If you’ve spotted a blue line painted on the street, here’s what it signifies. Every driver understands the critical importance of road markings. Ignoring these markings isn’t just risky—it’s potentially life-threatening.
Those who live in some areas of the U.S. may notice a new road marking appearing in the coming weeks: a thin blue line in the middle of the two yellow center lines in the road.It turns out that this blue line is being painted on roads throughout Maryland to honor the heroic police officers who serve their communities!This is also a safety measure, as the line leads directly to the police station.However, it is also a nice gesture to let police officers who put their lives on the line every day are having their sacrifices be appreciated.Ocean City, Maryland recently added these blue lines to their roads, much to the delight of Mayor Rick Sheehan, who knows how much his gorgeous beach community depends on these police officers.It is left up to these officers to keep the peace between the older retirees who live there and the rowdy teenagers who come there to party.The line has been placed between the existing yellow road divider lines on Ocean City’s 65th street, leading straight to the Ocean City Police Department headquarters.We can only hope that more communities across the country take notice of this and decide to have blue lines be painted in their towns!Police officers rarely seem to get the respect and appreciation that they deserve these days, and this is a great way to show how much we care about them.
USDOT States that Painting a “Thin Blue Line” in between a Double Yellow Highway Dividing Line is Illegal
As reported in NJ.Com, the U.S. Department of Transportation has opined that painting blue lines in between double yellow highway dividing lines is an unsafe practice and must therefore be removed. In October, many New Jersey towns painted blue lines in the middle of downtown roads to show support for law enforcement. The support at that time came in the wake of unprecedented attacks that were being perpetrated on law enforcement officers throughout the United States.
One New Jersey County asked The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration to weigh in on the legality of the practice. In response, the USDOTFHA stated that “There are many appropriate and fitting ways to recognize service to the public that do not involve the modification of a traffic control device, which can put the road user at risk due to misinterpretation of its meaning,” This opinion came from a December 8 letter from the Federal Highway Administration to the Somerset County Engineering Division who inquired about the practice.
“The use of blue lines as part of centerline markings does not comply with the provisions of the MUTCD (Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways),” the letter states. The USDOTFHA says the space in between the double yellow lines should remain empty. In certain cases, black paint can be used “where a light-colored pavement does not provide sufficient contrast with the markings,” the MUTCD states.
It is our understanding that when towns first started painting the blue lines on county roads, local officials said they did so only after receiving permission from the county. There has been no response from either the County of Somerset or the Towns that have painted the roads as to whether they will remove the “thin blue line” that has been painted in-between the double yellow.
In the area of New Jersey where I am from, the center of a double yellow line is painted to mark a parade route twice a year. It is painted green in March for the annual Saint Patrick’s Day Parade and then adorns the colors of the Italian flag in October to commemorate Columbus Day. This has been going on for as long as I can remember. The colors remain on the road for months; and as far as I know there are no complaints from either citizens, the Towns, nor the County.
However, I find it interesting that when the center of a double yellow line is painted blue to honor our Law Enforcement Officers we now learn that such actions are in essence “illegal” and should be deemed a safety concern. Really?
