Number of tracks plaque
A white plaque below a crossbuck giving the number of tracks, such as 2 TRACKS. It means the crossing has more than one track.
How to read it
The MUTCD calls it the Number of Tracks plaque (R15-2P) and mounts it under the crossbuck. It also belongs on the post of a flashing-light signal wherever there is more than one track. Florida's handbook describes it as the sign below the crossbuck that shows the number of tracks when there is more than one, and for crossings with more than one track it tells drivers to check that every track is clear before crossing. Michigan's manual says the same. This page describes the national standard and isn’t legal advice; what a driver must do at a crossing is set by state law.
Also searched as: 2 tracks sign, multiple tracks sign.
Rules vary by state and country. This explains the sign's standard meaning in the U.S. Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices; it isn't legal advice.
A plaque that the 2023 MUTCD requires at more crossings
Under the 2009 MUTCD the plaque was required on a crossbuck where there were two or more tracks and no automatic gates. The 11th edition (2023) drops the exception for gates: any crossing with two or more tracks gets the plaque.
More road signs
Browse symbols drawn with crosses or letters and numbers.
Sources
- MUTCD 2009 Edition, Chapter 8B: Signs and Markings (Railroad and Light Rail Transit Grade Crossings), MUTCD 2009, Part 8, U.S. Federal Highway Administration, Section 8B.03
- MUTCD 2009 Edition, Chapter 8C: Flashing-Light Signals, Gates, and Traffic Control Signals, MUTCD 2009, Part 8, U.S. Federal Highway Administration, Section 8C.02
- MUTCD 11th Edition, Part 8: Traffic Control for Railroad and Light Rail Transit Grade Crossings, MUTCD 11th edition (December 2023), Part 8, U.S. Federal Highway Administration, Section 8B.03
- Official Florida Driver License Handbook, rev. 08/2023, Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, p. 57
- What Every Driver Must Know, Michigan driver manual, Michigan Department of State, p. 36
Last reviewed October 2, 2026 by Rory Hansen. How we research