FMCA's view: Leave RV Friendly symbol as is

The Federal Highway Administration has approved the RV Friendly program for inclusion in the 2008 revision of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).

On Jan. 2 FHWA published a Notice of Proposed Amendments to the MUTCD (FHWA-2007-28977-0001) and opened a seven-month period for public review and comment.

In the proposed revisions, FHWA has substantially altered the original requirements for using the RV Friendly symbol.

Our view: FMCA believes it would be more beneficial to the RV industry if FHWA were to use the same requirements expressed in the September 2005 Interim Approval for Addition of RV Friendly Symbol to Specific Service Signs.

The proposed changes would make the RV Friendly symbol more expensive to use and more difficult for businesses and attractions to incorporate into their signage. Here’s why:

• Reducing the size of the RV Friendly symbol would make it less visible and could lead to safety concerns.

• Allowing the alternative message RV ACCESS would require most businesses to redesign and reprint their existing logos. It also raises consistency concerns because at least 15 states already have endorsed the program under the current interim program.

• Requiring the entire RV Friendly symbol to be displayed within the business logo would discourage businesses from participating because of the added expense for logo removal, redesign, and replacement.

These changes, if approved, will prevent widespread adoption of the RV Friendly program. Therefore, FMCA urges FHWA to revert to the same standards contained in the September 2005 Interim Approval.

Act now: Use the Public Comment and Submission Form at Regulations.gov. You may copy excerpts from FMCA's viewpoint expressed above. Add your personal comments to bring more relevance.

Important: All comments should include the docket number for the proposed rulemaking: FHWA-2007-28977-0001.

You may also fax comments to (202) 493-2251. Or, mail comments to: U.S. Department of Transportation, Dockets Management Facility, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, Washington, D.C. 20590.

Deadline: The comment period closes July 31.

Regulations.gov
www.regulations.gov

Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices
www.mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov