Pole of road signs in France

In the field of the road signs of direction, a pole is a generating geographical sector of traffic (an agglomeration, a zone of activities, a hospital, etc). At a given place of the territory, the road user has a certain perception of each pole according to the importance of this one and his distance compared to the user.

In France, precise rules, defined in the interdepartmental nstruction of March 22nd, 1982 relating to the indication of direction, being able to appear sometimes quite technocratic, make it possible to prepare a study of marking out, to define the poles and into final the mentions of directions which will be reproduced on the road panels of marking out.

Poles to be taken into account

Poles are called:

the Agglomeration S (within the meaning of the Highway code), localities and communes,
urban entities (agglomerated zones vaster than a commune),
districts, zones of activity,
services, the equipment,
sites, tourist areas.

On account of the continuity and coherence of indication, it is necessary to take into account not only the internal poles with I' surface of study but also certain poles located at its periphery, even for the important poles, with longer range. The list of these external poles is in general drawn up by Consultation of the departments or communes bordering or provided by the Ministry for the Equipment and Sustainable development for the important poles.

Denomination of the poles

With each pole must be associated a precise denomination (name of a Commune, a Quartier, a Lieu-dit, a service, a zone of activities, etc). The choice of this denomination must be most appropriate possible to the terms known by the users “guided” or desired by the Usager S " desservis". This rule implies a good knowledge of local realities (or main roads) when the denomination poses problem and… a good local dialog then.

For the foreign poles, the name to be indicated is that used in the French language. However, if necessary, the translation of this denomination in the language of the country where the pole is located can be added, for example: GENOA (GENOVA).

For the regional poles, certain communities took the initiative to make out the name of the pole in doubled bloom in the regional language.

Classification of the poles

A pole is characterized by the functions which it fills: function residential, industrial, commercial, services, transport, leisures, etc When these functions are " harmonieusement" ensured, i.e. when none supplants the others, the number of the inhabitants clearly represents this balance and the importance of the pole: one speaks then about “balanced pole”. In the other cases, the number of inhabitants is not directly representative, other indicators must be used.

Balanced poles

The studies on the accessibility and the attractivity of the urban areas showed that those do not vary in a linear way with the population (or quantity of services offered), but according to a logarithmic scale. One will note into final that this type of scale is compatible with that which the user has intuitively and which, moreover, it discriminates well the important poles compared to the less populated poles.

In order not to introduce a too great disparity inside each level, the number of 10 levels was retained with the intention to gather them two by two in 5 classes. The threshold of classification being fixed at 640 inhabitants.

Calculated level

The calculated level is defined by: N_C = log₅

\ frac {P} {640}

= 1,43 log₁₀

\ frac {P} {640}

Base 5 was retained because of the fact that, when the population is five times more important, the generated traffic is double.

Approximate level

The approximate level N_a corresponding each of the 10 levels definite like equal at the calculated level is then rounded up with the half-unit or the next whole number. The limits of approximate levels are thus in a geometric progression of reason

\ sqrt {5}

and those of the classes in a geometric progression of reason 5, except for an exception (threshold of 21.000 inhabitants).

Nominal level

Actually in the information system strategic plans one will speak rather about nominal level N_n, by simplification of language.

Not balanced poles

Color of a pole

The color of a pole depends on the class to which it belongs.

The classification of the green poles is the ministerial decision object. The fact for a pole of being " vert" do not imply inevitably that it will be mentioned on panels at green bottom on all the routes reaching it.

Sources

Stopped of modified November 24th, 1967 relating to the indication of the roads and highways.
interdepartmental Instruction of March 22nd, 1982 relating to the indication of direction.

See too

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