Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1680-03-02-.08 - TABLE A-1 CRITERIA FOR SIGNING TRAFFIC GENERATORS ON FREEWAYS AND EXPRESSWAYS
| Type of Traffic Generator | Specific Eligibility Criteria | Urban Area1 | Rural Area1 |
| Airports10 | Minimum Number of Commercial Passengers Daily (Prime Criterion) Maximum Distance from Interchange (By Road) Distance from Interchange For Optional Trailblazer Signs (By Road) | 5,000/day Nearest interchange Up to 10 mi. | 3,000/day Nearest interchange Up to 10 mi. |
| Universities, Colleges, Junior Colleges/Community Colleges, State Technology Centers, State Vocational/Technical Schools, and state-operated special schools2 | Minimum Total Enrollment-Full & Part-time Students (Prime Criterion) Must be listed as an institution of higher learning on Tennessee Higher Education Commission website, or must be a state-operated special school Maximum Distance from Interchange (By Road) No. of dedicated parking spaces | 1,0002 10 miles2 600 | 1,0002 10 miles2 400 |
| Military Bases | Minimum Number of Employees & Military Personnel (Prime Criterion) Maximum Distance from Interchange (By Road) | 5, 000 7 miles3 | 5, 000 7 miles3 |
| Arenas/Stadiums Auditoriums Convention Halls Dams Major Recreation Sites: Fairgrounds, Zoos, Amusement Parks | Minimum Annual Attendance (Prime Criterion) Maximum Distance from Interchange (By Road) | 300, 000 5 miles4 | 200, 000 5 miles4 |
| National Parks, Monuments, Memorials, Historical Parks, Recreation Areas, Parkways, Battlefields/Military Parks5 | Must be listed on U.S. Dept. of Interior, National Park Service website Maximum Distance from Interchange (By Road) | Nearest interchange | Nearest interchange |
| State Veterans' Cemeteries and National Cemeteries5 | Must be listed as a State Veterans' Cemetery on Tenn. Dept. of Veterans Affairs website or as a National Cemetery on the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs website or the U.S. Dept. of Interior, National Park Service website Maximum Distance from Interchange (By Road) | Nearest interchange | Nearest Interchange |
| State and National Historic Sites | Must be listed as a State- owned historic site on Tenn. Dept. of Environment and Conservation, Tennessee Historic Commission website or as a National Historic Site owned by the Federal government and listed on U.S. Dept. of Interior, National Park Service website Maximum Distance from Interchange (By Road) | 10 miles | 10 miles |
| State Wildlife Management Areas, Wildlife Refuges & State Lakes6 | Must be open year-round Minimum Annual Attendance (Prime Criterion) Maximum Distance from Interchange (By Road) | 6,000 10 miles | 6,000 10 miles |
| Cultural Interest Areas: Museums, Art Galleries, Historic Sites | Minimum Annual Attendance (Prime Criterion) Must be open to the general public, and the primary purpose of the facility must be as a cultural interest area (museum, art gallery or historic site) Historic sites must be listed on the U.S. Dept. of Interior, National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places website Maximum Distance from Interchange (By Road) | 300,0007 5 miles8 | 200,0007 5 miles8 |
| Comprehensive Regional Pediatric Centers9 | Administrator of facility must verify in writing that the facility is designated as a Comprehensive Regional Pediatric Center under Tenn. Dept. of Health regulations Maximum Distance from Interchange (By Road) | 5 miles | 5 miles |
| Veterans Administration Medical Centers9 | Must be listed as a VA Medical Center on the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs website Maximum Distance from Interchange (By Road) | Nearest interchange | Nearest interchange |
Table 1-A Footnotes
1 Urban Area: Population of 100,000 or greater in most recent federal decennial census. Rural Area: Population of less than 100,000 in most recent federal decennial census.
2 Pursuant to T.C.A. § 54-5-708, the Department is given a discretionary duty to implement a directional signing program for institutions of higher learning, state technology centers and state-operated special schools throughout the State. To be considered for such signing, an institution must be identified by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (listed on THEC webpage) as a public university, a public community college, a Tennessee Technology Center, or an independent college or university within the State of Tennessee, or the institution must be a state-operated special school, and the institution must have a minimum enrollment of 1,000 full-time and part-time students; provided, that a state-operated/public community college may be signed if it is within 19 miles (by road) of an interchange, and the minimum enrollment requirement does not apply to Tennessee Technology Centers or state-operated special schools. For institutions having multiple campuses, the minimum enrollment requirement must be met by each specific campus for which signing is requested.
3The maximum distance from the interchange (by road) may be increased by one mile for each 10% over the minimum number of employees and military personnel required.
4The maximum distance from the interchange (by road) may be increased by one mile for each additional 20,000 persons attending annually over the minimum annual attendance required.
5A National Battlefield/Military Park and National Cemetery at the same location may be signed together on one supplemental guide sign.
6 Pursuant to T.C.A. § 54-5-709(b), the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency shall reimburse the Department of Transportation for the cost of installing such supplemental guide signs.
7The minimum annual attendance may be reduced to 60,000 for urban areas and 40,000 for rural areas if the following conditions are met:
* The local government of the municipality or county where the facility is located has endorsed the facility in writing to the Department as being culturally significant to the community; and
* The Department must determine, in its engineering judgment, that signing is essential for proper motorist guidance.
8 The maximum distance from the interchange (by road) may be increased by one mile for each additional 20,000 persons attending annually over the minimum annual attendance required.
9 The facility will be signed, if possible, at the nearest freeway or expressway interchange as measured in travel time to the facility under average daytime traffic conditions. The local government having jurisdiction over the local streets or roads between the interchange and the facility shall be responsible for installing and maintaining trailblazer signs on those local streets or roads as may be necessary to provide directions to the facility. These local trailblazer signs must be in place prior to the installation of a supplemental guide sign at the interchange of a freeway or expressway.
10 Pursuant to T.C.A. § 54-5-710, general aviation airports located not more than 10 miles from a freeway may be signed; provided that the facility has at least a six-thousand foot (6,000') runway with at least two thousand three hundred feet (2,300') of approach lead in strobe lights; has at least fifty-eight (58) hangars; complies with all federal design/safety standards; has an instrument landing system with distance measuring equipment (ILS/DME); serves as the prime staging area for regional disaster preparedness and relief; and provides full-time trauma hospital flight access service.
Notes
Authority: T.C.A. §§ 54-5-108(b);54-5-704 through 54-5-710.
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