Colorado Inter-Agency Travel Management Signs

Background:

Four travel management signs were developed at the Colorado Natural Resource Group (CNRG) sponsored 1998 travel management conference held in Denver on Sept 11-12, 1998.  Those signs include a Trail sign, an Area Open sign, a Travel Restricted sign and a Road Use sign.  On June 15, 2001 an interagency implementation group met and recommended an additional Road Use sign to be placed on roads not intended for use by standard passenger cars.  This recommendation was supported and approved by the CNRG.  The following descriptions provide direction on the installation and use of these approved travel management signs.

Travel Management

Standards For All Signs:

These signs are intended to inform the traveler on what the travel management direction is for an area, road or trail.

Color:

Color on the signs will be white on brown.

Symbols:

  • Eight federal recreation symbols are used on these signs.  To ensure consistency the symbols are as follows:  hiker (RL-100); cross-country skier (RS-040); horse (RL-110); bicycle (RL-090); trail bike, i.e., trail motorcycle (RL-150); all-terrain vehicle (RL-170); snowmobile (RS-070); and high clearance vehicle (RL-140).  There will be no additions or substitutions.  Always use international symbols, and ensure that they are the current symbols.
  • Symbols will be reflectorized. 
  • A red slash across a symbol will be used to display closures.  No other color than red should be used for the slash.
  • Consistency is the key to the success of these signs.  Whenever symbols are used, the order of placement will be:  hiker, cross-country skier, horse, bicycle, trail motorcycle, ATV, snowmobile and high clearance vehicle.  Any of the symbols may be eliminated when appropriate, but the remaining order will be maintained.

Material:

Travel management signs will not be constructed on paper or poster type materials.

Fonts:

The fonts will be Gothic C, standard highway fonts.  The lettering size will not be smaller than one half inch.

Trail Sign:

 

vertical trail sign

 

 

 

 

Standard Format

Travel Management signage for trails is critical in today's world.  The trail users want to know what modes of travel are allowed on the trail they are ready to use, as well as what modes of travel are prohibited on that trail.

Trailhead Signage

All trailheads should have travel management signing regardless of the level of development at the trailhead.  At a minimum, the user should see the name and number of the trail, with travel management information clearly displayed as a sign assembly.  See diagram at left.

The trail name and trail number should read horizontally.  The travel management should be displayed vertically.  A destination is optional for the trail sign.  Follow responsible agency’s manual direction on proper wording, abbreviations, and placement of text for direction signs.

Placement of International Symbols

To show the travel modes allowed, use the words "Open To" and show the international symbols below.  Display the modes of travel that are prohibited using the words "Closed to" with a red slash across the international symbol below.

Symbol Size

The size of symbols for trail usage is 3x3 inches for each symbol. 

Agency Logos

The agency logo(s) may be placed at the bottom of the vertical travel management sign.  It can be smaller than the 3x3 international symbol.  Consider keeping it white on brown.

Placement of Travel Management Signs

Travel management signing need not be on every trail sign along the trail corridor.  Travel management signs should be placed at the trailhead, and at trail junctions where travel management is changing, or needs reinforcement.

Travel Restricted Area Sign:

 

travel restriction sign

 

Standard Format

The Travel Restricted Area sign is intended to be used where a traveler crosses into a travel restricted area from an open area.  This does not include wilderness areas.  This sign is intended to alert the traveler that off road travel is prohibited and there may be some additional restrictions on certain routes.

Install this sign where it is safe for traffic to stop to view the message.

The Trail sign and Road Use sign will be used to designate routes.  All other signing alternatives will no longer be used.

 

Symbols

Only the modes of travel that are restricted should be shown on this sign.

Allowable Alterations

The word “Designated” may be changed to “Established” while area management prescriptions are being changed from “open to off-road travel” to “restricted to roads and trails”.  When the roads and trails that will be retained as the managed transportation system have been identified the word “Established” should be changed back to “Designated.”  This is intended to be an interim policy to allow for the orderly transition between “open to off-road” to “restricted to route” policy.

Lettering

Minimum size of lettering will be one inch.

Minimum lettering size for “TRAVEL RESTRICTED AREA” wording will be one half inch larger than all other lettering.

Area Open Sign:

 

area open sign

 

Standard Format

The "OPEN AREA" sign is used for specific areas with identifiable boundaries in which travel is allowed both on and off roads.  An area identification is optional.  If the area name is desired, place the name at the top of the sign.  The message "THIS AREA OPEN TO ALL TRAVEL ON AND OFF ROADS AND TRAILS USING" is to be placed below the name of the area and above the recreation symbols.  Agency logos and/or names are to be placed below the recreation symbols.  Every sign should include at least one agency identification of some sort so the public knows where questions and comments can be directed.  Areas managed by multiple agencies may show only agency logos across the bottom of the sign.

In most cases this sign would be installed at all access points into a specified open area.

Road Use Sign:

road sign

 

road sign

 

road sign

 

atv sign

OHV Sign

 

 vertical road sign

Standard Format

These signs are travel management signs and are not intended to replace road name or road number signs.  Where there are travel restrictions, the road name and number may be included on these signs.

Road Use signs are used to identify “designated routes” through a travel restricted area.  They also inform the traveler of the modes of travel allowed on the route.  The sign may contain several messages. 

Options – Horizontal Display

This sign is appropriate on roads intended for use by standard passenger cars, or on lower standard roads where the complexity of the travel management message (i.e., seasonal closures) requires the use of horizontal display.  There are 3 options for this sign (see diagrams at left). They are:

OPEN TO: is intended to show, using symbols, the modes of travel allowed on the road.  Display all the symbols under the words “Open To.”

CLOSED TO: is intended to show, using symbols, the modes of travel that are not allowed on the road.  This sign will first show the modes of travel that are allowed on the road under the words “Open To”. Below these, the modes of travel that are prohibited will be shown with red-slashed symbols under the words “Closed To.” The reason for the closure is optional.

SEASONAL CLOSURE (with dates): This sign will first show the modes of travel that are allowed on the road under the words “Open To”. Below these, the modes of travel that are restricted will be shown with red-slashed symbols under the words “Seasonal Closure”. The dates of the restricted travel will be shown below the symbols.

Road Identification

The road name is not required.  If the road name is desired, it will be placed at the top of the sign along with the number.

Symbols

The minimum symbol size will be 3” x 3”.

ATV Usage

If the only change of use on the road is allowing ATV’s the open OHV sign can be used in place of the Road Use sign.

Options – Vertical Display

This sign is appropriate on roads not intended for use by standard passenger cars.  There are two options for this sign.  They are:

OPEN TO: is intended to show, using symbols, the modes of travel allowed on the road.  Display all the symbols under the words “Open To.”

CLOSED TO: is intended to show, using symbols, the modes of travel that are not allowed on the road.  This sign will first show the modes of travel that are allowed on the road under the words “Open To”. Below these, the modes of travel that are prohibited will be shown with red-slashed symbols under the words “Closed To.” The reason for the closure is optional.

SEASONAL CLOSURE (with dates): The complexity of the travel management under this scenario requires the use of the horizontal display to convey the entire necessary message.  Refer to the direction for horizontal display above.

Road Identification

The road name is not appropriate on the vertical display.  The number will be placed vertically at the top of the sign to distinguish these routes from trails.

Symbols

The minimum symbol size will be 3” x 3”.

Agency Logos 

The agency logo(s) may be placed at the bottom of the vertical display.  It can be smaller than the 3x3 international symbol.  Consider keeping it white on brown.