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Rumble Strip Campaign Progress
Thanks to all who responded to our action alert on rumble strips- you have helped get the attention of state transportation agencies across the country. We’ve had some great results:
- Pennsylvania DOT is now working with our colleagues at Pennsylvania Walks and Bikes on a strategy and timeline to remediate improperly installed rumbles along the state’s highways.
- Ohio DOT is now reaching out to advocates in the state for input on a new edgeline rumble stripe guidance and the issue has even picked up some relatively pro-bike press.
- Maryland and Oregon are reaching out to us and state advocates for input on updates to their policies.
- Arkansas Dept. of Highways Chief Engineer stated at a conference that they would be clarifying current guidance and developing improved policy- citing response from cyclists as the motivation.
And the list could go on. Yet despite these improvements and new opportunities to have our voices heard, we must keep the pressure up and be vigilant that even where there are good policies in place, that they are followed correctly. Not everyone has won their battle on rumble strips yet. For example, Kansas cycling advocates continue to push for improvements and have created their own action alert here. Also, fresh off some big campaign victories the League of Michigan Bicyclists are making rumble strips one of their priorities.
We’d also be remiss not to mention states like Arizona, Maine, Tennessee, Wisconsin and others who were doing the right thing already, and have led the way on improved designs, creating model practices for us to share with other state. You can read about them in our Advocacy Advance report Bicycles and Rumble Strips- Problems for Cyclists .
Our work also continues at the federal level. The League, Alliance, Adventure Cycling and USA Cycling have collectively been working to improve FHWA guidance and leadership on the issue. FHWA has sent emails to state field staff reminding them of their guidance on accommodating cyclists when planning for rumble strips. We are also pushing for an improved technical advisory regarding rumbles. We’ll keep you updated on our progress.
Jeff Peel
State and Local Advocacy Coordinator
Peel joined the League in March 2008 as a Program Specialist for the Bicycle Friendly Communities program. Peel has a BA in American Studies from the University of Southern Mississippi.
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September 10th, 2010 at 9:52 pm
I recommend more root cause analysis into why – suddenly – drivers can’t seem to keep their vehicles on the road. Is the “graying of America” making it more difficult for older people to see the edge of the road? Are drivers going too fast? Or, perhaps, drivers are having troubles focusing on their primary objective of safely operating their automobile and getting distracted by responding to the ever-so urgent txt msg, fussing with their GPS, watching a DVD, or playing a computer game?
September 13th, 2010 at 11:17 am
Mr. Pillsbury, your assumption is that rural run-off-the-road crashes are a new problem, i.e., this “suddenly” is an issue. What I recall is that at least in the sticks, this has always been a problem. The Germans designed their autobahns to prevent drivers from snoozing off and drifting off the road, for example. We did not.
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811232.pdf
Note that Figure 1 is an expanded graph. The percent of RoR crashes has increaased from 68% to 73% (no error bars) and while that is an increase, its not a huge increase.
We drove up to Pilar, NM yesterday from Los Alamos for one of the local art festivals that are popular in our state in late summer and fall. Most of NM-68, which is a stunningly beautiful drive up the Rio Grande Gorge but long known for run off the road and DWI related crashes, many of them head-on, is now festooned with rumbles on both the center lane divider and on both shoulders. This obviously sucks for the small number of bicyclists who use this road (I’ve never seen many cyclists on NM68), but whether it helps keep the descansos from completely taking over that road between Espanola and Taos is anyone’s bet. (Its probably the sheer frightfulness of traffic on this road that deters cyclists, not the rumbles–I hate driving it in anything less than an Abrams tank).
Rumbles are a tough call. We make up a minor to insignificant number of the total vehicles on many of these roads and highways (such as NM-68) and RoR is a huge issue. As Andy has said before, we need to work carefully with our state and national highway folks on this issue to try to reach common ground.
I wish all cars came with electronic sensors that detected RoR so we would not see more rumble strips, but that is probably a wish that is a few years off.
September 13th, 2010 at 8:33 pm
We have lots of roads with rumble strips in this neck of the woods (Northern MI). The rumble strips separate me from the motor traffic and make me feel safer on my bicycle. I have never ridden on a rumble strip. I have never seen anyone ride on a rumble strip. I can’t imagine why anyone would want to ride on a rumble strip.
September 13th, 2010 at 8:58 pm
Western Pa. has not been complying with Fed. highway regulations concerning rumble strips. I approached our traffic unit, I work for Pen D.O.T. also, and was politly blown off. Thanks to this effort I was contacted by sec. of transportation,Pa., and am currently waiting on a account of how we decide where and when to use strips. Thanks to the League’s efforts the small voice at least got heard.
September 14th, 2010 at 12:18 pm
in reply to Mr. Lockwood, here in Middle Tennessee, rumble strips have appeared on roads that already had narrow shoulders. Oftentimes, the shoulder is in bad repair and a rider has to choose between rocks/broken pavement/rumble strip/busy road. So, yes, we sometimes have to ride the rumble strip as the least of evils. Too, if you are entering some roads from side roads, you must cross the rumble strip to access the smoother pavement. I have a suspicion that the DOTs in many states have received a really sweet deal on installing rumble strips.
September 14th, 2010 at 1:02 pm
Ohio DOT says stripes will be used only on roads where there is at least a 3 foot shoulder – which may protect riders on the shoulder from inattentive motorists. OTOH Kentucky has strips on roads w/ no shoulders at all – go figure
September 15th, 2010 at 3:35 pm
Check out Table 7 and its discussion in the NHTSA document Darren Flusche linked to in the previous blog entry to see why “roadway departure” crashes are such an issue.
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811363.pdf
September 15th, 2010 at 3:51 pm
This report was just noted at today’s Arizona DOT Regional Traffic Engineers’ Meeting as an example of why it’s important to follow good policies to ensure rumble strips are installed appropriately.
September 17th, 2010 at 8:45 pm
the Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Council of Governments received a memo speaking to NDDOT’s initial plan for rumble strip and stripe implementation. I let NDDOT know that Minnesota had a well developed approach that recognized shoulder use by bicyclists. Changes were made to their policy. It may not be perfect but the NDDOT did contact MnDOT which was great to hear.
September 26th, 2010 at 12:05 pm
We are spending MILLIONS of dollars to keep sleepy motorists from running off the road and taking out mailboxes? This is stupid. Let’s just TICKET the motorists or better yet, actually ENFORCE the reckless driving laws and treat people who operate 2 ton bowling balls carelessly as criminals…