½ broken, ½ solid White Lines

[fwydriver405]

Driving out the Sumner Tunnel in Boston a few weeks ago, and thru the LIE leaving from Stony Brook (EXAMPLES: 1, 2) in New York back in February, I saw some double white lines that had a broken segment on one side and a solid segment on the other, similar to how a variant of double yellow lines on two-lane highways (single carriageway) permit overtaking on one direction on the broken side only.

Do these lines have the same meaning as if they were yellow, meaning lane changes are only permitted on the broken end, or does the solid portion discourage, but permit lane changes? I want to take a guess and say the first option however unless I'm not looking hard enough, trying to find an actual statute regarding that came up inconclusive. I did find these, which suggest crossing a solid white line is discouraged, but not prohibited:

White Lane Lines
White lane lines separate lanes of traffic moving in the same direction. Single white lines may also mark the right edge of the pavement.

Solid White Line
A solid white line marks the right edge of the roadway or separates lanes of traffic going the same direction, including bicycle lanes. You can go in the same direction on both sides of this line (except the shoulder), but you should not cross it unless you need to avoid danger.

One solid line: You can pass other vehicles or change lanes, but you can only do so when obstructions in the road or traffic conditions make it necessary.

[TEG24601]

I've only seen these in Hawaii, but yes, they do act exactly like the yellow lines.  You can pass over the broken line to get out of your lane, but not the solid line.  It is supposed to help encourage people to get out of a lane and keep others from merging in, I usually saw it just after an on-ramp.

[Revive 755]

I've only seen these in Hawaii, but yes, they do act exactly like the yellow lines.  You can pass over the broken line to get out of your lane, but not the solid line.  It is supposed to help encourage people to get out of a lane and keep others from merging in, I usually saw it just after an on-ramp.

I seem to recall a similar use somewhere in the continental US but am unable to recall where.  I would be happy to see it used more often rather than the current design in some places where the lines seem to permit merging in a very small area (usually leading to a lot of people cutting across the gore area if there is someone who can't find the gas pedal in front on the ramp).

[TheGrassGuy]

There used to be one example on I-287 NB at the interchange with I-78. Too bad it's gone now.

[kphoger]

My hunch is that there is no legal definition for this type of lane marking.  There's probably an intent but not an official meaning.

[roadfro]

My hunch is that there is no legal definition for this type of lane marking.  There's probably an intent but not an official meaning.

I thought there was some definition for this. But I actually couldn't find any in the MUTCD (Chapter 3B makes mention of double solid white lines, but not a solid and broken combo). I also didn't find anything in the Nevada DMV's driver handbook, and the NRS doesn't really define meanings of pavement markings. That said, I still think it's a good idea in limited applications.

[riiga]

I realise you are probably after US-specific legislation, but for parties to the Vienna Convention that type of line is clear in meaning regardless of it being white or yellow:

3. Where a longitudinal marking consists of a continuous line adjacent to a broken line on the carriageway, drivers shall take account only of the line that appears on their side. This provision shall not prevent drivers who have overtaken in the manner permitted from resuming their normal position on the carriageway.

And solid line = no crossing while broken line = allowed.

[MCRoads]

The NJ Tpike used to have this type of striping on most of the exits, however, they seem to have been removed. The stripes permitted you to enter the exiting lane until just before the gore, but you were prohibited from rejoining the highway for most of the exiting lane's length. I am assuming that it was because it is easier and faster to slow down than to speed up, and as some of these ramps are fairly slow-speed, they wanted to avoid people getting rear-ended while attempting to renter the flow of traffic. I wonder how well that actually worked, considering it was NJ, where normal drivers fear to drive...

[doogie1303]

I seem to remember Connecticut used to do this on interstates with slow vehicle lanes. There would be double broken dash lines to indicate the slow vehicle lane. When the slow vehicle lane was going to end, they would use the solid/dashed lines to indicate vehicles could exit but not enter the lane. The examples I remember are not there anymore so I think Connecticut stopped doing this.

[RobbieL2415]

I seem to remember Connecticut used to do this on interstates with slow vehicle lanes. There would be double broken dash lines to indicate the slow vehicle lane. When the slow vehicle lane was going to end, they would use the solid/dashed lines to indicate vehicles could exit but not enter the lane. The examples I remember are not there anymore so I think Connecticut stopped doing this.

I-84 E has one instance just outside Hartford. It's that left entrance ramp just after the mixmaster.

[interstatefan990]

I seem to remember Connecticut used to do this on interstates with slow vehicle lanes. There would be double broken dash lines to indicate the slow vehicle lane. When the slow vehicle lane was going to end, they would use the solid/dashed lines to indicate vehicles could exit but not enter the lane. The examples I remember are not there anymore so I think Connecticut stopped doing this.

Speaking of those Connecticut slow vehicle lanes, I really don't get the point of some of them. A slow vehicle lane between exits 13 and 14 on I-84 East begins, and then ends after barely half a mile. Why even bother if the lane will end so quickly? If you ask me they should just convert it into an exit-only lane for Exit 14, although ConnDOT probably has more important things to focus on.

GSV: https://bit.ly/3rGNdog

[fwydriver405]

I found another one in Providence RI, on the I-95 South to I-195/US 6 East ramp, at the Franklin St on-ramp.

[Elm]

In Denver, CO, CDOT added this striping to 6th Ave west of I-25 where the C-D lanes join the mainline (overhead view); that was part of a rejiggering of the westbound lanes a few years after rebuilding the freeway from Knox Ct to I-25. They also added BGS with a yellow "← MERGE"  diamond on it over the lane on the dashed side of the line, I assume to give an indication of how the unfamiliar striping works (Street View).

The project that made the striping change didn't address it specifically, and I don't see anything about it in Colorado's driver's handbook, so I think we're in the same intent-only boat here. From my limited experience, though, I like the idea for this location.

[rellis97]

Out on Interstate H-1 (Lunalilo Fwy) in Honolulu, HI, there are some of half broken, half solid white lines. These lines appear only at freeway entrance ramps where traffic merges onto the freeway.
https://www.google.com/maps/@21.3321071,-157.871908,3a,44.5y,160.89h,79.54t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1suthWZV-rL8LOl_gaJm6NgQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

[roadfro]

Out on Interstate H-1 (Lunalilo Fwy) in Honolulu, HI, there are some of half broken, half solid white lines. These lines appear only at freeway entrance ramps where traffic merges onto the freeway.
https://www.google.com/maps/@21.3321071,-157.871908,3a,44.5y,160.89h,79.54t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1suthWZV-rL8LOl_gaJm6NgQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

That seems like an unnecessary interior merge situation. But the striping does seem like a good way to help mitigate problematic lane changes through the merge area.

[andrepoiy]

Ontario has a few of these, and they're usually placed where the right-most lane would exit. This is to discourage drivers from using the exit lane to bypass traffic and jump back in before the lane exits.

White broken and solid line:


Usual lane marking:

[jakeroot]

Ontario has a few of these, and they're usually placed where the right-most lane would exit. This is to discourage drivers from using the exit lane to bypass traffic and jump back in before the lane exits.

Although, curiously, this is slightly different from American applications where solid white is still legally crossable. In Canada, it would not be legal to leave the exit-only lane with a solid white line to your left. So more than simply "discourage", but an outright ban.

[mrsman]

On the southbound FDR drive approaching the Brooklyn Bridge, you see the following sign:

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7088285,-73.9979643,3a,37.5y,276.72h,103.37t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sJAmQGppaV9r48H4kHWAtFw!2e0!5s20140801T000000!7i16384!8i8192

"unlawful to cross solid line on your side"

This seems to indicate that at one time there was a 1/2 solid 1/2 broken lane configuration, although there is no evidence of that from the GSV.  Now, the two right lanes must exit, but earlier GSVs show right lane exiting with two left lanes continuing south.  I bet given the heavy traffic exiting for the bridge, they felt that a restriction on lane changing was necessary, but now with two lanes, it no longer is.  Yet the sign remains.

On the other side of the river, the BQE exit to the Brooklyn Bridge used to have the 1/2 and 1/2 striping:

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7015846,-73.9899234,3a,75y,275.76h,84.63t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sz-3cRmqLZxfL6FV1CHBeRQ!2e0!5s20120601T000000!7i13312!8i6656

[jakeroot]

This seems to indicate that at one time there was a 1/2 solid 1/2 broken lane configuration, although there is no evidence of that from the GSV.

I think this GSV image shows what you are describing: https://goo.gl/maps/7s4t66U1pGXr2iey8

The exit-only lane has dashed lines, but the #2 lane has a solid line.

[Scott5114]

Link above has been fixed; subsequent discussion of the incorrect link pruned to help return conversation back to topic.

[kphoger]

Link above has been fixed; subsequent discussion of the incorrect link pruned to help return conversation back to topic.

[Scott5114]

Joke's on you, I never was any fun in the first place!

[Occidental Tourist]

Driving out the Sumner Tunnel in Boston a few weeks ago, and thru the LIE leaving from Stony Brook (EXAMPLES: 1, 2) in New York back in February, I saw some double white lines that had a broken segment on one side and a solid segment on the other, similar to how a variant of double yellow lines on two-lane highways (single carriageway) permit overtaking on one direction on the broken side only.

Do these lines have the same meaning as if they were yellow, meaning lane changes are only permitted on the broken end, or does the solid portion discourage, but permit lane changes? I want to take a guess and say the first option however unless I'm not looking hard enough, trying to find an actual statute regarding that came up inconclusive. I did find these, which suggest crossing a solid white line is discouraged, but not prohibited:

White Lane Lines
White lane lines separate lanes of traffic moving in the same direction. Single white lines may also mark the right edge of the pavement.

Solid White Line
A solid white line marks the right edge of the roadway or separates lanes of traffic going the same direction, including bicycle lanes. You can go in the same direction on both sides of this line (except the shoulder), but you should not cross it unless you need to avoid danger.

One solid line: You can pass other vehicles or change lanes, but you can only do so when obstructions in the road or traffic conditions make it necessary.

In California it's illegal for the solid white line side to cross the line. Penal Code § 21460.  I've seen these on some of the exit lanes for the 91 Express Lanes.

[interstatefan990]

Penal Code § 21460.

Don't you mean Vehicle Code?

[mrsman]

Slightly, different, but still of interest.  L.A. has modified marked unsignalized crosswalks on many major streets across town.  (But this treatment seems to be limited to city of L.A., as I have not seen it in the suburbs doing GSV searches.  But it does seem to exist in many places within the city.)

Anyway, yield triangles are used to denote an active yield to pedestrians, as opposed to the more standard stop bar that used to be more prevalent.  Button activated yellow flashers are there to get drivers' attention.  Signs to yield to pedestrians and paddles placed in the middle of the street.  And, to keep it related to the thread topic, double white lines to make lane changes illegal ahead of the crosswalk.  The double white lines seem really rare on surface streets, otherwise.  Based on the GSV, the markings are fairly recent, showing up about 5 years ago.

Cesar Chavez at Cummings in Boyle Heights:

https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0491061,-118.2129963,3a,75y,144.54h,89.75t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1su7Xx3rogFo53h-42J5Dh_Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

6th and Grand View near MacArthur Park:

https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0604857,-118.2771505,3a,75y,120.62h,69.58t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1svwS9wrUBezpF6CUQAKKDQA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Beverly and Edinburgh in the Fairfax District: (no flashing yellow lights)

https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0760431,-118.3641178,3a,75y,116.95h,69.61t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1seh9Xb7VuDJg50E2LZvzMfA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192