Just heard a report on NPR Marketplace about a serious shortage of paint they use to strip roads with. Some roads may have to go unstriped! http://mar…tripeless/
To drive around this town you’d think that’s been true for decades.
Summer paving projects are as yet un-striped.
Great big I-40 bridge was redone in april, four lanes plus an exit ramp are still un-striped.
East bound traffic will tend to follow the locals over to the right hand side ( staying a few feet from the rail for lack of stripes ) only to be rudely surprised that they’re in the exit lane, then to swerve over to the driving lane !
Speaking of locals ;
These people drive these streets
every
day.
Where does their memory go, as to which lanes are which, when there’s a little rain and snow covering those same lanes ???
I’ve always thought this small town should invest in those little road ‘turtles’ to mark lanes. Those bolt down cups, some reflective.
“We can’t afford it” they cry.
Even the little stick on plastic/paper reflector cards that stick up in construction zones would be great in lieu of stripes.
Alas, I think we can’t afford NOT to.
You really think striped roads will make any difference?
I’m a very strong advocate of stripes both in the center between lanes and at the road’s edge. Due to work demands I’ve done a great deal of driving over many years in the dark over secondary roads, much of it on dark rural roads. Having nice highly visable stripes to guide me relaly is a huge benefit. I have no doubt that they prevent accidents.
When I see the enourmous amount of money wasted by the feds and by states on bridges to nowhere, federal buildings no needed (the FBI building in West Va is a good example, as is the new multimillion dollar border guard building at the Canadian border at a spot that only passes two cars per hour), and on things like Cash for Clunkers, it pains me to hear that there’s no money for something as basic as line striping.
Could’ve sworn I’ve seen road stripes made out of some sort of vinyl(ish) substance, instead of paint.
Also, I thought road paint was allowed to contain lead? Leaded paint seems to have fewer supply-chain bottlenecks than the stuff mentioned in the article.
I could be wrong, but I think that’s a sprayed on polymer coating that dries like a sheet of vinyl. I’ve only noticed it used for arrows and such. I’ve even seen these peel up.
I think lead is verboten for these applications. It’s really unnecessary.
So THAT’S why it almost always feels like a small bump in the road when I roll over the markings for the crosswalks and such
There is plenty of PAINT available. What is lacking is MONEY!! Our country is BROKE! Nobody wants to pay any taxes…Unless RADICAL measures are taken, maintaining our roads and bridges will become impossible in the coming years…
They’re out striping rt.66 today !
glory be !
They put an over lay in June due to the previous top layer breaking apart over the winter. Not just one pot hole here or there but all along every seam for five miles there were entire lines of asphalt break-up so bad you had to drive off-line and over into the other lane or into the turning lane.
People were getting pulled over for suspicion of DUI yet they were just avoiding the pot holes.
They didn’t start to re-pave until one of them made a big stink in the newspaper about the inability to drive in a strait line wihtout breaking your car all over this town.
You really think striped roads will make any difference?
I’ve had to witness the results of head on collisions on undivided highways with speed limits as high as 55mph and closing speeds, even at legal limits of 110mph; with cars passing just feet from one another. In a word…YES !
stripes don’t prevent crossover accidents.
I beg to disagree. On many of the dark, unlit, unfamiliar rural roads I’ve driven it can be almost impossible to tell where in the lane you are without stripes. And here in New England these roads are full of curves, visual obstructions right on the sides, and up & down hills, all of which can make visual range extremely short. Another car or truck can be upon you in a split second, and if both of you have no lines to guide you it can lead to disaster. I too have seen it.
Nothing will prevent all crossover accidents, but stripes definitely prevent a lot of them. At least here in New England.
"stripes don’t prevent crossover accidents."
I guess that’s news to the DOT of our state…some one aught to tell them it’s a scam ?
Guess we can start passing on blind curves or any where at our own discretion. No more passing laws to worry about.