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Who do I call to report a STOP sign that has been stolen or knocked down?
A missing STOP sign is an urgent matter. NCDOT will respond immediately to replace one. Please call your local law enforcement office, the North Carolina Highway Patrol, the NCDOT Division Traffic Services Office or the appropriate NCDOT County Maintenance Engineer's Office to report these. If the sign is on a municipal street, call that municipality.
Who fixes broken traffic signals?
NCDOT field technicians repair malfunctioning or damaged signals, responding from the nearest NCDOT Traffic Services Office. Depending on the location of the intersection, the technician can usually respond within a few hours. The technicians are on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Calls during normal business hours should be directed to the Division Traffic Services Office, the appropriate NCDOT County Maintenance Engineer's Office, your local law enforcement office, or the North Carolina Highway Patrol. After hours or weekend calls should be directed through local law enforcement agencies or the NC Highway Patrol. When reporting a signal problem, please indicate what the problem is and the exact location.
Many signal calls, such as burned out light bulbs or timing problems should be reported during normal business hours.
How can I find out how much traffic uses a given road?
You may call the NCDOT Division Traffic Engineering Office or the appropriate NCDOT District Engineer's Office for the Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) on Intersate, Primary and various Secondary Roads within a particular county. You may also visit the NCDOT Transportation Planning Branch website at http://www.ncdot.org/doh/preconstruct/tpb/.
How do I get a street name sign for my road?
Street name signs are the responsibility of local counties and municipalities. NCDOT allows local counties and municipalities, by encroachment agreement, to install these signs on the right-of-way if they conform to NCDOT standards. Contact your local county government to find out your county's policy for erecting street name signs.
Can NCDOT install "Slow, Children Playing" signs?
No. This sign is not approved for use for several reasons. The sign may convey to parents and children the message that they are protected if they play in the street, when actually there is no such protection. This sign may also cause parents to be less vigilant if they think a sign protects their children. The purpose of warning signs is to advise of unforeseen hazards. The presence of children in a residential area should not be unexpected.
What are "logo" signs, and who can get one?
Logo signs are service signs on fully controlled access highways that show the symbol or "logo" of the business that is signed. The four types of available logo signing are "GAS," "FOOD," "LODGING," and "CAMPING." Availability is limited by many factors, including the presence of other signs in the area and the number of positions on the logo sign. If you would like to apply for a logo sign, contact the NCDOT Division Office. You will be sent an application form which, when completed and returned, is compared to criteria needed to have the sign erected. If conditions are met, NCDOT will erect the sign. Businesses pay fees to have these signs installed and maintained.
Who is responsible for the reflectors on the road?
Reflectors are recommended for use on all roads with a traffic volume over 3,000 vehicles per day. Contracts are let each year to replace worn or missing markers and are also replaced during resurfacing contracts. For information about specific routes for markers or marker contracts, contact the NCDOT Division Traffic Engineering Office.
Why do some paved roads not have centerlines and edgelines painted?
Pavement markings are installed on roadways that meet certain criteria, such as length, width and amount of traffic. Generally, dead end roads and subdivision roads do not require marking. Exceptions have been made where a traffic engineering investigation has determined that safety is enhanced by providing markings.
What is the speed limit on my road?
If no signs are posted, the General Statutes of North Carolina set all speed limits outside of municipalities at 55 m.p.h. and within municipal limits at 35 m.p.h. These can be changed by ordinances enacted by NCDOT. Changes, either higher or lower, inside city limits, require the agreement of the municipality and NCDOT. If signs are not posted in areas outside municipalities, the speed limit is officially 55 m.p.h. When NCDOT conducts a speed zone study and recommends a speed limit, a draft ordinance is submitted to the NCDOT State Traffic Engineer's Office for approval. When it is approved, the NCDOT Division Traffic Services Unit installs the speed limit signs.
Can you lower the speed limit so that traffic will slow down?
NCDOT looks at several criteria in setting speed limits. These include roadway alignment, sight distance, 85th percentile speed (a weighted average speed), crash history, and development. For any sign to be effective, it must command the respect of road users. This means speed limits must be reasonable and enforced. NCDOT is responsible for establishing speed limits, but local police, the State Highway Patrol and Sheriff's' Departments have enforcement responsibility.
How can I get a speed limit changed?
You may contact the NCDOT Traffic Engineer's Office and request a speed zone study.
Changing development and roadwork often affect operating speed conditions, and may warrant changes in the speed limit by NCDOT.
How do I request a traffic signal?
When requesting a traffic signal, a citizen can call the NCDOT Traffic Engineer's Office or the appropriate NCDOT District Engineer's Office and request that an intersection be studied for signalization. The department will investigate the need for a signal by studying traffic volumes,
reviewing the crash history and conducting a field investigation to determine if a signal will create a safer driving environment. This type of investigation usually takes about 60 days to complete.
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NC DOT
NC DOH
NC GOV
DIVISION 6 ORGANIZATION