State of California		Business, Transportation and Housing Agency
Memorandum
To:	DEPUTY DIRECTORS DISTRICT DIRECTORS PROGRAM MANAGERS SERVICE CENTER MANAGERS	Date: File No.:	December 15, 1995
From:	DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORATION DIRECTOR'S OFFICE
Subject:	Metrication

The Department adopted the International System of Units (SI) as its preferred system of weights and measures with the issuance of Director's Policy 15 on August 26, 1993. The Department has made great progress toward complete metric conversion and is committed to meeting the Federal Metric Mandate of September 30, 1996.

The National Highway System Designation Act (Senate Bill 440), which was signed by the President on November 28th, contains language which allows for the postponement of this mandate for advertising construction contracts in metric units to September 30, 2000.

The Department has issued the Highway Design Manual, Standard Specifications and Standard Plans in metric only format, and has many other manuals and publications nearly converted. Since October 1993, surveying and aerial mapping requests have been done in metric units. All new designs started since January 1994 have also utilized metric units and many others have been converted. Metric designs are at various stages of completion with several being readied for advertisement in early 1996.

We have polled states nationwide to determine what decisions are being made by others. Of the 30 responses received to date, only two small states have postponed their metric conversion efforts. However, the postponement may lengthen the nationwide transition to the metric system. Thus, the Department should allow for some flexibility, while taking full advantage of our investments in conversion thus far.

Projects on the State Highway System, regardless of funding source, shall continue to require metric units for advertisements after September 30, 1996, unless granted an exception. To minimize the Department's costs during the transition, we will utilize the exception process for projects with substantial work in English units which have been delayed beyond September 30, 1996 or shelved due to funding constraints. Alan Glen, the Department's Metric Coordinator, will review any new exception requests and make recommendations to Dick Weaver, Deputy Director of Project Development, who shall have the final approval authority.

Local Agencies will be encouraged to continue with metric implementation as feasible to facilitate a uniform statewide conversion of transportation construction contracts. They should be made aware that the Department will no longer issue any manuals, standards, specifications or standard plans utilizing U. S. customary units.

The Department will not pursue any changes to the highway information sign messages in metric units in the foreseeable future. It is important for all employees to make it clear in dealing with the public that highway signs will not be converted.

If you have any questions please call Alan Glen at (916) 653-1776, or Calnet 453-1776.

Original signed by:

JAMES W. VAN LOBEN SELS
Director

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