1200 New Jersey Ave., SE

 Washington, D.C. 20590

November 30, 2012

FHWA:HSST:NArtimovich:sf:x61331:11/15/12 NArtimovich: Updated 11/26/12

File: s://directory folder/HSST/ LS78_Roland Burke Main St Lighting.docx

cc: HSST (NArtimovich; BFouch

In Reply Refer To:

HSST/LS-78

Roland Burke

Main Street Lighting, Inc.

10802 Industrial Parkway

Medina, Ohio 44256

Dear Mr. Burke:

This letter is in response to your request for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to 

review a roadside safety system for eligibility for reimbursement under the Federal-aid highway 

program.

Name of system: Fiberglass light pole 12.75 foot height

Type of system: Breakaway luminaire support

Test Level: NCHRP Report 350 Test Level 3

Testing conducted by:Southwest Research Institute

Date of request: February 27, 2012

Decision: The following device is eligible, with details provided in the form which is attached 

as an integral part of this letter:

• Main Street Lighting Fiberglass light pole 12.75 foot height

Based on a review of the crash test report, dated April 1996, submitted by the manufacturer 

certifying the device described herein meets the crash test and evaluation criteria of the National 

Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 350, the device is eligible for 

reimbursement under the Federal-aid highway program. Eligibility for reimbursement under the 

Federal-aid highway program does not establish approval or endorsement by the FHWA for any 

particular purpose or use.

The FHWA, the Department of Transportation, and the United States Government do not 

endorse products or services and the issuance of a reimbursement eligibility letter is not an 

endorsement of any product or service.

Requirements

To be found eligible for Federal-aid funding, roadside safety devices should meet the crash test 

and evaluation criteria contained in the NCHRP Report 350 or the American Association of State 

Highway and Transportation Officials’ Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH).
2

Description

The device and supporting documentation are described in the attached form, report, and 

drawing. The pendulum testing showed an occupant impact velocity of 1.5 m/s. The subsequent 

calculation for estimated high speed results showed an occupant impact velocity of 1.9 m/s. Both 

results are within the 5.0 m/s maximum under NCHRP Report 350.

Summary and Standard Provisions

Therefore, the system described and detailed in the attached form is eligible for reimbursement 

and may be installed under the range of conditions tested.

Please note the following standard provisions that apply to FHWA eligibility letters:

•This finding of eligibility does not cover other structural features of the systems, nor conformity 

with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.

•Any changes that may influence system conformance with NCHRP Report 350 criteria will 

require a new reimbursement eligibility letter.

•Should the FHWA discover that the qualification testing was flawed, that in-service 

performance reveals safety problems, or that the system is significantly different from the 

version that was crash tested, we reserve the right to modify or revoke this letter.

•You are expected to supply potential users with sufficient information on design and installation 

requirements to ensure proper performance.

•You are expected to certify to potential users that the hardware furnished has the same 

chemistry, mechanical properties, and geometry as that submitted for review, and that it will 

meet the crash test and evaluation criteria of the NCHRP Report 350.

•To prevent misunderstanding by others, this letter of eligibility is designated as number LS-78

and shall not be reproduced except in full. This letter and the test documentation upon which it 

is based are public information. All such letters and documentation may be reviewed at our 

office upon request. 

•This letter shall not be construed as authorization or consent by the FHWA to use, manufacture, 

or sell any patented system for which the applicant is not the patent holder. The FHWA does not 

become involved in issues concerning patent law. Patent issues, if any, are to be resolved by the 

applicant.

•The Main Street Lighting luminaire supports are patented products and considered proprietary. 

If proprietary systems are specified by a highway agency for use on Federal-aid projects: (a) they 

must be supplied through competitive bidding with equally suitable unpatented items; (b) the 

highway agency must certify that they are essential for synchronization with the existing 

highway facilities or that no equally suitable alternative exists; or (c) they must be used for 

research or for a distinctive type of construction on relatively short sections of road for 

experimental purposes. Our regulations concerning proprietary products are contained in Title 

23, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 635.411.

Sincerely yours,

Michael S. Griffith

Director, Office of Safety Technologies

Enclosures

Office of Safety