Tennessee panel advances rule adopting latest federal MUTCD standards for signs, bike signals and markings
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Summary
The Department of Transportation told the joint committee it will adopt FHWA's 11th edition MUTCD, updating design standards for signage, bike/pedestrian signals, and pavement markings; TDOT said the changes are design standards, not mandates to immediately implement projects, and the senate gave a positive recommendation.
Jay Klein, director of state and congressional legislative affairs for the Tennessee Department of Transportation, and Andy Barlow, TDOT’s director of traffic design, told the committee that TDOT’s rule revises the state manual to adopt the Federal Highway Administration’s 11th‑edition Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).
Klein said states must adopt the federal manual to remain eligible for federal funds and that the proposed rule makes minor technical and design-standard updates. Barlow described updates focused on bike and pedestrian infrastructure — including standardized bike signals and new pavement‑marking colors for bus and transit lanes — and said manufacturers can produce the signs and markings without proprietary restrictions.
Representative Fritz asked whether the rule would permit or require surveillance equipment such as camera systems; Klein said TDOT operates only live‑monitoring traffic cameras and does not store that data, and that automated license‑plate readers or stored surveillance would be placed and operated only by local law enforcement under specific statutory and data‑security requirements.
Senators and representatives also questioned cost and whether colored pavement or new markings would automatically be installed statewide; TDOT said the MUTCD establishes design standards to be used when departments choose to pursue projects and does not itself obligate immediate construction or extra statewide spending.
No public comments were recorded. The senate took a roll call and recorded five ayes; the chair announced the rule moves out from the senate with a positive recommendation.
