LED Lane Markings

[AsphaltPlanet]

The 407 in Ontario recently installed a series of LED lane markers in lieu of conventional cat-eye reflectors.

This is the second time this has been tried in Ontario.  For the first installation, most of the LED lights didn't make it through the first winter



Any other jurisdictions trying this type of thing?

[Alps]

NJ did some LED lane arrows and stripes at the US 46 / Riverview Dr. interchange (between NJ 23 and 62). Haven't been through there much at night so can't tell you whether it's still functional. The painted stripe is visible by day, LEDs only at night.

[mgk920]

I've seen some cities (ie, Green Bay, WI) try using airport runway lights to mark things like crosswalks in their busier pedestrian ares.

Mike.

[bulkyorled]

There's a thick line of them on CA110 showing the lane that goes to the I-5 on ramp then a few on another off ramp, off the I-210 at Sunland Blvd


This is a rather bad pic but it gives you an idea of what I was saying. Maybe next time I'll try and get a better picture But I only had like 10 seconds to get the camera ready to take a pic of what I was seeing...  

[Brandon]

I do have to wonder about the performance of these in the snow and ice, and how well they stay on the pavement when the plows come by.

[wytout]

I'm sure before long every road in MA will be full of them.  That's one Northeast state that just loooooves pavement reflectors and just about every class of state highway.  In fact if I were a bettin man, I'd say that the MassDOT has probably already installed some of these somewhere.

[Snappyjack]

The northbound Exit 19 ramp on I-87/NY Thruway has these installed. They have been in place for over a year now, and have seemed to survive the past couple of winters. This is the only spot on the Thruway where I have seen these.

[DaBigE]

I've seen some cities (ie, Green Bay, WI) try using airport runway lights to mark things like crosswalks in their busier pedestrian ares.

Mike.

I do have to wonder about the performance of these in the snow and ice, and how well they stay on the pavement when the plows come by.

As Mike said, there are some in-service around Wisconsin to help emphasize crosswalks.  One that comes to mind near me is on Wis 19 in "downtown" Waunakee.  They seem to be holding up fairly well over the years; I haven't seen any pop-outs or non-functioning LED pods, at least at that installation.  What they look like: http://www.tapconet.com/store/product/24721b91-ca71-4390-b6dc-55e9d258d22d/In-pavement_IDLED_IDMarkers.aspx

[Duke87]

LEDs, like all electronics, actually operate more efficiently at colder temperatures. LED traffic signals handle winters just fine. Snow and ice shouldn't be an issue. Snow plows, on the other hand...

[DaBigE]

LED traffic signals handle winters just fine.

Except for not being able to burn away the wet snow that occasionally gets blown and caked on the signal faces.  When that happens, you see something like this:

[Brandon]

LEDs, like all electronics, actually operate more efficiently at colder temperatures. LED traffic signals handle winters just fine. Snow and ice shouldn't be an issue. Snow plows, on the other hand...

Wasn't thinking about electric performance, but about the freeze-thaw cycle and them staying in the pavement.  According to DaBigeE above, they seem to be holding their own so far against the plows.  Might be a replacement for reflectors in the future.

[DaBigE]

LEDs, like all electronics, actually operate more efficiently at colder temperatures. LED traffic signals handle winters just fine. Snow and ice shouldn't be an issue. Snow plows, on the other hand...

Wasn't thinking about electric performance, but about the freeze-thaw cycle and them staying in the pavement.  According to DaBigeE above, they seem to be holding their own so far against the plows.  Might be a replacement for reflectors in the future.

It all depends on how well they are installed and what they're installed in.  Ones placed in concrete seem to be far more stable than those embedded in asphalt.

I don't see them seeing wide-spread use any time in the near future, except for especially problematic areas or those requiring special attention for some other reason.  They're more labor intensive and have a significant up-front cost.  As a comparison, WisDOT has abandoned in-pavement reflectors (RPM's as they referred to them by--Raised Pavement Markers), at least in their old form (reflectors mounted in cast-iron holders).  Instead, they are now using wet-reflect marking tape, 4-8" wide x 2' long, which is grooved into the pavement surface.

[Duke87]

It all depends on how well they are installed and what they're installed in.  Ones placed in concrete seem to be far more stable than those embedded in asphalt.

A consequence of concrete being a far more rigid material than asphalt (why it lasts longer).