Rumble Strip - Removal and Opposition

Removal and Opposition

In February 2010, Johnson County, KS. (U.S.), tabled legislation to allow buses to travel on the paved shoulder (which is currently rumble stripped) when traffic slows to less than 35 mph (56 km/h). "The start-up plan estimates costs at between $17.6 million and $20 million, including $2.4 to remove rumble strips along the shoulder of I-35." "The Kansas House Transportation Committee says it would be modeled after a similar one in Minneapolis, Minn."

Some residents living close to either newly installed lane or transverse rumble strips have complained about noise levels and were successful in having them removed at considerable expense. In 2004, the Town of Chapel Hill, NC, U.S., had transverse rumble strips removed as measured noise exceeded the Town's Noise Ordinance. "General noise levels close to the sidewalk varied from 60 to 77 decibels depending on the type and speed of traffic passing over the rumble strips. These noise levels exceed the generally applicable 60 decibel noise level allowed by the Town’s Noise Ordinance during nighttime hours." In 2005, the London Borough of Bromley removed transverse rumble strips after residents complained of the excessive "machine gun fire" noise. In 2010, Reno County plan to remove rumble strip from a roundabout after residents complained about excessive noise levels.

The Transportation Association of Canada and US FHWA guidelines basically require that a width of 1.5 m (5 ft) of clear paved shoulder between the outside of the rumble strip and the edge of pavement is adequate to provide cyclists with a clear travel path.

However, in situations of parked vehicle on the shoulder, debris on the shoulder, or downhill sections even the 1.5 m (5 ft) clear path requirement rumble strips presents a significant hazard particularly if the pavement is wet. The argument that rumble strip help protect cyclists is puzzling as inattentive drivers' vehicles generally pass entirely over the rumble strip before recovery.

Other related FHWA guidelines are: "Rumble strips should not normally be used in urban or suburban areas or along roadways where prevailing speeds are less than 80 km/h (50 mph)." and "All responsible agencies should work in cooperation with bicycle groups, enforcement agencies, emergency groups and other roadway users, to develop policies, design standards and implementation techniques that address the safety and operational needs of all roadway users." and "To provide a clear area beyond the rumble strip for bicycle travel, highway maintenance agencies should periodically sweep shoulders along identified bicycle routes of high bicycle usage."

In the United States, the 1999 American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities recommends minimum standards for road shoulders receiving rumble strips to accommodate all users of the roadway and make best use of funds.