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29 This chapter describes research in progress and identifies research needs. Aspects and issues where study participants thought there was a lack of guidance or information were noted and compiled. These areas are summarized here. ⢠Explore sheeting material color deterioration by collect- ing chromaticity measurements. Participants indicated that color appeared to fade more quickly in certain sign materials, orientations to the sun, and in different parts of the country. It is possible that color deteriorates sooner than retroreflectivity in certain situations. A presentation at the 2011 TRB Annual Meeting identified some early work on this issue (27 ). ⢠Identify the effects of nighttime inspection intervals on different sign populations. The nighttime inspection intervals in this survey ranged from four inspections per year to one inspection every five years. It may be help- ful to discover if there is a nighttime inspection interval that optimizes resources while maintaining a high level of quality. ⢠Explore the feasibility for creating a national database that would contain important information with regard to traffic signing. Such a database could include sign ser- vice life information of different sheeting materials from across the county. The service life information could be comprised of past research, agency control signs mea- surements, and/or data from LTAP centers. The data- base could also document tort cases and help agencies comply with the MUTCD requirements. Important con- ceptual questions with creating the national database would be what information should be included, who would maintain and keep the information current, what media and platform would be used to distribute the information, and how to best service the targeted users. Future maintenance methods could also be documented and evaluated so that other agencies are aware of the options. ⢠Monitor the development of retroreflectivity measure- ment technology. The measured retroreflectivity method was the least selected method by the survey respondents owing to the high cost of a unit and the time required to collect data. For this to be a viable option for most agencies there needs to be a substantial reduction in the cost of a hand-held retroreflectometer or the noncontact mobile units need to gain proficiency. ⢠Analyze the maintenance benefits and cost savings of new digital devices and web-based platforms. It is now possible for maintenance technicians to search, upload, and change sign information from a smartphone or tab- let computer while in the field. It would be beneficial to study agencies that are employing some variation of this technology and conduct a before-and-after cost analysis. Determine the areas and operations where technology can have the largest impact and try to quantify the sav- ings in time, resources, and cost. ⢠Evaluate the supportive techniques for the visual night- time inspection method in greater detail. Most sign inspec- tors acquire expertise from agency training or on-the-job experience. Some veteran sign inspectors were concerned about the different support techniques and thought they may be superfluous in some cases. It may be beneficial to further investigate the benefits of the calibration signs and comparison panels. For instance, are they most beneficial for junior-level staff and are comparison panels effective during daytime conditions? ⢠How does an agency properly evaluate contrast ratio on red/white signs when they are doing the nighttime visual assessment? chapter six ReseaRch in PRogRess and ReseaRch needs
