Signalization Warrants

409. Signalization Warrants

The Manual for Uniform Trac Control Devices

(MUTCD)[1] outlines the

following eight warrants for signalization at an intersection.

409.1. Warrant 1Eight-Hour Vehicular Volume

Warrant 1 is satised if one of the following conditions exists for each of

any 8 h of an average day :

1. The vehicles per hour given in both of the 100% columns of condition A in
Table 409.1 exist on the major-street and the higher-volume minor-street
approaches.
2. The vehicles per hour given in both of the 100% columns of condition B in
Table 409.1 exist on the major-street and the higher-volume minor-street.

Table 409.01. Warrant 1 Criteria (MUTCD)

In applying each condition the major-street and minor-street volumes shall be

for the same 8 h. On the minor street, the higher volume shall not be
required to be on the same approach during each of these 8 h.
If the posted or statutory speed limit or the 85th percentile speed on the
major street exceeds 70 km/h (40 mph), or if the intersection lies within the
built-up area of an isolated community having a population of less than
10,000, the trac volumes in the 70% columns in Table 409.1 should be used
in place of the 100% columns.
Warrant 1 is also satised if both of the following conditions exist for each

of any 8 h of an average day :

1. The vehicles per hour given in both of the 80% columns of condition A in
Table 409.1 exist on the major-street and the higher-volume minor-street
approaches.
2. The vehicles per hour given in both of the 80% columns of condition B in
Table 409.1 exist on the major-street and the higher-volume minor-street
approach.
These major-street and minor-street volumes shall be for the same 8 h for
each condition; however, the 8 h satised in condition A shall not be required

to be the same 8 h satised in condition B. On the minor street, the higher

volume shall not be required to be on the same approach during each of the
8 h.
If the posted or statutory speed limit or the 85th percentile speed on the
major street exceeds 70 km/h (40 mph), or if the intersection lies within the
built-up area of an isolated community having a population of less than
10,000, the trac volumes at the 56% level may be used in place of the 80%
columns.

409.2. Warrant 2Four-Hour Vehicular Volume

Warrant 2 is satised if, for each of any 4 h of an average day

, the plotted

points representing the vehicles per hour on the major street (total of both
approaches) and the corresponding vehicles per hour on the higher-volume
minor-street approach (one direction only) all fall above the applicable curve
in Figure 409.1 for the existing combination of approach lanes. On the minor
street, the higher volume shall not be required to be on the same approach
during each of these 4 h.

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Figure 409.1. MUTCD warrant 2: 4-h vehicular volume. (Manual of

Uniform Trac Control Devices, Federal Highway Administration,
Washington, DC, 2003.)
If the posted or statutory speed limit or the 85th percentile speed on the
major street exceeds 70 km/h (40 mph) or if the intersection lies within the
built-up area of an isolated community having a population of less than

10,000, warrant 2 is satised with 70% of the numbers in Figure 409.1.

409.3. Warrant 3Peak Hour Volume

This signal warrant shall be applied only in unusual cases. Such cases
include, but are not limited to, oce complexes, manufacturing plants,
industrial complexes, or high-occupancy vehicle facilities that attract or
discharge large numbers of vehicles over a short time.
Warrant 3 is satised if the criteria in either of the following two categories
are met:
1. If all three of the following conditions exist for the same 1 h (any four
consecutive 15-min periods) of an average day:
a. The total stopped time delay experienced by the trac on one minorstreet approach (one direction only) controlled by a stop sign equals or
exceeds: 4 veh/h for a one-lane approach; or 5 veh/h for a two-lane
approach.
b. The volume on the same minor-street approach (one direction only)
equals or exceeds 100 veh/h for one moving lane of trac or 150 veh/h
for two moving lanes.
c. The total entering volume serviced during the hour equals or exceeds
650 veh/h for intersections with three approaches or 800 veh/h for
intersections with four or more approaches.
2. The plotted point representing the vehicles per hour on the major street
(total of both approaches) and the corresponding vehicles per hour on the
higher-volume minor-street approach (one direction only) for 1 h (any four
consecutive 15-min periods) of an average day falls above the applicable
curve in Fig. 409.2 for the existing combination of approach lanes.

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Figure 409.2. MUTCD warrant 3: peak-hour volume.

If the posted or statutory speed limit or the 85th-percentile speed on the
major street exceeds 70 km/h (40 mph), or if the intersection lies within the
built-up area of an isolated community having a population of less than
10,000, warrant 4 is satised with 70% of the numbers in Fig. 409.2.

409.4. Warrant 4Pedestrian Volume

Warrant 4 is satised if both of the following criteria are met:
1. The pedestrian volume crossing the major street at an intersection or
midblock location during an average day is 100 or more for each of any 4 h
or 190 or more during any 1 h.
2. There are fewer than 60 gaps per hour in the trac stream of adequate
length to allow pedestrians to cross during the same period when the
pedestrian volume criterion is satised.
Where there is a divided street having a median of sucient width for
pedestrians to wait, the requirement applies separately to each direction of
vehicular trac.
The pedestrian volume signal warrant shall not be applied at locations where
the distance to the nearest trac control signal along the major street is less
than 90 m (300 ft), unless the proposed trac control signal will not restrict
the progressive movement of trac.
The criterion for the pedestrian volume crossing the major roadway may be

reduced as much as 50% if the average crossing speed of pedestrians is less

than 1.2 m/s (4 ft/s). A trac control signal may not be needed at the study
location if adjacent coordinated trac control signals consistently provide
gaps of adequate length for pedestrians to cross the street, even if the rate
of gap occurrence is less than one per minute.

409.5. Warrant 5School Crossing

Warrant 5 is satised when an engineering study of the frequency and
adequacy of gaps in the vehicular trac stream as related to the number and
size of groups of school children at an established school crossing across the
major street shows that the number of adequate gaps in the trac stream
during the period when the children are using the crossing is less than the
number of minutes in the same period and there are a minimum of 20
students during the highest crossing hour. Before a decision is made to
install a trac control signal, consideration shall be given to the
implementation of other remedial measures, such as warning signs and
ashers, school speed zones, school crossing guards, or a grade-separated
crossing.
The school crossing signal warrant shall not be applied at locations where
the distance to the nearest trac control signal along the major street is less
than 90 m (300 ft), unless the proposed trac control signal will not restrict
the progressive movement of trac.

409.6. Warrant 6Coordinated Signal System

Warrant 6 is satised if one of the following criteria is met:
1. On a one-way street or a street that has trac predominantly in one
direction, the adjacent trac control signals are so far apart that they do
not provide the necessary degree of vehicular platooning.
2. On a two-way street, adjacent trac control signals do not provide the
necessary degree of platooning and the proposed and adjacent trac
control signals will collectively provide a progressive operation.

409.7. Warrant 7Crash Experience

Warrant 7 is satised if all of the following criteria are met:

1. Adequate trial of alternatives with satisfactory observance and
enforcement has failed to reduce the crash frequency.
2. Five or more reported crashes, of types susceptible to correction by a
trac control signal, have occurred within a 12-month period, each crash
involving personal injury or property damage apparently exceeding the
applicable requirements for a reportable crash.
3. For each of any 8 h of an average day, the vehicles per hour (vph) given in
both of the 80% columns of condition A in Table 409.1, or the vph in both of
the 80% columns of condition B in Table 409.1 exists on the major-street
and the higher-volume minor-street approach, or the volume of pedestrian
trac is not less than 80% of the requirements specied in the pedestrian
volume warrant. These major-street and minor-street volumes shall be for
the same 8 h. On the minor street, the higher volume shall not be required
to be on the same approach during each of the 8 h.
If the posted or statutory speed limit or the 85th percentile speed on the
major street exceeds 70 km/h (40 mph), or if the intersection lies within the
built-up area of an isolated community having a population of less than
10,000, the trac volumes in the 56% columns in Table 409.1 may be used in
place of the 80% columns.

409.8. Warrant 8Roadway Network

Warrant 8 is satised if the common intersection of two or more major routes
meets one or both of the following criteria:
1. The intersection has a total existing, or immediately projected, entering
volume of at least 1000 veh/h during the peak hour of a typical weekday
and has 5-year projected trac volumes, based on an engineering study,
that meet one or more of Warrants 1, 2, and 3 during an average weekday.
2. The intersection has a total existing or immediately projected entering
volume of at least 1000 veh/h for each of any 5 h of a nonnormal business
day (Saturday or Sunday).
A major route as used in this signal warrant shall have one or more of the
following characteristics:

1. It is part of the street or highway system that serves as the principal

roadway network for through trac ow.
2. It includes rural or suburban highways outside, entering or traversing a
city.
3. It appears as a major route on an ocial plan, such as a major street plan
in an urban area trac and transportation study.

409.9. Warrant 9Signalization of an Intersection Near a Grade

Crossing
Warrant 9 (new in the 2009 MUTCD) is met if both of the following conditions
are met:
A. A grade crossing exists on an approach controlled by a STOP or YIELD sign
and the center of the track nearest to the intersection is within 140 feet of
the stop line or yield line on the approach; and
B. During the highest trac volume hour during which rail trac uses the
crossing, the plotted point representing the vehicles per hour on the major
street (total of both approaches) and the corresponding vehicles per hour
on the minor-street approach that crosses the track (one direction only,
approaching the intersection) falls above the applicable curve in Figure
409.3 or 409.4 (Figures 4C-9 or 4C-10 from the MUTCD 2009) for the
existing combination of approach lanes over the track and the distance D,
which is the clear storage distance as dened in Section 1A.13.

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Figure 409.3. Warrant 9, intersection near a grade crossing (one

approach lane at the track crossing).

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Figure 409.4. Warrant 9, intersection near a grade crossing (two or

more approach lanes at the track crossing).
The minor-street approach volume may be multiplied by up to three
adjustment factors as follows:
Because the curves are based on an average of four occurrences of rail trac
per day, the vehicles per hour on the minor-street approach may be
multiplied by the adjustment factor shown in Table 4C-2 for the appropriate
number of occurrences of rail trac per day. The factor ranges from 0.67 (for
daily rail trac = 1) to 1.33 (for daily rail trac = 12).
Because the curves are based on typical vehicle occupancy of at least 2% of
the vehicles crossing the track are (high occupancy) buses carrying at least
20 people, the vehicles per hour on the minor-street approach may be
multiplied by the adjustment factor shown in Table 4C-3 for the appropriate
percentage of high-occupancy buses. For 6% or more of the minor street
approach trac composed of high-occupancy buses, this adjustment factor =
1.32.
Because the curves are based on tractor-trailer trucks comprising 10% of the
vehicles crossing the track, the vehicles per hour on the minor-street
approach may be multiplied by the adjustment factor shown in Table 4C-4 for
the appropriate distance and percentage of tractor-trailer trucks. This factor

ranges from 0.50 to 4.18 for distance D less than 70 ft and from 0.50 to 2.09
for distance D greater than 70 ft.

Clear storage distance when used in Part 8, the distance available for
vehicle storage measured between 6 ft from the rail nearest the intersection
to the intersection stop line or the normal stopping point on the highway. At
skewed grade crossings and intersections, the 6-ft distance shall be
measured perpendicular to the nearest rail either along the center line or
edge line of the highway, as appropriate, to obtain the shorter distance.
Where exit gates are used, the distance available for vehicle storage is
measured from the point where the rear of the vehicle would be clear of the
exit gate arm. In cases where the exit gate arm is parallel to the track(s) and
is not perpendicular to the highway, the distance is measured either along
the center line or edge line of the highway, as appropriate, to obtain the
shorter distance.
Example 409.1
A two-lane minor street intersects a four-lane major street as shown in the
diagram below.

Given the following data, determine which MUTCD warrants for signalization
are satised at this location.
On an average day, for each of the 8 h, total trac volume on major street
(sum of both directions) is 450 vph. For the higher-volume minor-street
approach, the volume is 130 vph.
85th percentile speed on the major street trac is 47 mph.
The peak pedestrian volume crossing the major street is 230 pedestrians per
hour. During peak pedestrian periods, the average number of gaps per hour

in the trac stream is 48.

The nearest trac signal is located 800 ft from this intersection.
In the last 12 months, there have been 2 PDO accidents and 1 injury accident
(nonfatal) at this intersection.
Solution With the limited data, only the following relevant warrants are
examined:
Warrant 18-h volume
Warrant 4pedestrian volume
Warrant 7crash experience

Warrant 1
For two lanes on major street and one lane on minor street, the minimum
volume requirements are 600 (major street total both approaches) and 150
(larger of minor volumes). The given volumes (450 and 130) are less than
these levels. Conditions A or B are not met at the 100% level. However, since
the 85th percentile speed is greater than 40 mph, check these levels at 70%
levels (420 and 105). Condition A for warrant 1 is therefore met.

Warrant 4
In order for this warrant to be met, both conditions of warrant 4 need to be
metpedestrian volume greater than 190 pedestrians per hour during any 1
h, or greater than 100 pedestrians per hour during any 4 h and number of
acceptable (to pedestrians) gaps in trac stream less than 60 per hour. The
given peak hour volume of 230 pedestrians per hour is greater than 190 and
number of gaps (48) is less than 60. Therefore, this warrant is met.

Warrant 7
Number of crashes during the 12-month period is less than 5. Therefore, this
warrant is not met.
Warrants 1 and 4 for signalization of the intersection are satised.

[1](Manual

of Uniform Trac Control Devices

, Federal Highway

Administration, Washington, DC, 2003.)

Citation
EXPORT

Indranil Goswami: Civil Engineering All-In-One PE Exam Guide: Breadth and Depth,
Second Edition. Signalization Warrants, Chapter (McGraw-Hill Professional, 2012),
AccessEngineering

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