DOT, FED HWY ADMN, Office of Acquisition Management, 400 7TH ST, SW, Room 4410, Washington, DC 20590

A -- OPTIMIZING CHANGEABLE MESSAGE SIGN DESIGN AND USER SOL DTFH61-96-R-00061 DUE 051096 POC Behrooz Behpoory, Contract Specialist, HCP-30B, (202)366-4224. The objective of this contract is to develop tradeoffs among factors affecting changeable message sign readability (e.g. message length, character size, luminance and contrast, sign placement, and driving speed) and factors affecting sign cost (e.g. sign type and size, support structure, control systems, operations, and maintenance) in order to maximize benefit/cost for a given application and placement. This study will identify the current applications and possible new uses for changeable message signs (CMS). The current state-of-the art of CMS design and fabrication will be assessed. The types of signs shall include at least the following: reflective disks (RD), fiber optics (FO), reflective disk with fiber optics, light emitting diodes (LED), and reflective disks with LEDs. Both portable and permanent signs are to be considered. Sign placement requirements will be determined for each general application based on roadway geometrics, speed of traffic, environmental setting, etc. Costs for the most common CMS types will be obtained, and applied in a benefit/cost, tradeoff analysis user's manual. All requests must be submitted in writing. To expedite the request, please furnish two self addressed gummed labels. The solicitation Number should appear on the bottom edge of the labels. See Numbered Note(s): 1. (0096)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0008 19960408\A-0008.SOL)