January 09, 2017
Borough of Oaklyn/Facebook
West Clinton Avenue in Oaklyn, Camden County, New Jersey.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration may put an end to New Jersey towns' practice of painting blue lines down the center of roadways in support of the police.
In the past year, several New Jersey municipalities, including the borough of Oaklyn in Camden County, have painted thin blue lines down roadways as a symbol of local police unity.
West Clinton Avenue in Oaklyn, Camden County, New Jersey.
In the letter sent to Somerset County Engineer Matthew D. Loper by Mark R. Kehrli, the director of the federal Office of Transportation Operations, Kehrli, citing the manual, concludes the blue line markings are not approved.
“The use of blue pavement markings is limited to supplementing white markings for parking spaces for persons with disabilities. The use of blue lines as part of centerline markings does not comply with the provisions of the MUTCD."
He goes to say that while "we appreciate the impact of expressing support for law enforcement officers and value their contributions to society, 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."
It is unknown whether New Jersey municipalities that have already painted the blue lines for police will have to remove them or if there will be consequences for towns that choose to ignore the regulations.
Read the full letter here.
