NEMA publishes new standard for portable traffic signals

The US National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has published NEMA TS 5-2017 Portable Traffic Signal Systems (PTSS) Standard.
May 22, 2017 Read time: 1 min

The US 7174 National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has published NEMA TS 5-2017 Portable Traffic Signal Systems (PTSS) Standard. This new standard covers traffic signalling equipment used to enable and expedite the safe movement of vehicle traffic in work zones during roadway construction, such as single-lane road closures during emergencies and planned events.

PTSS are commonly used to supersede flag use during roadway construction. While PTSS are used most commonly for single-lane road closures, they are also used during or after times of emergencies, planned events and non-normative vehicular signalisation needs.

PTSS are also used before or while permanent signals are being installed to reduce traffic bottlenecks and improve intersection safety during these transition times. PTSS are designed to enable critical movement of traffic using the implementation of appropriate new and existing standards.

Urban Traffic Control

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • The inside story of how traffic chaos was avoided after I-95 collapse
    August 23, 2023
    June’s collapse of major US roadway I-95 in Pennsylvania could have caused lengthy traffic chaos. But - relatively speaking at least - it didn’t and gridlock was avoided. Alan Dron finds out why
    Read More
  • A journey into the Dilemma Zone with Econolite
    January 16, 2025
    Indecision on the road can kill. Econolite’s Sunny Chakravarty and Vincent Mayeda present new data-driven dilemma zone and intersection safety strategies for a Vision Zero future
    Read More
  • Radar effective as detection tool for hard shoulder running
    July 23, 2012
    Navtech Radar's millimetric-wave systems are being researched on the M42 in England to look into how this type of detector can assist in the opening of the hard shoulder as an additional running lane. Here, the company's Stephen Clark talks about the technology being used. In England, the Highways Agency's (the HA, an executive agency of the Department for Transport) Managed Motorways system - formerly called Active Traffic Management - uses electronic signs and signals mounted on gantries to direct drivers
    Read More
  • Less travel aggravation to blunt Aggieland fans’ motivation
    June 17, 2016
    Returning travel times to normal within two hours of the end of a major football game was the challenge facing College Station, Adam Lyons explains how this was achieved. College Station, TX, also known as ‘Aggieland’, is located right in the middle of the Dallas/Fort Worth, San Antonio and Houston triangle making the city accessible to over 14 million Texans within less than a four-hour drive. One of the biggest draws to this area is Texas A&M University (TAMU) and the Aggie football games in the fall, mea
    Read More

Highlighted Content