Innovative, Unique, or Strange Lane Markings

Started by TEG24601, September 14, 2016, 11:25:49 AM

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TEG24601

I just came back from vacation in Hawaii, and found a new lane marking I hadn't seen before on the Freeways.


When there is an on-ramp, the discourage people from getting into the lane where the ramp is merging, there is a solid white line towards the lane to the left, with the dashed line (in this case, bots dots) on the side towards the ramp.  It is very intuitive, and might help with preventing accidents at on ramps, or make people think ahead about what their plans are.





In Washington, the typical "fake median" that is often used in the US to redirect traffic around left turn lanes, doesn't have an end cap.  So the yellow line  directs through traffic to the right, but doesn't curve back in to the center line, as is common in the rest of the US.


In Indiana, there are many places that, instead of putting in a turn lane, there is a wide spot in the road, lined like an extra line, with a single separator line.  This provides a place for traffic to stop to make a safe left turn, but through traffic can safely get around to the right, without always having get to the right. 


What innovative, unique, or strange lane markings have you seen in your travels.
They said take a left at the fork in the road.  I didn't think they literally meant a fork, until plain as day, there was a fork sticking out of the road at a junction.


UCFKnights

Isn't the typical road marking for that purpose the extremely short dashed lines?

roadman

Connecticut's use of a white solid line with a white dashed line to denote the end of climbing lanes is one example I can think of.
"And ninety-five is the route you were on.  It was not the speed limit sign."  - Jim Croce (from Speedball Tucker)

"My life has been a tapestry
Of years of roads and highway signs" (with apologies to Carole King and Tom Rush)

briantroutman

I don't know if they're still doing this, but about a decade ago, the PennDOT district in the Lehigh Valley area started painting wide diagonal lines and the word "NO"   on shoulders in locations where motorists are likely to attempt using them to cut around stopped traffic.

vdeane

Quote from: TEG24601 on September 14, 2016, 11:25:49 AM
In Indiana, there are many places that, instead of putting in a turn lane, there is a wide spot in the road, lined like an extra line, with a single separator line.  This provides a place for traffic to stop to make a safe left turn, but through traffic can safely get around to the right, without always having get to the right. 
They're in NY too.  I never realized they weren't ubiquitous.

Québec also uses the solid+dashed line with merging in places.

Quote from: UCFKnights on September 14, 2016, 01:15:39 PM
Isn't the typical road marking for that purpose the extremely short dashed lines?
You're thinking of ending lanes.  This is for the lane adjacent to the one that ends.
https://goo.gl/maps/1W97mPFbkMN2
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

Scott5114

Oklahoma City paints a squiggly line down the center of the lane when entering a school zone.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

1995hoo

Around here those lines would be worthless because when traffic is slow, people will cut over to the right into the onramp acceleration lane in order to pass a few cars (especially on I-395 near the Pentagon for some reason). Damn annoying, especially if you're coming up the ramp, and I have no doubt it's one reason why so many people here try not to let anyone merge onto the highway in slow traffic.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

Jet380

In Perth, major 'exit only' lanes transition from short to very long broken lines as you reach the nose, as if to say "hey, time to move over!"
https://www.google.com/maps/@-31.9155578,115.8229986,3a,37.8y,350.37h,77.1t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sOrYp0dzXqFxpMHzjVL53Gw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Brandon

Quote from: 1995hoo on September 15, 2016, 07:36:38 AM
Around here those lines would be worthless because when traffic is slow, people will cut over to the right into the onramp acceleration lane in order to pass a few cars (especially on I-395 near the Pentagon for some reason). Damn annoying, especially if you're coming up the ramp, and I have no doubt it's one reason why so many people here try not to let anyone merge onto the highway in slow traffic.

Same around Chicago.  Lines, what lines?  We don't need no steenkin' lines!  This is a place where a street marked for two lanes (with a dashed yellow line down the middle) magically becomes a four lane street until someone parks in the lane (then it's a race to the death to move over and repeat after the parked car).  Bicycle lanes suddenly (and illegally) become motorcycle lanes.  Stop lines might as well not exist.  This is a place where people pull into the opposing lane (not uncommonly either) to get to the left turn lane.  A place where cutting over to a right hand exit from the far left hand lane is not uncommon to see, and not just for rush hour either.
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cl94

Quote from: briantroutman on September 14, 2016, 01:32:03 PM
I don't know if they're still doing this, but about a decade ago, the PennDOT district in the Lehigh Valley area started painting wide diagonal lines and the word "NO"   on shoulders in locations where motorists are likely to attempt using them to cut around stopped traffic.

Without the lettering, that's typical NYCDOT and NYSDOT Region 11 practice. Found elsewhere in the state where backups are common.

Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

Travel Mapping (updated weekly)

empirestate

Quote from: TEG24601 on September 14, 2016, 11:25:49 AM
I just came back from vacation in Hawaii, and found a new lane marking I hadn't seen before on the Freeways.

When there is an on-ramp, the discourage people from getting into the lane where the ramp is merging, there is a solid white line towards the lane to the left, with the dashed line (in this case, bots dots) on the side towards the ramp.  It is very intuitive, and might help with preventing accidents at on ramps, or make people think ahead about what their plans are.

That's just typical pavement marking for passing/no passing zones. We associate it most often with yellow centerlines, but it's frequently used between same-direction lanes as well.

TEG24601

Quote from: empirestate on September 15, 2016, 12:45:54 PM
Quote from: TEG24601 on September 14, 2016, 11:25:49 AM
I just came back from vacation in Hawaii, and found a new lane marking I hadn't seen before on the Freeways.

When there is an on-ramp, the discourage people from getting into the lane where the ramp is merging, there is a solid white line towards the lane to the left, with the dashed line (in this case, bots dots) on the side towards the ramp.  It is very intuitive, and might help with preventing accidents at on ramps, or make people think ahead about what their plans are.

That's just typical pavement marking for passing/no passing zones. We associate it most often with yellow centerlines, but it's frequently used between same-direction lanes as well.


In all my travels across the US, I had never seen it before. 40 states, and Hawai'i was the first time I had seen it.
They said take a left at the fork in the road.  I didn't think they literally meant a fork, until plain as day, there was a fork sticking out of the road at a junction.

jakeroot

#12
Quote from: TEG24601 on September 15, 2016, 05:04:33 PM
Quote from: empirestate on September 15, 2016, 12:45:54 PM
Quote from: TEG24601 on September 14, 2016, 11:25:49 AM
I just came back from vacation in Hawaii, and found a new lane marking I hadn't seen before on the Freeways.

When there is an on-ramp, the discourage people from getting into the lane where the ramp is merging, there is a solid white line towards the lane to the left, with the dashed line (in this case, bots dots) on the side towards the ramp.  It is very intuitive, and might help with preventing accidents at on ramps, or make people think ahead about what their plans are.

That's just typical pavement marking for passing/no passing zones. We associate it most often with yellow centerlines, but it's frequently used between same-direction lanes as well.

In all my travels across the US, I had never seen it before. 40 states, and Hawai'i was the first time I had seen it.

I have also never seen this used anywhere except Hawaii (where its use has been religious for some time). It's likely in the MUTCD in some form, but as far as I can tell, Hawaii is one of (if not) the only state utilizing the markings.

By the way, good idea for a thread, Teg. I've been thinking of starting a thread like this for a while, but never bothered.




Hawaii has used two other markings that I see used almost nowhere else.

One is the zig-zag crosswalk warning lines (pioneered in the UK), used at least in Hilo. Hawaii's is different in that the marking is along the edge; most states place it in the center of the lane.



The other is the "yield ahead" pavement marking. This "yield ahead" marking is an all-white yield sign, painted on the ground, usually several meters before the actual yield:


empirestate

Quote from: TEG24601 on September 15, 2016, 05:04:33 PM
Quote from: empirestate on September 15, 2016, 12:45:54 PM
Quote from: TEG24601 on September 14, 2016, 11:25:49 AM
I just came back from vacation in Hawaii, and found a new lane marking I hadn't seen before on the Freeways.

When there is an on-ramp, the discourage people from getting into the lane where the ramp is merging, there is a solid white line towards the lane to the left, with the dashed line (in this case, bots dots) on the side towards the ramp.  It is very intuitive, and might help with preventing accidents at on ramps, or make people think ahead about what their plans are.

That's just typical pavement marking for passing/no passing zones. We associate it most often with yellow centerlines, but it's frequently used between same-direction lanes as well.


In all my travels across the US, I had never seen it before. 40 states, and Hawai'i was the first time I had seen it.

Fair enough; I myself am known to have never experienced things that others describe as commonplace. Perhaps it's only common in areas I frequent, particularly the Northeast. I couldn't even say off hand which states or regions use it, since I never took note of it as being terribly unique, but it may well be limited to 10 states or fewer, all of which perhaps you've never visited.

Here's an example of a sort of inverse usage: https://goo.gl/maps/hZMsi5SS9YM2

In this case, entering traffic is allowed to move right to make the upcoming exit, but through traffic is prohibited from passing in order to avoid conflict with the entering traffic. (This being NYC, you can count on your left wing feathers the number of times this is actually adhered to.)

MarkF

Another thing I've only seen in Hawaii, "shark's teeth" in an area where they want you to slow down, in this case at the end of the improved HI 200 Saddle Road:

kurumi

Hawaii doesn't post route number signs all the time (or post consistent numbers at times), but their pavement marking has been really diligent.
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jakeroot

Quote from: kurumi on September 16, 2016, 01:43:27 AM
Hawaii doesn't post route number signs all the time (or post consistent numbers at times), but their pavement marking has been really diligent.

Of all the states that I've visited, Hawaii has, by far, the most amount of pavement markings per square meter. And as you mention, they are exceptionally consistent at applying said markings at each and every intersection, crosswalk, etc.

cl94

Quote from: empirestate on September 15, 2016, 05:25:48 PM
Quote from: TEG24601 on September 15, 2016, 05:04:33 PM
Quote from: empirestate on September 15, 2016, 12:45:54 PM
Quote from: TEG24601 on September 14, 2016, 11:25:49 AM
I just came back from vacation in Hawaii, and found a new lane marking I hadn't seen before on the Freeways.

When there is an on-ramp, the discourage people from getting into the lane where the ramp is merging, there is a solid white line towards the lane to the left, with the dashed line (in this case, bots dots) on the side towards the ramp.  It is very intuitive, and might help with preventing accidents at on ramps, or make people think ahead about what their plans are.

That's just typical pavement marking for passing/no passing zones. We associate it most often with yellow centerlines, but it's frequently used between same-direction lanes as well.


In all my travels across the US, I had never seen it before. 40 states, and Hawai'i was the first time I had seen it.

Fair enough; I myself am known to have never experienced things that others describe as commonplace. Perhaps it's only common in areas I frequent, particularly the Northeast. I couldn't even say off hand which states or regions use it, since I never took note of it as being terribly unique, but it may well be limited to 10 states or fewer, all of which perhaps you've never visited.

Here's an example of a sort of inverse usage: https://goo.gl/maps/hZMsi5SS9YM2

In this case, entering traffic is allowed to move right to make the upcoming exit, but through traffic is prohibited from passing in order to avoid conflict with the entering traffic. (This being NYC, you can count on your left wing feathers the number of times this is actually adhered to.)

Connecticut (and until recently, New York) used identical markings between acceleration/deceleration lanes and through lanes or ending climbing lanes and through lanes, so something similar (but not identical) is found throughout the northeast. Of course, those are 2 states out of 50 and, at least in New York, places started phasing out the old markings 20 years ago, to the point where there are virtually none remaining in Western New York.
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

Travel Mapping (updated weekly)

jwolfer

Quote from: MarkF on September 16, 2016, 12:53:08 AM
Another thing I've only seen in Hawaii, "shark's teeth" in an area where they want you to slow down, in this case at the end of the improved HI 200 Saddle Road:

SR 21 in Keystone Heights FL has this where the road curves around some lakes

I have not seen this in Florida anywhere else, but there are not many curvy roads in the state

vtk

Quote from: TEG24601 on September 14, 2016, 11:25:49 AM
I just came back from vacation in Hawaii, and found a new lane marking I hadn't seen before on the Freeways.


When there is an on-ramp, the discourage people from getting into the lane where the ramp is merging, there is a solid white line towards the lane to the left, with the dashed line (in this case, bots dots) on the side towards the ramp.  It is very intuitive, and might help with preventing accidents at on ramps, or make people think ahead about what their plans are.





In Washington, the typical "fake median" that is often used in the US to redirect traffic around left turn lanes, doesn't have an end cap.  So the yellow line  directs through traffic to the right, but doesn't curve back in to the center line, as is common in the rest of the US.


In Indiana, there are many places that, instead of putting in a turn lane, there is a wide spot in the road, lined like an extra line, with a single separator line.  This provides a place for traffic to stop to make a safe left turn, but through traffic can safely get around to the right, without always having get to the right. 


What innovative, unique, or strange lane markings have you seen in your travels.

There used to be something like this in Columbus. The ramp from WB I-70 to NB OH 315 is a left exit from 70 and a left entrance on 315. There's also a ramp which exits 70 on the right (signed as an exit to Rich St and Town St) which joins 315 on the right, becoming an exit only lane for 315's Rich St / Town St exit. Until about 2000, that exit only lane was separated from the through lanes with a solid/broken pair white line, with the solid line on the right. This was meant to prohibit traffic which took the right-side ramp from 70 merging onto 315, as that ramp is only meant to be used as an exit to Rich/Town, and the proper ramp to 315 is on the left.

I wish that lane marking was still there. People use the Rich/Town ramp to merge onto 315 all the time, probably because their satnavs tell them to, and have very little distance in which to change lanes to avoid the Rich/Town exit, so the lane change is done with no courtesy for anyone who is already in the through lane. It seems dangerous to me, and pointlessly so, because there's a perfectly good ramp on the left that doesn't even have to merge! There are no regulatory signs to prohibit this maneuver, either, so now the only real arguments I have against it are "it's (subjectively) dangerous" and "the green signs say do something else", which aren't likely to convince drivers or satnavs to change their behavior.

By the way, there's nothing in the MUTCD about solid/broken pair white lines, for this or any other purpose.
Wait, it's all Ohio? Always has been.

1995hoo

Quote from: MarkF on September 16, 2016, 12:53:08 AM
Another thing I've only seen in Hawaii, "shark's teeth" in an area where they want you to slow down, in this case at the end of the improved HI 200 Saddle Road:


I've seen similar, but not quite the same, style markings elsewhere, normally consisting of solid lines perpendicular to the edge of the road that get closer together as you approach a particular point, usually the crest of a blind hill. They put in those sorts of lines on Lee Chapel Road here in Fairfax County some 15 or 20 years ago (see Street View link below–the markings have deteriorated over time) after there were a number of serious accidents due to people going too fast. When I was in high school the road had a one-lane bridge at the bottom of a sharp curve that naturally slowed the traffic, but they replaced that in the early 1990s with a new bridge that also eliminated the twisty downhill to the old bridge, so people were going too fast. I recall a news story saying that high school kids who were "hill-hopping" on various area roads (i.e., going super fast to catch air off the hills) were exacerbating the problem. So they put in these lines because supposedly they were supposed to provide some sort of optical illusion that would cause drivers to slow down.

https://www.google.com/maps/@38.7531445,-77.278286,3a,75y,194.69h,72.78t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s5zNl1f9p4JNnzOQFRSOlmA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

cl94

Quote from: vtk on September 17, 2016, 08:20:31 AM
Quote from: TEG24601 on September 14, 2016, 11:25:49 AM
I just came back from vacation in Hawaii, and found a new lane marking I hadn't seen before on the Freeways.


When there is an on-ramp, the discourage people from getting into the lane where the ramp is merging, there is a solid white line towards the lane to the left, with the dashed line (in this case, bots dots) on the side towards the ramp.  It is very intuitive, and might help with preventing accidents at on ramps, or make people think ahead about what their plans are.





In Washington, the typical "fake median" that is often used in the US to redirect traffic around left turn lanes, doesn't have an end cap.  So the yellow line  directs through traffic to the right, but doesn't curve back in to the center line, as is common in the rest of the US.


In Indiana, there are many places that, instead of putting in a turn lane, there is a wide spot in the road, lined like an extra line, with a single separator line.  This provides a place for traffic to stop to make a safe left turn, but through traffic can safely get around to the right, without always having get to the right. 


What innovative, unique, or strange lane markings have you seen in your travels.

There used to be something like this in Columbus. The ramp from WB I-70 to NB OH 315 is a left exit from 70 and a left entrance on 315. There's also a ramp which exits 70 on the right (signed as an exit to Rich St and Town St) which joins 315 on the right, becoming an exit only lane for 315's Rich St / Town St exit. Until about 2000, that exit only lane was separated from the through lanes with a solid/broken pair white line, with the solid line on the right. This was meant to prohibit traffic which took the right-side ramp from 70 merging onto 315, as that ramp is only meant to be used as an exit to Rich/Town, and the proper ramp to 315 is on the left.

I wish that lane marking was still there. People use the Rich/Town ramp to merge onto 315 all the time, probably because their satnavs tell them to, and have very little distance in which to change lanes to avoid the Rich/Town exit, so the lane change is done with no courtesy for anyone who is already in the through lane. It seems dangerous to me, and pointlessly so, because there's a perfectly good ramp on the left that doesn't even have to merge! There are no regulatory signs to prohibit this maneuver, either, so now the only real arguments I have against it are "it's (subjectively) dangerous" and "the green signs say do something else", which aren't likely to convince drivers or satnavs to change their behavior.

By the way, there's nothing in the MUTCD about solid/broken pair white lines, for this or any other purpose.

It's worth noting that Waze does not allow that movement when navigating
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

Travel Mapping (updated weekly)

MASTERNC

Quote from: roadman on September 14, 2016, 01:17:59 PM
Connecticut's use of a white solid line with a white dashed line to denote the end of climbing lanes is one example I can think of.

New York has used that as well (though they may have discontinued the practice).  There are some on the New Jersey Turnpike as well around on/off ramps.

cl94

Quote from: MASTERNC on September 17, 2016, 08:52:51 PM
Quote from: roadman on September 14, 2016, 01:17:59 PM
Connecticut's use of a white solid line with a white dashed line to denote the end of climbing lanes is one example I can think of.

New York has used that as well (though they may have discontinued the practice).  There are some on the New Jersey Turnpike as well around on/off ramps.

NYSDOT officially discontinued it when they adopted the 2009 MUTCD. Some regions and NYSTA killed it off immediately, while Region 1 continues to repaint them if they markings were already on the pavement.
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

Travel Mapping (updated weekly)

vdeane

Speaking of NYSDOT and climbing lanes, we also used to use a double dashed white line on them: https://goo.gl/maps/Pae1aBhd2L32

These days it's just a thicker dashed line.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.



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