Fla. Admin. Code R. 14-51.030

Current through Reg. 51, No. 009; January 14, 2025

Section 14-51.030 - Destination Guide Signs

(1) General. The criteria referenced for destinations listed in Table 4 are used to determine which destinations will be signed for on non-limited access facilities.

(2) Standards.

(a) Not more than six eligible destinations, including cities, shall be signed at any intersection approach. Exception for community wayfinding guide sign systems and TODS guide signing are found in Rule Chapter 14-51, Part V and Part VI, F.A.C. These eligible destinations shall not be indicated on more than two separate signs with no more than three lines of legend on each sign.

(b) If there are four destinations to be signed at a given intersection, all four destinations should be included on one sign, unless lateral restrictions limit sign panel square footage.

(c) Destination guide signs shall be located in advance of the intersecting roadway that is the most direct or desirable route to the facility. Local government recommendations on the most desirable route will be considered because the most direct route may have roadway safety features that are less desirable than the longer route.

(3) Guidelines.

(a) Any state or national park or state forest; open to the public and offering multiple recreational activities with restrooms and paved handicapped parking, shall be eligible. Advance signs shall not be located more than 10 miles from the park entrance.

Table 4 Criteria for Signing Destinations on Non-limited Access Facilities
Type of Destination	Criteria	Guidelines
		Urban Areas1	Rural Areas2
State Colleges and Universities	Nearest intersection to the state highway system.
Private Colleges and Universities	Number of Trips Generated Annuallyc (minimum)	550,000ad	300,000ad
		1,200,000bd	450,000bd
Vocational/Technical Schools	Number of Trips Generated Annually (minimum)	675,000d	300,000d
Military Bases	Number of Trips Generated Annuallyc (minimum)	5,000,000c	3,000,000c
Arenas, Auditoriums, Amphitheaters, Civic Centers, Convention Halls, Stadiums, Sports Complexes, Major Tourist Attractions (Fairgrounds, Amusement Parks, Zoos, etc.)	Number of Tripsd Generated Annually (minimum)	37,500 trips plus 3,750 per mile of distance from intersection
State and National Parks, and State Forest Recreational Areas	Nearest intersection to the state highway system.
Youth Camps (YMCA, Scouts, etc.)	Signing only in rural areas, with facilities for a minimum of 50 persons on an overnight basis and in operation for at least 6 months of the year.
Medical Facilities (excluding those references in Table 5)	Minimum of 500 beds in urban and suburban areas. Nearest state highway system Exit. Bed minimum can be lowered for hospitals with access off the state highway system serving isolated, rural county populations.
Downtown	There must be a clear central core commonly considered the downtown area that is located on an intersecting road a maximum of 3 miles off the state road. This excludes requests for signing new development or re-development zones as "downtown" that were not historically the "downtown" prior to new construction or rehabilitation.
Drivers License	Nearest intersection only.
State Agency Buildings	Number of Tripsd Generated Annually (minimum)	260,000	1,500
1. Over 50,000 population.
2. 50,000 and under population.
a. Annual Trips = Number of Enrolled Students (who physically attend classes on campus) x 1.5 (college or university without dormitories, each student equals 1.5 trips) x Number of semesters per year x Number of weeks per semester x 5 days per week. Figures based on AASHTO'S 2001 Selection of Supplemental Guide Signs for Traffic Generators.
b. Annual Trips = Number of Enrolled Students (who physically attend classes on campus) x 2.0 (college or university with dormitories, each student equals 2 trips) x Number of semesters per year x Number of weeks per semester x 5 days per week. Figures based on AASHTO'S 2001 Selection of Supplemental Guide Signs for Traffic Generators.
c. One employee or military personnel equals 0.9 trips. Figures based on AASHTO'S 2001 Selection of Supplemental Guide Signs for Traffic Generators.
d. Trip: a single or one-direction vehicle movement either to or away from the traffic generator. Any conversion of attendance to trip generation figures will be evaluated by the Department, based on general engineering practice.

(b) "Downtown" signs shall meet the following criteria in order to be considered for destination guide signing.

1. "Downtown" signs will be considered for municipalities with a population of 5,000 or more.

2. The non-limited access facility route shall traverse the municipal limits.

3. A distinct central business district must exist. Strip development, business centers, mixed-use development, or re-development shall not be considered as "downtown" or as a qualifying destination for guide signing unless it was historically identified as the "downtown."

4. Only one such sign will be permitted for each direction of travel to provide the most practical route to the central business district.

(c) The criteria referenced in Table 4 shall be used to determine which destination to add to an existing destination guide sign.

(d) Recreational, historical, or cultural attractions funded by federal, state, or local governments are eligible for destination guide signing. Such attractions shall meet the following specific criteria in order to be eligible for signing:

1. Historical attractions shall be listed in the National Register of Historic Places and be open to the general public year round.

2. Cultural attractions shall be open to the general public year round.

3. Signs shall be limited to the nearest intersection to the state highway system.

4. Recreational attractions shall be operated on a non-profit basis and include multiple activities such as picnicking, camping, hiking, swimming, fishing, or boating.

5. All recreational, historical, or cultural attractions shall have restrooms and paved handicapped parking facilities.

(e) Signs shall be installed to identify designated, developed parking areas for state or local recreational trails only. These signs are for traffic control purposes only, and are not intended for advertisement.

(f) Rail Terminals shall be eligible for destination guide signing when the following criteria are met:

1. Intercity rail (Amtrak, commuters, etc.) shall provide regularly scheduled passenger service and have parking spaces for patron use.

2. Intra-urban rail shall provide regularly scheduled service and have parking spaces for patron use.

(g) Destination guide signing for a non-charter interstate bus service shall only include the standard general service signing for a Greyhound bus station and/or bus stop. The purpose of the standard Greyhound symbol sign is to assist motorists who are trying to locate a bus station which is inside a building, or a published, scheduled stop that is not serviced by any ticket agent at that remote stop.

(h) Seaports, deep water public cargo, or passenger ports (for Port Authority locations) are eligible for destination guide signing on non-limited access facilities.

(i) Airports are eligible for signing when the following criteria are met:

1. Air carrier airports are those which are served regularly by scheduled airlines. The airport symbol shall also be used with the airport name.

2. General aviation (open to public use) destination guide signs are allowed in each direction along the state highway system in advance of an intersecting roadway that provides direct access to the airport property. Signing shall be limited to an intersection within five miles of the airport. The facility may be named on an auxiliary panel with the general service airport sign. The directional arrow panel is mandatory. The airport general service sign should be pointed such that the tip of the airplane is pointed in the same direction of the arrow panel.

(j) Certified Florida Farm Wineries shall be eligible for destination guide signing pursuant to Section 599.004, F.S. The Florida Farm Winery logo with supplemental name panel shall be installed based on space availability for certified wineries. There is a $250 one-time fee per sign.

(k) Licensed Craft Distilleries shall be eligible for signing in accordance with Section 565.03, F.S., based on space availability. The Craft Distillery shall be responsible for all signs and associated costs, including replacements, through the Department's permit system in accordance with Rule 14-51.014, F.A.C.

(l) Craft Breweries meeting the requirements of Section 563.13, F.S., shall be eligible for signing based on space availability. The Craft Brewery shall be responsible for all signs and associated costs, including replacements, through the Department's permit system in accordance with Rule 14-51.014, F.A.C.

(m) Regional malls or outlet malls (1,000,000 square feet or more) shall be eligible for destination guide signing when the criteria established in Rule 14-51.013, F.A.C., is met and a traffic engineering study has been completed by a Professional Engineer registered in the State of Florida. If the Mall requests a name change within six years of sign installation, the Mall shall be responsible to contract for all new supplemental guide sign replacements, through the Department's permit system, at their own expense.

(n) Mixed use developments or planned unit developments shall be eligible for signing on non-limited access facilities only when the development:

1. Is located within 5 miles of the interchange that is the most practical route to the development,

2. Covers 3 square miles or more,

3. Is open to the general public year round with non-gated access to commercial, retail, and activity/entertainment areas; and,

4. Has 1,000,000 or more square feet of commercial/retail space, and 500,000 or more square feet of office space.

(o) Colleges and Universities:

1. State-funded community college main campuses, vocational/technical center campuses, and university main campuses are eligible for signing. Satellite campuses are eligible, only if the curriculum allows students to obtain an associate of arts (AA) degree, or higher, at the campus site.

a. If the campus requests a name change within six years of sign installation, the campus shall be responsible to contract for all supplemental guide sign replacements, through the Department's permit system at its own expense.

b. The campus shall provide an inventory of all its existing supplemental guide sign sizes and locations, including the local road system.

c. The Department will provide an approved standard sign design for the supplemental guide signs on the state highway system. The Department will install the supplemental guide signs on the state highway system, unless a pictograph is requested in the design. All supplemental guide signs with a pictograph shall be installed through the Department's permit system at the applicant's expense.

2. Private colleges and universities that meet the trip generation referenced in Table 4, as documented by the requesting organization, are eligible for signing through the Department's permit system, if they meet the criteria outlined in Rule 14-51.013, F.A.C. Private universities with existing signs will be retained so long as they remain active. Private universities shall only be eligible for destination guide signing to distinct college campuses, when the core baccalaureate degree requirement courses are available in traditional classroom settings at that site and meet the trip generation criteria.

3. Schools licensed by the Department of Education's Commission for Independent Education are not eligible for signing to any site unless they meet the trip generation criteria referenced in Table 4 as documented by the requesting organization.

(p) Signing for multi-modal transportation facilities is considered destination guide signing, except for those that qualify as a general service.

1. Multi-modal facilities are airports (air carrier and general aviation), seaports (passenger and cargo), rail terminals, intercity bus, parking lots, garages, and Park and Ride.

2. A destination guide signing plan for multi-modal facilities shall be submitted.

(q) Veterans' Hospitals designated as the regional treatment center or State Veterans' nursing homes are eligible for destination guide signing on non-limited access facilities.

(r) Hospitals shall only be eligible for destination guide signs or general service signing, not both.

(s) Requests for destination guide signing by local government agencies shall be approved through the Department's permit system. The Department shall allow local governments to fabricate, install, and maintain the following destination guide signs pursuant to Department standards and direction. The following facilities are eligible for destination guide signing when they do not have direct state road access. The signs shall be erected at the intersection nearest the facility and shall not interfere with official traffic control devices:

1. Post Offices, including small businesses that are under contract with the United States Postal Service (USPS) are eligible for destination guide signing, when requested by local government and signed through the Department's permit system. In order to qualify for signing they shall have a contract with the USPS and provide a confirmation letter from the USPS along with their written request for signing. The destination guide signs shall be green background with white lettering and have the appropriate directional arrow,

2. Libraries,

3. Recycling Drop-Off Centers,

4. Courthouses,

5. Publicly-owned Vocational/Technical Schools that meet criteria established in Table 4,

6. City and County Parks,

7. High Schools,

8. Tax Collector Offices,

9. Chamber of Commerce; Tourist information,

10. Animal Shelters,

11. City/Town Halls,

12. Landfills; Transfer Stations,

13. Bus and Rail Stations,

14. National Veterans Cemeteries,

15. Veterans Community Treatment Centers,

16. Multi-use developments/redevelopment areas, such as Town Centers, when it is demonstrated that the majority of traffic is generated by tourism,

17. Temporary signing for access to polling stations,

18. Tourist Oriented Directional Signing Systems in qualifying counties,

19. Place name signs for unincorporated communities,

20. Community Wayfinding Guide Sign Systems,

21. Public parking, parking lots and garages shall be eligible for destination guide signing if they are open to the public, with non-reserved parking spaces available daily, and not more than one mile from the intersection. The green and white "P" parking symbol sign shall be used without the name of the parking facility,

22. Destination guide signing for an intercity bus service shall consist of the standard single post local bus stop signs. Permit applications are not required, but all signs must be installed outside the clear zone and may not interfere with priority traffic control devices,

23. City historical areas or districts that are officially declared by either city or county resolution.

(4) Destinations Not Eligible for Signing on Non-Limited Access Facilities.

Except as provided in Rule Chapter 14-85 or Rule 14-51.021, F.A.C., destination guide signing shall not be provided for community recognition signs, acknowledgment signs or the following destinations shown in Table 5.

Table 5 Destinations Not Eligible for Signing on Non-Limited Access Facilities
Businesses	Television/radio station, theaters, motels/hotels/inns, travel trailer parks, industrial parks and plants, office parks, shopping districts, shopping centers.
Cemeteries	Local, state, federal, sovereign nation, public, private.
Community Facilities	Civic groups (Kiwanis, Lions, Rotary, etc.), churches, subdivision, mixed use facilities, business districts.
Government	State, local and regional political offices or boundaries.
Military	Sites/detachments, armories, arsenals and recruitment centers.
Schools	K through 9.
Medical	Infirmaries, out-patient or residential treatment centers; county, fraternal or non-Veterans nursing homes, retirement facilities, specialized short or long term treatment or rehabilitation facilities, ambulatory surgical center, specialty hospitals or clinics.
Recreation/Conservation	Water and soil conservation district boundaries, water sheds, habitat or natural resource protection zones, recreation centers (community centers, swimming pools, baseball/softball fields, tennis courts, etc.), training centers, country clubs, golf courses, resorts, tree nurseries/arboretums (including those sponsored by government services), gun and archery clubs.

Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 14-51.030

Rulemaking Authority 316.0745 FS. Law Implemented 316.0745 FS.

New 3-27-05, Amended 11-24-11, Amended by Florida Register Volume 42, Number 046, March 8, 2016 effective 3/20/2016, Amended by Florida Register Volume 43, Number 109, June 6, 2017 effective 6/19/2017, Amended by Florida Register Volume 46, Number 014, January 22, 2020 effective 2/3/2020.

New 3-27-05, Amended 11-24-11, 3-20-16, 6-19-17, 2-3-20.