COMMENTARY: Highway paving project presents opportunity to revisit rumble strips

It has been six years since the county did a traffic analysis of crashes on Vashon Highway and determined it was one of the three most dangerous roads in the state. The county’s solution at the time was to install shoulder and centerline rumble strips — the zipper-like divots you see (and hear and feel) along the highway north of Center all the way to Heights.

Now that the county is preparing to do a repaving on the highway, it is time to take a fresh look at whether the rumble strips in their present state are more of a benefit or a nuisance. It appears the county is again moving forward with construction without seeking the public input required by state guidelines. According to the project web page, the rumble strips are to be reapplied as in their current state: kingcounty.gov/depts/transportation/roads/vashon-highway.aspx

That public input was not done in 2012. Had the community been able to provide input, the county might have learned that, as it happens, the data for the crash study came from a time when the island had an uncharacteristically high number of fatal run-off-the-road crashes.

Instead, when the construction crews showed up, island cyclists mobilized to engage the county. In fact, it was the courageous efforts of a hearty few who literally stood in front of the equipment to have the county listen to our concerns. Additional, strips south of Center were halted, and sections near the public school were removed.

The island is a popular destination for visiting cyclists on the weekend, and homegrown bicycle commuting and utility riding increases. The main highway is the most-used route for bikes getting to town and from the ferries.

Since the strips went in, there have been several incidents where bicyclists have hit the rumble strips and gone down, suffering significant injuries. The rumble strips are very hard to see in low light or rainy conditions. And as a practical matter, they decrease the life of the road by adding stress points.

We recognize that a 2013 study by the State Department of Transportation indicates that the strips are effective, but a close reading of the study shows that the data comes only from roads with speeds greater than 55 mph — higher than the 35 to 50 mph speeds allowed on the island. Are rumble strips the right solution?

We need to find a safe balance — safety for all roadway users: drivers as well as pedestrians, equestrians and cyclists of all ages. Maybe centerline stips only. Maybe at only key locations along the proven dangerous spots. Maybe brighter lane stripes and reflectors. Let’s find a way.

We want to make the larger community aware and join in the dialogue to use this repaving opportunity to create the safest path for all. We would request the county to provide the most recent crash data post-installation on Vashon Highway. We call for community meetings with the county and state bike and pedestrian coordinators before the strips are installed on the new highway.

We believe there is a much better solution that helps alert distracted drivers while keeping the right of way safe for all other modes of transit. Through respectful dialogue, we can come up with a better, safer and more sustainable solution.

For a study of rumble strip effectiveness, see wsdot.wa.gov/Research/Reports/700/799.1.htm.

For for the policy on design and installation, see www.wsdot.wa.gov/Design/Policy/RumbleStrips.htm.

Thank you for sharing the road.

— Michael DeBlasi is 35-year bike commuter and past president of the Cascade Bike Club.