Pavement Markings
Pavement Markings Services South Florida
Although the Romans are famous for building an extensive network of roads to connect their massive empire, civilizations began engineering roads thousands of years earlier. To date, the oldest road discovered was built in England about 6,000 years ago. By today’s standards, early roads were quite primitive. Construction materials included logs, crushed rock, bricks, gravel, and stone pavers. These materials were not suitable for pavement markings, nor were markings particularly necessary. There were some instances of centerlines that consisted of pavers or bricks that differed in color from the rest of the roadway, but the history of true pavement markings is less than 200 years long.
What Is the Purpose of Pavement Markings?
Pavement markings serve to make streets, highways, and parking lots safer for drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and everyone else who uses the pavement. Some pavement markings function as warning devices. For example, a solid white line along the edges of a highway can divide the travel lane from the shoulder. Other pavement markings are meant to control traffic. Centerlines help reduce head-on collisions by clearly separating the lanes for traffic moving in opposite directions. Double centerlines indicate that drivers should not attempt to pass the vehicle in front of them because it is not safe to do so. Traffic arrows can be used to indicate whether drivers can turn left or right; if accompanied by the word only, it is mandatory to turn in the direction indicated.
What Pavement Markings Do I Need?
Your pavement markings should be tailored to your specific pavement. A divided urban boulevard, for example, may need different markings than a parking lot, and a parking lot serving a major shopping mall may need markings that differ from those needed for the parking lot at a small retail store. Fortunately, regardless of the type of pavement, markings typically convey the same meanings. Here are some of the markings commonly used for both public thoroughfares and parking lots.
• Crosswalks: Crosswalks provide guidance to pedestrians as well as drivers. They tell pedestrians where it is safest to cross a lane of vehicle travel, and they warn drivers to be especially alert to the possibility of a pedestrian ahead.
• Traffic Arrows: As stated above, traffic arrows can indicate a mandatory or optional turn. However, they can also be used to indicate that vehicles must continue in a straight line. In parking lots, traffic arrows can indicate whether a travel aisle is one-way or two-way, help drivers navigate to a specific building or entrance, or guide drivers to the exit.
• Stop Bars: Stop bars are wide lines that are painted near traffic lights or stop signs. They show drivers the precise point at which they should stop their vehicles before proceeding.
• Diagonal Lines: Depending on the color of paint and the location, diagonal lines can have a variety of meanings. For example, they may be used to make speed bumps more visible, define the access aisle beside a handicapped parking space, or denote a no-parking area at the end of a parking aisle, near a loading dock, or beside a dumpster.
• Words and Symbols: Words can be used alone or in conjunction with signs or symbols. For example, on a freeway, a white diamond indicates that the lane is for high-occupancy vehicles only, and the symbol may also be accompanied by the letters HOV. Other symbols that may be painted on a pavement can indicate a railroad crossing, bicycle lane, school zone, dangerous curve, truck crossing, or impending crosswalk.
• ADA Markings: An image of a person in a wheelchair against a blue background is a familiar sight in parking lots around the world. The ADA requires these pavement markings in accessible spaces, and they should be bordered by at least one aisle that is marked to discourage parking in the access aisle. However, many people do not realize that complying with the ADA does not guarantee that your parking lot meets local codes. For example, there are some Florida municipalities that require the blue accessibility symbol to be larger than the size stated in the ADA.
Whether you need pavement markings for a busy boulevard, a rural highway, a parking lot, or a subdivision, 3-D Paving & Sealcoating is ready to assist you. We know how to help you select the pavement markings you need, and we know where to place them so that they do the most good. We also know how to apply them so that they are crisp, attractive, and durable. We offer numerous services for commercial, municipal, and residential properties in South Florida. In addition to pavement markings, we offer parking lot signage and striping, asphalt sealcoating, concrete curbing, asphalt milling, concrete ramps, asphalt overlays, concrete sidewalks, thermoplastic line striping, asphalt paving, concrete parking lots, paver bricks, ADA compliance, speed bumps, concrete grinding, bollard installation, drainage corrections, and reflective pavement markers. We have built our exemplary reputation by consistently providing exceptional work and extraordinary customer service on every job. If you are interested in requesting a free quote, you can call our office at 855-735-ROAD, fill out our online form, or email your information to Info@3-DPaving.com.
Benefits of Pavement Markings
These are 5 of the key benefits of pavement markings, and what makes them so essential:
Improves Efficiency
Improves efficiency as drivers properly space their cars when parking while still allowing pedestrian traffic.
Road Safety
Increases safety as road users and pedestrians can easily determine where parking spaces and crosswalks start and end, as well as the direction of traffic flow.
Reduces Liability
Reduces the risk of liability because people can’t point to faded parking stripes as a reason for personal injuries or accidents.
Look Fresh & New
Maintains and revitalizes visual aesthetics because it makes the road, sidewalk, or parking lot look fresh and new. These markings play an important role in helping to boost curb appeal.
Vehicle Distancing
Helps space out cars when they are parked and prevents issues with doors hitting other vehicles when opened.
Contact 3-D Paving and Sealcoating today to get a quote for your Pavement Markings needs.
Contact 3-D Paving and Sealcoating today to get a quote for your Pavement Markings needs.
