Wayfinding and Signing Guidelines for Airport Terminals and Landside (2011)

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197 This chapter contains on overview of the regulatory and informational signs required by code to be posted in airports, primarily in the terminal areas. Theses codes as well as the governing agencies are subject to change. Therefore, airports should periodically review the most current code requirements. The information listed in this section is current as of the publication date of this guideline. 8.1 Federal Agencies Regulatory agencies are described below in the following sections. 8.1.1 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) One component of the Department of Homeland Security is the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). TSA protects the nation’s transportation systems to ensure freedom of movement for people and commerce. Since 2001, TSA has been mandated by law to appropriately screen air travelers to ensure that certain items and persons prohibited from flying don’t board commercial airliners. TSA officers are most visibly present at over 450 airports across the country where passengers must pass through security checkpoints to access the departure gate, and where Security Officers screen passengers and their carry-on baggage. TSA sign requirements are subject to change without notice. Specific requirements can be found in the most recently published TSA Airport Signage Guidelines. The Assistant Federal Security Directors responsible for security compliance and customer service should be contacted for latest guidelines and how those guidelines are applied to the specific airport. The five primary types of TSA airport signage are: • Checkpoint Signage, • Campaign Signage, • Checked Baggage Signage, • Direct Access Point Signage, and • Technology Signage. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is another component of the Department of Home- land Security. Signage required by CBP is identified in the document Airport Technical Design Standards—Passenger Processing Facilities dated August 2006. In addition, CBP required signage includes currency reporting. C H A P T E R 8 Code Required Regulatory and Information Signs

198 Wayfinding and Signing Guidelines for Airport Terminals and Landside 8.1.2 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) This is the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Regis- ter by the executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government. The CFR is divided into 50 titles that represent broad areas subject to Federal regulation. Two are referenced in this document: Title 14: Aeronautics and Space (also known as the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR), administered by the Federal Aviation Administration) Title 49: Transportation Examples of regulatory signage under the CFR includes: • Passenger Rights (limitation of liability, overbooking of flights) • Security (threat advisory, consent to search, X-Ray system, false statements) • Transportation of Materials (Hazardous materials, firearms) • Passenger Notices (tariffs, notice of contract) • Unlawful Discrimination 8.1.3 United States Code (USC) The Office of the Law Revision Counsel prepares and publishes the United States Code, which is a consolidation and codification by subject matter of the general and permanent laws of the United States. The Code does not include regulations issued by executive branch agencies, deci- sions of the Federal courts, treaties, or laws enacted by State or local governments. Regulations issued by executive branch agencies are available in the Code of Federal Regulations. 8.2 Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) Reference Chapter 6 accessibility Section 6.8 for information related to the ADA. The ADAAG contains scoping and technical requirements, including signage, for accessibility to buildings and facilities by individuals with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. These scoping and technical requirements are to be applied during the design, construction, and alteration of buildings and facilities covered by Titles II and III of the ADA to the extent required by regulations issued by Federal agencies, including the Department of Justice and the Department of Transportation, under the ADA. State accessibility requirements and standards for ADA signage should also be consulted. In some cases, state requirements may be stricter than federal requirements. 8.3 Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) As previously noted in Chapter 3, airports should refer to the Federal Highway Administration’s Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices for rules and regulations associated with airport roadway signing. Airports will also need to look at their individual state manuals. 8.4 State and Local Airports may be required to post state mandated signs and notices. One example is California Penal Code Section 602 which requires posting of a notice of prosecution for unauthorized entry, located prior to entry to airport operations areas. Due to the variety of state requirements, this

Code Required Regulatory and Information Signs 199 document cannot list these signs and instead recommends consultation with agency attorneys and airport operations staff. Local agencies may also provide signage requirements. For example, water recycling agencies may require posting of signs that identify use of recycled water in irrigated areas and the use of recycled water in restrooms. 8.5 Other Code and Regulating Agencies Published building codes and agencies that publish code and standards include the following: • ANSI American National Standards Institute • ASME American Society of Mechanical Engineers • NFPA National Fire Protection Association • IBC International Building Code • NEC National Electric Code • SBCCI Standard Building Code • UBC Uniform Building Code • The various building codes have a variety of sign requirements applicable to airports. A few examples include the following: • Signs for escalators or moving walkways including restrictions of other signs in these areas (ASME A17.1); • Signs for automatic sliding doors (ANSI); • Fire evacuation maps (various codes); • Fire Exit signs (various codes); and • Stair identity (various codes). • Local building and fire officials should be consulted when reviewing or developing signs required by building and fire codes or standards. 8.6 Regulatory and Informational Signage Required by Federal Regulations Elements included or addressed in this section include the following: • Federally required signs, typically in compliance with the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) and • Transportation Security Administration (TSA) requirements at ticketing and check-in areas, curbside check-in, security checkpoint, and gate hold rooms. Requirements come from current security directives or required per TSA signage guidelines. Elements not included in this section: • TSA requirements for signs at portals to operational or sterile areas, • State-specific requirements, and • Building code requirements. 8.6.1 Security Checkpoint The TSA has specific requirements regarding security checkpoint signs, as outlined in the doc- ument TSA Airport Signage Guidelines (dated February 2010)62. About this document: • The guidelines describe required signage through the checkpoint with specific sign sizes and locations.

200 Wayfinding and Signing Guidelines for Airport Terminals and Landside • The assumption is that the non-required signs are negotiated with the airport for placement, such as seasonal messages or campaign signage. • The document is not clear on how to address separate lines such as a crew line, accessible line, first class/priority customer line, or registered traveler line. Without any guidance, the assump- tion is these lines need to display the same information. To avoid a sea of signs over the check- point, sign planning must consider weaving these separate lines through the main queue lines to ensure that all groups pass through the area of required signs. • The guidelines do not address signs for the family lane/business lane/black diamond lane concept used at checkpoints. If separate line queues are developed, then planning is necessary to ensure all these groups pass the TSA required signs without the need to add more signs into the queues. Checkpoint sign plans need to be developed and specific to the checkpoint operations to ensure that TSA signage requirements are met and objectives stated. Those responsible for airport oper- ations must also understand TSA signage requirements and be prepared to address the situation where there may be no backup into the checkpoint, but all travelers must still pass TSA signage (versus a shortcut that takes them directly to the front of the line). 8.6.2 Signage Requirements Figure 8.1 is a table of all known federal regulatory and informational signage requirements at airport terminals, requirements and recommendations for posting. This includes TSA require- Figure 8.1. Summary table: federal regulatory and informational signage.

Code Required Regulatory and Information Signs 201 ments, except TSA security compliance signs at portals to operational or sterile areas and the secu- rity checkpoint (see Section 8.6.1). Appendix F provides specific requirements for each message, including where or how to post the message, message content, font size and website links for additional information. These messages include: • Passenger Rights ▪ Notice of Limitation of Liability for death or injury ▪ Notice of Limitation of Liability for baggage ▪ Overbooking • National Threat Advisory and TSA Signs ▪ National Threat Advisory ▪ TSA liquids ▪ Checked Bag combo message • Consent to Search/Passenger Identification ▪ Consent to Search ▪ Passenger Identification • False Statements • Use of X-Ray Systems • Transportation of Hazardous Materials • Transportation of Firearms • Currency Reporting • Passenger Notices Public Inspection of Tariffs or Explanation of Contract Terms Contract of Carriage • Unlawful Discrimination 8.6.3 Placement of Messages Regulatory sign placement requirements are defined by the CFR for each type of sign and pro- vided in more details in Appendix F. Typical requirements are that the sign shall be prominently displayed so that it can be seen by passengers in locations where the aircraft operator issues tick- ets, checks baggage, and maintains aircraft boarding areas. General requirements for placement of each sign type are described in the following sections. 8.6.3.1 Curbside Check-In • The TSA Liquids (revised) and the TSA Checked Baggage Combo Sign are required and typ- ically mounted separately. Note the TSA Liquids sign is revised to meet security directive requirements, and referred to as TSA Liquids (revised). • The remaining required messages are typically grouped together and mounted on one sign, and include: – Notice of Limitation of Liability for: a. Death or Injury; and b. Baggage Liability – Notice: Overbooking of Flights – National Threat Advisory – Consent to Search/Passenger Identification – False Statements – Use of X-Ray System – Transportation of Hazardous Materials – Transportation of Firearms – Currency Reporting – Public Inspection of Tariffs

202 Wayfinding and Signing Guidelines for Airport Terminals and Landside • Additional signs the airline may request curbside are listed below. It is important to coordi- nate all signage requirements to avoid sign clutter, and give priority to the security messages. – Notice of Contract/Incorporated terms – Checked-bag fee signs • The required signs may be either deployed on an adjacent pillar or wall, on a separate sign holder, or mounted on the side or top of a curbside check-in podium. If not mounted on an adjacent pillar or wall, portable check-in stations are also required to mount the message on the station. Figure 8.2 is an example of the deployment of the messages when applied to the curbside podi- ums. The left message measures 21″w × 24″h, which is about as small as it can get in order to deploy the message and maintain reasonable or required font sizes. The TSA messages measure 11″ × 14″ (required per TSA). 8.6.3.2 Ticketing/Check-In Hall • The TSA Liquids (revised) and the TSA Checked Baggage Combo Sign are required and typ- ically mounted separately. Note the TSA Liquids sign is revised to meet security directive requirements, and referred to as TSA Liquids (revised). Figure 8.2. Example of TSA curbside check-in message (Source: Courtesy of SJC).

Code Required Regulatory and Information Signs 203 • The remaining required messages are typically grouped together and mounted on one sign, and include: – Notice of Limitation of Liability for: a) Death or Injury; and b) Baggage Liability – Notice: Overbooking of Flights – National Threat Advisory – Consent to Search/Passenger Identification – False Statements – Use of X-Ray System – Transportation of Hazardous Materials Message – Transportation of Firearms – Currency Reporting – Public Inspection of Tariffs • Additional signs the airline may request to post in the ticketing/check-in hall are their Notice of Contract/Incorporated terms (Contract of Carriage) and checked-bag fee signs. Each airline likely requires the need to post queue identity signs (first class, web check-in) at the entrance to the queue. It is important to coordinate all signage requirements to avoid sign clutter, and give priority to the queue entrance messages and the security messages within the queue. • Traditionally, these signs are commonly displayed on top of airline ticket counters or on the front of the counter podium, turret or counter shell. Alternative locations are to place them in separate sign holders not attached to the ticket counters. • The TSA requires placement of the liquids and checked baggage combo signs to be deployed in the ticket counter queue. • Figure 8.3 is an example of a sign layout in a ticket queue. Two queues may share the same set of signs if located between the queues. Figure 8.4 is an example of an in-queue panel with Federal messages and measures 24″h × 48″w. 8.6.3.3 Gate Podium • The TSA Liquids and the TSA Checked Baggage Combo Signs are not required in the gate holdroom/gate podium area. • The required messages are typically grouped together and mounted on one sign, and include: – Notice of Limitation of Liability for: a) Death or Injury; and b) Baggage Liability – Notice: Overbooking of Flights Figure 8.3. Example ticket queue (Source: Courtesy of SJC).

204 Wayfinding and Signing Guidelines for Airport Terminals and Landside – Consent to Search/Passenger Identification – False Statements – Transportation of Hazardous Materials – Public Inspection of Tariffs • Additional signs the airline may request to post in the ticketing/check-in hall are their Notice of Contract/Incorporated terms (Contract of Carriage) • Typically gate holdrooms are open areas consisting of the gate podium and possibly a back wall. The information typically is displayed on the gate podium. Another option is a sepa- rate sign holder, but they tend to be moved around or become a problem to maintenance personnel. • Figure 8.5 is an example of a sign layout for the side of the podium. In order to fit all the required information on the sign and meet font requirements, the sign size became 13″w × 27″h. 8.6.3.4 Self-Service Check-In Certain areas of the airport may have self-service check-in devices located separately from the ticketing hall or curbside check-in. The typical requirement for posting of information referenced in this document is to post where tickets are sold AND that location is under the charge of a per- son. The objective of the Self-Service Check-in device is to check-in for a flight that was already purchased. Although it may provide the option to pay a fee for bag check-in or to upgrade the seat, it is not the stated purpose to be used for actual selling of tickets. Therefore, the Self-Service Check- in device may be considered as not subject to the sign or posting requirements referenced in this document. Even if consideration is given to offer users of Self-Service Check-in the option to read the mes- sages, there may be technical challenges to display the message, at a cost that may be more than simply posting the sign. Also, use of the station to review these messages would delay others wait- ing in line to use the machine. Figure 8.4. Example message panel (Source: Courtesy of SJC.)

Code Required Regulatory and Information Signs 205 Figure 8.5. Example of gate podium message panel (Source: Courtesy of SJC).

206 Wayfinding and Signing Guidelines for Airport Terminals and Landside 8.6.4 Method to Deploy Messages Responsibility to deploy federally required messages is to be determined by the airport opera- tor. Airport sign managers may choose to deploy the messages to ensure consistency with their sig- nage programs in terms of quality and type of sign holders or graphics. There are no known restrictions to deploy messages in electronic/dynamic form. If the intent is to cycle through the messages, the message system should be “tabbed”—the topics visible in tab format at the top of the screen, so users can see all the message titles in sequence, while each indi- vidual message is being displayed in sequence. Deploying these messages on overhead signs or on displays above the counter is not advisable. There are likely ADA issues in regards to font size. However, a few airports have been successful at getting alternative messages posted and placed overhead, typically using abbreviated messages in order to maximize font size.