Comprehensive manual provides

By Michelle S. Birdsall Improved mobility and reduced fuel consumption are some of the most compelling benefits of appropriately operated and maintained traffic signals. Improved signal timing can yield reductions in traffic delay ranging from 15 to 40 percent; reductions in travel time up to 25 percent; reductions in fuel consumption up to 10 percent; and reductions in harmful emissions up to 22 percent. While traffic signal timing projects produce one of the highest benefit-cost ratios for improvement to the highway transportation system, findings from the National Traffic Signal Report Card indicate that, overall, traffic signal operations in the United States score a D grade, up slightly from a D- grade reported in In an effort to provide signal timing practitioners with resources to help them improve traffic signal timing, the Federal Highway Administration FHWA developed the Traffic Signal Timing Manual in as an easy-to-use, concise, practical and modular guide.

Focusing on the principles of traffic signal timing, the manual identifies sound timing practices and serves as a comprehensive tabletop resource. Nancy Knauss, state coordinator for the Penn State Master Gardener program , noted that the manual provides a wealth of horticultural information for all levels of gardeners.

The manual incorporates the research-based knowledge and experience of Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences professors and extension professionals from several fields, including horticulture, small and tree fruit production, landscape architecture, turfgrass science, forestry and wildlife management, entomology, plant pathology, and botany.

Although it is available to the public, one of the primary purposes of the guide is to instruct Penn State Master Gardeners, who are volunteers trained by Penn State Extension to answer questions, speak to groups, work with 4-H gardening projects, maintain demonstration gardens, teach plant sciences and horticulture, write gardening articles, and more. The publication provides information to familiarize these volunteers with the land-grant mission of Penn State Extension, and the first section of the manual is focused on teaching and communication with adults, children and teens.

Certified Master Gardeners in turn educate individuals and groups on topics such as vegetable gardening, plant selection and care, composting and soil health, controlling pests safely, pollinator gardening, and pruning. The Master Gardener Manual is an 8. Orders can be placed by calling toll free The publication number is AGRS Most major credit cards are accepted.

The Penn State Master Gardener volunteer program supports the outreach mission of Penn State Extension by utilizing unbiased, research-based information to educate communities and the public on best practices in sustainable horticulture and environmental stewardship. Penn State Extension's Master Gardener Manual covers botany, plant propagation, soil health and fertilizer management, composting, pest management, plant diseases, vegetable gardening, lawn care, ornamentals and more.