Book

11
Ontario
Traffic
Manual
March 2000

Pavement, Hazard
and Delineation
Markings
 Book 11 • Markings and Delineation

• The substrate or pavement surface. Preformed 3.3 Devices

tapes are reported to perform better on
bituminous asphalt surfaces than on portland
cement concrete.
Roadway Pavement Markers
Preformed tapes are classified as permanent or
General
temporary, according to their expected service life.
Permanent tapes, with an expected service life
A roadway pavement marker (RPM) is a device
greater than one year, are typically made of
mounted on or in the road surface to supplement or
urethane or pliant polymer.
replace pavement markings. The greatest advantage
of RPMs is the enhanced visibility they provide at
Preformed tapes are either inlaid on freshly-laid
night under wet or foggy conditions, compared to
warm asphalt or overlaid on existing pavement.
painted or durable markings. Another advantage is
Installation requires great care, and a clean
that motorists who accidently stray across a line of
pavement is more important for preformed tapes
RPMs will be alerted by a rumbling noise. This can
than for any other pavement marking material. If
be especially useful if drivers are fatigued or
applied improperly, adhesion failure is likely to result.
inattentive.

RPMs have also been found to help lower driver

Temporary Materials stress in adverse conditions. Studies have shown
that in wet weather and other conditions motorists
Temporary tapes are used for temporary markings guided by pavement markings alone become
in construction and maintenance work zones. increasingly agitated and make potentially
Temporary tape is designed to be easily removed by dangerous errors in positioning their vehicles
hand, without heat, solvents, grinding, or laterally in the lane. When pavement markings are
sandblasting. supplemented by RPMs, driver performance quickly
recovers and stress levels return to normal.
Temporary preformed tapes generally consist of a
single layer of pigmented binder and glass beads However, RPMs have a higher initial cost than other
applied to a backing layer of metal foil. They are markings, are susceptible to loss, and are subject to
applied by overlaying them on the road surface, lens damage (cracking and abrasion) that greatly
using the tape’s preapplied adhesive for bonding. A reduces their retroreflectivity. Due to their high initial
primer will enhance pavement bond. Because they cost, RPMs should not be installed on roads that will
are intended for short-term use, temporary be reconstructed or resurfaced in the near future.
preformed tapes generally have a shorter expected
service life than permanent preformed tapes.

28 Ontario Traffic Manual • March 2000

 Book 11 • Markings and Delineation

Figure 5 – RPMs Supplementing Pavement Markings

or

N N 2N
a) Two Lanes

N N N N N N < 2N

< <

< 2N 2N < 2N

b) No Passing Zone
N 2N

or

N N N
c) Four Lanes

Code: N Normal Spacing Yellow Stripe

Single white White Stripe
Single Yellow Direction of Traffic
Double Yellow

Note: "N" is the combined length of one line segment and one gap in a broken
line configuration appropriate to the road under consideration. "N" varies
between 4.5 m and 12 m, as described in Section 3.4.
Source: U.S. Federal Highways Administration, Roadway Delineation Practices Handbook.

Ontario Traffic Manual • March 2000 29

 Book 11 • Markings and Delineation

Supplementing Other Markings Red reflectors, usually placed on the downstream

side of a bidirectional RPM, may be used to warn
RPMs may be used to supplement other markings road users that they are traveling the wrong way on
such as directional dividing lines, lane lines, edge a one-way street or ramp.
lines, guide lines, and continuity lines. They are
particularly useful at hazardous locations such as These devices should be properly maintained to
channelizations, bridge approaches, lane transitions, ensure legibility and visibility. In order to command
horizontal curves, construction zones, and at respect and attention, they should be removed or
approaches to obstructions. covered when they are no longer appropriate.

For spacing and positioning of RPMs, refer to the Substituting for Pavement Markings
following guidelines. (N is the combined length of
one line segment and one gap in a broken-line When used as a substitute for pavement markings,
configuration appropriate to the road under RPMs should be entirely retroreflective. The pattern
consideration.) of RPMs should simulate the pattern and match the
colour of the markings for which they are
• When supplementing solid line markings, RPMs substituted so that the message conveyed to drivers
should be spaced no more than N , as shown in is consistent.
Figure 5. However, when supplementing left edge
line markings, RPMs should be spaced at intervals RPMs are normally restricted to simulating lane lines
of no more than N/2. RPMs should not be used or centre lines and should not be substituted for
to supplement right edge line markings. edge line markings.

• When supplementing broken line markings, RPMs For spacing of RPMs, refer to the following
should be spaced in gaps between segments, at guidelines. (“N” is the combined length of one line
intervals of N or 2N, as shown in Figure 5. When segment and one gap in a broken-line configuration
supplementing broken line markings that identify appropriate to the road under consideration.)
reversible lanes, a spacing of no more than N
should be used. • When replacing a lane line, RPMs should be
placed as shown in Figure 6(a).
• When supplementing guide lines, a RPM should
be used for each short line segment. • When replacing a directional dividing line on two-
way, two-lane roads where passing is permitted,
• When supplementing continuity lines, RPMs RPMs should be placed as shown in Figure 6(b).
should be spaced at intervals of N/2.
• When replacing barrier lines on two-way roads
Closer RPM spacing may be necessary when where passing is prohibited, RPMs should be
marking patterns for specialized applications at placed as shown in Figure 6(c) if passing is
transition areas, intersection approaches, sharp prohibited in both directions, and as shown in
curves, left-turn lanes, and freeway ramps. Figure 6(d) if passing is prohibited in one direction
only. At least one marker in four should be a
monodirectional retroreflective RPM oriented
toward the vehicles in the no-passing direction.

30 Ontario Traffic Manual • March 2000

 Book 11 • Markings and Delineation

Spacing may be reduced to alert the road user to Installation

changes in the travel path, such as at sharp curves
or in transition areas where lanes are dropped or RPMs must conform both day and night to colour
shifted. and pattern specifications for longitudinal lines
described in Sections 2.3 and 3.4 of this Book.
Temporary RPMs
Good adhesion is the single most important
Temporary RPMs (TRPMs) can be utilized in determinant of a TRPM’s durability. The major
construction and maintenance zones.TRPMs are factors that affect pavement bond are properties of
surface mounted and are preferred to painted or the bonding agent, design of the RPM’s bonding
thermoplastic markings because they are easily surface, type of pavement, temperature, moisture
removed and leave no misleading residual markings content, and care in application.
behind.
Retroreflective RPMs may be reflective in one
TRPMs may be placed in groups as an alternative to direction (monodirectional) or two (bidirectional).
temporary markings, provided their placement Care should be taken to use the appropriate
adequately simulates the visual display of and reflectivity as RPMs can confuse road users if they
conforms to the specifications for colour and are visible to them but do not apply to their
pattern for normal temporary pavement markings. direction of travel.

TRPMs may be placed individually only as an Retroreflective RPMs should be oriented so that
enhancement to temporary pavement markings their reflectivity is fully exploited. On small-radius
except when placed to provide short-term curves, RPMs might need to be installed so that
delineation in construction zones prior to the their reflective faces are aimed toward approaching
placement of permanent markings. When used for traffic, rather than tangentially to the curve.
this purpose, TRPMs must take the place of the
short-term marking normally applied. When RPMs are used to enhance delineation in a
hazardous area, they should be introduced slightly in
Figure 7 shows suggested spacing of temporary advance of the area to prepare road users for their
directional dividing lines using RPMs. Spacing is use as a new guidance technique.
based on a value of “N”, which is the combined
length of one line segment and one gap in a broken- RPMs used to supplement painted or durable lines
line configuration appropriate for the road under can be unintentionally obliterated by marking
consideration. The traffic practitioner should use a material during remarking operations if they are
similar interval and spacing between temporary placed too close to an existing line. For this reason,
concurrently flowing lanes. RPMs should be installed far enough from an
existing line to allow for a margin of error during
In areas of heavy traffic, TRPMs should be regularly remarking operations.
monitored and missing RPMs should be replaced.
RPMs should not be used on cyclists’ likely travel
paths unless the lane shared by vehicles and cyclists
is at least 4 m wide, giving cyclists adequate space
to avoid the RPMs.

Ontario Traffic Manual • March 2000 31

32
N N/4 N/2 100 mm

(a) (c)

3/4N
N/12 N/12 N/8
Lane Line Double Directional Dividing Line

N N/4 N/2 N/2

(b) (d)

3/4N
N/12 N/12 N/8
Broken Directional Dividing Line Barrier Line
Book 11 • Markings and Delineation

Ontario Traffic Manual • March 2000

Legend: one-way retroreflective white Source: U.S. Federal Highways Administration Roadway Delineation Practices Handbook
one-way retroreflective yellow
non-retroreflective white
non-retroreflective yellow
two-way retroreflective yellow
direction of traffic
Figure 6 – Roadway Pavement Markers Substituting for Pavement Markings
 Book 11 • Markings and Delineation

Figure 7 – Temporary Roadway Pavement Markers

(a) Two-lane two-way road (14 days or less)

N

10N/12
N/12 N/12

(b) Two-lane two-way road (over 14 days)

N

10N/12
N/12 N/12

(c) Two-lane two-way road with severe curvature (14 days or less)

N/2 N/2
N/2

18N/20
18N/20

N/20 N/20
N/20

Legend: two-way reflective yellow

"N" is the combined length of one line segment and one
gap in a broken line configuration appropriate to the
road under consideration. "N" is generally 9m as
described in section 3.4
Source: U.S. Federal Highways Administration Roadway Delineation Practices Handbook

Ontario Traffic Manual • March 2000 33

 Book 11 • Markings and Delineation

RPMs are susceptible to removal by snowploughs. In addition to abrasion and other forms of damage,
When used in areas or during seasons when RPMs can be compromised by the presence of road
snowploughing is common, RPMs must be film, salt dust, or soil dust. RPMs are normally
designed and installed to be snowploughable, or cleaned of road film or dust during wet weather by
inset so that their upper surface is flush with the the action of passing traffic. Cleaning RPMs is not
pavement to avoid destruction. Where markers are normally part of a regular maintenance schedule.
recessed to withstand snowploughing, the grooves
in which they are set can collect debris, rain, snow,
or sand, reducing the visibility of the inset markers.
Rumble Strips
Ongoing cleaning of the grooves may not be
practicable. An alternative is the snowploughable
Rumble strips generate vibration and noise when
RPM, which consists of a steel casing that guides
vehicle tires traverse them, thus alerting motorists.
the snowplough blade up and over the plastic
Two distinct types of devices fall within this
retroreflective unit. If properly installed,
definition:
snowploughable markers can usually withstand
ploughing, although snowplough blades can
• Longitudinal Rumble Strips
damage their replaceable lenses. Lenses can also
Longitudinal rumble strips are placed in long,
lose retroreflectivity through abrasion or cracking.
continuous ribbons on paved or partially paved
shoulders, adjacent to the traveled portion of the
Maintenance
roadway. They are intended to alert motorists that
they have strayed from the travel lane.
Abrasion of the lens can affect the performance of
retroreflective RPMs. Studies conducted in other
• Transverse Rumble Strips
jurisdictions have concluded that abrasion and dirt
Transverse rumble strips are placed in clusters, at
can cause retroreflective RPMs to lose 70% to 95%
intervals, across the travel lane and paved or
of their initial retroreflectivity within the first year of
partially paved shoulders, if present. They are
installation. For this reason, regular inspection and
intended to alert the motorists in the vicinity of
replacement of abraded RPMs is an essential
traffic control devices, or of site-specific hazards.
element of their maintenance program.
Rumble strips may consist of:
Road sections employing RPMs should undergo
scheduled routine maintenance inspections
• Grooves cut or impressed directly in the
according to their expected service life and future
pavement; or
plans for the maintenance of the roadway. High
traffic volumes, especially truck traffic, can reduce
• Profiled strips which stand above the pavement.
longevity. In some areas, vandalism and vehicle
collisions affect average service life. Inspections are
Rumble strips consisting of a profiled strip which
normally conducted by maintenance staff, and
stands above the pavement surface can be achieved
normally require only that inspectors drive a
through the application of durable marking
roadway section at night, evaluating RPM visibility
materials, or groups of non-retroreflective roadway
and counting the number missing. RPMs should be
pavement markers.
replaced when three or more consecutive RPMs are
missing or significantly damaged.

34 Ontario Traffic Manual • March 2000

 Book 11 • Markings and Delineation

Before installing a rumble strip, possible reductions (b) white lines delineate the separation of
in road traction and interference with motorcycles traffic flows in the same direction;
and bicycles should be considered. Because rumble
strips can present a hazard for cyclists, the observed (c) yellow broken lines are permissive, and
or expected number of bicycles using the shoulder indicate that adequate passing sight
should be considered. If possible, sufficient space distance is available and passing is
should be provided on the shoulder for cyclists to permitted where traffic allows;
safely avoid the rumble strip. If this is not possible,
the needs of cyclists can best be met by cutting (d) white broken lines are permissive, and
low-profile grooves in the pavement, since cut indicate that lane changing is permitted
grooves usually provide a traveling surface free of where traffic allows;
the raised bumps or wide undulations present with
the other methods. (e) solid yellow lines are restrictive, and
indicate that passing is unsafe and is not
Rumble strips may be inappropriate in quiet permitted;
residential areas, since they are audible outside a
vehicle as well as inside. Grooves cut or impressed (f) solid white lines are restrictive, and
into the pavement may also accelerate its indicate that lane changing is unsafe
deterioration. and is not permitted.

Passing may be unsafe due to insufficient

passing sight distances, the presence of
3.4 Lines
intersecting roads nearby, or other operational
concerns.

General (2) When used as dividing lines between traffic

lanes and shoulders, longitudinal pavement
Lines are used to organize traffic into proper lanes, markings must conform to the following
advise motorists where passing is prohibited, and principles:
supplement other warning devices. These markings
help reinforce the limits of the travel path without (a) solid yellow edgelines delineate the
diverting the driver’s attention from the roadway. separation of traffic lanes and shoulders
when the shoulder is to the left of the
Principles of colour and pattern for pavement traffic lane in the direction of travel;
markings are detailed in Figures 3 and 4.
(b) solid white edge lines delineate the
(1) When used as dividing lines between traffic separation of traffic lanes and shoulders
lanes, longitudinal pavement markings must when the shoulder is to the right of the
conform to the following principles: traffic lane in the direction of travel;

(a) yellow lines delineate the separation of

traffic flows in opposing directions;

Ontario Traffic Manual • March 2000 35