ITE Journal - May 2020 - 23

Traffic Signs and Signals

ITE Presidents -1960s

MUTCD 1961 Edition
The 1961 Edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices
(MUTCD) was the first new edition to come out since 1948.
The 1961 edition "provided greater uniformity by eliminating
many of the alternatives permitted in the previous edition and
by replacing them with a single standard."3 The Bureau of Public
Roads also required that all traffic control devices used on federalaid highways should conform to the new manual, marking the
first time compliance with MUTCD standards was tied to receiving
federal highway funds.
Although the National Joint Committee wanted to minimize changes in the appearance of
traffic control devices, the 1961 MUTCD had several important changes in content and format:
*	 Signs: Though no new symbols were introduced, the 1961 MUTCD featured several
changes to existing signs, including increasing sign sizes.
*	 Pedestrian Signals: Required pedestrian signals to be rectangular in shape and display
messages "Walk" in green or white, and "Don't Walk" in red and orange.
*	 Markings: Established a solid yellow line to the right of a white center line as the
standard for marking no-passing zones.

Edward G. Wetzel
1959-1960

Alger F. Malo
1960-1961

Gordon K. Gravelle
1962

J. Al Head
1963

Fred W. Hurd
1964

Signs from the 1961 MUTCD.4
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May 2020

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