Painted crosswalk dangers

[fotoguzzi]

Near my house the street Dept. Has put in some wide plastic type white crosswalks. They are very slippery so I complained. I said they should use a cross hatch pattern of paint with 50% paint/pavement.  The reply asked for any studies related to motorcycle safety so at least they are willing to look at it. Do any of you know of such a study I could forward to them? Thx.

[guzzinka]

I couldn't agree with you more, my area is lousy with them and they are dangerous even when dry.  Sadly, the only research I have was done by my face when I dumped my Suzuki on a crosswalk a few years back. Ouch

[gearman]

Your govment talks to you? :grin:I try to roll over the black parts. Good luck

[stubbie]

Don't know if this will work for you.
https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/roadway_dept/night_visib/pavement_marking/pvmnt_mrkg_synth.pdf

[gearman]

Don't know if this will work for you.
https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/roadway_dept/night_visib/pavement_marking/pvmnt_mrkg_synth.pdf

I gave this a quick read and it did not address the friction factor. It is about factors relating to visability when dry or wet.I am not sure that government really cares about bikers. Good try though.

[Lannis]

Near my house the street Dept. Has put in some wide plastic type white crosswalks. They are very slippery so I complained. I said they should use a cross hatch pattern of paint with 50% paint/pavement.  The reply asked for any studies related to motorcycle safety so at least they are willing to look at it. Do any of you know of such a study I could forward to them? Thx.

My first reaction was "Hey, at least they're willing to look at it ..."

but my second reaction was

"They're asking YOU?   Isn't that sort of their one job, designing safe highways?  ...."

Lannis

[Ncdan]

Knowing they can cause a biker to bust their arse goes a long way for avoiding a tragedy. Thanks for the heads up post👍

[Roebling3]

Some race tracks have grit filled, white marker paint. We know it's available. It cost more, obviously. The fakers I spoke with and wrote to were totally stuck on the number of gallons needed for the entire project. They could not conceive of only doing cross walks. Likely a long studied attitude toward delaying change.
Within the last few years brickwork real or simulated is used to further the feeling one is walking back in time.
A worse case is the occasional use of so-called 'Belgian Blocks'. Bumpy, slippery when wet. Even more treacherous in the dark.  R3~

[wirespokes]

There is anti slip paint for porches and stairs. Or you can mix sand in with the paint. But I think the problem would be if it could be sprayed or not. They don't apply it from a can or bucket.

[Turin]

Thermoplastic strips. The strips are heated and bonded to the asphalt. They are not cheap and a lot more cities are specifying them over typical highway paint with glass beads because in the long run they last a lot longer. Those strips are not cheap and are a bitch ( expensive ) to get up. As they wear, they will get less slippery.
Your local DOT has certain paints and application techniques they approve for reflectiveness, and durability.

 They are specified as slip resistant ( to foot traffic).  Unless some motorcycle institution like the AMA or a university has paid for a study, I'd guess none exists considering traction for motorcycles. Motorcycles are not considered when it comes to paving as they make up a very small percentage of traffic.

I'd be curious about anything you guys may find. I work for paving / construction company and have never come across anything other that pedestrian studies.

[Rick in WNY]

Where I work they local road dept re-did a couple corsswalks this past summer with the plastic film crap. First day I rolled across it on my Guzzi I darn near dumped her. That was my first experience with that stuff...

There have been complaints lodged with City Hall about the new crosswalk markings... doubt it will get anywhere because, as stated before, bikers are a very small percentage of the traffic it sees.

I predict nothing will be done until this crap kills someone. Then there will be investigations, traction studies, a search for the guilty parties, then punishment of the innocent ones, aka, the taxpayers will foot the bill. Again.

[yogidozer]

Not just motorcycles, I recently helped an elderly lady who fell in a parking lot, after slipping on painted lines. As others have said, you need to mix a grainy type material in it.

[tris]

Its a big document but might give you the answer. http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/docs/nchrp20-68a_09-04.pdf


For example page 2-5

Roundabouts
The emerging use of roundabouts presents a common challenge for all motorists, who have
to learn the protocols for navigating them. Roundabouts present a unique challenge to
motorcyclists. The many pavement markings create a hazard to riders because of the reduced
traction on the roadway’s markings. Wisconsin is selectively applying pavement markings with
a higher skid resistance to address this concern (see Figure 2.5).

[Madtownguzzi]

A friend at work has a  brother in law that works for the county highway department and is also a motorcycle rider. He said when the changed from an oil based line marker paint to latex that the lines are much more slippery now than they used to be.

[wavedog]

A few years ago I was on a jury for a case involving just this thing. A woman had filed suit claiming injuries from slipping and falling as she walked on these painted lines. It was very complicated.
 
There is a lot of rain and humidity here so those painted lines can be slippery, but often a traction aiding additive is used called 'Sharkskin'. It does help. What is more dangerous are the brick cross-walks in Daytona. These seem to be installed at the on/off areas of the bridges. Yes, right where one must turn and they are slippery when wet. My buddy in Daytona has hit the deck twice riding over those.

[JACoH]

How about getting that battery powered 4" or 6" disc grinder from Harbor Freight, and head to the crosswalk some night and scuff up the surface?

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Thermoplastic strips. The strips are heated and bonded to the asphalt. They are not cheap and a lot more cities are specifying them over typical highway paint with glass beads because in the long run they last a lot longer. Those strips are not cheap and are a bitch ( expensive ) to get up. As they wear, they will get less slippery.

This must be what has been applied at the intersection of MD66 and US40 Alt. in Boonsboro, MD. They don't seem to be slippery (and I don't test to see if they are), but they are quite thick. It's almost like you've run over a thin board laying in the road the lettering and stripes are so thick. Whoever applies it (the State?) must keeping putting on layer after layer after layer...