Design and Implementation of A Sign Inventory Program For the Uinta National Forest

摘要

The Uinta National Forest is responsible for regulating the travel of vehicles in its forest to ensure motorist safety and preserve the protected environment. Road signs are the primary tools used by the Forest Service to meet these objectives. These signs, however, are subject to weathering and vandalism. The older sign management method consisted of paper inventory sheets that were unkempt, missing inventory sheets, and sometimes unreadable; it was difficult to effectively manage a vast number of signs. In order to expedite the process of sign management and planning a computerized sign management plan was developed and implemented to provide a framework for an effective sign management program by the Uinta National Forest Service. This system, named as the Sign Inventory Program was developed on computer spreadsheets that can be accessed by all pertinent Forest Service officers through the Forest's internal computer network. The inventory includes, among other information, the status of existing signs, a record of sign maintenance, photos, replacements, removals, and recommended new installations for traffic signs by engineering analysis. This computerized new system saves the Forest Service officers significant amount of time, compared with having to look through the entire inventory of signs and manually distinguish how many signs need to be replaced. A pilot program that integrates the Sign Inventory System with GIS systems and Power Point slide shows was also developed to provide a graphical illustration of the road along with links to inventory spreadsheets of each corresponding sign on the road. The Forest Service officers can search this GIS system by sign type and sign condition.