I (Richard, site creator & owner) have been involved with the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (NCUTCD) since 1996, when I was approved to be a charter member of the then-brand-new Bicycle Technical Committee. I’d already been professionally involved with traffic control for several years prior to this, and had launched this Manual of Traffic Signs website earlier in 1996.
Through the years, I served in a number of different positions in NCUTCD. I became a voting member on the NCUTCD Council in 1999 (representing LAB, then AASHTO), and chaired the Bicycle Technical Committee for 15 years from 2002 to 2017, during a time when traffic control for cyclists underwent many notable changes.
And now, I am honored to move on to another position with the National Committee – that of Associate Executive Secretary. My firm, Moeurgineering PLLC, has been retained by NCUTCD to provide executive support services to NCUTCD, including helping to organize and arrange the two general meetings per year, maintain databases and records, and provide operational support to the Chair, Board, technical committees, and membership. I’ll be working alongside Bob Garrett, the current Executive Secretary, for the next several months, and it’s anticipated I will take over as Executive Secretary for the National Committee once Bob retires in the spring of 2020.
One thing I will not be doing: leading the National Committee. That is the role of the Chair, selected by the Council, and currently most ably filled by the legendary Gene Hawkins. Gene leads the committee – I just help him out.
I will continue to operate my engineering firm, and will continue to take on clients and work that won’t create a conflict of interest with my role with NCUTCD (in other words, no more expert witness work for the foreseeable future). The Manual of Traffic Signs will also continue to be an independent activity of mine, just as it was during my ADOT employment.
So don’t expect any major changes to the MOTS due to this new role – the site will chug along as it always have, and won’t be absorbed into NCUTCD. We’re all still waiting for the draft of the new edition of the MUTCD to be released for public comment, and once the Final Rule is issued and the new edition is final, I plan to promptly update this site accordingly. And I’m hoping to get the MUTCD Wiki up and running by year’s end.
Looking forward to this next chapter!