Illinois Administrative Code
Title 92 - TRANSPORTATION
Part 542 - BUSINESS LOGO SIGNING PROGRAM
Section 542.500 - Panel and Sign Design
Universal Citation: 92 IL Admin Code ยง 542.500
Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 12, March 22, 2024
a) Freeway Panel Design
1) At single-exit
interchanges, the type of service and the exit number shall be displayed in one
line above the business signs in white legend ten inches in height on a blue
background.
2) At double-exit
interchanges, the specific service panels shall consist of two sections, one
for each exit. The top section shall display the business signs for the first
exit and the lower section shall display the business signs for the second
exit. The type of service and the exit number shall be displayed in a line
above the business signs for each section. Where all businesses of a type of
service are at only one exit, the specific service panel will be displayed
similarly to that for a single-exit interchange.
3) When two types of services are combined on
the same freeway panel, the higher priority service will be displayed above or
to the left of the lower priority service. When three types of services are
combined on the same freeway panel, one of the following arrangements will be
used:
A) Service types arranged vertically
with one service displayed on the top third of the panel, one service displayed
on the middle third of the panel, and one service displayed on the bottom third
of the panel.
B) Service types
arranged horizontally with one service displayed on the left third of the
panel, one service displayed on the middle third of the panel, and one service
displayed on the right third of the panel.
C) The services will be displayed in priority
order with the highest priority service listed at the top or to the
left.
b) Exit Ramp Panel Design
1) Along exit ramps of
single-exit interchanges, the business signs will be displayed in similar order
to that on the freeway, except that those businesses to the motorists' left
will have signs placed at the top of the panel and those to the right will be
at the bottom. Directional arrows will be shown on the panel by the
Department.
2) If used, exit ramp
panels of double-exit interchanges are designed similar to those of single-exit
interchanges, except without directional arrows.
3) Services will be combined on exit ramp
panels, similar to that provided in subsection (a)(3).
c) Business Sign Design
1) The business signs will be designed and
supplied by the business to the Department. These signs shall consist of the
business' name, trademark, symbol, or combination thereof, providing it does
not resemble any traffic sign, signal, or device. The business' trademark,
name, etc., must be the primary message on the sign and directly related to the
type of service being accommodated on the specific service panel. The business
signs may also contain supplemental messages relating to the primary business,
including credit cards honored by that business, ATM machines actually on the
property that the business owns or leases, and messages such as "family
restaurant", "buses welcome", "E85", "alternative fuels" and "diesel". Logos or
symbols identifying a second business or a supplementary service will not be
allowed. A business sign may also contain one supplemental word message
directly relating to a second motorist service, including, but not limited to,
"food mart" on a gas sign, "gas" on a lodging sign, or "restaurant" on a gas or
lodging sign. A business sign shall not display the symbol/trademark or name of
more than one business. Messages that are not related to motorist services,
including, but not limited to, alcoholic beverages, area tourist attractions,
dancing, lottery tickets, antiques, and vehicle sales will not be allowed as
supplemental messages. Food signs for establishments that are closed one day a
week shall include a supplemental message including the day of closure. The
business sign may also contain one supplemental message identifying that the
business is RV-friendly, subject to the following requirements:
A) The entrance to and egress from the
business establishment shall be hard surfaced, kept free of potholes and at
least 12 feet wide with a minimum swing radius of 50 feet to enter and exit the
facility.
B) The entrance to and
egress from the business establishment and the parking area shall be free of
any electrical wires, tree branches, canopies or other obstructions up to 14
feet above the surface.
C) Fueling
facilities with canopies are required to have a 14-foot clearance, and those
selling diesel fuel are required to have pumps with non-commercial
nozzles.
D) Fueling facilities must
allow for pull-through with a swing radius of 50 feet.
E) Restaurants and 24-hour pharmacies shall
have a minimum of two RV spaces that are a minimum of 12 feet wide and 65 feet
long with a minimum swing radius of 50 feet to enter and exit the
spaces.
F) Campgrounds shall have a
minimum of two spaces that are a minimum of 18 feet wide and 45 feet
long.
G) Business establishments
shall post signs on their sites directing motorists to RV-friendly parking
spaces and other on-site RV-friendly services.
H) The supplemental message shall either be
"RV access" or "RV friendly". It may also consist of an abbreviation "RV" in
six inch black letters inside a 10" diameter yellow circle with a black border
displayed within and near the lower right-hand corner of the business
sign.
2) Any
supplemental messages must be an integral part of the business sign and not
added as stickers or decals after the business sign has been installed. Any
signs that are tampered with by adding or deleting supplemental messages or by
altering the name, logo, or symbol or any other portion of the message or
design subsequent to their installation will be removed by the Department and
the business must furnish new signs in addition to the $50 per sign
reinstallation fee required by Section
542.600(b)(4).
Should the service indicated by a supplemental message be discontinued, the
business must furnish new business signs without the discontinued message along
with the $50 per sign reinstallation fee required by Section
542.600(b)(4)
within 60 days after discontinuation of the
service. Covering over the message will not be allowed. Supplemental messages
may be omitted on ramp and trailblazer signs if the business desires. Signs
shall be fabricated on an aluminum base material between .080 and .125 inches
thick. High-performance reflectorized background sheeting material shall be
utilized for the signs. The size of the signs to be placed on freeway panels,
exit ramp panels, and trailblazer assemblies shall be as follows:
GAS |
FOOD, LODGING, CAMPING, 24-HR PHARMACY |
|||
Width |
Height |
Width |
Height |
|
FREEWAY |
48" |
36" |
60" |
36" |
EXIT RAMP |
24" |
18" |
24" |
18" |
TRAILBLAZER |
24" |
18" |
24" |
18" |
Business sign lettering, other than that which is part of a logo/trademark, shall be a minimum of 8" high on freeway signs and 4" high on ramp and trailblazer signs. Supplemental message lettering shall be a minimum of 5" high on freeway signs and 2.5 " high on ramp and trailblazer signs.
3) In order to
ensure that the signs meet all of the requirements of this Section, businesses
shall furnish a sign design to the Department for approval within 30 calendar
days after approval of their application. If the sign design is not received by
the Department within the 30 day time period, the space will be declared
available.
4) Any campground not
open the entire year must have its opening and closing months shown on its
freeway business signs, but is not required to have the months shown on the
exit ramps. This provision applies to those businesses who receive approval of
their applications on or after January 1, 2012.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Illinois may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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