A sign management system to maintain sign visibility at night.

This article describes the framework for a sign maintenance system (SMS) being developed to assist state and local highway organizations involved in the design, management, maintenance, and research of retroreflective traffic signs. The system components are outlined, results of a preliminary evaluation are presented, and ongoing and future research efforts are discussed. Possible applications of the SMS as it now exists are described, and some conclusions are drawn as to what additional work is required for the system to become fully operational.