A well constructed advanced search for the phrase "center lines" and one of the words road or street or highway gets good results. I agree with John especially since these are the TRT terms and any standard is better than none. Joyce W. Koeneman Digital Librarian and Head Tech Services National Transportation Library 202.366.4203 joyce.koeneman@dot.gov -----Original Message----- From: Michael C Kleiber [mailto:mkleiber@uclink.berkeley.edu] Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2005 2:50 PM To: neldabravo@aol.com; Koeneman, Joyce <RITA> Subject: Re: DSITE News - New MUTCD Information TRT uses: "Center lines" AASHTO Glossary (from 1998 ed.): "Centerline" I don't think the idea of using two word versus one word is valid in "googling" if the one word is complex enough, but Joyce can comment on that. I resolve word conflicts like this: 1) check TRIS, Melvyl, etc. for last 5 yrs. of use of word(s) 2) ask an expert of two 3) make an intelligent decision MK On Tue, 19 Jul 2005 14:09:57 -0400 neldabravo@aol.com wrote: > Michael and Joyce, > This is discussion is right up your alley! > > N > -----Original Message----- >From: John McCarthy <tsqjrmc@eng.auburn.edu> > To: The T2All Discussion List <T2ALL@lists.unh.edu> > Sent: Tue, 12 Jul 2005 11:53:59 -0500 > Subject: Fwd: Re: DSITE News - New MUTCD Information > > > To t2all, > > As each of us may need to do internet searches on request for local > agencies, we know that the use of one word or two words in a search > request makes a world of difference in the results. Hope you can > appreciate this suggestion that we go back to the use of two words for > the pavement marking "center lines". > > John > > > -- > John R McCarthy, PE > Assistant Director > Alabama Technology Transfer Center > c/o Civil Engineering Dept > 238 Harbert Engineering Center > Auburn University, AL 36849-5337 > ph: 334-844-6269 > fx: 334-844-6290 > >>>> John McCarthy 7/12/05 11:48 AM >>> > Bob Canfield > Deep South Section ITE > Baton Rouge, LA > > Bob, > > I went through some of the MUTCD webpages you mentioned. It is good to > see a knowledge section, but some editorial work is needed. > > The single word centerline is used to refer to a pavement marking on > these webpages. The single word "centerline" has been historically used > in highway engineering work to refer to the surveyed centerline of a > highway. Sometimes the centerline is the center of a right-of-way or the > physical center of the roadway. Sometimes it is the previous center, as > a roadway is widened or re-aligned. The yellow pavement marking has been > called a "center line", done as a two word phrase to distinguish it from > the otherwise common usage of the one word term in highway surveying and > engineering. This distinction was lost in the definitions section and > Chapter 3B of the 2000 and 2003 Editions of the MUTCD. This change is > usage from two words to one word should not have been done in the 2000 > Edition or continued in the 2003 Edition. Two words were used for > "center lines" in the 1978 and 1988 Editions. > > Edge Lines are two words in the 2003 Edition, including the definitions > section, and all previous editions, but appear as one word on the > website. This misnomer should definitely be corrected. > > The importance of the use of of word or two words for these terms is > much more that just in the history or appearance. An internet search > over the phrase "center line" will return a much difference result than > a search over the word "centerline". Therefore, I suggest that traffic > engineers return to the use of "center lines" and leave the use of > "centerlines" to the surveyors. > > Thanks for calling our attention to this knowledge section. > > John > > -- > John R McCarthy, PE > Assistant Director > Alabama Technology Transfer Center > c/o Civil Engineering Dept > 238 Harbert Engineering Center > Auburn University, AL 36849-5337 > ph: 334-844-6269 > fx: 334-844-6290 > > > >>>> <RRCBRLA@aol.com> 7/11/05 8:17 AM >>> > > A new feature has been added to the MUTCD Website learn about Pavement > > Markings, and take a quiz to test your knowledge. Click on _Pavement > Markings_ > (http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/kno-tutintro.html) in the Knowledge section > of the > navigation bar to begin. > The MUTCD website is: _http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/_ > (http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/) > > Robert Canfield > 5529 Loranger Drive > Baton Rouge, La. 70809 > Phone (225) 293-9609 >FAX (225) 293-5647