NYBC Position on NYSDOT’s Proposed Rumble Strip Policy

Position Paper submitted to NYSDOT Acting Commissioner Stanley Gee December 15, 2009.

Online Petition to Oppose Rumble Strips on NYS Secondary Highways Launched

In response to NYBC’s Special Action Alert issued November 9th, a concerned cyclist took the initiative to launch an online petition opposing the policy of placing rumble strips on secondary highways in NYS. The petition also urges NYSDOT to work with local cycling clubs in the state to find a policy that is supportive of cyclists’ needs. (See below for further details on this issue.)

To sign, visit: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/OpposeRumbleStrips

Comments regarding any experiences you may have had regarding encounters with rumble strips are highly encouraged.

***ACTION ALERT 11.9.09***
NYSDOT Proposing Widespread Use of Rumble Strips on Secondary Highways, Posing New Hazards to Bicyclists

Contact NYSDOT and Your Legislators—Urge NYSDOT Not to Jeopardize the Safety of Its Roadway Users!

CURRENT NYSDOT POLICY: Do not install rumble strips on secondary roads except in rare instances
PROPOSED NYSDOT POLICY: Installation of rumble strips will be the preferred practice in the design of all secondary roads with a few exceptions
RUMBLE STRIPS are a well-documented hazard to bicyclists. Accepted practice nationwide dictates that rumble strips be used only sparingly on roads permitting cycling.

NYSDOT is proposing an Engineering Instruction (EI), titled “Secondary Highway Audible Roadway Delineators – Guidance and Policy,” which is at variance with the practices recommended by the Federal Highway Administration, The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and other standards setting agencies. Such national agencies generally recommend if rumble strips to be used on two-lane roads if there is a documented run-off-the road accident problem—and then, used only as a last resort due to the hazards they may create for other roadway users, including bicyclists.

Contact NYSDOT and your legislators to urge NYSDOT to not issue the proposed policy. Ask them to work with groups, such as the New York Bicycling Coalition, organizers of bicycling tours and events, and local cycling clubs to construct a less hostile policy that better balances the needs of motorist and bicyclist safety.

BACKGROUND: Rumble strips, as illustrated, are audible roadway delineators or indentations in the shoulder pavement that make sound when a car runs over them at high speeds. While an important safety tool used to prevent run-offs on high-speed Interstates and other limited access highways, they are a well-documented hazard to individuals on bicycles and should be used only sparingly on roads permitting cycling. NYSDOT is proposing to replace current stated policy — not have rumble strips on secondary roads except in rare instances — with a new one declaring “installation of shoulder rumble strips to be the preferred practice in the design of all secondary highways” with a few exceptions.

In short, the proposal would have NYSDOT install rumble strips (with certain exceptions) on secondary roadways throughout New York State, compromising bicyclists’ safety and the quality of riding surfaces on thousands of miles otherwise scenic roadways. National practice is to have rumble strips nowhere with some exceptions on secondary roadways. By taking the opposite tack, NYSDOT’s policy promiscuously promotes rumble strips, going far beyond what is seen as efficient deployment. Aside from the policy’s cost implications, it is unwise. It means rumble strips in urban areas, creating or adding to the din. It means rumble strips on roads with speeds too low to generate sound. Rumble strips also mean higher maintenance costs for the taxpayer. And, of course, they pose a danger to cyclists by causing spills, erratic avoidance maneuvers, or causing them to avoid the shoulder and ride mingled in automobile traffic.

A check of other states with such secondary highway policies shows they require an accident analysis be done before such rumble strip use; the proposed NYSDOT policy does not. Other states specify where rumble strips are used, have at least 5 feet of paved shoulder between them and any guardrail; the proposed NYSDOT policy does not. Other states say not to even consider rumble strips unless there are high speeds and high traffic volumes: while the proposed NYSDOT policy does have speed and volume thresholds, they are considerably lower than those of any other state. There are dozens of other such examples in this EI where the proposed policy varies from generally accepted practice.

NOTE: In late October, NYBC issued a letter to Commissioner Gee expressing our concern over the rumble strip issue and urging him to reinstate the Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee. The need is more urgent than ever, as illustrated by NYSDOT’s draft EI. A Committee, representing various stakeholders across the state, is needed to provide input on this policy, as well as future concerns, to ensure the safety and comfort of ALL roadway users are accommodated and protected. Such a Committee could also help NYSDOT construct a less hostile policy that better balances the need of motorist and bicyclist safety.

Contact NYSDOT and your legislators to urge NYSDOT to not issue the proposed policy TODAY. Ask the Commissioner to reinstate the Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee and remind him if there was a formal working relationship with bicycle & pedestrian communities, many problems and misunderstandings could be avoided through early consultations.

Call, write, or email (or utilize all 3 methods of communication) your Assembly Member, State Senator and the Commissioner of Transportation.

WHO REPRESENTS ME?

Who’s my Assemblyperson?
Click here to search by Zip Code

Who’s my NYS Senator?
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At the above sites, clicking on the highlighted names will bring you directly to the legislator’s official website where you may make comments.

How to contact NYSDOT:
Website: Click here to email NYSDOT
Or write: Commissioner Stanley Gee
NYS Department of Transportation
50 Wolf Rd.
Albany, NY 12232

Prefer to mail?
Simply send a postcard (28¢ each at your nearest US Post Office) to your legislators and the Commissioner. For an investment of 84¢, you have the ability to improve bicycling throughout New York State, including in your village, town or city. Or, if easier, just stuff a copy of this notice in an envelope (adding personal comments if you wish) and mail (44¢ postage) it off to the Commissioner and elected representatives.

Toolkit/Resources

* Download a .PDF copy of the Press Release here.
*Rumble Strips: Sample Correspondence
* Recent Press on the Rumble Strip Issue:

• Idea Has Cyclists Ready to Rumble -LoHud.com
• A Safety Move That Cyclists Call a Menace -New York Times
• NYC cop injured in rumble strip accident -LoHud.com
• NYSDOT Proposing Widespread Use of Rumble Strips: We’re in For a Bumpy Ride -Times Union
• NYSDOT Proposes Rumble Strips: Danger to Cyclists -Goodbye Blue Mondays

* View firsthand experience of Rumble Strips from the Bicyclist’s Perspective
Location: video filmed on Route 7 in Massachusetts, just south of Williamstown near the 5 Corners General Store (a popular destination amongst Eastern Upstate New York and Berkshire area cyclists alike).

“I have ridden into a rumble strip (accidentally) on my bike, and it was one of the scariest experiences of my life. I have done some pretty “scary” things like jumping out of planes, backcountry and serious steep skiing in deep powder. NOTHING I have ever done prepared me for the shear terror of hitting one of these strips.”–Email from a concerned cyclist to NYBC, 11.10.09.