PURPOSE: This rule provides standards for the selection and erection of signs by the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission on highway right-of-way directing motorists to traffic generator sites within the state of Missouri authorized by section 226.525, RSMo which are consistent with section 131 of Title 23 of the United States Code.

1. (1) Definitions. The following definitions relate to signs for traffic generators:

   1. (A) Commission means the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission, or its authorized representative;
   2. (B) Conventional route means a state highway which is neither a freeway nor an expressway;
   3. (C) Expressway means a divided state highway in which access may be provided through interchanges at crossroads and streets or at-grade intersections;
   4. (D) First order signing means signs that are installed in advance of the closest intersection where motorists turn off of the state highway system to arrive at the destined traffic generator;
   5. (E) Freeway means a divided state highway in which access is provided solely through interchanges at crossroads and streets rather than at grade intersections;

   6. (F) Major traffic generator means a traffic generator which attracts the following:

      1. 1. At least three hundred thousand

(300,000) visitors per year in the St. Louis or Kansas City metropolitan areas (metro area); or

1. 2. At least two hundred fifty thousand

(250,000) visitors per year in an area with a population of at least five thousand (5,000) persons (urban area); or

1. 3. At least two hundred thousand

(200,000) visitors per year in an area in which the population is less than five thousand (5,000) persons (rural area);

1. (G) Minor traffic generator means a traffic generator which attracts at least twenty-five thousand (25,000) persons per year;
2. (H) Second order signing means signs that are installed in advance of the intersection or interchange where motorists turn to access the highway where first order signing is provided;
3. (I) State approved cave means a cave which has complied with all necessary requirements of the Division of Labor Standards' Mine Inspection Section and possesses a current certificate of annual inspection furnished and approved by that division;
4. (J) Super traffic generator means a traffic generator which attracts at least one (1) million visitors per year;
5. (K) Third order signing means signs that are installed in advance of the intersection or interchange where motorists turn to access the highway where second order signing is provided; and
6. (L) Traffic generator means a publicly or privately owned scenic, historical, educational, cultural or recreational site or a natural wonder (state approved cave) which generates a large volume of traffic due to public visitors to the site each year.

1. (2) Eligibility Requirements for Signs for Traffic Generators.

   1. (A) To qualify for traffic generator signing, the facility must qualify as being a minor, major or super traffic generator.

   2. (B) The owner of the traffic generator shall enter into an agreement with the commission to establish the following conditions:

      1. 1. A fee, payable in advance, shall be

paid by the owner of the traffic generator facility. The fee will approximate the cost to fabricate, install, and maintain all signs erected by the commission directing traffic to the facility for ten (10) years. This fee is not prorated or refunded if the signs are subsequently revised or removed;

1. 2. The payment of subsequent ten (10)-

year periods will be determined by the commission and will be payable in full at the beginning of such periods;

1. 3. The owner of the traffic generator

shall cover the sign by a commission approved method or place a commission approved "closed" sign across the signs whenever the facility is seasonally closed; and

1. 4. The continued compliance with all

conditions of the agreement and specific criteria to qualify as a traffic generator shall be met by the owner of the traffic generator or the commission may remove the signs.

1. (3) Specific Criteria for Minor Traffic Generators.

   1. (A) A minimum of twenty-five thousand (25,000) annual attendance is required.
   2. (B) Only first order signing will be provided for minor traffic generators and only on conventional routes.
   3. (C) If the minor traffic generator is a cave, the cave must be state approved. 7 CSR 10-17
   4. (D) If the minor traffic generator is a historical site, the historical site must be listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
   5. (E) The minor traffic generator site must be within six (6) miles from the intersection where the first order signing is to be installed.
   6. (F) A maximum of one (1) sign for each approach shall be provided for a minor traffic generator and up to a maximum of two (2) approaches.

2. (4) Specific Criteria for Major Traffic Generators.

   1. (A) To be eligible for first, second or third order signing on a freeway, the major traffic generator must meet the following criteria:

      1. 1. Be fully operative and open to the

traveling public for a minimum of three (3) months each year;

1. 2. Be located along either the inter-

change crossroad or the freeway and within six (6) miles of the major traffic generator in a rural area or within two (2) miles in an urban or metro area; and

1. 3. Meet the annual attendance require-

ments as provided in the definitions section of this rule.

1. (B) A maximum of one (1) freeway sign for each approach shall be provided for a major traffic generator and up to a maximum of two

1. (2) approaches.

2. (5) Specific Criteria for Super Traffic Generators.

   1. (A) To be eligible for first, second and third order signing on freeways, super traffic generators must meet the following criteria:

      1. 1. An annual minimum attendance of

one (1) million; and

1. 2. The facility is fully operative and

open to the traveling public for a minimum of three (3) months each year.

1. (B) Signs may be provided on each freeway located within ten (10) miles of the super traffic generator site in a rural area or within two (2) miles in an urban or metro area.
2. (C) A maximum of one (1) freeway sign for each approach shall be provided for a super traffic generator.

1. (6) Signs for Colleges or Universities.

   1. (A) Traffic generator signs may be provided for colleges and universities, at no cost to the institution, having an approved curriculum offering at least a two (2)-year program of college level studies leading to either an associate or baccalaureate degree approved by the Missouri Department of Higher Education and having a full-time resident enrollment of at least five hundred (500) students.

   2. (B) The commission may install special AUTHORITY: section 226.525, RSMo 1994* emblem signs for eligible traffic generators. and 23 U.S.C. section 131. Original rule These special signs shall contain the college filed May 14, 1996, effective Nov. 30, 1996. or university's emblem and shall direct * Original authority 1972. motorists to units within a campus complex. Colleges or universities eligible for this emblem signing must meet the following criteria:

      1. 1. Colleges and universities within the

St. Louis or Kansas City metropolitan areas with an annual visitor attendance of at least three hundred thousand (300,000) persons; or

1. 2. Colleges and universities within

urban areas (population of at least five thousand (5,000) persons) with an annual visitor attendance of at least two hundred fifty thousand (250,000) persons; or

1. 3. Colleges and universities within rural

areas (population of less than five thousand (5,000) persons) with an annual visitor attendance of at least two hundred thousand (200,000) persons; and

1. 4. The college or university will pay a

ten (10)-year maintenance and installation fee for this special emblem signing, similar to the fee charged for other traffic generator signs, determined by the cost of producing and installing the signs plus an amount for maintenance; and

1. 5. The emblem used on each eligible

college/university traffic generator sign will be patterned after the pattern used by the Department of Revenue for vehicle license plates.

1. (7) Sign Specifications.

   1. (A) Only ground-mounted traffic generator signs shall be allowed by the commission. Therefore, if there is lack of sufficient ground space to accommodate the placement of the sign without interfering or conflicting with required signing, the commission has the right to deny a request for the sign.
   2. (B) In addition, if there is limited sufficient ground space, super traffic generators have priority over major traffic generators which have priority over minor traffic generators.
   3. (C) When two (2) or more traffic generators are located in the same area, the commission may combine signing of such traffic generators on one (1) sign and the fees will be divided between the traffic generators.
   4. (D) The sign legend will include only the name of the traffic generator and directional information.
   5. (E) The final design and legend specifications for each sign is the decision of the commission.