14-51.020. Supplemental Guide Signs

(1) General. The criteria referenced for destinations listed in Table 2 are used to determine which supplemental destinations are eligible for signage on limited access facilities.

Table 2 – Criteria for Signing Destinations on Limited Access Facilities
Type of Destination	Criteria	Guidelines
		Urban Areas1	Rural Areas2
State and National Parks, and State Forest Recreational Areas	Miles from Interchange (maximum)	15	15
Private Colleges and Universities	Number of Trips Generated Annuallyc (minimum)	550,000a	300,000a
		1,200,000b	450,000b
	Miles from Interchange (maximum)	15	15
Military Bases	Number of Trips Generated Annuallyc (minimum)	5,000,000	3,000,000
	Miles from Interchange (maximum)	10	10
Medical Facility (excluding those referenced in Table 3)	Miles from Interchange (maximum)	10	10
	Number of Hospital Beds (minimum)	500	any
Veteran’s Administration (VA) Hospitals	Miles from Interchange (maximum)	10	10
Veteran Historical Museums and Memorials	Number of Trips Generated Annuallyd (minimum)	50,000	50,000
	Miles from Interchange34 (maximum)	15	15
Arenas, Auditoriums, Amphitheaters, Civic Centers, Convention Halls, Stadiums, Sports Complexes, Major Tourist Attractions (Fairgrounds, Amusement Parks, Zoos, etc.)	Number of Trips Generated Annuallyd (minimum)	200,000	135,000
	Miles from Interchange4 (maximum)	5	5
Historical, Cultural, or Recreational Attractions, Historic Districts	Number of Trips Generated Annuallyd (minimum)	100,000	100,000
	Miles from Interchange34 (maximum)	15	15
1. Over 50,000 population.
2. 50,000 and under population.
3. The distance may be increased 1/2 mile for each 10 percent over the minimum number of trips generated annually to a maximum of 2 times the maximum distance listed.
a. Annual Trips = Number of Enrolled Students (who physically attend classes on campus) x 1.5 (college or university without dormitories, each student equals 1.5 trips) x Number of semesters per year x Number of weeks per semester x 5 days per week. Figures based on AASHTO’S 2001 Selection of Supplemental Guide Signs for Traffic Generators.
b. Annual Trips = Number of Enrolled Students (who physically attend classes on campus) x 2.0 (college or university with dormitories, each student equals 2 trips) x Number of semesters per year x Number of weeks per semester x 5 days per week. Figures based on AASHTO’S 2001 Selection of Supplemental Guide Signs for Traffic Generators.
c. One employee or military personnel equals 0.9 trips. Figures based on AASHTO’S 2001 Selection of Supplemental Guide Signs for Traffic Generators.
d. Trip: a single or one-direction vehicle movement either to or away from the traffic generator. Any conversion of attendance to trip generation figures will be evaluated by the Department, based on general engineering practice.

(2) Standards.

(a) Not more than four supplemental guide sign destinations on no more than two guide sign assemblies shall be signed at any one interchange approach. No more than three lines of text shall be permitted at any one sign excluding exit numbers or exit directions. Minimum sign spacing provided in Table 1 of subsection 14-51.014(7), F.A.C., shall not be violated.

(b) Each destination shall be signed only once in each direction.

(c) Supplemental guide signs shall be located in advance of the interchange that is the most practical route to the facility. Local government recommendations on the most practical route will be considered.

(d) Countdown trailblazers shall not be erected on the mainline portion of limited access facilities.

(e) Except where specifically authorized by this rule chapter, the name of the operating agency, community group, or enterprise shall not appear in the legend of any supplemental guide sign, or attached to it.

(f) Supplemental guide signs shall not be installed in advance of freeway-to-freeway interchanges. Interchanges between freeways are major decision points; therefore, sign messages shall only contain the route shield, cardinal direction, and name of the next control city on that route.

(g) Supplemental guide signs shall be installed in advance of freeway-to-spur interchanges if the spur serves a local community.

(3) Guidelines.

(a) Cultural, historical, and recreational attractions or historical districts must provide easy access for motorists, and all-weather (surface treated) parking to be eligible for signing. These attractions or districts can be publicly or privately owned, but shall be operated on a non-profit basis and open to the general public year-round for sign eligibility. Historical attractions or historical districts must be on the National Register of Historic Places. Examples of cultural, historical, and recreational attractions include forts, battlegrounds, plantations, archeological or geological sites, art galleries, and museums.

(b) The criteria referenced in Table 2 shall be used to determine which destination to sign for on new interchanges, or to determine which destination to add to an existing supplemental guide sign with an existing destination.

(c) For the purpose of geographic identification, only state lines, county lines, and municipal limits, as well as significant natural geographic features, such as waterways, will be eligible for signing on limited access facilities. The limited access facility must traverse the corporate limits of a municipality for geographic identification guide signing limits in both directions.

(d) Mixed use developments or planned unit developments shall be eligible for signing on limited access facilities only when the development:

1. Is located within 5 miles of the interchange that is the most practical route to the development,

2. Covers 3 square miles or more,

3. Is open to the general public year round with non-gated access to commercial, retail, and activity/entertainment areas; and,

4. Has 1,000,000 or more square feet of commercial/retail space, and 500,000 or more square feet of office space.

(e) Airports shall be eligible for signing on limited access facilities when they are served regularly by scheduled airlines with interstate passenger service. An airport symbol compliant with the MUTCD shall also be used with the airport name.

(f) Deep water public cargo and passenger ports (Port Authority locations) shall be eligible for signing.

(g) Rail terminals shall be eligible for signing on limited access facilities when they are intercity rail (Amtrak, Commuters, etc.). They must provide regularly scheduled passenger service and have parking spaces available to accommodate patrons.

(h) Certified Florida Farm Wineries shall be eligible for signing pursuant to Section 599.004, F.S. The Florida Farm Winery logo panel with supplemental name panel shall be installed based on space availability. There is a $250 one-time fee per sign.

(i) Licensed Craft Distilleries shall be eligible for signing pursuant to Section 565.03, F.S., based on space availability. The Craft Distillery will be responsible for all signs and associated costs, including replacements, through the Department’s permit system in accordance with Rule 14-51.014, F.A.C.

(j) Craft Breweries meeting the requirements of Section 563.13, F.S., shall be eligible for signing based on space availability. The Craft Brewery will be responsible for all signs and associated costs, including replacements, through the Department’s permit system in accordance with Rule 14-51.014, F.A.C.

(k) Signing for “regional malls” or “outlet malls” (Malls) shall be eligible for signing only if the facility is located within 5 miles of the qualifying interchange and occupies 1,000,000 square feet or more of active retail sales area (excluding any parking, business, residential or hotel space, landscape area, or shipping, receive, warehousing, or stock areas) and is open for business. Regional or outlet malls with open-air promenades comprised of individual buildings, located together in a themed environment that meet the square feet requirement and are in a climate-controlled active retail area may be considered. To be eligible for signing as a Mall, all property included as square footage shall be managed by a single leasing agent and storefronts shall be on the same or contiguous properties. Outparcels are not included in the square footage summary. If the Mall requests a name change within six years of sign installation, the Mall shall be responsible to contract for all supplemental guide sign replacements, through the Department’s permit system, at their own expense. The applicant shall submit a traffic engineering study performed by a licensed Florida professional engineer, addressing each of the qualifying criteria which include:

1. Research and evaluation of the need for any Mall directional signs on the roadway(s) leading to the Mall from the interchange.

2. The safety and operational issues affecting both site and non-site destined traffic.

3. Whether existing or proposed on-site Mall signage is visible and provides advance notice to motorists traveling on the limited access facility to recognize the Mall destination and safely enter the exit ramp at the interchange.

4. Documentation verifying Mall square footage and leasing agent.

(l) State-funded community college main campuses, vocational/technical center campuses, and university main campus are eligible for signing. Satellite campuses are eligible, only if the curriculum allows students to obtain an Associate of Arts (AA) degree or higher at the campus site.

1. If the campus requests a name change within six years of sign installation, the campus shall be responsible to contract for all supplemental guide sign replacements, through the Department permit system at its own expense.

2. The campus shall provide an inventory of all its existing supplemental guide sign sizes and locations, including the local road system.

3. The Department will provide an approved standard sign design for the supplemental guide signs on the state highway system. The Department will install the supplemental guide signs on the state highway system, unless a pictograph is requested in the design. The campus shall install all supplemental guide signs with pictographs through the Department’s permit system at its own expense.

(m) Private colleges and universities, whether for-profit or non-profit, where student travel, to attend regularly scheduled classes at that campus that meet the minimum trip generation criteria in Table 2 as documented by the requesting organization are eligible for signing through the permit system where space is available. Other private universities with existing signs will be allowed to retain their signs, so long as they remain active.

(n) Schools licensed by the Department of Education’s Commission for Independent Education are not eligible for signing to any site, unless student travel to that site meets the trip generation criteria referenced in Table 2 as documented by the requesting organization.

(o) Signing for multi-modal transportation facilities is considered supplemental guide signing, except for those that qualify as a general service. Multi-modal facilities are stations that link various modes of transportation: airports (air carrier and general aviation), seaports (passenger and cargo), commuter rail terminals, freight and intercity rail terminals, intercity buses, parking lots, garages, and Park and Ride. A signing plan for multi-modal facilities must be submitted.

(p) Veteran’s Hospitals designated as the regional treatment centers for veterans are eligible for signing on limited access facilities. VA community service clinics, centers, and benefits offices are not eligible to be signed on limited access facilities.

(q) VA outpatient clinics and VA community based outpatient clinics that perform outpatient surgery or provide specialty services that are not available at other VA clinics within the county where the clinic is located, are in a stand-alone facility, provide continuous service for a minimum of 55 hours, 6 days a week, and average at least 400 visitors a day are eligible for signing on limited access facilities when located on a direct road from the limited access facility and a maximum of 10 miles from the interchange.

(r) National Veterans Cemeteries are eligible to be signed on limited access facilities when located a maximum of 10 miles from the interchange.

(s) Veteran Historical Museums and Memorials must provide easy access for motorists, and all-weather (surface treated) parking to be eligible for signing. These facilities can be publicly or privately owned, but shall be operated on a non-profit basis and open to the general public year-round for sign eligibility. Veteran Historical Museums and Memorials are eligible for signing when commemorating one of the following conflicts involving the United States Armed Forces:

1. World War I

2. World War II

3. The Korean War

4. The Vietnam War

5. Operation Desert Shield

6. Operation Desert Storm

7. Operation Enduring Freedom

8. Operation Iraqi Freedom

(t) Medical treatment facilities that have regional, statewide, or national significance, provide in-patient and out-patient services by advance appointment, perform specialized surgery or treatment of human diseases are eligible for signing on limited access facilities.

(u) If a destination qualifies for supplemental guide signing, but is participating in the logo program in the attraction category it shall not be eligible for supplemental guide signing. If a signed destination is approved for a business logo in the attraction category, then it will be removed from the supplemental guide sign.

(v) “DOWNTOWN” signs must meet the following criteria in order to be eligible for signing:

1. “Downtown” signs will only be considered for the largest core municipality of an urban area with a population of 50,000 or more.

2. The limited access facility must traverse the incorporated limits of the municipality under consideration and have multiple exits for each direction of travel.

3. The urban guide signing concept, as specified in Section 2E.06 of the MUTCD, shall be in effect.

4. A distinct central business district must exist. Strip development business centers and mixed-use urban development, or re-development areas, shall not qualify as “downtown” or be eligible for signing.

5. Only one such sign shall be permitted for each direction of travel. The sign shall be erected in advance of the most direct route to the downtown core.

(4) Destinations Not Eligible for Signing.

Except as provided in Rule Chapter 14-85 or Rule 14-51.021, F.A.C., guide signing shall not be provided for community recognition signs, acknowlegment signs or the following destinations, shown in Table 3.

Table 3 – Destinations Not Eligible for Signing on Limited Access Facilities
Businesses	Chamber of Commerce, television/radio station, live performance or movie theaters, motels/hotels/inns, travel trailer parks, industrial parks and plants, commerce centers, shopping centers, auto malls, auctions, flea markets.
Cemeteries	Local, state, federal, sovereign nation, public, private.
Community Facilities	Libraries, churches, subdivisions, mixed use facilities, community and general aviation airports, recreational facilities or parks.
Governmental	Research/experimental campuses even when associated with a state college or university; regional political offices or boundaries, state, district, local offices even where trip generation is associated with public meetings, hearings or permit applications, Government centers, courthouses, driver license centers, jails, correctional facilities, prisons, civil defense facilities, maintenance facilities, power plants, gaming facilities not operated under Florida pari-mutuel licensing.
Schools	K through 12, seminaries, post-graduate educational facilities.
Historical	Homes/buildings/sites/landmarks publicly or privately owned, heritage trails.
Medical	All classes of hospitals, and other licensed facilities except as specified in Rules 14-51.021 and 14-51.020, F.A.C., mental health facilities, research facilities, sanitariums, rehabilitation/infirmaries/ treatment centers, non hospital Veteran’s facilities, county/fraternal/nursing homes, retirement facilities, humane facilities including animal emergency services (not qualified under General Services).
Military	Sites/detachments, armories, arsenals and recruitment centers.
Recreation/Conservation	Country clubs/golf courses/resorts, fish hatcheries, game farms, tree nurseries/arboretums, points of interest, camps (scout, church, 4-H, youth, YMCA/YWCA) nature trails, conservation or protection areas, conservation developments, watersheds, trail heads and crossings, gun and archery clubs.

Rulemaking Authority 316.0745 FS. Law Implemented 316.0745 FS. History–New 3-27-05, Amended 11-24-11, 3-20-16, 6-19-17, 2-3-20.