Help & Documentation

Everything you need to create MUTCD-compliant traffic control plans.

Getting started

TC Plan Pro works entirely in your browser — no installation required. Here's the core workflow:

1
Enter your job site address Type a street address in the search bar and press Go. The map tiles load and all distances become geo-referenced to that location.
2
Draw roads Press R or click the Road tool. Drag to draw straight roads. Use the Roads panel for polyline, curved, or intersection modes.
3
Place signs and devices Open the Signs tab and choose from the MUTCD library. Click to place. Use the Devices tab for cones, barriers, arrow boards, and flaggers.
4
Add a taper Press P and click near a road — the taper snaps to the road centerline and auto-calculates the MUTCD-compliant length based on your speed and lane width.
5
Export Click Export PDF in the toolbar. The plan exports as a letter-landscape PDF with a title block, legend, and QC check. Ready for permit submission.
Tip: Use Auto-Channelize in the taper properties panel to automatically place MUTCD Table 6H-3 advance warning signs at the correct spacing for your speed.

Training video

🎬 Training video coming soon — open the app to get started now.

Interface overview

TC Plan Pro has three main areas: the top toolbar, the left panel, and the right panel. The map canvas fills the centre.

⬛ Top toolbar Runs across the full width of the app
New / Open / SaveStart a blank plan, open a .tcp.json file from disk, or download the current plan as a .tcp.json file.
TemplatesOpen the template picker and start from a pre-built plan — Lane Closure, Shoulder Work, Flagger Operation, or Merge Taper.
☁ Save / ☁ PlansSave the plan to cloud storage or open a previously cloud-saved plan. Requires a free account.
ShareGenerate a public read-only link to this plan. Anyone with the link can view it in a browser — no account needed on their end.
Export PDFGenerate a permit-ready letter-landscape PDF with title block, plan image, sign legend, and QC summary.
Export PNGExport the canvas as a high-resolution PNG (2×) for embedding in reports or documents.
? HelpOpen the in-app help panel showing keyboard shortcuts and tool guide. Also opened with the ? key.
Report IssueSubmit a bug report or feedback. Links to the GitHub issue tracker.
Search addressType a street address and press Go to load map tiles and geo-reference the canvas. All distances and MUTCD calculations use this location.
Undo / RedoStep backwards or forwards through your edit history. Keyboard: Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Shift+Z.
Reset ViewReset zoom to 100% and re-centre the canvas on the origin. Keyboard: Ctrl+0.
Clear AllRemove all objects from the canvas after confirmation. Cannot be undone — use Undo before clearing if you change your mind.
◧ Left panel Four tabs: TOOLS · SIGNS · DEVICES · ROADS
TOOLS tabAll 14 drawing tools with single-key shortcuts. See the for a full description of each.
SIGNS tabBrowse the full MUTCD sign library by category (Regulatory, Warning, Work Zone, Guide, School). Search by name or MUTCD code (e.g. "W20-1"). Click a sign to select it, then press S and click the canvas to place.
DEVICES tabChoose from the traffic control device library: cones, barrels, barriers, arrow boards, message boards, flaggers, and more. Press D and click the canvas to place the selected device.
ROADS tabSet road drawing mode (straight, polyline, curved Bézier, cubic, intersection), road type (2-lane, 4-lane, highway, divided), and configure turn lanes and intersection templates.
Show GridToggle the grid overlay on the canvas. Helpful for aligning objects. The grid also appears in exported PDFs when enabled.
North ArrowShow or hide the north arrow compass on the canvas. Appears in the exported PDF.
Legend BoxShow or hide the automatic sign/device legend in the bottom-left of the canvas. The legend lists every MUTCD sign and device on the plan with a count — it also appears in the exported PDF.
Snap to EndpointsWhen enabled, new road segments snap to the endpoints of existing roads. Keeps your road network connected.
Zoom (− / + / Fit)Zoom in or out with the buttons, or type a percentage directly. Fit zooms to show all objects. Scroll wheel also zooms. Keyboard: Ctrl+0 resets to 100%.
ObjectsLive count of all objects currently on the canvas.
Mini MapA small overview of the full canvas in the bottom-left of the left panel. Shows your current viewport position relative to all objects.
◨ Right panel Three tabs: PROPERTIES · MANIFEST · QC
PROPERTIES tabShows Plan Info when nothing is selected: fill in Project #, Client, Location, and Notes — these appear in the PDF title block. When an object is selected, shows that object's editable properties (speed, lane width, color, text, etc.).
MANIFEST tabA live inventory of every object on the canvas — signs and devices listed by name with counts, plus roads, tapers, work zones, and other elements. Useful for verifying your plan before export.
QC tab Real-time quality checks that run automatically as you draw. Issues are flagged as: ✕ Error (must fix before submitting) · ⚠ Warning (review recommended) · ✓ OK (no issues). The QC tab badge turns red or yellow when issues exist. Common checks include missing advance warning signs, taper length violations, and incomplete plan info.
Layers panelBelow the Properties/Manifest/QC tabs, the Layers panel lists every object on the canvas in order. Click any layer row to select that object. Useful when objects overlap and are hard to click directly on the canvas.
▬ Status bar Runs along the bottom of the canvas
X / Y coordinatesCanvas position of your cursor in canvas units.
Zoom %Current zoom level.
Interaction hintContext-sensitive tip that changes based on the active tool — e.g. "Click to place · Del to delete" for Select, "Click near a road to snap taper" for Taper.
Object countTotal number of objects currently on the canvas.
Active toolName of the currently active drawing tool.
Grid: ON / OFFWhether the grid overlay is currently visible.
Snap modeCurrent snap behaviour — endpoint (snaps to road endpoints) or segment (snaps anywhere along a road).
● Auto-savedGreen dot confirms your plan is saved to browser storage. Turns red with ⚠ if a save fails.

Tools reference

↖SelectV
Click to select an object. Drag to move. Delete or Backspace to remove. Drag an empty area to marquee-select multiple objects.
✋PanH
Click and drag to pan the canvas. Middle-click drag also pans regardless of active tool. Scroll to zoom.
━RoadR
Draw road segments. Choose mode in the Roads panel: straight (drag), polyline (click points), curved (3-click Bézier), or cubic. Roads snap to existing endpoints.
⬡SignS
Place the selected sign from the Signs tab. Click the canvas to place. Use the Signs tab to search by name or MUTCD code.
▲DeviceD
Place traffic control devices — cones, barrels, barriers, arrow boards, message boards, flaggers, and more. Choose from the Devices tab.
⋈TaperP
Place a lane closure taper. Snaps to nearby road centerlines automatically. Taper length auto-calculates from speed and lane width using the MUTCD formula.
▨Work ZoneZ
Drag to draw a work zone boundary rectangle. Shows on the canvas and in the exported PDF.
▧Lane MaskM
Drag along a road to mark a closed lane with a hatch overlay. Helps communicate which lanes are affected.
→ArrowA
Drag to draw a directional arrow. Customize color in the Properties panel.
TTextT
Click to place a text label. Edit content, font size, and color in the Properties panel.
📏MeasureU
Drag to draw a measurement line. The distance in feet is shown in the Properties panel.
⊟CrosswalkC
Drag across a road to place a striped crosswalk.
↰Turn LaneL
Click to place a turn lane offset from a road. Set direction and geometry in the Properties panel.
✕EraseX
Click any object to delete it immediately. Undo with Ctrl+Z.

MUTCD quick reference

Table 6H-3 — Advance warning sign spacing

Distance between each advance warning sign and the next downstream sign (or the taper).

Posted speed (mph)Spacing between signs (ft)Typical signs
25 – 35100 ftRoad Work Ahead, Flagger, One Lane Road Ahead
40 – 45200 ftRoad Work Ahead, Flagger, One Lane Road Ahead
50 – 55350 ftRoad Work Ahead, Flagger, One Lane Road Ahead
60 – 65500 ftRoad Work Ahead, Flagger, One Lane Road Ahead
> 65600 ftRoad Work Ahead, Flagger, One Lane Road Ahead
Note: These are minimum distances per MUTCD Table 6H-3. Local regulations or permit requirements may specify greater distances. Always verify with your permitting agency.

Taper length formula — Table 6H-2

Minimum taper length L is calculated from lane width W (ft) and posted speed S (mph):

Speed conditionFormula
S > 45 mphL = W × S
S ≤ 45 mphL = W × S² ÷ 60

TC Plan Pro calculates this automatically when you place a taper. You can see the result under MUTCD L = in the taper Properties panel.

Common taper lengths (12 ft lane, 1 lane closed)

Speed (mph)Taper length (ft)
25125
30180
35245
40320
45405
50600
55660
65780

PDF export

Click Export PDF in the toolbar to generate a letter-landscape PDF. The exported file includes:

Tip: Fill in the Plan Info fields (Project #, Client, Location) in the right panel before exporting — they appear in the PDF title block.

Keyboard shortcuts

VSelect tool
HPan tool
RRoad tool
SSign tool
DDevice tool
ZWork Zone tool
TText tool
PTaper tool
MLane Mask tool
AArrow tool
UMeasure tool
CCrosswalk tool
LTurn Lane tool
XErase tool
?Toggle help panel
Ctrl+ZUndo
Ctrl+Shift+ZRedo
Ctrl+CCopy selected object
Ctrl+VPaste copied object
Del / BkspDelete selected object
Enter / DblClickFinish polyline / curve
EscCancel current action

Frequently asked questions

See also the full FAQ page for more questions.

What keyboard shortcuts are available?

TC Plan Pro has a single-key shortcut for every drawing tool: R (Road), S (Sign), D (Device), P (Taper), Z (Work Zone), T (Text), V (Select), H (Pan), A (Arrow), M (Lane Mask), U (Measure), C (Crosswalk), L (Turn Lane), X (Erase). Press ? at any time inside the app to see the full list, or visit the Export & Shortcuts tab.

Does TC Plan Pro work on mobile or tablet?

The app is designed for desktop use. iPad Pro (landscape) works reasonably well for reviewing plans, but drawing is best done with a mouse or trackpad. Full mobile support is on the roadmap.

What file formats does it export?

PDF (letter landscape, permit-ready) and PNG. DXF export for CAD workflows is planned.

Is it MUTCD compliant?

TC Plan Pro enforces MUTCD Table 6H-2 taper lengths and Table 6H-3 advance warning spacing. However, compliance ultimately depends on the design decisions you make — the app is a drawing and calculation tool, not a substitute for a traffic control supervisor's judgment.

Do my plans save automatically?

Yes — plans are auto-saved to your browser's local storage every few seconds. You can also save to the cloud (requires a free account) or download as a .tcp.json file.

Is it really free?

Yes, free during beta. Paid plans with additional features (unlimited cloud storage, team collaboration, watermark-free exports) are coming. Anyone who uses the product during beta will get a discount when paid plans launch.

I found a bug. How do I report it?

Click Report Issue in the app toolbar, or email jfisher@tcplanpro.com.