14-51.031. General Services Signs

(1) General Criteria.

(a) General service signing is used when the general services provided are infrequent, and not within sight of the intersection.

(b) Requests for General Service Signing (except Logo signing) shall be directed to the District Traffic Operations Engineer.

(c) Signing for general services is considered supplemental to overall signing.

(d) General service signs, including signing for state agency buildings, such as DRIVERS LICENSE, shall have a white legend on blue background; multi-modal and pari-mutuel general service signs are white-on-green, and recreational attractions are white-on-brown.

(e) The name of the operating agency, community, group, individual, or enterprise shall not appear on the general service sign, except for state agency buildings and facilities meeting the criteria established in this section.

(f) Symbol signs for hospital, airport, Amtrak, Greyhound, cruise-based seaports, and commuter rail are authorized by the District Traffic Operations Engineer in urban or rural areas based on criteria established in Rule 14-51.013, F.A.C.

(g) In no case shall general service signing be erected that would function primarily as advertisements for a business.

(h) General service signing shall not be displayed until trailblazers have been installed to direct motorists from the intersection to the service.

(i) Not more than one general service sign with a directional arrow for a particular service shall be displayed, in each direction, in advance of the intersection facility. General service signs shall only be located in advance of the intersecting road which is the best and most direct route to the facility.

(j) General signs on non-limited access facilities shall not be installed within competitive range of participating Logo sign program enterprises offering similar services.

(2) Standards.

(a) Police, sheriff, and highway patrol stations that are staffed and open 24 hours are eligible for general service signing. Guidance to a closed facility, even one with a “hotline” contact telephone, may increase danger or increase response time in an emergency.

(b) Hospitals and stand-alone emergency rooms that meet the following criteria are eligible for general service signing in advance of the intersection which provides the most practical route to that facility:

1. Hospitals must have an onsite emergency room open 24 hours, 7 days a week.

2. Stand-alone emergency rooms must be open 24 hours, 7 days a week and must have onsite emergency medical transportation available to transport patients to the hospital’s inpatient facility.

3. The hospital or stand-alone emergency room must be within five miles of the state highway system intersection providing signage (other than trailblazing from a limited access facility).

4. At intersections where more than one hospital meets the criteria, only the hospital with the most direct route will be eligible for signing or trailblazing.

(c) A hospital or stand-alone emergency room that does not meet the criteria listed above may be eligible for an Emergency Medical Services sign as provided in the MUTCD.

(d) Tourist information centers are eligible for general service signing when the center is located less than one mile from the state highway system. Tourist information center signs qualify for signing on the state highway system when:

1. The signing request and permit application is received from local government; and

2. The center gives continuous service at least 8 hours, 7 days a week; and

3. The center is operated exclusively by a non-profit organization and is approved and receives funding by the local government to operate as a tourist information center; and

4. If the tourist information center is operated on a seasonal basis, the signs shall be removed during the off season. If the tourist information center sign is approved under the criteria referenced above, it shall be installed under the Department’s permit system by local government.

(e) Boat ramp and and camping facilities open to the general public and free of charge are eligible for general service signing in advance of intersecting roads in rural areas with direct access to the facility provided the enterance is less than one mile from the state highway system and is open year round. If the facility is associated with a local park or recreation system, it shall be signed by the sponsoring agency through the Department’s permit system.

(f) Signing will be provided to state agency buildings with auditorium facilities where public meetings are hosted or generate significant daily traffic from large numbers of the general public’s vehicular access. The sign panels will be supplied by the applicant and installed by Department Maintenance where space allows on the state highway system. The applicant shall supply replacement panels when necessary. The sign shall be installed adjacent to the building on the state highway system. If the building is located more than one mile from the state highway, then the sign shall be placed at the nearest intersection, and trailblazers to the destination will be supplied by the applicant. Signing will be provided to those state agency buildings where the need for directional information is based on emergency situations, such as emergency evacuation shelters, permits, and/or a state gas facility, is necessary. All other state agency buildings shall meet the following criteria:

1. The number of non-employee trips generated by the building shall meet the criteria established in Table 4.

2. Meeting space for a minimum of 30 people.

(g) Pari-mutuels associated with jai-alai, horse tracks, or dog tracks are eligible for general service symbol signing on non-limited access facilities. The registered name of a qualifying pari-mutuel can be included if it is trailblazing from a limited access facility supplemental guide signing that displays the name.

Rulemaking Authority 316.0745 FS. Law Implemented 316.0745 FS. History–New 3-27-05, Amended 11-24-11, 1-12-16.