• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
Logo

Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse

Library of Resources to Improve Roadway Work Zone Safety for All Roadway Users

  • About
  • Join Listserv
  • Contact
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Work Zone Data
    • At a Glance
    • National & State Traffic Data
    • Work Zone Traffic Crash Trends and Statistics
    • Worker Fatalities and Injuries at Road Construction Sites
  • Topics of Interest
    • Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety
    • Smart Work Zones
    • Transportation Management Plans
    • Accommodating Pedestrians
    • Worker Safety and Welfare
    • Project Coordination in Work Zones
  • Training
    • Flagger
    • Online Courses
    • Toolboxes
    • FHWA Safety Grant Products
    • Certification and
      Accreditation
  • Work Zone Devices
  • Laws, Standards & Policies
    • COVID-19 Guidance
  • Public Awareness
  • Events
  • About
  • Listserv
  • Contact
  • Search
Publication

Changeable Message Sign Messages for Work Zones: Time of Day, Days of Week, and Month Dates

Author/Presenter: Dudek, Conrad L.
Abstract:

The New Jersey Department of Transportation initiated a research study which in part is designed to further the state of knowledge of changeable message sign message design with specific application to the needs in New Jersey. This paper reports on human factors laboratory studies conducted in New Jersey to evaluate shorter alternative messages than those currently used regarding the display of time of day, days of week, and calendar dates. These type of messages are oftentimes displayed on portable changeable message signs used in highway work zones . Among the findings were that the “dash” can be used in place of THRU when giving road work for a range of successive days; the term WEEKEND was not a good descriptor for work that begins on Friday evening and ends on Monday morning; the term DAYS did not connote specific daytime, off-peak times for road work, but may be satisfactory for certain time periods; likewise, the term NIGHTS did not connote specific nighttime, off-peak times for road work, but may be satisfactory for certain time periods; NITE is an acceptable substitute for NIGHT; and calendar dates were not easily translated by drivers to specific days of the week.

Source: Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board
Volume: 1692
Issue: 1
Publisher: Transportation Research Board
Publication Date: January 1, 1999
Source URL: Link to URL
Publication Types: Books, Reports, Papers, and Research Articles
Topics: Changeable Message Signs; Human Characteristics; Intelligent Transportation Systems; Traffic Control Devices

Copyright © 2023 American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). The National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse is a project of the ARTBA Transportation Development Foundation. It is operated in cooperation with the U.S. Federal Highway Administration and Texas A&M Transportation Institute. | Copyright Statement · Privacy Policy · Disclaimer
American Road and Transportation Builders Association Transportation Development Foundation, American Road and Transportation Builders Association U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration Texas A&M Transportation Institute