 78

State Citation Source 

Used? 

Reason Not Used

OR Oregon Department of 

Transportation (n.d.a.) CRF 

Supplemental List (Excel Spreadsheet).

Y 

PA Pennsylvania Department of 

Transportation (2017). PennDOT 

Bureau of Public Transportation 

Estimated Service Life (ESL) for Capital 

Items.

N Document only provides service 

life values of capital costs such as 

buses, DOT facility roofs, 

construction equipment, etc., 

rather than of safety 

countermeasures. Subsequent 

research indicated PennDOT 

maintains a CMF list, but follow-up 

with State personnel stated that 

service lives are not included in 

that list.

UT Utah Department of Transportation 

(n.d.a.). Crash Modification Factors 

(Excel Spreadsheet)

Y 

TX Texas Department of Transportation 

(n.d.a). HSIP Work Codes Table. 

Y 

VA Virginia Department of 

Transportation (n.d.a). Virginia State 

Preferred CMF List. 

Y 

WA Washington Department of 

Transportation (2019). Safety Benefit 

Cost Analysis (Excel Spreadsheet).

Y 

State Follow Ups

Based on the policy review, VHB identified four states to request additional information from: 

Indiana, Maine, Pennsylvania, and Washington. Pennsylvania was selected as a follow-up State 

due to their development of analysis spreadsheets supporting economic evaluation of geometric 

design improvements using the HSM predictive method. The economic analysis spreadsheet 

includes built-in geometric elements found in the HSM predictive method, additional 

countermeasures included in their State-specific CMF list, and a place to enter user-defined 

countermeasures. The spreadsheet includes an input screen for entering service life information 

for each of these countermeasures, but the project team identified that service lives were not 

directly built into the tool for built-in countermeasures. Pennsylvania indicated that they 

currently do not possess any established service life values, necessitating this effort.
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

 79

VHB selected Maine for follow-up due to their HSIP manual stating the MaineDOT “must 

prioritize projects based on the overall cost of the countermeasure(s), its expected 

effectiveness, and expected service life (typically 5, 10, or 20-year period).” The project team 

followed-up with MaineDOT to determine if the agency had a specific service life list 

distinguishing the differences. Maine replied the DOT does not have a specific service life list, 

but for safety and mobility candidate evaluations, the DOT uses 20 years for a rebuilt 

intersection or road segment and 10 years for less durable improvements. 

The project team identified that the Washington State Department of Transportation 

(WSDOT) Safety Analysis Guide indicates that WSDOT maintains a CMF short list that 

contains CMFs for various measures and is available on the WSDOT intranet. Since this was 

inaccessible by the project team, the project team followed-up to obtain the CMF short list to 

determine if the list provides service life in addition to CMFs. WSDOT provided their BenefitCost Analysis spreadsheet tool, which contains a separate tab for service life by 

countermeasure category. 

Additionally, the project team identified from the Indiana Department of Transportation 

(INDOT) HSIP Local Project Selection Guide that the agency uses a Hazard Analysis Tool 

(HAT) software for completing benefit-cost analysis. The HAT software was noted to contain 

countermeasures with applicable CMFs and potentially service life. INDOT responded and 

provided VHB with Appendix C of the Indiana Design Manual, which contains service life values

for safety improvements. The service lives used in the HAT software were developed by 

Purdue University from those contained in the Design Manual. 

Supplemental Sources

To supplement the results of the State agency review, VHB performed an additional literature 

search to provide service life values from sources other than State Departments of 

Transportation. This supplemental effort included a review of recent publications from the 

Evaluations of Low-Cost Safety Improvement Pooled Fund Study program, transportation safety 

literature, and manufacturer specifications. The summary table of service lives provides the 

service life for each countermeasure identified in the literature search, along with the reference 

number in parentheses. Table 42 provides the corresponding reference number and reference 

information for each source VHB identified during the review process. 

Table 42. Summary of supplemental literature.
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

80

Reference 

Number

Citation

1 Chen, X., Salem, O., and Salman, B. (2016). “Life-Cycle Benefit–Cost Analysis 

Framework for Ramp-Metering Deployments,” Transportation Research Record, 

2554, pp. 69–76, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC.

2 Srinivasan, R., Lan, B., Carter, D., Smith, S., Signor, K., and Persaud, B. (2019). 

Safety Evaluation of Pedestrian Countdown Signals, Report No. FHWA-HRT-19-

045, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC.

3 Le, T., Gross, F., Persaud, B, Eccles, K, and Soika, J. (2018). Safety Evaluation of 

Multiple Strategies at Signalized Intersections, Report No. FHWA-HRT-17-062, 

Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC.

4 Srinivasan, R., Carter, D., Lyon, C., and Albee, M. (2018). Safety Evaluation of 

Horizontal Curve Realignment on Rural, Two-Lane Roads, Report No. FHWA-HRT17-066, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC.

5 Le, T., Gross, F., Harmon, T., and Eccles, K. (2018). Safety Evaluation of Turning 

Movement Restrictions at Stop-Controlled Intersections, Report No. FHWA-HRT 

17-064, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC.

6 Lyon, C., Persaud, B., and Eccles, K. (2018). Safety Evaluation of Profiled 

Thermoplastic Pavement Markings, Report No. FHWA-HRT-17-075, Federal 

Highway Administration, Washington, DC.

7 Le, T., Gross, F., Harmon, T., and Eccles, K. (2018). Safety Evaluation of Corner 

Clearance at Signalized Intersections, Report No. FHWA-HRT-17-084, Federal 

Highway Administration, Washington, DC.

8 Le, T., Gross, F., Persaud, B., Eccles, K., and Soika, J. (2018). Safety Evaluation of 

Multiple Strategies at Stop-Controlled Intersections, Report No. FHWA-HRT-17-

086, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC.

9 Hummer, J.E., and Rao, S. (2017). Safety Evaluation of Signalized Restricted 

Crossing U-Turn Intersections, Report No. FHWA-HRT-17-082, Federal Highway 

Administration, Washington, DC.

10 Himes, S., Gross, F., Persaud, B., and Eccles, K. (2017). Safety Evaluation of EdgeLine Rumble Stripes on Rural Two-Lane Horizontal Curves, Report No. FHWAHRT-17-069, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC.

11 Himes, S., Gross, F., Persaud, B., and Eccles, K. (2017). Safety Evaluation of RedLight Indicator Lights (RLILs) at Intersections, Report No. FHWA-HRT-17-077, 

Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC.

12 Srinivasan, R., Lan, B., Carter, D., Persaud, B., Eccles, K. (2017). Safety Evaluation 

of Cable Median Barriers in Combination with Rumble Strips on Divided Roads
, 
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

81

Reference 

Number

Citation

Report No. FHWA-HRT-17-070, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, 

DC. 

13 Donnell, E., Wood, J., and Eccles, K. (2016). Safety Evaluation of Continuous Green 

T Intersections, Report No. FHWA-HRT-16-036, Federal Highway 

Administration, Washington, DC.

14 Himes, S., Gross, F., Eccles, K., and Persaud, B. (2016). Safety Evaluation of 

Intersection Conflict Warning Systems (ICWS), Report No. FHWA-HRT-15-076, 

Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC.

15 Lyon, C., Persaud, B., and Eccles, K. (2015). Safety Evaluation of Wet-Reflective 

Pavement Markings, Report No. FHWA-HRT-15-065, Federal Highway 

Administration, Washington, DC.

16 Lyon, C., Persaud, B., and Eccles, K. (2015). Safety Evaluation of Centerline Plus 

Shoulder Rumble Strips, Report No. FHWA-HRT-15-048, Federal Highway 

Administration, Washington, DC.

17 Merritt, D.K., Lyon, C.A., and Persaud, B.N. (2015). Evaluation of Pavement 

Safety Performance, Report No. FHWA-HRT-14-065, Federal Highway 

Administration, Washington, DC.

18 Goughnour, E., Carter, D., Lyon, C., Persaud, B., Lan, B., Chun, P., Hamilton, I., 

and Signor, K. (2018). Safety Evaluation of Protected Left-Turn Phasing and Leading 

Pedestrian Intervals on Pedestrian Safety, Report No. FHWA-HRT-18-044, Federal 

Highway Administration, Washington, DC (unpublished).

19 Graham, J., Richard, K., O’Laughlin, M., and Harwood, D. (2011). Safety 

Evaluation of the Safety Edge Treatment, Report No. FHWA-HRT-11-025, 

Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC.

20 Srinivasan, R., Lan, B., Carter, D., Smith, S., and Signor, K. (2020). Safety 

Evaluation of Flashing Yellow Arrow at Signalized Intersections, Report No. FHWAHRT-19-036, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC (unpublished).

21 Merritt, D.K., Lyon, C.A., Persaud, B.N., Torres, H.N. (2020). Developing CrashModification Factors for High-Friction Surface Treatments, Report No. FHWAHRT-20-061, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC (unpublished).

22 FHWA. (n.d.a). “PEDSAFE.” (website) Washington, DC. Available online: 

http://www.pedbikesafe.org/pedsafe/countermeasures_detail.cfm?CM_NUM=35

#:~:text=Approximately%20%241%2C500%20to%20%245%2C500%2C%20depe

nding,and%2040%20years%20for%20concrete, last accessed September 16, 

2020. 
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

82

Reference 

Number

Citation

23 Huber, T., Kuecke, K., Hintze, M., Coffman, V., Toole, J., and VanOosten, M. 

(2013). Guide for Maintaining Pedestrian Facilities for Enhanced Safety Research 

Report, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC.

24 Texas Department of Transportation (n.d.a). HSIP Work Codes Table. 

25 Illinois Department of Transportation. (2017). Highway Safety Improvement 

Program: Draft User Manual Benefit-Cost Tool, Illinois Department of 

Transportation, Springfield, Illinois. 

26 Local Government & Municipal Knowledge Base (n.d.a). “Bus Shelter,” 

(website). Available online: http://lgam.wikidot.com/bus-shelter, last accessed 

September 16, 2020. 

27 Montgomery Country MD Capital Budget. (2020). “Sidewalk and Curb 

Replacement,” (website). Available online: 

https://apps.montgomerycountymd.gov/BASISCAPITAL/Common/Project.aspx?I

D=P508182, last accessed September 16, 2020.

28 City of Eau Claire. (2016). Special Assessment Policy, Eau Claire, Wisconsin. 

Available online: https://www.lwm-info.org/DocumentCenter/View/2054/EauClaire-Special-Assessment-Policy-Amend-2016, last accessed September 16, 

2020. 

29 Zhao, G., Li, S., & Jiang, Y. (2016). Safety and cost performance of intersection 

lighting, Report No. FHWA/IN/JTRP-2016/17, Purdue University, West 

Lafayette, Indiana. 

30 Torbic, D.J., Cook, D.J., Hutton, J.M., Bauer, K.M., and Sitzmann, J.M. (2015). 

Advancing Innovative Intersection Safety Treatments for Two-Lane Rural Highways, 

Federal Highway Administration, Report No. FHWA-SA-16-003, Washington, 

DC. 

31 Cooner, S.A., Venglar, S., Rathod, Y., Pultorak, E.J., Williams, J.C., Vo, P., and 

Mattingly, S.P. (2007). Ramp Reversal Projects: Guidelines for Successful 

Implementation, Report No. FHWA/TX-07/0-5105-1, Texas Department of 

Transportation, Austin, Texas. 

32 Robinson, B.W., Rodgegerdts, L., Scarborough, W., kittelson, W., Troutbeck, 

R., Brilon, W., Bondzio, L., Courage, K., Kyte, M., Mason, J., Flannery, A., Myers, 

E., Bunker, J., and Jacquemart, G. (2000). Roundabouts: An Information Guide, 

Report No. FHWA-RD-00-067, Federal Highway Administration, McLean, 

Virginia. 
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

83

Reference 

Number

Citation

33 Miller, R. J., Osberg, J. S., Retting, R., Ballou, M., and Atkins, R. (2016). System 

analysis of automated speed enforcement implementation, Report No. DOT HS 

812 257, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, DC.

34 Oregon Department of Transportation. (2012). ODOT Highway Design Manual, 

Oregon Department of Transportation, Salem, OR. 

35 Ova, K., and Smadi, A. (2002). Evaluation of Transit Signal Priority Strategies For 

Small-Medium Cities. Available online: 

https://www.ugpti.org/resources/reports/downloads/dp-142.pdf, last accessed 

September 16, 2020. 

36 Virginia Department of Transportation (n.d.a). Virginia State Preferred CMF List. 

Available online: 

https://www.virginiadot.org/business/resources/HSIP/Virginia_State_Preferred_

CMF_List.pdf, last accessed September 16, 2020.

39 Liu, X., Bullough, J., Tian, L., Jiang, S., and Jafari, M. (2018). Evaluation of Raised 

Pavement Markers, Report No. FHWA-NJ-2018-004, Federal Highway 

Administration, Washington, DC.

40 Florida Department of Transporttation. (2014). 2014 Median Handbook. 

Available online: https://www.fdot.gov/docs/defaultsource/PLANNING/systems/programs/sm/accman/pdfs/FDOT-MedianHandbook-Sept-2014.pdf, last accessed September 16, 2020.

Documentation Review Process

After aggregating the State lists, VHB reviewed the individual documents and tools to match 

service life data to corresponding countermeasures from the CMF Clearinghouse. Where 

possible, VHB did not extrapolate service life values when there were discrepancies in names 

between the State list and the CMF Clearinghouse list. For instance, if the State 

countermeasure read “Widen Shoulder”, it could be matched to multiple Clearinghouse 

countermeasure such as “Widen Paved Shoulder from 3 ft to 4 ft” or “Widen Paved Shoulder 

from 3 ft to 5 ft.” However, VHB opted to only apply the service life to any generic “Widen 

Shoulder” countermeasures in the CMF Clearinghouse list. VHB made exceptions where no 

generic countermeasure was available in the CMF Clearinghouse list. For instance, if there was 

no “Widen Shoulder” countermeasure in the CMF Clearinghouse list in the previous example, 

VHB would have applied the State’s “Widen Shoulder” service life to the specific values.

The CMF Clearinghouse contains numerous countermeasures that are essentially a combination 

of two or more countermeasures. These countermeasures were excluded from review, as each 
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

84

component of the countermeasure was already included. For instance, “Install shoulder rumble 

strips and widen shoulder width” is not included as a standalone countermeasure in the 

companion table, as the table provides individual service lives for “Install shoulder rumble 

strips” and “Widen shoulder width” individually. The intent of this approach is to provide 

typical service lives for individual countermeasures and then provide guidance on how to 

approach service life when agencies install multiple countermeasures together in a package. 

Most State lists included countermeasures that are not in the CMF Clearinghouse list. In these 

cases, VHB added the countermeasure to the CMF Clearinghouse list and assigned relevant 

values for the “Countermeasure Category” and “Countermeasure Subcategory” fields.

After reviewing each State list, VHB organized the CMF Clearinghouse countermeasure lists 

into groupings. For instance, VHB grouped the previously discussed shoulder widening 

countermeasures together into a “Widen Shoulder” group. After grouping the 

countermeasures, VHB calculated median, minimum, maximum, and most common service lives 

for all values of a countermeasure group. 

In some cases, the summary Table provides both an aggregate and disaggregate form of a 

particular countermeasure. For example, several State agencies provided a service life for 

“Install Median Barrier” while others differentiated between “Install Concrete Median Barrier”, 

“Install Cable Median Barrier”, or “Install Steel Median Barrier.” In this case, VHB opted to 

provide the numbers for State agencies from the aggregate description as well as the 

disaggregate descriptions. The intention is for VHB to let FHWA or the Panel decide how to 

proceed and to look at the full range of values used, without subjecting the aggregate category 

numbers to our interpretation. 

Service Life Summary Table

VHB prepared a summary service life table for each countermeasure category, with individual 

countermeasures provided in each row. Table 43 through Table 61 provide the summaries for 

each countermeasure by category. The project team opted to minimize the overall number of 

countermeasures included in the table to the extent possible. Therefore, in some cases, 

countermeasures that could be applied in one case may be found as a general overall 

countermeasure. For example, changing lane width at intersections is not included separately 

from changing lane width on the roadway tab. The intention is to provide the overall 

countermeasure and let practitioners select the countermeasure and apply as necessary. For 

this reason, the Countermeasure Service Life Guide will address this in the Chapter on 

Selecting Appropriate Service Lives. For each countermeasure, VHB included service life values 

for each applicable State list, along with additional service life information from publications. As 

stated previously, VHB summarized the service life data for each countermeasure with median, 

minimum, and maximum, and most common values.
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

85

Table 43.Access management countermeasure summary.

Countermeasure Name AK AZ CA CO IL IN IA MN MO NC OH OR UT TX VA WA

Lit 

Value 

1 

REF 1 

Number

Includes 

Range

Service 

Life 

Present Median Min Max

Most 

Common

Change Driveway 

Density 15 20 20 0 1 20 15 20 20

Change Median Width 20 20 25 0 1 20 20 20 20

Install Median 20 20 0 1 20 20 20 20

Install Raised Median 20 20 20 15 20 20 20 20 20 20 15 25 0 1 20 15 20 20

Install Flush Median 20 15 25 0 1 17.5 15 20 15,20

Replace Two-Way LeftTurn Lane with Raised 20 15 25 0 1 17.5 15 20 15,20

Flatten Entrance Slopes 20 20 20 0 1 20 20 20 20

Relocate Driveway 20 20 20 0 1 20 20 20 20

Adjust Driveways Near 

Intersection 10 7 0 1 10 10 10 10

Create Directional 

Median Openings 20 20 20 40 0 1 20 20 20 20

Change Intersection 

Density 0 0 NA NA NA NA

Close Median Opening 10 15 25 0 1 12.5 10 15 10,15

Convert Driveway 

Entrance to Regular 20 20 25 0 1 20 20 20 20

Convert to Right-InRight-Out (RIRO) 20 20 5 0 1 20 20 20 20

Lane Restrictions - 

Convert Two-Way to 20 20 10 20 25 0 1 20 10 20 20

Increase Separation 

Between Driveway and 

Downstream U-Turn

20 25 0 1 20 20 20 20
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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Table 44. Advanced technology and ITS countermeasure summary.

Countermeasure Name AK AZ CA CO IL IN IA MN MO NC OH OR UT TX VA WA

Lit 

Value 

1 

REF 1 

Number

Lit 

Value 

2 

REF 2 

Number

Includes 

Range

Service 

Life 

Present Median Min Max

Most 

Common

Implement Active 

Traffic Management 

Strategies 

20 0 1 20 20 20 20

Install Changeable 

Message Signs 8 10 10 25 0 1 10 8 10 10

Install Changeable 

Speed or Crash Ahead 

Warning Signs

10 10 5 10 5 to 10 6 15 25 1 1 10 5 15 10

Install Red-light 

Cameras 10 20 5 11 10 25 0 1 10 5 20 10

Install Speed 

Enforcement 

Camera/System

15 6 15 25 1 33 0 1 10.5 1 15 15

Install Toll Collection 

System 10 0 1 10 10 10 10

Install Ramp Meters 20 20 1 0 1 20 20 20 20

Install Long Vehicle 

Detection 10 10 0 1 10 10 10 10

Implement Incident 

Management to 

Reduce Incident 

 

6 0 1 6 6 6 6 

Install Changeable 

"Queue Ahead" 

Warning Signs

15 10 15 25 0 1 15 10 15 15

Install Wrong Way 

Driver Advanced 

Technology

8 0 1 8 8 8 8 
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

87

Table 45. Alignment countermeasure summary. 

Countermeasure Name AK AZ CA CO IL IN IA MN MO NC OH OR UT TX VA WA

Lit 

Value 

1 

REF 1 

Number

Lit 

Value 

2 

REF 2 

Number

Includes 

Range

Service 

Life 

Present Median Min Max

Most 

Common

Change Horizontal 

Alignment 20 20 20 20

15 

to 20 20 15 20 20 10 20 20 20 25 30 4 1 1 20 10 20 20

Change Vertical 

Alignment 20 20 20 20 20 20 15 20 30 20 10 20 20 20 30 20 25 0 1 20 10 30 20

Improve 

Superelevation 20 12 20 20 20 10 20 12 25 0 1 20 10 20 20

Make Geometric 

Improvements 20 20 15 0 1 20 15 20 20

Relocate Frontage Road 20 0 1 20 20 20 20

Increase Stopping Sight 

Distance on Crest 

Vertical Curve

20 0 1 20 20 20 20

Table 46. Bicycle countermeasure summary.

Countermeasure Name AK AZ CA CO IL IN IA MN MO NC OH OR UT TX VA WA

Lit 

Value 

1 

REF 1 

Number

Includes 

Range

Service 

Life 

Present Median Min Max

Most 

Common

Change Sidewalk Width 20 0 1 20 20 20 20

Install Bicycle Lane 20 20 25 0 1 20 20 20 20

Install Standard 

Marking Bicycle Lane 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 

Install Durable Marking 

Bicycle Lane 5 0 1 5 5 5 5 

Install Dedicated Bicycle 

Facility 20 20 20 20 1 to 5 20 20 20 25 1 1 20 1 to 

5 20 20

Install Dedicated Bicycle 

Facility at Intersection 10 20 25 0 1 15 10 20 10

Install Standard Paint 

Bicycle Box 10 10 0 1 10 10 10 10

Install Durable Marking 

Bicycle Box 10 10 0 1 10 10 10 10

Install Bicycle Signal 20 0 1 20 20 20 20

Install Raised Bicycle 

Crossings 8 25 0 1 8 8 8 8 

Install Sidewalk Barrier 10 10 0 1 10 10 10 10
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

88

Table 47. Delineation countermeasure summary.

Countermeasure Name AK AZ CA CO IL IN IA MN MO NC OH OR UT TX VA WA

Lit 

Value 

1 

REF 1 

Number

Includes 

Range

Service 

Life 

Present Median Min Max

Most 

Common

Install Standard Paint Edge Line 

and/or Center Line Markings 2 2 10 1 2 2 2 2 1 5 10 5 2 1 25 0 1 2 1 10 2 

Apply Thermoplastic Markings 2 5 5 0 1 5 2 5 5 

Apply Paint Markings 2 1 1 0 1 1 1 2 1 

Install Standard Paint Wide 

Pavement Markings 1 2 2 1 25 0 1 1.5 1 2 1,2

Install Tape or Thermoplastic Wide 

Pavement Markings 1 2 2 1 25 0 1 1.5 1 2 1,2

Install Raised Reflective Pavement 

Markers 4 5 10 2 4 25 0 1 4 2 10 4 

Improve Pavement Marking 

Retroreflectivity 2 3 25 0 1 2.5 2 3 2,3

Improve Pavement Marking to 

Wet-Reflective Markings 2 2 15 0 1 2 2 2 2 

Restripe with Epoxy 2 0 1 2 2 2 2 

Restripe with Paint 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 

Restripe with Tape 7 0 1 7 7 7 7 

Restripe with Thermoplastic 3 0 1 3 3 3 3 

Provide Standard Paint "Stop 

Ahead" Pavement Markings 3 2 1 to 5 10 3 25 1 1 3 2 10 3 

Provide Durable "Stop Ahead" 

Pavement Markings 3 2 1 to 5 10 3 25 1 1 3 2 10 3 

Install Delineators 2 2 10 4 2 6 10 10 7 10 4 25 0 1 6 2 10 10

Install Profile Edge Line Markings 5 2.5 6 0 1 3.75 2.5 5 5 

Install Profile Center Line Markings 5 0 1 5 5 5 5 
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

89

Table 48. Highway lighting countermeasure summary.

Countermeasure Name AK AZ CA CO IL IN IA MN MO NC OH OR UT TX VA WA

Lit 

Value 

1 

REF 1 

Number

Lit 

Value 

2 

REF 2 

Number

Includes 

Range

Service 

Life 

Present Median Min Max

Most 

Common

Modify/Improve 

Lighting 15 15 15 25 0 1 15 15 15 15

Provide Lighting 15 15 20 10 15 15 15 15 10 20 15 15 15 15 25 29 20 30 0 1 15 10 25 15

Provide Intersection 

Lighting 15 15 20 10 15 15 15 20 15 10 20 15 15 15 10 15 25 25 29 0 1 15 10 25 15

Table 49. Interchange design countermeasure summary.

Countermeasure Name AK AZ CA CO IL IN IA MN MO NC OH OR UT TX VA WA

Lit 

Value 

1 

REF 1 

Number

Lit 

Value 

2 

REF 2 

Number

Includes 

Range

Service 

Life 

Present Median Min Max

Most 

Common

Install Grade 

Separation 30 20 50 30 20 25 20 34 0 1 25 20 50 30

Modify Speed Change 

Lane Design 15 20 20 20 15 25 20 30 0 1 20 15 20 20

Modify Number of Lane 

Changes at 

Merge/Diverge Area 

15 15 25 0 1 15 15 15 15

Add Acceleration or 

Deceleration Lane 20 20 20 20 0 1 20 20 20 20

Provide Auxiliary Lane 

Between Entrance and 

Exit Ramp

20 20 0 1 20 20 20 20

Change Ramp Type 20 30 20 20 25 20 31 0 1 20 20 30 20

Convert Interchange 

Configuration 50
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

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Table 50. Intersection geometry countermeasure summary. 

Countermeasure Name AK AZ CA CO IL IN IA MN MO NC OH OR UT TX VA WA

Lit 

Value 

1 

REF 1 

Number

Lit 

Value 2 

REF 2 

Number

Includes 

Range

Service 

Life 

Present Median Min Max

Most 

Common

Convert Two-Way Stop 

Intersection to 

Roundabout

20 20 20 20 20 20 25 20 20 30 10 20 20 20 25 25 32 0 1 20 10 30 20

Convert Traffic Signal to 

Roundabout 20 20 20 20 20 20 25 20 20 30 10 20 20 20 25 25 32 0 1 20 10 30 20

Add Quadrant Roadway 

to Intersection 20 0 1 20 20 20 20

Change Intersection 

Angle 20 20 20 20 20 20 25 0 1 20 20 20 20

Convert 4-Leg 

Intersection to Two 3-

Leg Intersections 

20 20 20 20 20 25 0 1 20 20 20 20

Convert Intersection to 

Continuous Flow 

Intersection

20 20 0 1 20 20 20 20

Convert Intersection to 

Median U-Turn 20 20 20 20 20 25 0 1 20 20 20 20

Convert Intersection to 

RCUT/J-Turn 20 20 20 9 0 1 20 20 20 20

Convert Intersection to 

Superstreet 20 20 15 25 0 1 20 15 20 20

Convert T-Intersection 

to Continuous Green-T 

Intersection

20 20 20 13 0 1 20 20 20 20

Improve Intersection 

Sight Distance 10 10 10 5 10 15 20 10 20 10 10 10 10 5 25 0 1 10 5 20 10

Modify Intersection 

Geometry 20 30 10 20 5 0 1 20 10 30 20

Install Median 

Acceleration Lane 20 20 0 1 20 20 20 20

Change Number of 

Lanes on Intersection 

Approach

0 0 NA NA NA NA

Increase Turn Lane 

Length 10 20 10 20 0 1 15 10 20 10,20

Install Curb 

Extenstions/Bulb Outs 20 20 0 1 20 20 20 20

Install Reduced LeftTurn Conflict 

Intersection

20 0 1 20 20 20 20
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

91

Countermeasure Name AK AZ CA CO IL IN IA MN MO NC OH OR UT TX VA WA

Lit 

Value 

1 

REF 1 

Number

Lit 

Value 2 

REF 2 

Number

Includes 

Range

Service 

Life 

Present Median Min Max

Most 

Common

Install Channelization 10 15 10 20 15 20 10 20 15 25 0 1 15 10 20 10,15,20

Install Splitter Island 20 0 1 20 20 20 20

Provide Channelized 

Left Turn Lane 10 30 15 20 15 20 20 20 30 25 0 1 20 10 30 20

Provide Standard 

Painted Channelized 

Left Turn Lane

3 1 to 

5 3 25 1 1 3 3 3 3 

Provide Durable 

Marking Channelized 

Left Turn Lane

3 1 to 

5 3 25 1 1 3 3 3 3 

Provide Channelized 

Right Turn Lane 10 15 15 20 15 20 20 20 20 15 25 0 1 17.5 10 20 20

Add Left- or Right-Turn 

By-Pass Lanes 15 15 25 0 1 15 15 15 15

Improve Left-Turn Lane 

Offset to Create 

Positive Offset 

15 15 25 0 1 15 15 15 15

Provide Left Turn Lane 10 20 15 15 20 15 20 20 20 15 10 20 20 15 25 20 34 0 1 20 10 20 20

Provide Right Turn Lane 10 20 20 15 15 20 15 20 20 15 10 20 20 15 25 20 34 0 1 20 10 20 20

Provide Left Turn 

Acceleration Lane 15 20 15 25 20 34 0 1 17.5 15 20 15

Provide Right Turn 

Acceleration Lane 10 15 20 15 25 20 34 0 1 15 10 20 15

Provide One-Way 

Couple 20 20 25 0 1 20 20 20 20

Install Turn Arounds 10 0 1 10 10 10 10

Remove Leg from 

Intersection 20 0 1 20 20 20 20
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

92

Table 51. Intersection traffic control countermeasure summary.

Countermeasure Name AK AZ CA CO FL IL IN IA MN MO NC OH OR UT TX VA WA

Lit 

Value 

1 

REF 1 

Number

Lit 

Value 

2 

REF 2 

Number

Includes 

Range

Service 

Life 

Present Median Min Max

Most 

Common

Install Traffic Signal 10 10 20 10 15 15 10 15 20 15 10 20 10 10 20 15 25 0 1 15 10 20 10

Convert Two-Way Stop 

to All-Way Stop 

Control

10 10 5 10 10 6 20 5 25 0 1 10 5 20 10

Coordinate Signals 10 10 0 1 10 10 10 10

Improve Signal 

Head/Lense Visibility 

(Enlarge Existing Signal 

Head)

10 10 10 10 10 20 10 20 10 25 0 1 10 10 20 10

Install Additional 

Signal Head 10 10 15 10 20 15 25 0 1 12.5 10 20 10

Add Retroreflective 

Backplates 10 10 10 20 10 6 10 25 0 1 10 6 20 10

Add Retroreflective 

Tape to Back Plate 10 0 1 10 10 10 10

Remove Unwarranted 

Signal 15 6 20 0 1 15 6 20 6,15,20

Advance Dilemma 

Zone Protection 10 10 10 10 20 10 25 0 1 10 10 20 10

Install Emergency 

Vehicle Pre-Emption 

Systems 

10 0 1 10 10 10 10

Relocate Signal 

Supports 15 15 25 0 1 15 15 15 15

Change Signal Mount 

Type 10 20 15 50 20 15 25 0 1 17.5 10 50 20

Provide Intersection 

Flashing Beacon 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 20 10 25 0 1 10 10 20 10

Change Signal 

Permissions 

/Protections

10 20 10 10 20 10 20 10 10 25 0 1 10 10 20 10

Implement Flashing 

Yellow Arrow 10 10 10 10 20 15 25 10 20 0 1 10 10 20 10

Change Signal LeftTurn Phasing 10 10 10 5 10 10 20 15 10 25 20 18 0 1 10 5 20 10

Change Signal/Phase 

Intervals 10 10 20 1 to 3 20 13 1 1 15 10 20 20

Install Pedestrian 

Countdown Timer 10 20 10 20 20 10 2 15 25 0 1 15 10 20 20
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

93

Countermeasure Name AK AZ CA CO FL IL IN IA MN MO NC OH OR UT TX VA WA

Lit 

Value 

1 

REF 1 

Number

Lit 

Value 

2 

REF 2 

Number

Includes 

Range

Service 

Life 

Present Median Min Max

Most 

Common

Install Leading 

Pedestrian Interval 10 0 1 10 10 10 10

Replace Night-Time 

Flash with Steady 

Operation 

5 10 3 25 0 1 5 3 10 3,5,10

Install Pedestrian 

Signal 10 20 10 10 10 20 10 20 15 10 2 10 25 0 1 10 10 20 10

Install Dynamic Red 

Extension 10 0 1 10 10 10 10

Upgrade Traffic Signals 10 15 20 10 10 20 0 1 12.5 10 20 10

Install Closed Loop 

Signal System 10 20 0 1 15 10 20 20

Install Left Turn Yield 

Blank Out Sign 10 0 1 10 10 10 10

Install Standard Paint 

Temporary Traffic 

Circle

2 0 1 2 2 2 2 

Install Durable 

Temporary Traffic 

Circle

2 0 1 2 2 2 2 

Install Dynamic Signal 

Warning Flashers 10 15 10 10 6 15 25 0 1 10 6 15 10

Implement Systemic 

Signing and Marking 

Improvements at StopControlled 

Intersections

8 25 7 8 0 1 7.5 7 8 8 

Implement Systemic 

Signing and Visibility 

Improvements at 

Signalized 

Intersections

7 3 0 1 7 7 7 7 

Install Optically 

Programmed Signal 10 0 1 10 10 10 10

Permit or Prohibit 

Right-Turn-On-Red 10 10 10 20 10 25 0 1 10 10 20 10

Prohibit Left-Turns 

and/or U-Turns 10 6 10 25 0 1 10 6 10 10

Provide Traffic Signal 

Actuation 10 10 25 0 1 10 10 10 10
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

94

Countermeasure Name AK AZ CA CO FL IL IN IA MN MO NC OH OR UT TX VA WA

Lit 

Value 

1 

REF 1 

Number

Lit 

Value 

2 

REF 2 

Number

Includes 

Range

Service 

Life 

Present Median Min Max

Most 

Common

Provide Traffic Signal 

Time Lane Control 10 10 25 0 1 10 10 10 10

Provide Traffic Signal 

Optical Programming 10 10 25 0 1 10 10 10 10

Convert Unsignalized 

Superstreet to a 

Signalized Superstreet 

10 0 1 10 10 10 10

Table 52. Pedestrian countermeasure summary.

Countermeasure Name AK AZ CA CO IL IN IA MN MO NC OH OR UT TX VA WA

Lit 

Value 

1 

REF 1 

Number

Lit 

Value 

2 

REF 2 

Number

Lit 

Value 

3 

REF 3 

Number

Includes 

Range

Service 

Life 

Present Median Min Max

Most 

Common

Install Pedestrian 

Hybrid Beacon 10 20 10 10 20 10 10 20 20 25 0 1 10 10 20 10

Install Raised 

Intersection 10 25 0 1 10 10 10 10

Install Sidewalk 20 20 20 20 10 20 30 27 10 28 25 23 0 1 20 10 30 20

Implement Barnes 

Dance 20 10 20 0 1 20 10 20 20

Install Pedestrian 

Crossing with New Signs 10 0 1 10 10 10 10

Install Fluorescent 

Yellow-Green 

Pedestrian Crossing Sign 

0 0 NA NA NA NA

Install Standard Paint 

Crosswalk 0 0 NA NA NA NA

Install Durable Marking 

Crosswalk 5 1 to 5 10 2 1 1 5 2 10 1 to 5, 2, 5, 

10

Install Standard Paint 

Advanced Yield or Stop 

Markings at Pedestrian 

Crossing 

10 20 25 0 1 15 10 20 10,20

Install Durable 

Advanced Yield or Stop 

Markings at Pedestrian 

Crossing 

10 20 25 0 1 15 10 20 10,20

Install Advanced Yield 

or Stop Signs at 

Pedestrian Crossing 

10 20 25 0 1 15 10 20 10,20
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

95

Countermeasure Name AK AZ CA CO IL IN IA MN MO NC OH OR UT TX VA WA

Lit 

Value 

1 

REF 1 

Number

Lit 

Value 

2 

REF 2 

Number

Lit 

Value 

3 

REF 3 

Number

Includes 

Range

Service 

Life 

Present Median Min Max

Most 

Common

Install RRFB 20 10 20 6 15 10 25 0 1 12.5 6 20 20

Construct Pedestrian 

and/or Bicycle Overpass 

or Underpass

30 30 30 20 30 0 1 30 20 30 30

Install Fencing 10 20 10 10 10 0 1 10 10 20 10

Separate Pedestrians 

from Vehicle Traffic on 

Bridge

20 0 1 20 20 20 15

Provide Improvements 

to Standard Paint 

Crosswalks 

20 1 to 

5 2 0 1 11 2 20 1 to 5, 2, 

20

Install Pedestrian 

Structure 30 50 0 1 40 30 50 30,50

Install Actuated 

Overhead Flasher for a 

Pedestrian Location

10 0 1 10 10 10 10

Improve Pedestrian 

Signals 10 0 1 10 10 10 10

Install Pedestrian 

Refuge Island 15 20 15 25 0 1 15 15 20 15

Install High-Visibility 

Yellow Crosswalks at 

Schools

5 5 25 0 1 5 5 5 5 

Install a Bus Shelter 20 26 0 1 20 20 20 20
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

96

Table 53. Railroad grade crossings countermeasure summary. 

Countermeasure Name AK AZ CA CO IL IN IA MN MO NC OH OR UT TX VA WA

Lit 

Value 

1 

REF 1 

Number

Includes 

Range

Service 

Life 

Present Median Min Max

Most 

Common

Close, Eliminate, or 

Separate Railroad 

Grade Crossing

30 30 20 30 50 30 50 50 20 25 1 1 30 20 50 30

Traffic Control at 

Railroad Grade Crossing 10 10 15 10 10 20 10 to 18

5 

to 10 20 15 25 1 1 10 10 20 10

Modify Railroad 

Crossing Alignment and 

Surface

10 10 10 10 5 to 

20

10 to 

20 15 25 1 1 10 10 20 10

Railroad Grade Crossing 

Electronics 10 10 10 20 8 25 0 1 10 8 20 10

Install Median Barrier 20 10 20 20 20 15 15 20 20 20 20 15 25 0 1 20 10 25 20

Install Automatic 

Railroad Gates 18 15 25 0 1 16.5 15 18 15

Install Signs and 

Crossbucks 15 15 25 0 1 15 15 15 15

Install Flashing Lights 15 15 25 0 1 15 15 15 15

Install Flashing Beacons 15 25 15 25 0 1 15 15 25 15

Install Warning Bells 15 15 25 0 1 15 15 15 15

Install Standard Paint 

Pavement Markings 2 2 25 0 1 2 2 2 2 

Install Durable 

Pavement Markings 2 2 25 0 1 2 2 2 2 

Install Standard 

Warning Signs 2 2 25 0 1 2 2 2 2 

Install Special Warning 

Signs 5 5 25 0 1 5 5 5 5 

Install Delineators 4 4 25 0 1 4 4 4 4 

Install Safety Lighting 15 15 15 25 0 1 15 15 15 15
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

97

Table 54. Resurfacing countermeasure summary.

Countermeasure Name AK AZ CA CO IL IN IA MN MO NC OH OR UT TX VA WA

Lit 

Value 

1 

REF 1 

Number

Lit 

Value 

2 

REF 2 

Number

Includes 

Range

Service 

Life 

Presen

Media

n 

Mi

n Max

Most 

Common

Pave Road Surface 0 0 NA NA NA NA

Resurface Pavement 10 10 20 10 10 10 25 0 1 10 10 20 10

De-Slick Pavement 5 5 25 0 1 5 5 5 5 

Overlay for Skid 

Treatment 10 10 10 6 to 9 10 1 1 10 6 10 10

Apply Skid Treatment 

and Seal Coat 3 to 5 1 1 3 to 5 3 5 3 to 5

Apply Grooved 

Pavement Skid 10 10 10 10 10 10 5 to 10 0 1 10 10 10 10

Apply Slurry Seal 5 to 7 10 5 17 1 1 7.5 5 7 5 

Apply Chip Seal 10 5 17 0 1 7.5 5 10 5 

Apply High Friction 

Surface Treatment 10 10 10 10 5 10 10 5 17 5 21 0 1 10 5 10 10

Apply Thin Layer of Hot 

Mix Asphalt 10 6 17 0 1 8 6 10 6 

Apply Open Graded 

Friction Course 10 6 17 0 1 8 6 10 6,10

Apply Ultrathin Bonded 

Wearing Course 6 17 0 1 6 6 6 6 

Conduct Diamond 

Grinding 10 10 5 to 10 8 17 1 1 10 8 10 10
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

98

Table 55. Roadside countermeasure summary.

Countermeasure Name AK AZ CA CO IL IN IA MN MO NC OH OR UT TX VA WA

Lit 

Value 

1 

REF 1 

Number

Lit 

Value 2 

REF 2 

Number

Includes 

Range

Service 

Life 

Present Median Min Max

Most 

Common

Install Median Barrier 20 10 20 15 15 20 20 25 15 25 0 1 20 10 25 15

Install Concrete Median 

Barrier 20 20 20 20 15 0 1 20 15 20 20

Install Cable Median 

Barrier 20 10 20 20 15 20 15 15 25 15 to 20 12 1 1 17.5 10 20 20

Install Steel Median 

Barrier 20 15 15 15 25 0 1 15 15 20 15

Upgrade Median Barrier 15 20 0 1 17.5 15 20 15

Install Outside 

Guardrail/Barrier 10 10 20 15 10 10 10 10 20 20 20

15 

to 20 15 25 15 25 1 1 15 10 25 10

Change Barrier Type 10 20 15 10 10 20 20 10 15 25 0 1 15 10 20 10

Install End Treatment 10 3 10 10 0 1 10 3 10 10

Install Impact 

Attenuation System 10 10 10 3 10 10 10 10 15 3 25 0 1 10 3 15 10

Change Clear Zone 

Width 20 20 20 0 1 20 20 20 20

Flatten Sideslope 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 to 50 20 25 1 1 20 20 20 20

Remove or Relocate 

Fixed Object 20 20 15 20 20 20 50 15 25 0 1 20 15 50 20

Change the Longitudinal 

Density of Utility Poles 15 50 0 1 32.5 15 50 15

Cushion Fixed Object 20 10 0 1 15 10 20 10,20

Construct Gateway 

Monument 0 0 NA NA NA NA

Change Roadside 

Hazard Rating 15 0 1 15 15 15 15

Install Rest Areas 0 0 NA NA NA NA

Install Snow Fencing 10 10 10 25 0 1 10 10 10 10

Install Traversable 

Median 20 0 1 20 20 20 20

Install Truck Escape 

Ramp 20 20 0 1 20 20 20 20

Improve Horizontal 

Sightline Offset 15 15 25 0 1 15 15 15 15

Lengthen Culvert 25 to 30 1 1 25 to 30 25 30 25 to 30
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

99

Countermeasure Name AK AZ CA CO IL IN IA MN MO NC OH OR UT TX VA WA

Lit 

Value 

1 

REF 1 

Number

Lit 

Value 2 

REF 2 

Number

Includes 

Range

Service 

Life 

Present Median Min Max

Most 

Common

Protect Culvert with 

Guardrail or Grate 15 25 0 1 20 15 25 15,25

Remove Culvert 

Headwall and Delineate 20 20 0 1 20 20 20 20

Install Motorcycle Rub 

Rail under Existing WBeam

20 0 1 20 20 20 15

Change Median Width 20 20 25 0 1 20 20 20 20

Install Turnouts 15 15 25 0 1 15 15 15 15
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

100

Table 56. Roadway countermeasure summary.

Countermeasure Name AK AZ CA CO IL IN IA MN MO NC OH OR UT TX VA WA

Lit 

Value 

1 

REF 1 

Number

Lit 

Value 

2 

REF 2 

Number

Lit 

Value 3 

REF 3 

Number

Includes 

Range

Service 

Life 

Present Median Min Max

Most 

Common

Increase Number of 

Lanes 20 20 15 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 25 20 34 0 1 20 15 20 20

Convert 2-Lane Road to 

4-Lane Divided Road 20 20 20 20 0 1 20 20 20 20

Conduct Road Diet 

(Convert 4-Lane 

 

20 15 20 20 20 0 1 20 15 20 20

Change Lane Width 20 20 20 15 20 20 20 20 20 20 15 25 0 1 20 15 20 20

Install Passing or 

Climbing Lane 20 20 20 15 20 20 20 20 20 15 20 15 25 20 34 0 1 20 15 20 20

Add Two-Way Left Turn 

Lane 10 20 20 20 15 20 20 20 20 10 20 0 1 20 10 20 20

Lane Restrictions - High 

Occupancy 0 0 NA NA NA NA

Lane Restrictions - Truck 0 0 NA NA NA NA

Change Pavement 

Width 20 20 15 20 20 20 20 20 20 15 25 0 1 20 15 20 20

Reallocate Pavement 

Width 12 15 25 10 32 0 1 13.5 12 20 20

Widen Managed Lane 

Envelope 0 0 NA NA NA NA

Close Crossover 20 0 1 20 20 20 20

Install Raised Pavement 

Markers on Median 15 4 39 0 1 9.5 4 15 15

Install Thermoplastic Or 

Preformed Tape Median 3 0 1 3 3 3 3 

Install Standard Paint 

Median 2 0 1 2 2 2 2 

Provide Transverse 

Rumble Strips 10 10 3 10 10 10 5 10 8 25 0 1 10 3 10 10

Provide Milled Center 

Line Rumble Strips 10 10 10 3 7 10 15 10 10 10 10 10 8 25 7 to 10 12, 16 1 1 10 3 15 10

Provide Milled Edge 

Line Rumble Stripes 10 15 10 7,12 10 7 to 10 12, 16 12 to 

15 12, 16 1 1 10 7 15 10

Improve Drainage 10 20 20 20 0 1 20 10 20 20

Install Glare Shields 10 10 25 0 1 10 10 10 10
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

101

Countermeasure Name AK AZ CA CO IL IN IA MN MO NC OH OR UT TX VA WA

Lit 

Value 

1 

REF 1 

Number

Lit 

Value 

2 

REF 2 

Number

Lit 

Value 3 

REF 3 

Number

Includes 

Range

Service 

Life 

Present Median Min Max

Most 

Common

Remove Curb Parking 20 0 1 20 20 20 20

Install Wildlife 

Detection Systems 20 0 1 20 20 20 20

Table 57. Shoulder treatments countermeasure summary.

Countermeasure Name AK AZ CA CO IL IN IA MN MO NC OH OR UT TX VA WA

Lit 

Value 

1 

REF 1 

Number

Lit 

Value 

2 

REF 2 

Number

Lit 

Value 3 

REF 3 

Number

Includes 

Range

Service 

Life 

Present Median Min Max

Most 

Common

Change Shoulder Width 20 20 20 20 15 20 20 20 10 20 20 20 20 20 15 25 0 1 20 10 20 20

Install Safety Edge 

Treatment 7 7 10 10 15 7 19 7 25 0 1 7 7 15 7 

Convert to Composite 

Shoulder 0 0 NA NA NA NA

Install Curb and Gutter 20 25 30 27 30 28 0 1 30 20 20 30

Convert to Gravel 

Shoulder 15 10 25 25 29 0 1 15 10 25 10,15,25

Convert to Other 

Shoulder Type 15 0 1 15 15 15 15

Convert to Paved 

Shoulder 15 20 20 10 25 0 1 17.5 10 20 20

Convert to Turf 

Shoulder 15 0 1 15 15 15 15

Provide Milled Shoulder 

Rumble Strips 10 10 3 10 10 10 10 10 8 25 12 to 

15 12, 16 1 1 10 3 15 10

Provide Rolled Shoulder 

Rumble Strips 12 12 25 0 1 12 12 12 12

Install Raised Rumble 

Strips 4 0 1 4 4 4 4 
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

102

Table 58. Signs countermeasure summary.

Countermeasure Name AK AZ CA CO IL IN IA MN MO NC OH OR UT TX VA WA

Lit 

Value 

1 

REF 1 

Number

Lit 

Value 

2 

REF 2 

Number

Includes 

Range

Service 

Life 

Present Median Min Max

Most 

Common

Install Signs 6 6 10 6 10 6 6 10 6 to 8 20 5 10 5 6 6 12 10 25 1 1 6 5 20 6 

Install STOP Signs, 

Oversize STOP, Double 

 

5 20 10 25 0 1 10 5 20 5,10

Install Solar Power 

Flashing LED STOP Sign 10 0 1 10 10 10 10

Install Wired Flashing 

LED STOP Sign 10 0 1 10 10 10 10

Install Advance Curve 

Speed/Warning Sign 6 10 5 20 5 6 10 25 0 1 6 5 20 6 

Install Chevron Signs 10 4 20 5 10 5 10 6 10 4 25 0 1 8 4 20 10

Increase 

Retroreflectivity of 

Sign(s)

10 6 6 6 5 10 6 10 25 0 1 6 5 10 6 

Upgrade to Solar Power 

LED Signs 10 10 10 0 1 10 10 10 10

Upgrade to Wired LED 

Signs 10 10 10 0 1 10 10 10 10

Install Speed Signing 6 0 1 6 6 6 6 

Install Advance Signal 

Warning Signs 10 0 1 10 10 10 10

Install Solar Power 

Flasher on Sign 10 0 1 10 10 10 10

Install Wired Flasher on 

Sign 10 0 1 10 10 10 10

Install Advance Street 

Name Signs 10 15 0 1 12.5 10 15 10,15

Install Yield Signs 10 10 25 0 1 10 10 10 10

Install Guide Signs 20 0 1 20 20 20 20

Install Lane Use Signs 6 15 0 1 10.5 6 15 6,15

Improve Sign Visibility 10 6 to 8 20 6 10 25 1 1 10 6 20 10

Install "Intersection 

Conflict Warning 

Systems" (ICWS) System 

10 10 6 10 14 15 25 0 1 10 6 15 10
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

103

Countermeasure Name AK AZ CA CO IL IN IA MN MO NC OH OR UT TX VA WA

Lit 

Value 

1 

REF 1 

Number

Lit 

Value 

2 

REF 2 

Number

Includes 

Range

Service 

Life 

Present Median Min Max

Most 

Common

Install Sequential 

Dynamic Chevrons 10 0 1 10 10 10 10

Install a Detection 

Warning System with 

CCTV's, Warning Signs 

with Flashers, and DMS's

10 0 1 10 10 10 10

Actuated Advanced 

Flasher at Official Use 

Crossover 

10 0 1 10 10 10 10

Install Static Signs and 

Flashers "Truck Speed 

too Fast when Flashing"

10 0 1 10 10 10 10

Provide a Mandatory 

Motorcycle Pull Off Area 

with Roadway 

Informational Signing

6 0 1 6 6 6 6 

Actuated "Prepare To 

Stop When Flashing" 

Signs In Advance Of 

Intersection With Sight 

Distance Issues 

10 10 0 1 10 10 10 10
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

104

Table 59. Structures countermeasure summary.

Countermeasure Name AK AZ CO IL IN IA MN MO NC OH OR UT TX VA WA

Lit 

Value 

1 

REF 1 

Number

Includes 

Range

Service 

Life 

Present Median Min Max

Most 

Common

Remove Mainline 

Barrier Toll Plazas On 

Highways 

0 1 NA NA NA NA

Replace Bridge 20 20 50 30 50 30 30 50 50 20 34 0 1 30 20 50 50

Build New Bridge 30 30 30 30 30 0 1 30 30 30 30

Build Structure 20 20 20 15 25 0 1 20 15 20 20

Improve Drainage 

Structures 20 20 20 20 20 0 1 20 20 20 20

Widen Bridge 20 20 20 15 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 34 0 1 20 15 20 20

De-Slick Bridge 

Pavement 5 5 25 0 1 5 5 5 5 

Grooving Bridge 

Pavement 15 15 25 0 1 15 15 15 15

Install Frost/Ice 

Detectors on Bridge 10 10 25 0 1 10 10 10 10

Remove Bridge 50 20 50 0 1 50 20 50 50

Replace Bridge 

Guardrail 10 15 20 0 1 15 10 20 10,15,20

Install Barrier on Bridge 15 0 1 15 15 15 15

Upgrade Bridge Rail 10 20 0 1 15 10 20 10,20

Install Breakaway Sign 

Supports 10 20 10 10 10 10 0 1 10 10 20 10

Install Breakaway 

Utility/Light Poles 10 10 20 10 20 10 10 0 1 10 10 20 10

Install Overhead Sign 

Truss 15 15 25 0 1 15 15 15 15

Table 60. Work zone countermeasure summary.

Countermeasure Name AK AZ CA CO IL IN IA MN MO NC OH OR UT TX VA WA

Includes 

Range

Service 

Life 

Present Median Min Max

Most 

Common

Modify Work Zone Duration 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 

Modify Work Zone Length 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

105

Table 61. Other countermeasure summary.

Countermeasure Name AK AZ CA CO IL IN IA MN MO NC OH OR UT TX VA WA

Lit Value 

1 

REF 1 

Number

Lit 

Value 

2 

REF 2 

Number

Includes 

Range

Service 

Life 

Present Median Min Max

Most 

Common

Change Unrestricted 

Left Turn Hours 10 25 10 35 0 1 10 10 10 10

Prohibit On-Street 

Parking 15 20 15 25 0 1 15 20 20 20

Change Unrestricted 

Parking Hours during 

Rush Hour from X to Y 

Hours

5 25 0 1 5 5 10 5 

Implement TimeLimited Parking 15 15 25 0 1 15 15 8 8 

Convert Angle Parking 

to Parallel Parking 15 15 25 0 1 15 15 15 15

Convert Free to 

Regulated On-Street 

Parking

15 15 25 0 1 15 15 15 15

Change Posted Speed 8 25 0 1 8 8 8 8 

Install Speed Humps 10 20 20 to 40 22 10 25 1 1 10 10 20 to 40 10

Speed Management 10 25 0 1 10 10 10 10

Implement Area-Wide 

Traffic Calming 15 15 25 0 1 15 15 15 15

Change Transit Stop 

Presence/Location 0 0 NA NA NA NA

Install Transit Lane 

Priority 10 35 15 25 0 0 12.5 10 15 10,15

Install Transit Signal 

Priority 10 35 15 25 0 0 12.5 10 15 10,15

Change Right of Way 100 0 1 100 100 100 100
COUNTERMEASURE SERVICE LIFE GUIDE

106

Next Steps

This memorandum summarizes the VHB review of countermeasure service life information. 

The purpose of this summary is to identify the range of values used by State agencies and to 

determine a typical service life for each countermeasure in the final guide. VHB received 

feedback on the specific countermeasures, groupings, and the potential for disaggregation or 

inclusion of further countermeasures. Based on feedback from FHWA, the project team revised 

the summary document and companion table for dissemination to Panel for review. Prior to the 

Panel meeting, VHB combined information for similar countermeasures to streamline the Panel 

review of typical service life values. Two examples of streamlining for Panel discussion include 

pavement markings and signs. The project team provided the Panel with information for 

standard pavement markings versus more durable markings, and for standard signs rather than 

several specific types of signs and markings. This allowed for more streamlined discussion 

during the Panel meeting and provides consistency in application when two similar 

countermeasures are considered in an alternative analysis. 
For More Information:

Visit https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/hsip/docs/FHWASA-21-021_Countermeasure_Serv_Life_Guide.pdf

FHWA, Office of Safety

Karen Scurry 

karen.scurry@dot.gov

202-897-7168

FHWA-SA-21-026