Chuck Schumer: “I wish to engage the esteemed Chair of the Senate Transportation Subcommittee in a brief colloquy regarding a recent…”

“I wish to engage the esteemed Chair of the Senate Transportation Subcommittee in a brief colloquy regarding a recent Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) interpretative memorandum. FHWA, in response to a legitimate concern about maintaining the uniformity of the signs on our nation's highways, has issued a memorandum proscribing restrictions for the text of signs used in state Adopt-A-Highway programs. FHWA's intention, I believe, is a good one--to prevent the commercialization of our nation's relatively uniform interstate highway signs. It might amuse my colleague's to know that uniformity is the result of very serious tome entitled the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, or ``MUCTDA'' as some call it. Despite its funny name, MUCTDA represents sound public policy. Since the inception of Adopt-A-Highway programs, several participating states have referred to MUCTDA's section 2D-47, when trying to determine how to appropriately recognize the roadway sponsor on Adopt-A-Highway signs. This section states that ``messages, symbols, and trademarks that resemble any official traffic control device shall not be used on Adopt-A-Highway signs.'' This implies that other logos which do not resemble official traffic control devices are acceptable. The recent interpretive memorandum, however, says that all logos constitute advertising and, as such, Adopt-A-Highway signs with any logos must come down.”