New York Codes, Rules and Regulations › Title 17 - DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION › Chapter V - New York State Supplement To The National Manual On Uniform Traffic Control Devices For Streets And Highways-2009 Edition › Part 7 - Traffic Control For School Areas › Chapter 7B - Signs › Section 7B.15 - School Speed Limit Assembly (S4-1P, S4-2P, S4-3P, S4-4P, S4-6P, S5-1) and END SCHOOL SPEED LIMIT Sign (S5-3)

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 28, July 10, 2024
DELETE the entire section.
INSERT the following paragraphs:
Standard:
00A A New York School Speed Limit assembly (see Figure
					 7B-101) shall be used to indicate the speed limit where a reduced school speed
					 limit zone has been established based upon an engineering study or where a
					 reduced school speed limit is specified for such areas by statute. The New York
					 School Speed Limit assembly shall be placed at or as near as practical to the
					 point where the reduced school speed limit zone begins.
00B The S5-1 sign and the S4-1P, S4-2P, S4-4P, and S4-6P
					 plaques shall not be used in New York.
Support:
00C Section
					 2B.13 
					 contains information regarding placement of additional speed limit signs within
					 a speed zone.
00D The New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law (Sections
					 1620(a), 1622, 1630, 1643, 1662-a, 1180(c)) specifies the maximum length of a
					 school speed limit zone and the locations where school speed limits may be
					 established, the times when the limits are allowed to be in effect, and the
					 manner in which the speed limits must be posted. A school is considered to be
					 every place of academic, vocational or religious services or instruction for
					 persons under the age of 21 years, except places of higher education. It shall
					 include every child care center, every institution for the care or training of
					 the mentally or physically handicapped; and every day camp. (17 NYCRR
					 720.1(s))
Standard:
00E If a reduced school speed limit zone has been
					 established, a School (S1-1) sign (see Figure 7B-1) shall be installed in
					 advance (see Table NY2C-4 for advance placement guidelines) of the first School
					 Speed Limit sign assembly that is encountered in each direction as traffic
					 approaches the reduced school speed limit zone (see Figure 7B-102).
00F In order for a school speed limit to be established,
					 all of the following conditions shall be met:
A. The facility is a school; and
B. Some of the children walk or bicycle to or
				  from the facility; or the facility and related facilities (e.g., classrooms,
				  cafeteria, gymnasium, playground, athletic fields, parking lots) are separated
				  by a highway and require the children to cross the highway on foot to access
				  the facilities; and
C. The facility
				  and the jurisdiction responsible for the highway provide written documentation
				  of their support for a school speed limit.
Guidance:
00G Where a school speed limit is established and if
					 students must cross a highway at a school, the following conditions should be
					 met:
A. The school speed limit zone
				  contains a marked crosswalk; and
B.
				  The crosswalk is supervised by an adult crossing guard; and
C. There is no nearby traffic control signal,
				  pedestrian overpass or underpass, or bridge suitable for pedestrian use within
				  the designated school speed zone.
00H The numerical value of a school speed limit should be
					 approximately 10 MPH below the normally prevailing 85th percentile speed on the
					 highway, or at approximately the actual 85th percentile speed within the zone
					 during school crossing periods.
Standard:
00I In accordance with the New York State Vehicle and
					 Traffic Law, school speed limits shall not be set below 15 MPH.
00J The maximum length of a school speed limit zone, as
					 established in the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law, shall not be greater
					 than 1320 feet (0.25 mile) on a highway passing a school building, entrance or
					 exit of a school abutting on the highway.
Guidance:
00K The reduced speed limit zone should begin at a point
					 either 200 feet upstream from the crosswalk, or 300 feet upstream from the
					 school property line, whichever is encountered first as traffic approaches the
					 school. The minimum length of a school speed limit zone should be 400
					 feet.
Option:
00L Longitudinal distances may be slightly adjusted to fit
					 field conditions.
Standard:
00M The hours of operation of a school speed limit as
					 established by the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law shall be effective
					 only on "school days" at times indicated by the school speed limit sign. The
					 hours of operation shall be one of the following:
A. Between the core hours of 7:00 AM and 6:00
				  PM, inclusive; or
B. Alternative
				  times within such core hours (e.g., 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM and
				  2:00 PM to 4:00 PM); or
C. A period
				  when beacons attached to the school speed limit assembly are flashing, and such
				  sign is equipped with a WHEN FLASHING (NYR7-13P) plaque (see Sign Drawing
				  SD-R11) indicating that the school speed zone is in effect when such beacons
				  are flashing. The beacons shall only flash during student activities at the
				  school, and up to 30 minutes immediately before and up to 30 minutes
				  immediately after such student activities.
00N A School Speed Limit assembly shall consist of one of
					 the following configurations:
A.
				  Standard School Speed Limit Assembly -- A Speed Limit (R2-1) sign (see Section
				  2B.13) 
				  with a SCHOOL (S4-3P) plaque (see Figure 7B-1) mounted above it. In addition,
				  the assembly shall contain one of the following:
A time (NYR7-4P) plaque (see Sign Drawing SD-R11)
					 indicating the times the school speed limit is in effect mounted below the
					 Speed Limit sign; or
A time (NYR7-4P) plaque indicating the times the school
					 speed limit is in effect mounted below the Speed Limit sign, with Speed Limit
					 Sign Beacons (see Section
					 4L.04) 
					 that are operated only when the school speed limit is in effect; or
A WHEN FLASHING (NYR7-13P) plaque (see Sign Drawing SD-R11)
					 mounted below the Speed Limit sign, and Speed Limit Sign Beacons that are
					 operated only when the school speed limit is in effect;
B. Blank-Out School Speed Limit Assembly --
				  Identical to the Standard School Speed Limit assembly, except that the Speed
				  Limit (R2-1) sign contains a blank-out message device which displays a numeric
				  speed value when the school speed limit is in effect and no message at other
				  times. When no numeric value is displayed, Speed Limit Sign Beacons, if
				  provided, shall not be operated; or
C. Changeable School Speed Limit Assembly --
				  A Speed Limit (R2-1) sign with a changeable message element for the numerals,
				  with a SCHOOL (S4-3P) plaque mounted above it. The assembly shall also contain
				  a WHEN FLASHING (NYR7-13P) plaque mounted below the Speed Limit sign, and Speed
				  Limit Sign Beacons that are operated only when the school speed limit is in
				  effect. If the changeable message device is used to display a speed limit other
				  than the school speed limit, the SCHOOL plaque shall be a blank-out device that
				  is not illuminated when the school speed limit is not in effect. If no
				  numerical speed is displayed, the school speed limit shall not be in effect,
				  and the Speed Limit Sign Beacons shall not be operated; or
D. Overhead School Speed Limit Assembly --
				  Similar to the Standard School Speed Limit Assembly or the Blank-Out School
				  Speed Limit assembly, except that the Speed Limit sign and SCHOOL plaque are
				  integrated into a single sign (NYR2-8) (see Sign Drawing SD-R2), and
				  supplemented with either a time (NYR7-4) plaque or WHEN FLASHING (NYR7-13aP)
				  plaque. If a WHEN FLASHING (NYR7-13aP) plaque is used, Speed Limit Sign Beacons
				  shall also be installed and shall only operate when the school speed limit is
				  in effect. The NYR2-8 sign shall only be installed overhead. A post-mounted
				  sign shall not be required where a NYR2-8 sign is used.
00O White pixels on a black background shall be used when
					 the numerals for a speed limit are displayed on a changeable message sign or a
					 blank-out sign in a school speed limit assembly.
00P Fluorescent yellow-green pixels on a black background
					 shall be used when the SCHOOL (S4-3P) plaque is a blank-out sign as part of a
					 school speed limit assembly.
Guidance:
00Q A confirmation light or device to indicate that the
					 speed limit message is in operation should be considered for inclusion on the
					 back of the changeable or blank-out message sign.
Option:
00R Changeable message signs that display the speed of
					 approaching drivers (see Section
					 2B.13) 
					 may be used in a school speed limit zone.
Standard:
00S Except as provided in Paragraph 00T, the downstream end
					 of an authorized and posted reduced school speed limit zone shall be identified
					 with an END SCHOOL SPEED LIMIT (S5-3) sign (see Figure 7B-102).
Option:
00T A standard Speed Limit sign showing the speed limit for
					 the section of highway that is downstream from the authorized and posted
					 reduced school speed limit zone may be mounted on the same post above the END
					 SCHOOL SPEED LIMIT (S5-3) sign.